We are from Grand Rapids and wanted to share this with you. Your Barrister is 1908! Gorgeous piece. MARKS AND LABELS Pieces produced before 1908 may carry the name “Fred Macey Furniture Co.” or simply “Macey” in an italic script, with the tail of the let “Y” underlining much of the word. Pieces produced after 1908 will bear a modified version of the earlier mark, with “Macey” in simpler script, surrounded by a black or solid colored oval.
I think it's fantastic to restore a piece without stripping it back entirely. It definitely retains its beauty and antique feel as part of its story. Just gorgeous.
This is beautiful! Glad you didn’t overdo the restoration. The age of the piece really adds the charm and character that you just can’t find these days. Great job! 👍
I agree with your philosophy on working on old items like this. Clean it up, fix the damage, but let its years and character stay. If I wanted it to look brand-new, I’d build a copy.
Beautiful job. I ŕèallylike how you do your restoration, but more than that, I appreciate that you explain what your doing and why. You should give lessons to most of your contemporary. Most do not speak at all!
I love how you kept the antique look of your beautiful piece. I agree with the idea of leaving the "history" of a piece remaining which adds to the charm. I did a light refinish to a top on an old family hutch I now have. The top was marred by me as a 7 year old child with a screwdriver. I recall it was fascinating watching the indentations appear that I was making at the time, not realizing that one day 70 year old me would be restoring it. I did hand sand all the areas of damage to the top, reducing some of the damage, including my artwork, but had to smile at the memories that I left as I applied the topcoats. The piece was intended to be distressed and I made a memorable contribution to that end.
It really turned out great! I haven’t done a book shelf yet. Right now I refinish a mid-century bar cabinet. A fun project! Stay tuned for a video of the project. And keep up with the awsome content 🎉
It looks great - the woodgrain came up so much nicer! We just got a 3 tier one from the auction the other day which also needs some TLC, so you've given us some inspiration!
Wow, super excited for this one, I hope you do more pre-1950 stuff in the future. I saved the middle section (missing doors) of a solid walnut one of these from a scraper for $3. Unknown mfg. but very old. Not sure when I'll get around to collecting the other pieces, but for now it's out of the landfill and used to store my stockpile of delicate trim and hardware
That is GORGEOUS ! Those units cost a fortune over here in England. I totally agree with you about not making something look brand new - most of my furniture is from Auctions, which I have cleaned and renovated, but left the 'old' look. Also, satin finish is much more pleasing to me, then a buff with beeswax - perfect. Thanks for sharing your skills and tips with us. Take care 🙂
I'm in England and I have one with 3 shelves a drawer and top....it was made by Globe Werbenik withe the saying always finished but never complete on the label
great restoration. great taste as always. I like how you don't replace stuff when it would be easier to do so, because you have the skill to actually repair it.
You did a really great restoration with this piece. The natural variation of colours in the wood makes it really unique and beautiful. I’m glad that you didn’t sand the wood as it would have removed the history. Your narrative is so easy to follow and I love how you admit your mistakes and how you get around these. It’s why I follow your channel.
Just love those bookcases have collected 5 so far. With various display items in them it saves all that dusting. Havent seen that mechanism before, the ones I have have got a scissor action in them with doors. Nice restore them sympatheticaly keeping an aged look. Great video!
Hah! I have NINE! (2 pairs and the other 5 are singletons) The various construction methods and door mechanisms are amazing. I have them with pegs and routed grooves, metal rails, or the scissor mechanism. One has Canadian coins in slots acting as locking pegs. And one knocks down into a "flat pack" with the backs, sides and shelves all separated. It's held together by routed grooves and an interesting iron bracket on the shelves.
Great work! I just came into a Grand Rapid Michigan Barrister Bookcase made by Gunn Furniture Company. It is a 4 stack with each stack being a different height. The top has a triangle label on the back with GRM; inside back panels have a stencil of "Gunn Furniture Company, Sectional Bookcase..." I have seen other brands like Globe & Wernicke, also Macey, but little info on Dunn. Anyone here know anything like age, documentation on assembly / disassembly, etc...? Thanks
@@mikemcternan8249 I agree about the "flimsier" as there is not the heavy top "bracing" that G&W's have. On the other hand the iron hardware on the bottom on the side panels lock the sections together very rigidly without much bulk Question: my back panels have 2 flathead slotted screws on each side angled in from the inside to the side panels. How does yours look?
My mother's family had a similar one, but it was not as deep and had 5 sections. They called it a secretariat. I was so in love with that piece of furniture. Yours is just lovely!
Another fabulous restoration. I love watching you work your magic giving these items another chance to be enjoyed. Thank you, and keep up the good work
Absolutely beautiful - I love the way that wood grain ages, and you did a great job preserving the look. And a masterful job restoring the "plywood" - I'm going to remember those techniques!
Lovely piece. Just the visual of the wood inspires memories of being in some of the dark, old libraries at the UofM many, many decades ago. All kinds of wooden cabinetry for all those books. Always enjoy your calming narration as you walk us through your thought process, make the occasional misstep (don't we all).
Beautifully done. You fix things as you come across them well. These stacking bookcases were all the rage for a while, but oak fell out of style with most buyers. I'm sure it will come back strong at some point. The grain and color is beautiful. Thank you for posting your amazing work skill. I've learn some good tips from your channel.
I find your videos so calming. Im never gonna be able to afford to do anything like this in terms of material costs but i like watching and the knowledge you give. Your voice is also so calming.
honestly i love this one, because the end result doesnt look wildly different, its just cleaned up and restored as much as possible while still obviously being an antique.
I hadn't thought of that - laying an industrial paper towel over the whole surface and soaking it with alcohol so that you can remove the finish in one long even sweep. I really like that.
Love how you left aspects of the age of the piece and stayed true to original glues and finishes. I own a very similar piece and came looking for advice on how to get a door off to replace broken glass. I think removing the back to get the door out is what I need to try. But I enjoyed watching the whole restoration, very interesting and also relaxing. Thanks for not adding any annoying music, or using a lot of fast forward.
This is exactly what my grandfather had! He was 3rd generation lawyer, it had belonged to the 1st lawyer in my family who was pretty famous in my country of Argentina.
I did a secretary's desk recently that was my grandmother's and made in 1905.The wood was so similar to this but the damage I had was minimal. I really liked how it turned out. A labor of love actually!
Nice work. I've always wanted to build a Barrister Bookcase but never seemed to fine the right time. This is a classic piece. Great job getting all the finish off with alcohol. Well done.
The perfect way to wrap up my weekend. A new Dashner video! I learned a few things. Now I know that "hide glue" exists. Parchment paper underneath the back panels is a great idea. I have never thought about using it. Now I also know that alcohol dissolves shellac. Better than scrapping! Cheers to the Prairie Wheat stain! That patch deserves its own video. I loved the rail mechanism of the glass doors. When things were manufactured with quality and craftsmanship. You don't see that anymore. The bookcase is beautiful, but... the wood pattern on the upper left really clashes with the bottom ones. Maybe I am the odd ball here, but I would have ebonized this one. As always, a pleasure to watch. Nicely done! 🤩🤩🤩
@@lilithanne5506 It’s my understanding that these were sold by the individual piece. You would order a top and base and as many sections as you wanted. Since it was not built as a complete unit there was probably no effort made to match the grain between the individual pieces.
Whoopee ding, almost my bookcase. Mine has three big cases, and a desk, with cubbyholes and little shelves, but no detailing or fussy bits,the label is earlier. It is in rough shape, much rougher than yours, and needs a lot of t.l.c., as well as a new glass on the larger sections door. I have been waiting for someone to re do one so I could follow. Mine was purchased in the very early 1900’s, when my grand parents had a farm on the prairies, and was the office till I inherited it, and still is. Thank you for the example to follow, I am going to need it. 🙏👍
I own 26 units of these (from the French company that made them here), inherited from my grandfather and his brother. They’re still in pretty excellent shape and they’re moving with me for the third time next month. I cherish them, because they’re beautiful, functional and i have a deep emotional attachment to them.
My goodness, but that is so stunning! She shows age and beauty. I love how you kept the original label. The wood patch is almost invisible. I learn a lot from your technique. Thanks for sharing
I have one of these I found on the side of the road. It’s in great condition just need one pane of glass. I will follow your lead on cleaning it up. Thank you 🐝
I have a 3 door Antique Barrister to work on! This video could not have come at a better time🥳 Can hardly Wait to see if alcohol will work on the finish⚠️ THANK YOU‼️
So weird was just thinking about your show and hoping for a new one and bam, here you are! Love that your not afraid to do different projects! Nice job!
Great video as always. I really like these book cases. I would love to get my hands on one someday. I find them so Beautiful. Glad you fixed this one up so nicely. 😊
I have a similar bookcase I’ve had since early 1990’s after my grandmother passed. I never looked into the type of bookcase it is but knew it was antique. The label in mine says Mfg The Globe-Wernicke Co. Cincinnati O. Mine doesn’t have the glass doors like yours and it hasn’t been refinished but I use furniture polish on it and it still has a nice finish. I’m glad I saw your video.
Great video, wonderful vibe. Considering restoring a super rare design of barrister bookcase... and am definitely leaning into the idea after watching your well-produced, well-narrated process. Thanks
We are from Grand Rapids and wanted to share this with you. Your Barrister is 1908! Gorgeous piece.
MARKS AND LABELS
Pieces produced before 1908 may carry the name “Fred Macey Furniture Co.” or simply “Macey” in an italic script, with the tail of the let “Y” underlining much of the word. Pieces produced after 1908 will bear a modified version of the earlier mark, with “Macey” in simpler script, surrounded by a black or solid colored oval.
My old home town! Always makes me proud to see pieces that originated in the Furniture City. 😊
Like how the alcohol literally just melts the finish! Great job!
Grand Rapids is my hometown too! I love seeing pieces from GR furniture companies. 🙂
Fellow GR resident and furniture fan here. 👋Love this bit of info!
to me the real Grand Rapids is in Northern Minnesota
I love your easy going style. I appreciate that you don’t have background music and that you show your thought processes. What works and what didn’t.
I think it's fantastic to restore a piece without stripping it back entirely. It definitely retains its beauty and antique feel as part of its story. Just gorgeous.
Watching your videos for years. I'm glad you felt comfortable talking face to face with the camera.
I love the choices you made. I know loads of people- myself included- who would treasure this piece in its new incarnation.
This is beautiful! Glad you didn’t overdo the restoration. The age of the piece really adds the charm and character that you just can’t find these days. Great job! 👍
I agree with your philosophy on working on old items like this. Clean it up, fix the damage, but let its years and character stay. If I wanted it to look brand-new, I’d build a copy.
You always finish by sayin Thanks for watching and I’m always thinking…Thanks for making us another beautiful video. 😻👍🏼🇺🇸
Ok, but why is this video so calming?!
I can’t help it.
@@DashnerDesignRestoration I love it! Too much chaos on the internet already
Love that it still looks old, but now cared for :)
Beautiful job. I ŕèallylike how you do your restoration, but more than that, I appreciate that you explain what your doing and why. You should give lessons to most of your contemporary. Most do not speak at all!
As always, the detail and care you put into these refurbishments is amazing.
Thank you!
I love how you kept the antique look of your beautiful piece. I agree with the idea of leaving the "history" of a piece remaining which adds to the charm. I did a light refinish to a top on an old family hutch I now have. The top was marred by me as a 7 year old child with a screwdriver. I recall it was fascinating watching the indentations appear that I was making at the time, not realizing that one day 70 year old me would be restoring it. I did hand sand all the areas of damage to the top, reducing some of the damage, including my artwork, but had to smile at the memories that I left as I applied the topcoats. The piece was intended to be distressed and I made a memorable contribution to that end.
Wonderful job you did. And I’m glad you used shellac, honouring the original finish; it’s warm and classy.
You did a marvelous job. Your voice is incredibly soothing.
Nice trick cleaning off the old shellac with alcohol! The Bookcase looks really great!
It really turned out great! I haven’t done a book shelf yet. Right now I refinish a mid-century bar cabinet. A fun project! Stay tuned for a video of the project. And keep up with the awsome content 🎉
Love watching you puzzle out all the small details that you ran across. Wonderful result, Dashner. Good job.
Thank you.
Learn something new everyday. I thought it was imperative when refinishing to sand. How cool that you knew that isn’t always necessary.
It looks great - the woodgrain came up so much nicer! We just got a 3 tier one from the auction the other day which also needs some TLC, so you've given us some inspiration!
Wow, super excited for this one, I hope you do more pre-1950 stuff in the future.
I saved the middle section (missing doors) of a solid walnut one of these from a scraper for $3. Unknown mfg. but very old. Not sure when I'll get around to collecting the other pieces, but for now it's out of the landfill and used to store my stockpile of delicate trim and hardware
That is GORGEOUS ! Those units cost a fortune over here in England. I totally agree with you about not making something look brand new - most of my furniture is from Auctions, which I have cleaned and renovated, but left the 'old' look. Also, satin finish is much more pleasing to me, then a buff with beeswax - perfect. Thanks for sharing your skills and tips with us. Take care 🙂
I'm in England and I have one with 3 shelves a drawer and top....it was made by Globe Werbenik withe the saying always finished but never complete on the label
great restoration. great taste as always. I like how you don't replace stuff when it would be easier to do so, because you have the skill to actually repair it.
Just came across you , subscribed just to hear your calm , great voice as you illustrate all the steps to bringing your projects to life !!
You did a really great restoration with this piece. The natural variation of colours in the wood makes it really unique and beautiful. I’m glad that you didn’t sand the wood as it would have removed the history. Your narrative is so easy to follow and I love how you admit your mistakes and how you get around these. It’s why I follow your channel.
Wow, what a stunning grain on this bookcase hidden under all that age and grime.
You need to be on a show. Like the good old days of PBS or something like that. Your vibe is great
Nice work! I can't believe those glass panels were still in tact. Remarkable.
Wonderful restoration. Been watching you for years and you keep me coming back!
I haven’t seen one of those in many years but you did a stunning job on it. Very nice😊
LOL! Love your "clamping solutions". What a wonderful job bringing this bookcase back to life and it's former beauty!!
Just love those bookcases have collected 5 so far.
With various display items in them it saves all that dusting.
Havent seen that mechanism before, the ones I have have got a scissor action in them with doors.
Nice restore them sympatheticaly keeping an aged look.
Great video!
Hah! I have NINE! (2 pairs and the other 5 are singletons)
The various construction methods and door mechanisms are amazing. I have them with pegs and routed grooves, metal rails, or the scissor mechanism. One has Canadian coins in slots acting as locking pegs.
And one knocks down into a "flat pack" with the backs, sides and shelves all separated. It's held together by routed grooves and an interesting iron bracket on the shelves.
@@lazygardens 😂good oh
Great work! I just came into a Grand Rapid Michigan Barrister Bookcase made by Gunn Furniture Company. It is a 4 stack with each stack being a different height. The top has a triangle label on the back with GRM; inside back panels have a stencil of "Gunn Furniture Company, Sectional Bookcase..." I have seen other brands like Globe & Wernicke, also Macey, but little info on Dunn. Anyone here know anything like age, documentation on assembly / disassembly, etc...? Thanks
@@peterson0007 I have a Gunn 4 tiers. Seems a lot flimsier than the Globe wernicke but quite adequate as a bookcase
@@mikemcternan8249 I agree about the "flimsier" as there is not the heavy top "bracing" that G&W's have. On the other hand the iron hardware on the bottom on the side panels lock the sections together very rigidly without much bulk Question: my back panels have 2 flathead slotted screws on each side angled in from the inside to the side panels. How does yours look?
My mother's family had a similar one, but it was not as deep and had 5 sections. They called it a secretariat. I was so in love with that piece of furniture. Yours is just lovely!
Another fabulous restoration. I love watching you work your magic giving these items another chance to be enjoyed. Thank you, and keep up the good work
So cool you got to work on one of these! I have yet to find one I can afford but their fascinating mechanics have made me such a fan. Impressive!
One of the things I've always wanted...a barrister's bookcase. Very nice job.
Love that you left a lot of the original patina
Lovely old tiger oak, my favourite wood. :) Nice job, as always...
Absolutely beautiful - I love the way that wood grain ages, and you did a great job preserving the look. And a masterful job restoring the "plywood" - I'm going to remember those techniques!
I like how you think your way through each problem as they arise. Well done.
As always an extremely beautiful job you've done on restoring this piece back to glory. Thanks for the entertainment. 😊❤
Thank you!
A lovely, sensitive restoration of that piece. Very well done!
Lovely piece. Just the visual of the wood inspires memories of being in some of the dark, old libraries at the UofM many, many decades ago. All kinds of wooden cabinetry for all those books. Always enjoy your calming narration as you walk us through your thought process, make the occasional misstep (don't we all).
It really turned out great! I just love those bookcases. ❤
Beautifully done. You fix things as you come across them well. These stacking bookcases were all the rage for a while, but oak fell out of style with most buyers. I'm sure it will come back strong at some point. The grain and color is beautiful. Thank you for posting your amazing work skill. I've learn some good tips from your channel.
Thank you for watching!
I find your videos so calming. Im never gonna be able to afford to do anything like this in terms of material costs but i like watching and the knowledge you give. Your voice is also so calming.
A gentle, good looking restoration 😃👍
I have almost the same piece inherited from my grandfather. Thanks for showing me how to restore it. Always enjoy your work. Hi from California !
Interesting to see you take on something completely different. Love this style of bookcase. Nice one.
Great actually seeing YOU and putting you with your voice... and they blend!! Perfect!
The Bookcase looks so fresh and clean! Great restauration as always!
A really good job restoring this bookcase. A gem of a piece. Carol from California
I have a globe wernicke bookcase and it's my favorite style of bookcase. The quality of furniture was amazing from these years. Great video.
Great job. All the little fixes that went into this piece... just brilliant.
This would make a great bathroom cabinet for towels and sundries
I don’t think the moisture of a bathroom would be good for it.
honestly i love this one, because the end result doesnt look wildly different, its just cleaned up and restored as much as possible while still obviously being an antique.
It looks like it belonged to a granny who took GOOD care of it, not the harsh "I've been stripped and sanded and look painfully skinned" style.
I like that you kept the petina on the hardware. Nice work!
I hadn't thought of that - laying an industrial paper towel over the whole surface and soaking it with alcohol so that you can remove the finish in one long even sweep. I really like that.
Love how you left aspects of the age of the piece and stayed true to original glues and finishes. I own a very similar piece and came looking for advice on how to get a door off to replace broken glass. I think removing the back to get the door out is what I need to try. But I enjoyed watching the whole restoration, very interesting and also relaxing. Thanks for not adding any annoying music, or using a lot of fast forward.
This is exactly what my grandfather had! He was 3rd generation lawyer, it had belonged to the 1st lawyer in my family who was pretty famous in my country of Argentina.
I did a secretary's desk recently that was my grandmother's and made in 1905.The wood was so similar to this but the damage I had was minimal. I really liked how it turned out. A labor of love actually!
Wow. This is really a cool piece of furniture. The great style and the quirky opening mechanism makes it an eyecatcher. Luv it!
Nice work. I've always wanted to build a Barrister Bookcase but never seemed to fine the right time. This is a classic piece. Great job getting all the finish off with alcohol. Well done.
Nice job on coloring that inset of wood.
Love what you did with this piece. It’s amazing how using alcohol to remove the old shellac restored its glory.
A very enjoyable video! Then again, I cannot watch too many barrister cases' videos, I find these constructions fascinating.
You did the piece justice, great job
What a fantastic piece of furniture. Well done on a wonderful job.
Those old lawyer bookcases are beautiful, my ex had a 6 stack one in our office.
Loved the end result such a classic piece 👏👍🇦🇺
That book case came out super.
Wonderful, wonderful work.
The Barrister bookcase is a very popular and nice piece of furniture, what a talented beautiful restoration you’ve done on this older one, excellent.
I owned one of these, but downsized and sold it for $$$$$. they're really wonderful. modular furniture at its finest.
Very beautiful. I love that look of natural wood. You do excellent work.
Another great save Dashner you would've made a great goal keeper well done.
Looks great! We have one that’s three sections.🇨🇦
The perfect way to wrap up my weekend. A new Dashner video!
I learned a few things. Now I know that "hide glue" exists. Parchment paper underneath the back panels is a great idea. I have never thought about using it. Now I also know that alcohol dissolves shellac. Better than scrapping!
Cheers to the Prairie Wheat stain! That patch deserves its own video.
I loved the rail mechanism of the glass doors. When things were manufactured with quality and craftsmanship. You don't see that anymore.
The bookcase is beautiful, but... the wood pattern on the upper left really clashes with the bottom ones. Maybe I am the odd ball here, but I would have ebonized this one.
As always, a pleasure to watch. Nicely done! 🤩🤩🤩
I did consider ebonizing this one but I couldn’t get myself to do it. I think it would look great though.
I agree about the wood pattern on the upper left, it sets off my OCD. I wonder if it was a manufacturing "oops." 😲
@@lilithanne5506 It’s my understanding that these were sold by the individual piece. You would order a top and base and as many sections as you wanted. Since it was not built as a complete unit there was probably no effort made to match the grain between the individual pieces.
@@DashnerDesignRestoration Thank you for the explanation. That makes sense. In my head I was picturing it in the "factory seconds" department. 🙃
Such a beautiful piece, and you did an amazing job as per usual
Whoopee ding, almost my bookcase. Mine has three big cases, and a desk, with cubbyholes and little shelves, but no detailing or fussy bits,the label is earlier. It is in rough shape, much rougher than yours, and needs a lot of t.l.c., as well as a new glass on the larger sections door. I have been waiting for someone to re do one so I could follow. Mine was purchased in the very early 1900’s, when my grand parents had a farm on the prairies, and was the office till I inherited it, and still is. Thank you for the example to follow, I am going to need it. 🙏👍
Gorgeous. Thanks for sharing. 👍
I did not know this style of bookcase existed, but it's pretty much exactly what I've been wanting - I'm going to have to look for one of my own!
Beautiful! As always a sympathetic restoration.
Nice job, you did just enough to bring it back and keep the character intact
I own 26 units of these (from the French company that made them here), inherited from my grandfather and his brother. They’re still in pretty excellent shape and they’re moving with me for the third time next month.
I cherish them, because they’re beautiful, functional and i have a deep emotional attachment to them.
My goodness, but that is so stunning! She shows age and beauty. I love how you kept the original label. The wood patch is almost invisible. I learn a lot from your technique. Thanks for sharing
An enjoyable watch as always! It's nice to see a face to the voice as well!!
I have one of these I found on the side of the road. It’s in great condition just need one pane of glass. I will follow your lead on cleaning it up. Thank you 🐝
6:45 Nice job!
Beautiful! I love barrister bookcases! You did a great job!
Thank you!
I have a 3 door Antique Barrister to work on! This video could not have come at a better time🥳
Can hardly Wait to see if alcohol will work on the finish⚠️ THANK YOU‼️
Ahh! I have a secretary desk in this style! I needed this tutorial so badly
Fascinating project, well executed. Thanks for sharing.
Another beautiful restoration! Thanks!!
So weird was just thinking about your show and hoping for a new one and bam, here you are! Love that your not afraid to do different projects! Nice job!
It’s beautiful! I have always loved these barrister cases. Thanks for sharing
Great video as always. I really like these book cases. I would love to get my hands on one someday. I find them so Beautiful. Glad you fixed this one up so nicely. 😊
Love this style of bookcase.
I have a similar bookcase I’ve had since early 1990’s after my grandmother passed. I never looked into the type of bookcase it is but knew it was antique. The label in mine says Mfg The Globe-Wernicke Co. Cincinnati O. Mine doesn’t have the glass doors like yours and it hasn’t been refinished but I use furniture polish on it and it still has a nice finish. I’m glad I saw your video.
Great video, wonderful vibe. Considering restoring a super rare design of barrister bookcase... and am definitely leaning into the idea after watching your well-produced, well-narrated process. Thanks