Wagemaker File Cabinets
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Overview
- Wagemaker (Grand Rapids, MI) stackable file cabinet restoration
- Possible 1930s era
- Quartersawn oak with cast brass hardware
- Wooden expanding drawer slides
Before
The as-found condition was a little coarse with some water damage and warping on the top panels (not shown) and a flaking brown paint job:
A little research revealed details about the missing base and cap. Mail stuffed in the back of one drawer hints at a previous owner:
The hardware is unique in that the handles and nameplates are cast brass rather than stamped. The company that made Wagemaker file cabinets also made boats and had their own foundry, so I suspect the hardware (including drawer slide hardware) was made in-house:
A new top and base, although more basic than original, completed this restoration:
