Refinishing Antique Oak Ice Box
Antiquarian ice boxes bring a sense of nostalgia to nearly everyone, fifty-fifty those whose just experience with one has been through movies.
Ice Houses
Civilizations take been harvesting and using water ice for keeping nutrient fresh since before Roman times. I of the earliest known ice houses is reputed to have been built in Iraq in 1700 B.C.. Thick chunks of water ice would exist cut from the ice that formed on lakes and ponds and taken to these structures. Icehouses were more often than not squat, domed buildings. The foundations were dug deeply and the walls were generally underground. This helped the building stay insulated.
During the winter snowfall would be brought into the water ice business firm and used with sawdust or harbinger to go along the huge blocks of harvested ice frozen. This method was and so effective that the ice was oftentimes still frozen the next winter. Perishable foods and beverages would be kept in the building and chunks of ice would be chipped off to create water ice cream.
As technology increased so did pollution. The make clean, clear water ice that may have been harvested from the local pond became tainted with chemicals and other residues. Ice began to be created commercially.
Using Antique Water ice Boxes
Since information technology was not viable for everyone to take their own ice house, the ice box was developed sometime between 1830 and 1840. It was little more than than a wooden box with an surface area to hold a block of ice. Over the side by side few decades improvements were made to the original blueprint.
The average water ice box was made of wood. As time went on these utilitarian appliances became beautiful pieces of craftsmanship. There were often carvings and other embellishments added to the basic box.
The walls were hollow and were lined with tin or zinc. The walls would and then exist filled with insulation. Some of the materials used to insulate the walls of these antique ice boxes were:
- Seaweed
- Straw
- Cork
- Sawdust
- Other insulating materials as bachelor locally
Nigh the top of the box, in the interior, was an area to hold a big block of ice. In some models it was a tray and in others information technology was a wooden compartment. Later and more than expensive models would have a rubber tube that was attached to the bottom of the water ice compartment. This tuckered the h2o from the melting ice into a belongings tank or a pan under the ice box. It was the job of the homemaker to retrieve to pour out the panful of water every solar day before a puddle formed on the flooring.
For a century the ice man was a daily visitor to many homes. He would deliver ice, deeply insulated in sawdust, to each ice box. This daily activity was met with delight from the local children who would have ice chips from the wagon in the summer.
Collecting Vintage Ice Boxes
Today these vintage ice boxes are in demand by collectors everywhere. They are used as side tables, cabinets, and storage in many vintage style kitchens throughout the land. They bring a touch of the onetime country kitchen into the modern world.
Where to Observe an Erstwhile Ice Box
Yous may come across an quondam ice box equally a local thrift store, garage sale, or flea market but it is unlikely. Generally these are snapped up by those that know their truthful value. More often y'all volition find them at antique stores and auctions, or on the Cyberspace.
If y'all are looking for a vintage ice box you might endeavour the following sites:
- Red Lane
- Tias
- eBay
Restoring a Vintage Ice Box
If you already have one of these wonderful appliances of old you may accept a few repairs that demand to be done. It is important to cheque with an appraiser before you lot refinish or paint your antique. Sometimes cosmetic repairs that are unnecessary will lower the value of the particular.If yous are restoring an ice box, or hope to, here are some resources you may demand:
- Cleaning the metal
- Van Dykes Restorers
- Reproduction Hardware
- Old House Web
Antique ice boxes are a wonderful add-on to any vintage kitchen. By keeping information technology out of direct sunlight and keeping the woods moisturized it volition last a lifetime. Similar the pie safety and the dry sink, the ice box is a reminder of a simpler, less complicated time.
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Source: https://antiques.lovetoknow.com/Antique_Ice_Boxes
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