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While traveling in Laos I purchased from a street vendor an antique pipe made from the horn of a water buffalo. It is intricately carved and has what looks like Chinese writing on it. I believe that this was once used as an opium pipe. I have asked native Chinese freinds to translate, but they tell me that the characters are old and not known to them. Are there resources that can look at an image of the writing and translate it for me?

Take a photo of it and post it on the net.

You Chinese and Cantonese use the simplified chinese alphabet.

But usually markings are about seasons, plants, elements and horoscopes.

Often they are calendars, almanacs and proverbs.

2007-11-18 23:20:35 by emil535

Deisel engine antique water turbine agriculture farm farming animals cow goat buffalos feed cows goats and other manual labour tube well old ...

go to an auction house and get it appraised, that's your best bet to see how much it is actually is worth

btw you don't actually have to auction it off, but it's just for a price reference

2009-06-14 16:58:14 by Tabby

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We used this table for an acquarium (like dummies) and guess what? It leaked. Yes we had water damage. Bubbling of veneer and chiping off of pieces and it looks like wood underneath is bowed up in that area. I want to take off the veneer and paint it white and use it for a desk in my office to place my pc on. Any suggestions??

Removing old veneer from a workpiece can be a nightmare or relatively easy undertaking. This all depends on what type of glue was used to bond the veneer to the surface. The veneer on most antique pieces was originally bonded with hide glue and although very strong, has little resistance to heat and water.

You can take advantage of this by using a household iron to help you remove the veneer. The heat of the iron will soften the glue and the steam from the iron will force moisture into the glue, thus breaking the bond between veneer and surface. Make sure the iron is filled with water so you can use the steam. Set the iron at it’s highest heat setting and let it heat up. Next, using a wide spatula or putty knife, start at one corner and try to slightly lift the veneer by placing the blade between the veneer and surface then pushing in and prying up.

Once lifted, place the iron directly on top of the veneer and let it slowly heat the surface. Move the iron in a circular motion while periodically applying steam. The veneer will gradually start to lift as the hide glue starts to soften. Work into to the center and finally off to the other edge until all the veneer has been removed. You may run into some stubborn spots, in these areas try applying water directly between the veneer and the surface by squirting or injecting. After all the old veneer has been removed, make sure to remove all remains of hide glue left on the surface. You can use warm water and a scraper for this operation. Let the surface dry well before sanding and preparing for re-veneering or other operations.

If the piece has been built in the past 50 years, the veneer was most likely bonded with either a yellow, white or some other type of synthetic resin glue. While the initial bond of these adhesives are not much stronger than the old hide glues, many of these glues are extremely resistant to heat and moisture, therefore removing the same method that is used for hide glue will not work effectively on these glues.

The best way to approach removing veneer that has been bonded with a modern adhesive is by trial and error. Sometimes you may get lucky and the veneer will lift off without much work because the initial gluing application was not performed properly due to lack of adhesive, uneven application or inadequate clamping pressure.

Once again, start at one corner and try to slightly lift the veneer by placing the blade between the veneer and surface then pushing in and prying up. If it does not budge, you may have to use a chisel and actually break away some of the veneer from the corner. In certain cases like with the hide glue, soaking also helps. Sometimes a mixture of 50 percent vinegar and 50 percent water will help soften the adhesive somewhat. If this does not work, try a solvent like lacquer thinner or acetone.

The bottom line is that removing veneer can often be a hard, time consuming job and sometimes it all boils down to patience and a lot of good old fashioned elbow grease.

2007-09-27 15:32:19 by jjn3000

Original old antique victorian print, not a modern reproduction
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I bought an antique Armand Marseille doll on ebay awhile back. Although it was not listed in the description and could not be seen from the pics, someone had tried to reset the dolls eyes and teeth with non-water soluble glue. I was able to loosen the glue enough to remove the eyes and teeth so that I could properly reset them, but there is glue on her face that won't come off with soap and warm water. This glue is like Crazy Glue or Super Glue. Does anyone know how to remove it without damaging the bisque?

http://www.dollcradle.com/dollhospital.n xg

I would contact these people especially with something as valuable as your doll.. i am sure they can tell you what to use and where you can purchase it.. maybe even directly through them

good luck

2007-12-03 22:00:23 by maggiebridget09

Water damage to the velvet, I mean. I can see a perfect shiny outline of the spill...

Suck out as much water as you can with a wet/dry vac. If you don't have one, get some toweling and place it over the spill and sit on it using your full weight to suck all of the liquid to the surface. You want to get as much of it out as you can because it will work from the underneath and then you will have mold form. Now get a lint brush and start working the nap up while hitting it with a blow dryer alternating from cold to hot and keep working the nap until it is fully dry.

2007-12-13 13:58:27 by Clarkie