Started cleaning the bottom on the inside of the case. Amazing amount of dirt on the leatherette...
The RH side is being cleaned & LH side is before cleaning.
Again, the amount of dirt is surprising...
The drawer guides are wood and there's a channel cut into the sides for the front lid's pin to ride in. When the pins arrive at the very front of the case, the pins drop down to kind of lock in place so that when the lid is raised vertical, the bottom doesn't move fore-aft.
Continuing to clean the leatherette on the bottom of the inside of the case...
There's a pencil marking on the bottom of the case. I think it says 28-B. Don't know if this is a date code (1928?) or an internal code to keep track of something? Or? I was careful not to clean this off.
Good picture of the RH side channel for the front lid pin.
LH side front lid pin guide.
Showing the wooden drawer guides on the LH side.
RH side drawer guides...
Cleaning the wood portion of the case bottom...
Started cleaning the leatherette on the front opening edges...
Started installing the front lid. First insert the RH side pin in it's furthest out and down position. Then bring the lid up to this angle to make a triangle with the bottom of the lid to the front.
Showing that the RH side pin is in it's guide and fully forward & down.
The LH side pin is above the channel that it's supposed to ride in.
Even using this technique, there's a slight interference between the LH side pin and the side of the case. At this point, gently push through the interference until the pin moves into it's guide channel.
This is after installation, showing the slight damage to the side panel's wood above the channel. The damage is actually pretty slight. Maybe about a mm of interference.
After slight sanding & cleaning, it looks pretty good.
Plus, this area is not visible when the drawers are put back in.
Right after front lid installation.
Front lid slid in to it's "open & stowed" position.
With the drawers reinstalled.
