Wood shavings in type drawer

I know what you’re thinking. The same thing comes to my mind, it’s termites or another wood-destroying, shop-ending, insect but I’m not so sure.

In a couple of (especially old) wood type purchases, I’ve seen thin wood shavings in the drawers. Here’s a picture of one example where it can be seen when I lift up the type. According to the owner, this type had not been used, for a couple of decades.

The shavings are clean and of varied size, with no insect parts. The type is also flat (for the most part) against the drawer and, after careful examination, free from damage. The drawers have seen better days and are quite worn, some falling apart.

Has anyone else seen this or have an explanation? The one thing I can think of is someone might have been cutting wood over an open drawer but that doesn’t seem like the right explanation.

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I’ve noticed similar shavings. In my situation, I discovered they were coming from the bottoms of the cases above the cases where they collected, especially when cases were mis-matched to the cabinets. Thus, the visible parts of the cases and type appear not to show damage (as in the image here), but the bottoms are slowly being filed away by the cabinet slides.

Yes- what Rippeon said! I’ve had the very same thing happen.

DGM

Thanks all. That definitely makes sense.