6 drawer dresser

[fletty]

The latest piece off the restoration line is a mid-century mahogany/veneer 6 drawer dresser.
This one is for;

1. Family
2. Friends OR
3. Gumtree

It was in fair condition but had a split in the top, broken base and a few patches of water damage that had lifted the shellac finish;

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I cleaned it it all down with (in this instance) Howards RestorAfinish and completely removed, repaired and re-fixed the base.
There was no intention to fully restore the piece back to as-new but some of the damaged finish definitely required remediation.

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The first process (above) was to remove all of the flakey finish with a card scraper ( a worrying experience!), then the application of a suitable stain (in this case Watyl traditional cedar) and then multiple applications of uBeaut hard shellac using a rubber. The picture above is after about 10 applications.
I was getting concerned that the current VERY welcome rain may start to effect the shellac so I stopped French polishing over the damaged areas, buffed and polished the surfaces that weren't being French polished ..... and headed for the Shiraz.
Right at the moment, it looks like this;

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After the french polish has hardened in a week or so, I will decide whether to cut and/or polish the top and repaired side, and it will be finished.
As a bizarre aside, I have been selling a few pieces on line, in my case on Gumtree, and it appears that a final polish with Orange Oil sells better than any other once you get a potential customer to see the item?

fletty

[fletty]

One thing about stinking hot days is that finishes dry quickly! Benevolent Dictator advises that UBeaut hard shellac will take "3 weeks to fully cure" but this may be "quicker at higher temperatures". The newly French polished areas (top and right side) may not be fully cured but they certainly passed my thumbnail test for hardness so I pushed on, gave them a light 800g sand and a coat of polish.

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Im happy with the repair of the 2 water damaged areas. They feel smooth to the touch but the damage is still visible and actually give the impression of age and patina.
One thing that I have never seen before is the sassafras ply drawer bases which were hiding under the obligatory layers of wall and wrapping paper?

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Job done but I have been advised that this one is now a keeper !
However, the only way it can fit into the house is for something else to go. Stay watching for a quick restoration and Gumtree sale of an antique Chinese dresser which is my bet for the most likely piece to be replaced. The piece in question was made a loooong time ago for the specific purpose of keeping chooks inside the house.........

fletty

[homey]

Did you say sells better or smells better?

I'm a fan of UB's Hard Shellac, too -I use it mostly on boxes and it's a pleasure to work with.

Looks great, Fletty. Lovely to see a sad piece given new life - and done so sympathetically.



Brian

[old1955]

Looks brilliant fletty.

Ross

[Chris Parks]

Musical furniture will keep you busy, ask my wife!

[artme]

Top job there Fletty!!

[crowie]

A man of many talents Alan, come up a treat sir....well done, cheers, peter

[Xanthorrhoeas]

Looks good. It is so much better to repair and restore these things rather than send them to the dump. Very interesting to have the Sassafras drawers. I've never seen that.

I've been using a fair bit of the Hard Shellac too but lately seem to be reverting to my Brown Button shellac. That may be because I have 5 L of it made up and need to use before expiry!!

I found the Hard Shellac was not nearly as resistant to water and heat as I had hoped - mind you, that was on coasters and lazy blighters leaving water rings on the same. A good coat of Carnauba wax on Brown Button seems to be as effective.