Another Antique Oak Dresser

This antique oak dresser is similar to one I refinished earlier for the same customer. When he found this one, he knew it would be a close match to the one he already had and asked if I'd refinish it and replace the hardware like I did before.

The finish was very dark and the shellac was in bad condition. The drawers showed the wear from years of being opened and closed. Several of the drawer guides inside the case were loose or falling out and the wooden casters were worn out or broken. The mirror swivels were frozen stiff and could not be moved. Otherwise, all of the quartersawn oak veneer was in decent shape, with only minor chips.

I stripped the finish and sanded the exterior to prepare for the new finish. I replaced the wooden knobs with brass knobs, which the customer selected. I removed the tarnished brass keyhole covers and cleaned them using a brass bristle brush and lemon juice. To repair the curvature due to wear in the bottom edges of the drawer sides, I carefully cut and fitted new oak pieces and attached them with hide glue. I removed the loose drawer guides and glued them back into place with hide glue as well. The wooden casters and sockets were replaced with reproduction wooden casters. The old mirror swivels were replaced with newer brass swivel hardware. Several of the drawers had joints that had loosened or pulled apart. I repaired these joints by dissolving the old hide glue to loosen them, and knocking the joint back together after adding a little fresh hide glue.

Ridding the drawer interiors of the musty smell they had was as easy as applying a coat of fresh shellac. To insure smooth operation when opening and closing them, I rubbed the bottom edges of the drawers with paraffin wax and also waxed the drawer guides.

Once the sanding was complete, I began applying the numerous coats of Watco Danish oil and rubbing them in. I finished up with a few applications of a good paste wax and a final buffing. My customer was excited to see the results.