Antique Oak Dresser

Imagine my surprise, when I started removing the drawers only to find one with broken parts that were missing and another with only the front and two sides remaining.

These were challenging problems that had to be dealt with and meant the fabrication of new parts was necessary. The drawer sides and backs were poplar and that's what I used for replacement parts.

The mud daubers had a field day filling every hole they found in this dresser. All of the keyholes in the drawers were full of dried mud and had to be cleared out.

Below is a list of thumbnail photos. By clicking on a thumbnail you will see close up photos of some of the details in this project. Use the "Back" button on your browser to return to this page.

	The small drawer on the right had the back nailed upside down and backwards.
	These are the four large drawers stacked after removing and numbering them. The two needing major repair are the one at the top and the bottom of the stack.
	This was the condition of the first or top drawer in the dresser (bottom drawer in previous picture). Not only was part of this side broken and missing, but part of the drawer bottom was missing too. This repair proved to be one of the most challenging.
	To successfully repair the broken side, the drawer side needed to be removed so it could be cut. I was able to remove the side by soaking the front dovetailed joint and the rear rabbet joint, which was attached using hide glue, with vinegar. After a little coaxing with the mallet, the joints came apart easily.
	Here is the broken side and a new piece of poplar cut to length and marked for joint location.
	Milling complete on the new piece. The next step is to cut both pieces to final width.
	The broken area is cut off removing a single dovetail pin.
	Both part cut to final width and ready for glue.
	Both parts glued and in the clamps.
	Additional wood was needed to replace broken and missing wood at the end of the sides, which houses the dado for the drawer back.
	The repaired side is re-installed along with the new bottom. I used liquid hide glue on all the repairs.
	This is an example of the broken and missing wood I referred to in the above shot. This is a shot of the bottom or forth dresser drawer, which was missing the bottom and back when I got it.
	View of the bottom drawer, which is missing a few important parts.
	I made a new back from poplar stock and milled the tongue on both ends. Here, I'm ready to glue up the new back along with some new pieces that will attach to the ends of the sides to hold the back.
	The large drawer had a split on one side that needed fixing. The new back and bottom have been added. The small drawer has replacement wood attached on the ends of the sides.


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