Dresser Restoration

While i was delivering an order to a client he mentioned he had an old Silky Oak dresser he was going to put out for kerbside collect so i had a look and while it was very beaten there was a prospect of some salvaged timber so i took it. It has been sitting undercover outside my workshop fo 6 months and i finally got a chance to have a closer look and pulled the three small tops off and gave them a sand. The timber was not really worth keeping but the dresser itself was still solid apart from one broken leg so i decided on a sympathetic restoration.

First job was to get the back off, which was quite easy with only 4 dowels (the glue had lost its hold many years ago) and a few nails. All the loose glue joins were re glued and clamped and every exposed surface was sanded and re sanded. At some stage in life it was painted White and then stripped back again.

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Next step was to fix the drawers and make new doors. The drawer sides had worn down to a curve after many years of use so i ripped them down to within 5mm of the drawer base and glued new pieces in.

The doors were just simple half lap joints, they wont get that much use so no need for dowel or mortice and tendon joins.

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I am pleased with the outcome of the sideboard restoration. It is not period correct as I have added some much newer elements. I didnt want to pull it completely apart so the back, cupboard insides and drawer internals were painted a dark Brown while the door panels and shelves were cut from 9mm Polycarbonate sheet. The drawers are lined with some leftover Jacquard from a recent lounge recovering. The Silky Oak is quenched with Constantia Organic Finishes 100 % organic Australian oils.

Not knowing wether to keep it or sell it I advertised it thinking no one would pay the asking price for the 25 hours i put into it and as it turns out my client still has an interest in it and was happy to pay the asking price.
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Love the work and the photo's you shared to hopefully help others take on the same challenge. Your story ending of hopefully going back to the original owner is brilliant. Thank you for sharing

You’ve done a great job of restoring this dresser and glad to hear your time was accounted for. Job well done!

It was delivered back to the previous owner yesterday and he has given me another little wall mounted display case to restore.