Mid Century Veneer Repair

On By Dashner Design and RestorationIn Restoration, Uncategorized3 Comments

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I found this Lane end table alone, abandoned in a thrift store.  Marked down to $1.00 and still nobody wanted it.  After looking it over it wasn’t hard to see why.  There was a bad burn in the top about the size of a quarter.

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It was completely charred.  Crispy like so much burnt breakfast toast.  It was clear that I would be the one to rescue it from the thrift store and give it a new life.  The repair method I chose was to use a decorative walnut veneer patch.  I didn’t make any attempt to match the new veneer to the old and instead wanted the veneer patch to be obvious, similar to a dutchman joint.

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Here’s the end result.  I’d say it was worth the work.  Another piece saved from the landfill.

I made a short video documenting the process.  Check it out below.  Thanks for watching!

 

 

Stereo Console Conversion

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Sometimes it’s easier to build something from scratch than to try and make something into something it was never meant to be.  Such could be said for a project like this.  Still, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to give this old stereo cabinet a second life.

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The electronics were long gone and the finish was gone, too.  Even in this sorry state it was clear that it had style.  The trickiest part was building the shelves where the speakers used to be. It would be a straightforward job on a brand new cabinet where all the angles were straight and true but this 60 year old cabinet had moved a bit over the years.  A little massaging was needed here and there to make things fit but it all worked out in the end.

 

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Here is with the internals all removed.
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Finish stripped and the shelf structure installed. 
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Stained and ready for lacquer.

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Here’s the finished product.  I added an adjustable shelf on each side (the left one was removed for the photo). Looks sharp!

Stay tuned for the next restoration project from Dashner Design & Restoration.

Broyhill Saga Restoration Pt. 2

On By Dashner Design and RestorationIn Restoration, UncategorizedLeave a comment
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Saga after stripping. Note the lighter contrasting wood on the legs.

When we last left the Broyhill Saga I had just stripped off the old finish. Now the fun part begins. The challenge for this piece was to match the new finish with the original finish on the doors. I didn’t strip the doors because I was trying to preserve the vertical stripes that were painted on them.

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Applying General Finishes Candlelite gel stain

I decided to use General Finishes gel stain in Candlelite for the first coat. I let that dry overnight and then applied a coat of General Finishes gel stain in Antique Walnut. The Candlelite provides a nice warm reddish tone while the Antique Walnut added a touch of deep brown to bring it closer to the finish on the doors.  The new color looked great but the original finish on the doors was still quite a bit darker. In an attempt to lighten the color of the doors I took some fine steel wool and mineral spirits and rubbed the finish.  This removed enough of the finish to lighten the color but still left the vertical stripes intact. I topped the doors off with some Candlelite gel stain to bring their tone closer to the rest of the piece.

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The top of the dresser after staining

Once the stain was dry it was ready for the topcoat. I topped it off with some Deft satin lacquer and called it done.  Lookin’ good!

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Thanks for following along and stay tuned for more refinishing adventures.

Broyhill Saga Restoration Pt.1

On By Dashner Design and RestorationIn RestorationLeave a comment

 

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The Saga as I found it. In need of a refinish.

We now present the saga of the Broyhill Saga dresser restoration.  Broyhill is probably best known for their Brasilia line but their Saga collection was no slouch either.  Broyhill described Saga as “a fresh twist to the New_1_sagaScandinavian furniture story”.  As a matter of fact, the label’s three crowns represent the three kingdoms of Scandinavia:  Norway, Swed
en and Denmark.
How’s that for useless trivia? Impress your friends with that little tidbit at this year’s holiday party. You can thank me later.

 

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Doors with painted vertical stripes.

The finish on this piece needs some attention.  The worst areas are the top and the drawer fronts.  The finish on the doors is in pretty good shape.  The doors have vertical stripes that are painted on so I’m hoping I won’t have to strip them since that would remove the stripes.  I’ll do my best to match the new finish to the original finish on the doors.

 

The first order of business was to strip the old finish off.  I used my usual process of Citristrip followed by a wipe down with fine steel wool and mineral spirits.  The finish on this one was pretty thin so it came off without too much trouble.

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Saga after stripping. Note the lighter contrasting wood on the legs.

Stay tuned for the next exciting installment of the saga of the Broyhill Saga!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dresser In Need Pt. 3 / It’s Alive!!!

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When we last left the Dresser In Need it was receiving some much needed veneer repair.  Much progress was made since then and it’s finally complete.  Joints were glued, wood was stained, shelf paper was removed and legs were fastened.

Let’s take a look….

low6After stripping the old finish we were left with this pale shell of its former self.

low5But after a little stain it’s coming back to life. I used Varathane American Walnut stain on this one.

bottom2bottom1Here we can see where the side panel was separating from the frame. Some new glue and a plethora of clamps and it’s back together again.

legsNext up was the legs. I’ve got a pretty sizeable stash of vintage pencil legs and attachment plates that I keep for just such an occasion. I found a set that were in great shape and just needed a few inches trimmed off and a fresh finish applied.  Now it’s ready to stand on its own four feet.

shelfI saved the best part for last – shelf paper removal. This is never a fun job. I usually attack it with a heat gun and a razor blade. If there’s any glue residue left it usually comes off with a scrubbing of mineral spirits.

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The finishing touch was a fresh coat of satin lacquer and voila!  Not bad considering what we started with.

Thanks for following along and stay tuned for more furniture refinishing fun!

Heywood Wakefield / Cliff House Credenza

On By Dashner Design and RestorationIn Restoration11 Comments

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Most people know Heywood Wakefield for their stylish Streamline Modern furniture of the 1940’s-50’s  but they produced many other lines as well. Shown here is a credenza from their Cliff House collection. Constructed of solid cherry, Cliff House brought Heywood Wakefield from the kitschy 50’s into the classy 60’s, all the while showcasing the top quality design and construction that Heywood Wakefield is known for.

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This particular example was restored here at Dashner Design & Restoration and has already found a new owner.  This is only the second Cliff House piece that I’ve come across in the past few years but you never know when one might pop up.  I’ll keep an eye out for more.

‘Till next time, use a coaster!

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Dresser In Need Pt.2 / Veneer Repair Is Fun

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Today’s order of business involves repairing damaged veneer on the dresser in need.  For this particular repair I cut a new piece of veneer just slightly bigger than the damaged area, placed the new piece over the damaged area and traced around it with a razor blade, removed the excess material and glued in the new veneer. I find this method sometimes works better than trying to cut the new piece to match the shape of the damaged area.

Here’s the damaged area with the new piece next to it.

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Here I’m scoring the line that I traced around the patch. Hmmm, somebody needs a manicure.
Once sufficiently scored I’ll remove the excess material and the new piece will drop right in.

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And there we have it. The new piece is glued in. I’ll place a clamp on it and go do my nails while it dries.

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Stay tuned for more exciting updates on the Dresser In Need. Ooooh, can you stand the suspense?!?!

A Dresser In Need

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It doesn’t look like much does it?

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Judging by the stickers and doodles scratched into the wood, I’m assuming this dresser spent some time in a child’s bedroom.  I wasn’t sure if it was worth saving until I took a closer look. Underneath the stickers, stains and scars is some very attractive grain. Also, it’s a nice smaller size which always a plus when it comes time to sell it. I’ve found that most people just don’t have the room or the need for large pieces.

If it looks a little short that’s because somewhere along the line it lost its legs.  I’ll fashion a new set and it will stand tall and proud once again.

Here it is after stripping off the finish with a good dose of Citristrip.

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Those are some mean looking scratches across the grain on the top. I won’t be able to completely erase those but hopefully they can at least be lightened a bit.

Stay tuned for more updates!