Greg Johnson Posted August 13, 2013 Report Share Posted August 13, 2013 I was recently installing a floor in an old house that my mother-in-law manages. Inside was the dresser in the pictures. It had about 5 coats of paint on it. the plan was to simply strip it clean of the paint, however the fial coat was too stubborn. To get that last coat of paint off I had to scrape. Anyhow, the drawers are all worn out and falling apart. It was put together with hide glue and a few cut nails, but the drawer sides need to be replaced along with the runners. Those parts appear to be poplar, with the main wood appearing to be mahogany, possibly the Cuban variety. I say this because the pores are virtually non-existant. I won't need to fill. The entire piece was hand made. The inside surafaces have scrub plane marks and the show faces are all smooth. That is my dilema. I plan to replace all the poplar (drawer sides, runners, and doublers) with soft maple. The finish is what I am more concerned about. My plan is to use garnet or orange shellac, possibly over a mahogany stain. The real question is being as I had to remove most of the natural patina of the mahogany, should I go ahead and sand all the surfaces smooth or just plane and scrape before finishing? My plan is to sell the dresser when it is done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted August 13, 2013 Report Share Posted August 13, 2013 I would sand it smooth, myself. Unless you are really trying to keep it LOOKING old, but it sounds like you've already had to remove the top layer of wood to clean off the paint, so why not make it look fresh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missioninwood Posted August 13, 2013 Report Share Posted August 13, 2013 I agree. Make it look fresh. You can always add an application of glaze to simulate a little aging and get closer to that professional furniture store look. Appreciate your thinking: fix it up and sell it. Money, money, money! miw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Johnson Posted August 14, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2013 The only issue I have with sanding it all smooth is all the small nicks and gouges here and there that are just too deep to remove. Would it not look right if it was sanded completely to look new, but there were still all the gouges and nicks... I probably will sand it and use the glaze to add the aging. My first time working with mahogany and I am simply amazed at how easy it is to work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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