Refurbishing an old dresser. Top attachment question.

[Meatwad]

I am refurbishing this old dresser. One of the things I am doing is painting the body and adding a false walnut top. My original plan was to orient the grain the same direction as the original top and just glue it on. But then I started wondering if screws would be better. I wouldn't think movement would be an issue if the grains on both panels are parallel?

 

 

[Robby W]

That is a good looking top. I would use a few screws from below, make sure the grain of the two tops run parallel.

[Coop]

I would use figure 8’s to attach it to the sides.

[wtnhighlander]

I concur with Robby and Coop. Figure-8s and screws.

[Meatwad]

Well I wasn't planning on removing the original top; just attaching the new top on it. I could use screws but I don't see how I could use figure 8s unless I'm missing something.

[wtnhighlander]

So long as the grain direction is the same, I suppose you can just screw upward through the old top. Maybe drill through-holes a bit oversize, in case the new top moves differently than the old.

[BonPacific]

On 4/10/2022 at 2:15 PM, Meatwad said:

Well I wasn't planning on removing the original top; just attaching the new top on it. I could use screws but I don't see how I could use figure 8s unless I'm missing something.

Figure 8s would work if the new top is larger than yhe old top. Otherwise, you could probably drill holes in the old top just a bit wider than the threads of your screws and use pan heads so they have some wiggle room like figure 8s would give.

[gee-dub]

A couple of normal holes at the front to maintain visual position during the seasons.  Oversized holes at the rear to allow movement toward the back. JMHO.  In another method I am a figure 8 fan.  Pretty much my standard method for traditional tops.