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You are here: Experts > Hobbies > Woodworking > Cabinets, Furniture, Woodworks > old dresser refinishing project
Expert: Eileen Cronk - 10/28/2009
Question
QUESTION: I have an old dresser that I am refinishing. I believe it is over 100 years old (knapp joinery). It had some water damage which has cupped the top, but otherwise is solid. I can't tell what kind of wood it is. It looks like oak, but doesn't feel heavy enough. I have stripped and sanded it. Do you have any recommendations for finishing it? I did a table top a few years ago and the stain blotched in a few spots. I want to avoid this.
IMAGE: dresser
ANSWER: Hi Ryan
Nice to hear from you.
This is a nice old Eastlake style dresser.
There will be no fear of this piece blotching when stain is applied.
I would use a Minwax oil stain.
Have you corrected the warped top?
Can I see a picture of the stripped piece.
Really hard to see the wood in this picture.
Could be ash, but really cannot tell.Get back
Regards
Eileen
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Thanks Eileen.
You can see the vanity pieces in process of stripping on the left.
The cupped top is a project in itself. I'm trying to persuade it flat with water and a few kerfs on the bottom, but I'm not convinced it will stay. I'm thinking of glueing some plywood underneeth to hold it flat. Ripping, planing, edgeing, and re-joining are not high on my list, but it would fix the separation in the joint.
Answer
Hi Again Ryan
Sorry I could not get this answer to you yesterday when it was asked but the old PC went out.
Ryan I feel very confident the warped top will lie flat once its screwed back on.
It may need some extra screws but it should "persuade" back in place.
If you have a couple of long bar clamps it helps in this fix.
Try a dry run before doing anything else.
The proper fix is easy...with the right tools but if its not high on your list so be it.
Gosh I still cannot see the wood clearly but some areas I can make out look like ash which is certainly in keeping with the Knapps joinery. I have several ash dressers with Knapps joinery.
Never could figure out why they stopped using this type of joinery. Its very sturdy. Never saw a drawer with this joinery fall apart.
You say the dresser does not seem to be heavy which makes me wonder if some of it is softwood.
I have one like this. It has ash and what I think could be poplar which is considered a hardwood here in Canada but I call it the softest of the hardwoods. It does not weigh as much as ash.
It has virtually no grain (unlike ash).
The dresser is definately Eastlake style and your dating of course is correct.
This will look very nice when finished and give many years of service.
Good Luck
Eileen
PS..wipe some stain on the back of a drawer to ensure the wood will not blotch but as I said previously, there should be no problem.
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