Expert: Greg Scholl - 1/8/2011

Question
QUESTION: Hi,
i have know experience in this field however i was hoping to refinish my old dresser for my nursery and replace the wooden knobs with glass knobs. However when it came to removing the old knobs, i realised that they were dowel knobs and glued in, there was no bolt at all. I made a bit of a mess removing the knobs which i hope to repair with a bit of putty and a good sanding (see pics!) however how do i go about replacing the knobs?? should i fill in the holes with putty and drill a hole through the putty? or should i buy some doweling, cut to length and glue this into the hole, then drill through to make a hole for the new bolt? any advice would be appreciated!
Cheers!
Kyla

ANSWER: Hi Kyla, since the knob hole does not go all the way through the drawer front, you can fill it with a dowel and some wood filler...Minwax makes a two part "High performance" filler that has adhesive properties as well which might work for you, but hopefully your new knob will have a backplate to hide the damage you've done....or you'll be painting the dresser....you'd be farther ahead to carefully cut the old knobs off with a thin kerf flush cut saw,now that you know they're wood, protecting the surrounding area with some thin cardboard taped in place with some masking tape....then using a sharp chisel to pare it flush....and redrill holes for the new knobs....hope that helps- regards- Greg

http://www.amazon.com/Shark-10-2205-Trim-Detail-Double/dp/B000078ONO/ref=pd_cp_h

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: ok thanks for the tip! yeah i realized after I'd pulled them all out that the dowel would have been strong enough to stay in place if i just cut the knob off! i guess i assumed they'd fall out. I'm even considering gluing/adhering the knobs back into place then cutting them off the way you instructed.
Also, i do plan to sand the dresser back and apply a white wash - i was just going to water down white paint until i was happy with the 'wash thickness' then coat it with a polyurethane finish - does that sound like the way to go?
Thanks again!
Kyla

Answer
You can make a pickling medium like that, but it can be a bit daunting to get the consistency right ...you can also buy Minwax pastels in a ready made product called "white wash" which may be a bit easier to work with, as paint can dry too quickly as you're trying to apply an even wash.....then make sure to use a waterborne Acrylic Urethane like PolyCrylic, although I much prefer Zar's UltraMax or Absolute Coatings "Last 'n Last", which are more durable.....these will all be perfectly clear with no amber/yellow tint like the solvent or oil based urethanes......best of luck and post back if need be- Greg