Picked this dresser up cheap, comments on how to repair a few items

8 years ago

Kimball is a furniture store in the South, starting in 1915.

Any guess the age?

Veneer and another layer of wood have peeled in a few spots?

Should I re-glue with standard wood glue?

The top is all crazed with cracks. They have no feel to the touch and are not down to the wood. There is a burn on the top, in the finish only, wood looks good.

I am not adverse to stripping and finishing just the top.

I tried lacquer thinner in a spot. It got gummy and hazy.

I am assuming this is lacquer then?

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Comments (7)

homebrewdude
Original Author
8 years ago
homebrewdude
Original Author
8 years ago
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homebrewdude
Original Author
8 years ago
lindac92
8 years ago
Your main problem will be the veneer. I would take it to a pro to do that....it's a nice piece but for that.
you can sort of re amagalmate the finish with a mix of lacquer thinner and alcohol.....sort of float it on and let it smooth things out> It's similar to what Forby's does....but cheaper!
But the veneer lifting.....that's the problem.
User
8 years ago
Nice 1930s-40s colonial styles piece. Definitely worth repairing.
cgard2
8 years ago
Technically, that "condition" you see on the finish of the top is "alligatoring" not "crazing" and it's there because there is already waaaaaaay too much finish on the top. I think your best plan is to strip the top, as you suggested. Step 2 will be to repair the veneer damage, and without all that finish it will be easier whether you send it out or attempt it yourself. Step 3 will be a finish that will approximate the sheen of the original finish. I suspect that the original finish was lacquer so if you send it out to a pro for finish as well, the mahogany color match will be mixed in the lacquer itself, not done as a separate step. A lacquer finish needs to be sprayed by someone who knows what they're doing; don't attempt it by hand, using retarders, not on a top, and not as a first-time project.

If the finish is shellac, and it could well be that someone in the past tried to revive the surface with a coat of shellac, there's still, IMO, way too much finish on that top. (If it is shellac, over lacquer or over some other finish, it should have been thinned... and several thin coats applied. That would avoid alligatoring.)

Linda has suggested the possibility of reamalgamating the surface, and correctly describes the process. I would differ only by saying that lacquer thinner is appropriate for a lacquer finish and denatured alcohol for a shellac finish. (Personally, I would not mix them...) If there were not a veneer repair issue I would try a rather forceful reamalgamation, using steel wool and rags to remove much of that accumulation while it was in a softened state, knowing that I might have to add a thin coat afterward. But there is a veneer repair in the offing, and that's why I suggest a complete strip of the top.
Lori Armstrong
8 years ago
The lifting isn't a problem, wood glue is fine. Work it underneath with either a fan brush or as I do a syringe. The corner I wouldn't even worry too much about. It's the burn that is the issue. That's a hard fix, cutting and patching would be next to impossible. A new veneer top would be easier. To smooth it out I'd suggest rubbing it with steel wool WITH THE GRAIN (I notice you went against the grain before). It will not have a high gloss finish, but once smooth it then can get a fresh coat.

Picked this dresser up cheap, comments on how to repair a few items

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homebrewdude
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Picked this dresser up cheap, comments on how to repair a few items

Comments (7)

homebrewdudeOriginal Author

homebrewdudeOriginal Author

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homebrewdudeOriginal Author

lindac92

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cgard2

Lori Armstrong

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homebrewdude
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homebrewdude
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homebrewdude
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