What finish to use on antique dresser after fire restoration?
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Janet Pizaro on Jan 10, 2016I am sorry about your sad news. I would research the products from Min Wax.They have everything from start to finish for your project and have there own web-site.Should you decide to use these products you can purchase them at Home Depot.Helpful Reply
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Shari on Jan 10, 2016This is a really beautiful piece. So glad you were able to save it! After all the work you put into cleaning it up, I would recommend something natural like hemp oil. Check out this post by Miss Mustard Seed about her hemp oil. There's also a link to a video tutorial on hemp oil within that post that you might find helpful. http://missmustardseed.com/2013/01/the-wonders-of-hemp-oil/ If you don't have a Miss Mustard Seed retailer near you, Robyn Story Designs, Tampa, FL ships all Miss Mustard Seed products for FREE! Amazon carries it too but even with Amazon Prime's free shipping, it's cheaper on the Robyn Story website here: http://shop.robynstorydesigns.com/miss-mustard-seeds-milk-paint-free-shipping/?p=catalog&mode=catalog&parent=136&pg=1&pagesize=60Helpful Reply
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Cathy on Jan 10, 2016It looks pretty nice the way it is. Maple does not have a lot of grain so I don't think you can improve on this much without refinishing which is not necessary. I'd just put a coat of paste wax on it to provide some protection. You could use tung oil which will draw up the colour in the wood but it won't work unless there is no existing finish on it.Helpful Reply
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Vallie Cross on Jan 10, 2016Such a beautiful piece, I'm glad you could save it. I'm so sorry about the fire.Helpful Reply
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9530106 on Jan 10, 2016Your piece is beautiful. It appears to be walnut possibly, with burled walnut being the "swirled" wood pattern you refer to.The piece is lovely and quite old, I am also glad you did not paint it. Another suggestion for a finish for you to look into, is Danish oil. It is easy to use, and soaks into the wood. There are many products out there that should be easy for you to use. You have given the pieces the love and respect, so to speak, they deserve. Good luck, and blessings!Helpful Reply
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Brenda Wendorf on Jan 10, 2016You did a great job. That is what I would have suggested.Helpful Reply
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Leslie on Jan 11, 2016Beth what an absolutely beautiful piece. Your hard work and dedication paid off. Now I would like to suggest something that might make you scratch your head and make you look at my post as though I am nuts. Google, "how to polish furniture with coconut oil". It is non toxic it is extremely good for the wood and a side benefit is that if you have any left over you can cook with it, and it will make your hands soft. I Season my cutting boards with it :) Good luck.Helpful Reply
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Mickey Baron on Jan 11, 2016I'm SO GLAD you didn't paint her. She just needed your TLC. LOVELY!Helpful Reply
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Country Design Home on Jan 11, 2016Beautiful! Great job in cleaning it up! There are a ton of finishes out there, but the one thing I will caution you on is if you use a water or acrylic based product, the smoke odor may seep through, especially when it is damp or warm outside. You may think you got it all, but smoke has a way of permeating wood that is long-lasting. You want to work with oils or shellacs that have a sealing effect. Best of luck!Helpful Reply
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Jackie on Jan 11, 2016Hi! We had a fire in our shop. Just finished an antique dresser into a sink vanity. We still want to use it but the smoke smell is still there. Did the vinegar/water mix and Murphy's oil soap take away the smell? It had been done with Danish oil before the fire. ThanksHelpful Reply
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Patty on Jan 11, 2016I always heard to prevent odors and stains from coming back that you need to use a pigmented shellac, but this is such a fine piece that to be really sure I would contact someone that specializes in antique restorations. You did an outstanding job cleaning it up, it is a beautiful piece.Helpful Reply
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Duv310660 on Jan 11, 2016GORGEOUS!! What a great job! In my humble opinion the best finish is the one you can make work really well - this means a little experimentation & practice. That said, poly has NO place on an antique like this. I vote for tung oil or wax, whatever brand serves you well.Helpful Reply
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Beth H. Makemeprettyagain.blogspot on Jan 11, 2016You did a wonderful job. Gorgeous piece. I refinish a lot of wood so if I may impart a bit that i've learned over the years?? From the one picture I can tell you the wood on the drawers is mahogany.( it could be a walnut and if I had a better pic, I could tell you because it's difficult to see the real coloring on a computer monitor w/the picture you provided)If you have a natural reddish tint, then it's most like mahogany. I don't know if there was a stain applied to your wood. Makers switched from oak in the earlier part of the century to mahogany starting near the 1930's. Of course these are veneers. (veneers are very thin sheets of real wood glued onto lesser quality wood. It's still solid wood, just not solid mahogany or walnut or maple, etc). Now those old antique oak dressers, most of those were solid oak tops and drawers. But as mass production started, veneers obviously became more cost productive. I can't see the top or sides of your piece, but mahogany was very popular in the late 20's 30's and 40's and parts of the 50's. Yours looks like a 'ribbon or flame' mahogany (the stripes or ribbons running horizontally). It also has a reddish tint. Walnut has no such tint. Most of the drawers in these eras were also mahogany (solid). I have a picture I'm trying to upload of a walnut veneered mid century piece made with mahogany inner drawers. should be pic 1. pic 2 is the walnut drawer fronts after sanding and completely bare. I applied a walnut stain and a glossy urethane (GF aArm r Seal) to the top, Pic #3. Pic 4 is an antique dresser similar to yours made entirely from mahogany. I redid the top by sanding and applying a tung oil. I only posted these pics so you could see the difference in mahogany and walnut, both in raw wood and stained/coated woods. So, stay away from poly top coats. They will yellow over time. Tung oil (100 percent oil not a tung oil finish) comes in a natural and dark. You could try one or the other or mix a combo. Just google how to use it, it's easy. After a few coats, tung oil builds up a natural barrier and hardens over time as it dries. It would bring out the natural beauty of the wood. Wax or beeswax could also be used, but I like the oil better. Sorry for the long-winded post. Hope this helps.Helpful Reply
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Jackie on Jan 12, 2016Well, thanks so much! We live in the bush actually and the vanity is being stored outside in a shed while we build our forever home. So that is encouraging! We thought maybe a coat of verathane over the entire dresser may help, but now we will have our noses on that thing first thing this spring, and a vinegar/ water wash for sure! Thanks again, JackieHelpful Reply
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Patty on Jan 12, 2016A house fire is so devastating my family went through that and we pretty much lost everything. My poor mom I didn't realize at the time how great her loss was, so many memories. Maybe your other antiques could have been restored and maybe not. I would not think about it to much, I know that is easier said than done. I wish you the best, and hope you will post a picture when you complete your beautiful dresser.Helpful Reply
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Leslie on Jan 13, 2016Most welcome, good luck. Coconut oil has so many uses it will surprise you :)Helpful Reply
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Kim C on Jan 13, 2016It's a beautiful piece and I would use Dutch Glow to bring the shine back to all surfaces. I would not varnish or poly. You did a great job.Helpful Reply
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Jackie on Jan 13, 2016Hello again! We live in Northern Alberta, cold winters and warm summers, about 3 weeks of hot weather. Danish oil sinks in to the wood. We love it, comes in many different shades. It can make old wood look brand new. I guess to heat the wood to sand and refinish could be done on a really hot day in the sun, if it still has the smoke smell. You have been so helpful, I really appreciate your input here. This dresser is very ornate and after looking to replace it, there is nothing out there that would be as nice, and comes with memories like this one. I will let you know how this goes. Thanks so much! jackieHelpful Reply
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Patty on Jan 13, 2016That's the way to do it, today I think most people decorate with what they love, pieces that have meaning to them, I know I do. There are ways to make them fit right in and I know you will figure it out. By putting the mid century lamps on it might just be the right touch. If I can do it, you can do it, believe me. I have pieces I bought at truly junk shops 45-50 yrs ago and yard sales I have antiques bought at auctions and antique stores and new stuff that I have used throughout my house for years. I change accessories and pillow colors etc periodically to refresh and move things from room to room sometimes when I'm cleaning, and people notice the change but they can't quite figure it out,haha. good luck and just have fun with it use lots of texture and colors you love.Helpful Reply
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Marion Nesbitt on Jan 14, 2016Oil of some type - lemon, orange glo.. There is also a combo of boiled linseed oil and paint thinner but I don't know the recipe.Helpful Reply
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Carol on Jan 20, 2016That is such a beautiful piece and I am so glad that you did not paint it. It now looks better than it ever did before. It must have been a lot of work, but so worth it. Lovely!Helpful Reply
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