Ep. 30 Amazing ART DECO Dresser RESTORATION...furniture restoration

In this short video, I'll restore an Art Deco chest of drawers that was found in an old storage unit. I had been watching this dresser on Facebook Marketplace for several weeks. I finally decided to go get it. I'm glad that I did because it yielded several other furniture pieces for future videos. I purchased this dresser for $30 and I believe it's an Art Deco piece. The Art Deco style originated in the 1920s and 1930s, most famous for geometric designs in architecture, clothing, and in this case, furniture. Although I can't say for certain if this piece is actually from the 1920s or 1930s, I do know that based on the flathead screws and the build quality and design that this is a vintage piece and with certainty was at least inspired by the Art Deco style. Although I'm not often a fan of painted vintage or antique furniture, this paint job was done well. Very little overspray and good coverage. These drawer liners are probably not original. Although there are some dings and scratches in this dresser, compared to some of my recent projects, I'm very content with the overall build quality and condition of this dresser. As I disassemble this dresser, I'll also do a thorough cleaning. This isn't always necessary, but in this case, this will allow me to get to know this piece of furniture better and understand if there are any repairs that will be necessary. As I remove the drawer pulls, I notice that the handles aren't consistent around the edges. I'll work on sanding these later. There isn't much adhesive holding in the drawer liners. However, I'll use the heat gun just to make sure these come off in one piece. As you probably know by now, the scrapers are some of my favorite and most used tools in the shop. In this video, I'll use the carbide scraper, a couple of stainless detailed scraper sets, and I'll also try cabinet scrapers. I'll be trying for the first time this stainless detailed scraper set. The nice part about this one, the blades are easily interchangeable with this quick release handle. I will be linking all the products used in this video in the description below. One of the most common questions I get asked is when I decide to use the scrapers versus using paint stripper. I always start with the scrapers first. If I run into difficulty in detailed areas, I'll switch over to using paint stripper. This helps cut down on the cost and the waste of using paint stripper. I can be a little more aggressive with the drawer fronts because I know they're solid wood. However, I'll use paint stripper immediately on the larger areas on the side of this dresser because I know that's veneer and since this has been painted, there is the risk that the previous owner scuff sanded that veneer. I don't want to do any further damage with the carbide scrapers. This is the new Hyde detailed stainless scraper set with a quick release handle making these blades easily interchangeable. With the recent growth of the channel, it's been extremely difficult to express my gratitude to each and every one of you individually, especially with all the ways that you have shown support to this channel. Just know that I'm extremely grateful and my gratitude is not lost on any which would arguably make this more of a refinish versus a true restoration, and the majority of my videos are typically paint removal, scraping, and using paint stripper. That should come as no surprise at this point. That's just what I enjoy doing and I hope you enjoy or sometimes the lack of value, and I always try to be transparent on this channel. I do show some furniture flip videos, but most of the projects I work on are for my own home. I don't often do commission pieces. I don't do resale pieces. I do, however, earn revenue from YouTube videos and that helps offset some of these costs. I do this because I enjoy it and, although I don't often know what I'm doing, I'm willing to put in the time to learn and to do the work that's necessary. So whether you're watching this because you just want to flip furniture for profit or you want to make over a piece of furniture that you've had in your family for years, I would encourage you just to take on a project and learn as you go. Hopefully spend the time that's necessary to do the best job that you can so that you can stand back and be proud of your work. When scraping, I often switch between the plastic spatulas and the metal scrapers. Both work very well. It's always good just to remember to scrape in the direction of the wood grain so that if you do leave any scratches, they're easy to conceal and should often sand right out. As I scrape old finishes off of furniture pieces like this, I often get overwhelmed regarding how long this actually takes. What I found works for me, I break down the furniture piece into several sections and dedicate a specific amount of time to each section. For a dresser like this, I expect this to be about a 10 to 20 hour project. So a side like this, I would dedicate about two hours towards that process. This enables me to see an end goal and enjoy each section without feeling rushed. Because most of this is mindless labor, this allows me to slow down and just gives me a chance to think about all the things that I'm grateful for. choose such an abrasive method for sanding original drawer pulls like this, but these drawer pulls had already been sanded. I believe I can round off and make the edges a little more consistent. I'll continue cleaning the sanding belt with an old rubber shoe. I'll come back and round off the edges by hand. Sanding this entire dresser should be relatively easy. The drawer fronts are solid wood, so I'll start with 150, work my way up to 220 before staining. The sides are also a thick veneer, so I'm also not worried about doing any damage. I was convinced that the shadowing behind these drawer pulls in these pockets did not need to be perfect. However, I did my best supporter suggest using these cabinet scrapers and I purchased them. They arrived in the middle of this project, so I wasn't able to use them for most of this project. However, I was very pleased with these and will continue to use them. I'll also link these in the description below. We're nearing the end and for the final finishes, I've chosen General Finishes Antique Walnut Gel Stain. For the top coat, I'll use General Finishes Armor Seal in Satin and then follow up with Howard Feed & Wax Wood Polish and Conditioner. First, I'll blow off the entire piece here and then go back with a tack cloth and make sure this is ready for stain. I'll apply the gel stain with a foam brush. I'll cover one complete section and come back Finishes Armor Seal in Satin. This is a pre-thinned oil-based wipe-on poly. I'll use a non-abrasive pad to apply this. For the first coat, I'll do a thin coat, swirling this around, working this into the wood fibers. Once the top coat has dried, I'll come back and apply Howard Feed & Wax Wood Polish and Conditioner. I often get asked why I apply this over a top coat. It works as a conditioner and a polish, so I like to have that extra layer of protection and it adds a nice sheen to the final product. This is the part of the video where I want to thank you for watching. Thank you for all the continued support in so many different ways. If you feel that I've earned your subscription, please consider subscribing, hitting that thumbs up, and saying hello in the comments. I reply to every comment. And also, if you haven't already, please consider checking out my tool restoration channel, Mad City Restorations. I don't often do introductions at the beginning of my videos, but I'll give this a try. My name is Barry, this is a furniture channel, and goodbye for now.