Donald Harris
01-21-2010, 6:39 PM
I an very new to furniture building but not wood working.
I have an old oak dresser which is probably 100 years old from my wifes departed parents and perhaps grandparents. My wife does not know the history except her parents had the dresser when she was a child and she is now 77. Her family were tobacco farmers and we doubt seriously if the dresser ever got more than an occassional dusting. The surface is very smooth but the soft areas between the hard grains are deeper than the surface. I am sure there is a name for the soft wood in between the hard wood but I an an oak novice.
The bed was too short for the newer matresses so about 30 years ago I retrofitted it with metal bed rails. I intend to build a bedside table using the same old style as the dresser. We still have the original wood bed rails which will give me enough matching old wood for the top and the drawer fronts. My dilema is what do I do to new white oak surface so it looks similiar to the old. I know how to finish it to match the coloring of the original dresser but the deep grains have got me stumped!
I have an old oak dresser which is probably 100 years old from my wifes departed parents and perhaps grandparents. My wife does not know the history except her parents had the dresser when she was a child and she is now 77. Her family were tobacco farmers and we doubt seriously if the dresser ever got more than an occassional dusting. The surface is very smooth but the soft areas between the hard grains are deeper than the surface. I am sure there is a name for the soft wood in between the hard wood but I an an oak novice.
The bed was too short for the newer matresses so about 30 years ago I retrofitted it with metal bed rails. I intend to build a bedside table using the same old style as the dresser. We still have the original wood bed rails which will give me enough matching old wood for the top and the drawer fronts. My dilema is what do I do to new white oak surface so it looks similiar to the old. I know how to finish it to match the coloring of the original dresser but the deep grains have got me stumped!