Dump Find, Refinishing a Sun Damaged Buffet

Feast your eyes on my latest project!

This was a discarded dump find that was just calling for me to take him home. Someone had already taken his pull knobs from him and trashed the rest as if he wasn’t worth saving. You can see where his pull knobs would have been. Those circles show how much the original finish had faded.

The top was even worse than the front. Something had sat in the center of this buffet preserving the stain and varnish. The rest had no remnants of the original finish. My best guess would be to say it was sun damage not weather damage because of the fading. If the buffet had sat out in the weather, all the veneer would have peeled off, glued joints would be loose and the buffet would have had grayish tones.

He did need help but he had good bones.

Not much varnish left but what was there was easily sanded off. You can just begin to see how pretty that wood was hiding under years of neglect.

Fully sanded. Started with 120 grit and finished with 240.

There was a little loose and missing veneer in the back left corner that needed to be repaired.

If you’re painting your refinished piece you can fill with wood filler or bondo then sand. If you want a wood finish the veneer will have to be repaired.

I cleaned up the edge of the veneer gluing down the veneer that was still in good shape and replacing the veneer that was missing.

The only veneer I had on hand didn’t quite match the existing wood but I think it will work.

Note to self, if you see some veneer peeling off a piece of furniture, save it!

This was another little spot, also in the back of the buffet. If any glue gets on your existing wood, sand it off, any varnish or stain will not adhere to glue.

Before varnishing or oiling, clean off your piece with a lint free cloth.

I’m using Watco Danish oil in a natural finish. The dry wood on this buffet really soaked it up…so much so that I had to use 3 coats. I’m using the natural finish to let all the detail in the wood shine thru.

Rub on your first coat of oil with a clean, lint free cloth. Let dry completely.

When the oil is dry to the touch, buff with a fine steel wool. Use another lint free cloth to remove any additional dust and steel wool. Repeat.

Such a beautiful buffet.

I could have purchased handles online like he would have had originally, but I think these work. They are vintage as well just not quite as big as the originals.