I done repaints so many times, You did an awesome job. Everyone on the internet is paint these fine pieces of antique furniture,, they have no idea what an art it is just to restore, not re-paint. I love the dark and light colors. I have 2 pieces I am doing myself right now. IT IS A BEAUTY. Well done.
Thanks for watching, Diamond, and good luck with your pieces. Whenever I hear from someone like you who enjoys refinishing old furniture, it makes me want to go find another one and do it again myself! I’m tempted to build a replica from new material which would also be an interesting project! We’ll see!
My grandmother had this exact chest (hers was bought in 1945) and she passed last month. She called it her hope chest. I got it when we went through her estate, I’m going to be doing this tomorrow to restore it’s beauty and keep it in our family. Thank you so much for helping me see its original beauty!
That's so great to hear, Madison! Thanks for passing on that story! The date on this chest was in the 40s as well if I remember correctly. I restored it for a lifelong friend and I really hated to see it go, but it belonged to his mother, Lilly, who passed away a few years ago in her late 90s. My friend gave it to his daughter, Coleigh, (Lilly's granddaughter) to keep it in the family as well. And Coleigh has a 4 year old daughter named... Lillie! Guess we know where that chest will end up in the years to come!
So glad you kept your Grandmother's cedar chest. I am 70 and just inherited a small cedar chest with an old Bible in it. It looks very old and was my Grandmother's. My Mom just passed away and I have many small items she saved, to refinish. Many younger people could care less about sentimental keepsakes. Grandma told me to keep a hope chest, which I did. It was a hump backed chest and I did some tole painting on it. I was 16 at that time. I was married, then divorced. My hope chest was in my house fire and was ruined, but it saved some items inside. My children's photos were inside. The water the firemen drenched everything with seeped in the chest. I took each photo out and blow dried about a hundred individually. A quilt Grandma made for me had to be thrown away. So sad, but my engagement ring and wedding band made it through the fire. I gave these to my daughter.
My cedar chest was built by my grandfather, a master woodworker, in 1948, when I was born. My mother said it was the most beautiful one he ever made, and asked for it to be given to me. It has beautiful veneer of black walnut. It is in pretty good condition, but the finish is cracking. I don't think I could redo it. Wish I knew someone locally that I could trust to do it! It is very precious to me. Was a pleasure to see your friend's chest restored to beauty.
I appreciate hearing your wonderful story about your cedar chest, Carol. I have three granddaughters and can relate to what your grandfather was probably thinking as he built the chest with the intention that it ultimately be given to you, his new granddaughter. That was almost 75 years ago and I can understand how special that piece is to you. I am 7 years younger than you and remain amazed at how quickly the years stack up on all of us. Though your black walnut veneer is showing its age, it’s meaning is not diminished. That’s one of the coolest things about heirloom pieces like yours. On my list is to build some unique pieces to pass on based on a folder of pictures I have been collecting for a few years. Would love to have a picture of your grandfather’s chest as well if you would like to send me one. You can email me at rusty@dobbsworkshop.com. Thanks for watching and sharing, Carol!
THIS IS GORGEOUS!! I have my Mom's Lane Cedar chest that my Dad bought for her in I believe 1948. You have given me ideas on what to do (instead of chalk/mineral paint). Just a little leery to try myself!! You are a real craftsman!! Thanks for sharing your talents!!
Be aware that old Lane Cedar chests often have locks that should be disabled. Children have gotten stuck inside and there's no air. Lane website has information on which years have that problem.
Thanks, Tom! Yes, I don't think I could have done the paint thing to it! It was in pretty rough shape, but I was shocked with how the veneer color popped when I starting brushing on the different stains. Then the Polycrylic built up quite nicely to give it some future protection for hopefully another 50 years. I enjoyed this project! Appreciate you watching!
Great Nicole! This chest went to the granddaughter of the original owner.... named Nicole! This type of work is very rewarding so good luck with your project. I need to be doing more of it myself!
Nicole I just refinished a cedar trunk. It belonged to the mother of a good friend. She was a heavy smoker, and it had been stored in the basement, so it both stunk and had mold in it. I managed to get it all cleaned up. Just need to give it a final rub of cedar oil and replace the hinges with hydraulic struts.
This piece is beautiful!! I have an old chest from my grandmother that belonged to her grandmother.. it has some scratches in the veneer very similar to what u have here and I have been wanting to do something with it for a few yrs now and have just been scared.. now I feel more comfortable doing it.. thank you.
Looks very much like my mother's cedar chest with the waterfall pattern. She thought it was expensive when she purchased it but everything is relative.
Thanks, DS! Yeah, ultimately I was pretty happy with the way this turned out! Wish I could find another one for myself but I haven't completely given up on trying to build one from scratch. Have this idea of maybe building some heirloom type pieces I have run across from new materials. We'll see where that idea goes! Thanks for watching!
I just bought a late 1940's Lane cedar chest at Goodwill for $35 in similar starting condition! It still has the original product marketing tag inside with a warranty date. The transformation you did is amazing, I hope I can get mine looking decent. Will try your approach!
@@RustyDobbs Oh I so enjoyed watching. Bought my son a 1940s waterfall cedar chest for Christmas. Put all his baby things in it. You did such a beautiful job. I only hope this one turns out ok. Tough when veneers so thin right? Happy new year to you.
Looking great for what you had to work with Rusty. I totally agree with having to be an artist to be a woodworker/ builder. Artists can see in their mind what it is they are going to make. Likewise we do the same when building/ making a project. That is the wonderful part about doing this for a living. Yeah some days can be really stressful, especially if you are the boss, but at the end of the day/ project there is a great sense of accomplishment. Thanks again for sharing.
Thanks Joe! Absolutely agree with your sentiment. And yes, at the end of a day/project particularly if I am alone, I will take a little extra time to reflect on what has been created. Makes the back and knees hurt a little less while loading up the truck and driving home. Always appreciate your perspective. Thanks for watching!
WOW Rusty!!! You did an awesome job on that chest. I know the customer was shocked it came back to such an awesome state of beauty!! I still have a mahogany chest I made in the 8th grade. It was still in pretty awesome shape till it went swimming in Harvey. You gave me the inspiration to see what I can do with it to bring it back to life. Thanks!!!
Thanks, Danny! Hope you are able to do that restoration with the mahogany chest. Yeah, with what it went through with Harvey, getting it put back together would sure make it a piece with an interesting story, not to mention having it look great again. I like the old stuff and find lots of times those pieces are not that much work to restore.
Beautiful, just bought a Lane waterfall chest. Veneer is split brooke off. My whole family worked there thru the years in all departments. Veneer not my best but we will find out .
Good luck with your project, Susan! That’s interesting that your family has that background and expertise. Sounds like you know what you’re doing, so hope your veneer turns out well! I really enjoy projects like this also.
AWESOME job !! Just so happens I'm getting started on one almost IDENTICLE to this one as we text !! Ours doesn't have the designs on the front. It was my wife's Aunts that she bought brand new. We were wondering about what year it is ! Thank you !! I REALLY like your technique with the different shades of stain ! I'm definitely going to try it !! I'm so glad I kept looking until I found this video !! WONDERFUL JOB at restoring this ole beauty !!
Thanks, Art, and I'm glad to hear you are taking on that project. I have a number of other wood furniture pieces that I need to get to, but I think this cedar chest will always be my favorite because of the dramatic change it took on from start to finish. Good luck with your chest!
Yeah my grandmother had the same thing and since she designed the furs for the ladies coats she needed something like that she had quite a few cedar furniture pieces
Thanks for sharing this! I have two cedar chests I’ve wanted to refinish, 1 is fairly primitive but the other is similar to this one in the detail of the veneer. The detailed one has much less damage but the primitive one has lots of missing pieces of veneer on the bottom edges and I believe this video will help me significantly when refinishing them. I’ve had them for years with lots of plans but no idea how to handle the veneer. I’ve refinished Lots of plain hardwood furniture but never any with veneer and I thought I would have to replace it all. This is something I can do as I’m an adequate painter so I am extremely grateful to you, that I now have an plan! The chest you did is beautiful! Any suggestions on whether it’s better to use poly or a wax finish on this type of furniture when you have a toddler in the house? Which will keep it, looking great longer and protect the finish more effectively? I’ve always only used poly but with this I had initially planned to use wax but after seeing you used poly I’m now questioning my original instinct.
I enjoyed reading your post so much, Sarmomemt! It’s always good to hear from younger folks who are doing creative things! Sounds like you have a couple of good projects on your hands to keep you busy in addition to keeping up with your toddler! I have sprayed lots and lots of lacquer over the years but have never been happy with the durability of the finishes. When I ran across Polycrylic a number of years back, I decided to try it and now I use it 90% of the time for anything that I do that needs a buildup finish. It is such a good product and easy to work with. In the case of this cedar chest, the veneer was peeling up in some places so I was just trying to get it stuck back down and wanted to minimize sanding as much as possible. Brushing on the different stains really did condition the wood and visually brought it back to life as well. Polycrylic was the choice for this project so I could build a little bit of protective finish on top of the veneer. But I know lots of people don’t really like that look. So I guess for me the rule of thumb would be the more damaged the piece is, the more likely I am to use a buildup type finish. The less damage, the options of wax or oils are more in play. Good luck with your projects! So nice to hear from you!
Thanks for the advice. Another question, if I may: the cedar chest I have has pieces of the veneer missing. Any suggestions on how to patch that missing veneer section. I saw a RU-vid video and the person used bondo to fill in the chipped and missing veneer. Then they painted the chest and covered up all the veneer. I don't want to do that. Thanks.Nora
Yeah, Nora, you can buy veneer in various types of wood online from places like Rockler or Woodworker's Supply. Chances of finding matching veneers to fill the missing pieces would be pretty unlikely but depending on how in depth you want to go, you could cut out sections of the old veneer and replace larger areas with new to get a more uniform look. You would essentially be rebuilding the finish surface of the chest in places. It could get pretty tedious but might be a rewarding undertaking too.
Thank you for your video! I have almost the exact chest in the same condition. I am just a lay person though--- any alternative to spraying the final clear coat?
Yes, rossodianima. I don't work much in rub on oil finishes buy that might work out well on your chest. The Wood Whisperer and Frank Howarth have videos where they use some of these products. In my case on this project, the oil based stains made the biggest difference in restoring the color and conditioning the wood which was just applied with a brush. I used MinWax Polycrylic for the finish which is a product I have come to really like because it dries so quickly and I like the way it finishes. I have brushed it on other projects instead of spraying and have had good results. Main thing is to apply thin coats and sand in between lightly until you get the buildup that you are satisfied with. Remember, Polycrylic will build a finish on top of the wood which some people don't like. The rub on oil finishes will not do that quite so much. Good luck with your project.
Loved watching you video! I got on close to this one, still cedar lane but a little more plain, I was wondering if you knew what kind of hinges these use, on mine the right hand one is broken and I’d like to replace it. Thanks you!
Thanks, Christine! You know, the best way these days to find specialized parts and hinges is to try Google first. Amazon carries some niche products too. Rockler is a woodworker's supply source for hinges and lots of other things. If you find something that you think will work, it might be best to replace all the hinges on your chest rather than just the broken one. Hope that helps!
Your video gives me hope I can restore my grandmother’s cedar chest. Where do you buy your veneer from, unfortunately there are huge areas where the veneer is gone.
You can find veneer in specialty woodworking supply stores. In my case, Woodworkers Supply is the company I often use and they have an online website too. There are lots of online woodworker's websites these days so you can check them out. Good luck with your grandmother's chest! Those are really rewarding projects to take on!
I'm restoring a 1940s klein brothers knickerbocker has pieces missing the top dowels and front protector strip if i just get creative does that depreciate the item?
Hi, Maureen. I’m not really knowledgeable about valuation of antique pieces and tend to look at something like your project from the vantage point of what can I do to make it look better for the use I have for it. So, I would be in the camp of you getting creative with the things you want to do make it look like you want it to look. I’m fairly confident that the “purist” restorers would not like how I finished this cedar chest (though, in fairness, I have not heard from anyone with that criticism). Good luck, have fun and thanks for watching!
i'm restoring an identical chest and a a big piece of veneer is missing on the top of the chest not in the center but on one of the sides of the top cover. do you know the type of wood veneer that could be? I've been looking and it's difficult to understand if it's mahogany veneer or Koa veneer or black cherry veneer.
I’m not sure either, Vittorio. In my case, since I was restaining the whole chest with several different colors of stain,I really didn’t pay any attention to trying to determine the type of veneer it was. If I would’ve needed to replace some of the veneer, I probably would have looked for a veneer with a similar woodgrain and then tried a test piece with various stains on it to come up with something that would match the old veneer. That would be my suggestion. Good luck! Fun project!
you spent so much time -and it looks good, but I am surprised you wouldn't strip the old lacquer with acetone or lacquer thinner - those washed out areas you were seeing are most likely areas with no lacquer (and maybe wax or silicone on bare wood from furniture polishes) or its lacquer that has moisture trapped under it. Either way getting the old topcoat off with no sanding then all the rest you did would seem to be a better approach. Also fixing the bubbles (razor cut them or needle inject glue) is a must before the poly. Did you wet sand or buff out the polyacrylic ? I also was wondering why you had oil stain but water based top coat ?
This was a low budget makeover for a friend where I had a couple of weeks to work with while squeezing it in to my regular schedule. It's now in the bedroom of a 4 year old who is testing out the durability of the Minwax Polycrylic finish. I'm a big fan of this Minwax product for building a finish on surfaces as it makes a very durable topcoat, much better than lacquer. No issue going over oil base stain. After spraying lacquer for the past 40 years, I stopped about 4 fours ago when I tried Polycrylic and have been delighted to never open a can of lacquer since! If I were working with a high dollar antique, I would have had a different approach. This particular chest has some novelty to it because of its age primarily. It was not particularly well built and a low cost purchase when it was new. Still turned out nice and will be around another generation.
how long did the entire project take? and what about the inside cedar? did you sand it? can you go into some of what you would do on the inside of a chest?
Not really very long... maybe 15 hours or so. The inside of the chest was in pretty good shape except for the removable tray. I was also under little bit of a time crunch to get it finished for a friend, so I pretty much left the interior alone. If I had needed to do something to the inside, I probably would have cut very thin veneer cedar slats and lined the interior with new wood. I keep thinking one of these days I want to build one of these from scratch!
Help!! Do you know where I can get some multi colored veneer for a waterfall vanity?? Any suggestions for where I might find this?? I'm trying to restore it. There big chunk missing out of a strip of multi colored veneer.
It’s a $30 spray gun from Harbor Freight with about 35 psi on the compressor, so nothing fancy. The product I am using is called Polycrylic from Minwax and is water based. It is a great product. The trick for me is getting the thickness of the material I’m spraying right in order to flow through the spray gun which just takes experimenting with it. Good luck with your project! Wish I had another one to do!
I have one that was my mother's from 1948 and its black, but its in very worn shape. Should I strip it? I think this is how it was purchased, but not sure. I almost sold it on ebay, but delisted it when I thought maybe I could strip and refinish it myself and sell it for more.
If it has a veneer that was painted black when it was made or sometime later, it's probably going to be a challenge to strip it down without destroying the veneer. This chest had a lot of damage too and all I was comfortable doing was to essentially condition the wood with oil based stains then put a clear acrylic finish over that. The stain brought back the old richness of the wood and it turned out nice. I would probably repair structural damage as best I could and then paint it all black again. Then look at putting an acrylic topcoat of some type over it. It would be a change from the original but my guess it could still be a stunning looking piece. Good luck and thanks for the question!
Rusty, excited to do this to my old cedar chest. Can you list the stain colors you used and the finishing sealer along with the corrective stain you used?
Hi Maria! Good luck with your project! The following stains are ones that I have in my shop and so I'm pretty confident that these or combinations of these are what I used on this chest. They are Provincial, Cherry, Gunstock, Puritan Pine, English Chestnut, and Early American. All these products are from Minwax and should be available in 8 ounce cans. The finish product I use is by Minwax as well and is called Polycrylic in a satin finish. It is a great product and very easy to use. On the stain side, there's really no magic to it. It's just experimenting with different stains and see how they tint the old veneer that's on the chest. I enjoyed doing this project and hope to get back to some of these kinds of projects again. Thanks for watching!
As I recall, I cut the edge of a bubble just enough to use a toothpick to try to get some wood glue under it. Then placed some weight on the area and let it dry. I did very little structural modification on this piece and focused more on the staining process and trying to get a good finish on afterwards. I had a bit of a deadline on this. Thanks for watching, Swamper!
I watched you transform that cedar chest back into a beautiful piece of furniture. I also have a chest that has similar damage as the one in your video. My question is: can the acrylic finish be applied in another way rather than spraying it on?
Yes, Nora. That type of finish can be brushed on and sanded lightly between coats just like I did when spraying it. I use the foam brushes for applying it when spraying is not practical and they work great. Good luck with your project!
Thanks, Anna! In this case, the veneer was so damaged that I just tried to get the colors I wanted back into the chest with oil based stains and in a couple of spots, acrylic paint. So, about all the prep work I did was lightly hand sand a few spots that were particularly rough before using the stain. I knew I was going to build back the surface with Polycrylic and figured that after a few coats I would be able to get the entire chest to a smooth finish again. I think I applied three coats to get there. Good luck with your project!
question I have a 1940's drop leaf desk, my parent bought new, but got beat up in my 2 older brothers room in the 50's. I have the desk and the outside needs to be restained I think and its about the color of the lighter wide you used the natural stain, could I just go over the outside with something like that without completely stripping it and sanding it down?
I tend to look at the quality of the construction of the original piece before deciding if it's worth the effort to do a major refinish. I have a writing desk that belonged to my grandmother that is well constructed from quality material that I am probably going to start over on the refinishing process. I was going to try to reduce the time commitment but have not been happy with the result. The cedar chest in this video was marginal construction quality but ultimately the veneer took stain quite well and it turned out nice without a great deal of effort. So it kind of depends on what you have to work with and how important it is to you to be satisfied with the final outcome. My grandmother's desk is a great piece and has a lot of sentimental value to me, so it is worth the extra effort. That's the kind of call you will need to make on your drop leaf desk. Thanks for your question and for watching!
@@RustyDobbs thanks, it's pretty good, my mom had the inside of the drop leaf redone some years ago, and I think i will try something easier than stripping and restaining, the outside, is not awful, but needs to be touched up
Thanks, A Kirby! I have a recent video called “Building A Custom Barn Door Out Of Hardwood” that shows the process of spraying Polycrylic in a little more detail. It is done with a very inexpensive gun and air compressor. I do thin it with water to get it to a consistency where it sprays easily, but have never had any issue with bubbles. It is a really good product!
@@RustyDobbs I will check it out. I work so meticulously to avoid bubbles and brush marks with polycrylic, and when you are doing 3 coats, it is arduous.
@@akirby6998 No doubt learning to spray is something you would like though it comes with a learning curve as well. Vertical surfaces are more of a challenge, but flat surfaces are pretty easy and give great results. The gun we are using in the video is literally a $30 gun from Harbor Freight. Good luck with your projects!
@@RustyDobbs Thank you so much for your response. I have given thought to getting a sprayer, but the sprayer and air compressor concept seem intimidating. You are inspiring me to try it at some point. I also love Minwax polycrylic. BTW, your shop is so awesome, I am very jealous of all of your neat tools and spacious area to move around.
Hi Betty. There’s not an easy answer to your question as it depends on the extent of the damage. If the old pieces can be glued back in place and then re-stained, that would probably give the best results. Trying to introduce new veneer mixed with old is not a good option generally due to the age and wear difference. Restoring old furniture can be quite a challenge, but very rewarding! Good luck and sorry I can't be more helpful.
I just picked up a 1941 (serial number) version similar to the one in your video but with a different pattern. The veneer is damaged and water stained and peeling. I plan on removing the veneer and replacing. I hope to keep it as close to current design as possible. The chest had been given to my mother with her second marriage around 1941. Would you have any words of wisdom and experience to pass on?
Sounds like a great project, Richard! Makes me want to do another one! If you are stripping all the old veneer off, that opens up lots of possibilities for you. I would probably approach prepping the surface like I would for a laminate installation, so just work on getting a smooth base surface. There are pre-glued and non-glued veneers available and depending on your comfort level with using contact cement, you could go either one. I personally like the results I get with contact cement because you get such a great bond. Good luck with that project! Would love to see it when you are finished!
@@RustyDobbs Thanks for your suggests Rusty. Much of the existing veneer needs to be replaced so I will be removing all/most and gluing new veneer on. I know that contact has great sticking power but I was thinking of using another glue with some forgiveness. I am thinking of using a vacuum bag to make sure the veneer sticks well. With the wood pieces I will remove/refinish. I plan on using a similar pattern on the refinish. I plan on staining to much the same as it is now and finishing it with a polyurethane. I'll may even video it or take photos to keep you posted. I hope you had a Merry Christmas.
Sounds like you have a great plan, Richard! You'll end up being real pleased with the finished product, I'll bet. Check out Polycrylic if you have never used it before. I used it in the video which was a couple of years ago and have only become more of a fan since. I spray all of my cabinetry and wood finishes with it now. It is just so easy to use. I sprayed lacquer for 30 years and don't remember the last time I used it since I began experimenting with Polycrylic. Much more durable and much more pleasant to work with.
I have a very similar cedar chest and i have been looking to get it restored. Its a family heirloom. It has a broken foot/base. Would you be able to restore it?
I probably could, Stephens5150. Not sure how practical that would be unless you live somewhere near New Mexico! Feel free to send me pictures though to rusty@dobbsworkshop.com and I’d be happy to give you some feedback. I tend to spread myself out into lots of different types of projects, but I really enjoy doing furniture restorations and don’t get to do enough of it! I had a hard time turning this chest back over to my friend once it was completed!
This was a beautiful piece before...but the finished product is stunning...I am starting on one I purchased...and I have no clue what to do...I hate to say I am a female and clueless...but I am!!!!
Good luck on your project, Julie! Being female is a big advantage in my opinion over many men I know who would be more interested in just getting finished rather than thinking through the best ways to get good results. Let me know if you have questions I might be able to help you with. I’m always happy to see people like you challenging themselves by taking on projects that will make them better DIYers, woodworkers or crafters! Feel free to email me at rusty@dobbsworkshop.com.
Help me with the layered strips of veneer. How would you repair that?? Me me!! Lol art and wood my two fav things. And thank you! This helps me ton on piece im working on!
Oh, good! From your earlier comment, I'm glad to see you do have some projects you are working on! Enjoy the process! Yeah, this veneer was really beat up in a couple of places. But ultimately, the stain worked well overall on it and I built layers of Polycrylic on top. That was about the best I could do with it but I was sorry to see it go back to the owner. It has a lot of character!
Well, Babs, I'm not sure right off hand. If you have chest that is similar to the one in my video, the paint is a problem. In my case the veneer was so thin and fragile that all I could really do was condition it with oil based stain and hope I could then build up layers of finish with an acrylic product. It worked out pretty well. If your chest is painted, I'm not sure of the potential for success in trying to strip the paint. You could sand the paint scratches lightly, then repaint. You could also then add a clearcoat finish over the paint and that might work as well. Sorry, but that's about the best suggestions that I have. Good luck with it!
Well, Fred, the first attempt to condition the veneer was with oil based stain which worked out well and brought back the rich color to the grain. The veneer was really in bad shape in many places. The first coat of finish I applied was to start to build a finish which, using the water based polycrylic does raise the grain some. By sanding it lightly with 220 grit paper, that knocks off the roughness and allows building more smoothness with each subsequent coat of finish. After the second coat, only very light sanding was needed to smooth out remaining rough spots. The third and final coat left the surface smooth.
The latches on all old cedar chests should be replaced with a type that doesn’t lock the top when pushed down , just in case a child were to climb in. Most manufacturers offer replacements.
Lane will provide a new child friendly lockset and latch for these chests for free for the asking due to a lawsuint where kids were tapped inside. If you have one of these, by Lane. Please upgrade your lockset
Hey, Fred! Great last name!!! Good question but I don't have a real simple answer. It kind of depends on the condition of the wood and finish. In this case, the cedar chest exterior veneer was in rough shape. Its was so dry it was cracking so I went with stain immediately with very little sanding, just to condition the wood and see where I could go from there. If your wood and finish are in pretty good condition, then sanding it down is probably the best if you are wanting to change the color, particularly if you are wanting to go lighter. If you have a true lacquer finish, it can often be refurbished with a light sanding and repair of damaged areas, then shooting additional coats of lacquer on top. Lacquer can also be tinted with stain for a darker look to a piece but as you build, you will see less wood grain as you lose opacity. Hope that helps, Fred! Thanks for watching!
Thanks, Tammy! Yes, it was pretty rough looking in places and I was really surprised how the bleached out areas popped with fresh stain. I was pretty happy with the way it turned out and very happy the owner did not want me to paint it!
Yeah, Debbie, it was in pretty rough shape in places. The stain really helped to condition the wood, so it turned out nice in the end. Not perfect, but nice!
I would think it would be pretty difficult to replace the lost veneer without seeing it in person, Charles. If it is a small area, I might look to match the color of the surrounding veneer with some scrap hardwood pieces and stain. If I could get it close enough, I would then cut thin veneer pieces from the hardwood and give that a try. Good luck! Sounds like a nice piece! Remember, some of the charm is in the fact that the chest has had wear and tear! On this chest in the video, I sprayed finish over some rough spots and it actually enhanced the character.
Well, Troy, I'm thinkin that my next chest build will not be cedar at all! Maybe I'll build from scratch with totally new material, like oak, that's really solid and has a lot of life left in it! But that's just me...
