Working on restoring a 1937 dresser

I need some advice on a project. I have an old dresser badly in need of restoration. It’s been in the family since the 1970’s.

Underneath one drawer a former owner detailed that she and her husband bought a bedroom set in 1937 including this dresser. I think it would be considered Federal style. They lived in Ohio so I would assume it was bought in that area originally. There is no maker’s label any longer.

It has gone through MANY color changes from white to orange (thanks mom) to pink to white again to blue and finally dark brown. Then it was left outside in the snow and rain for half a year before I saved it. So it needs work...

I am stripping the paint with a heat gun and started with the drawers, but that’s when I was confused. There is no evidence any wood finish on the drawer fronts and minimal grain. It looks like bare unfinished wood. The top however has veneer. I thought perhaps the veneer was stripped off the drawers at some point (one drawer does have a ridge which seems to indicate this) but the other fronts are flush with the top and bottom so I’m not sure. Also there is no hardware silhouette.

Something just seems off. I want to restore it to it’s original appearance but what did the drawers look like? Should I apply a matching veneer or do you think the drawers were always painted? I can’t find good examples to compare it to.

 

I would suggest taking the top off the dresser then working on it - much easier to be moving it around. Pull the drawers so you can get into it - there should just be screws holding it on from the inside. Looks plywood so check the glue joints and if any swelling from being outside. I don't know about others but I would just paint - easier to cover up the ply lines. A trick I have learned before paint is smear the plywood lamination lines with joint compound to fill them in and then sand with very fine sandpaper to smooth it out - prime then paint

 

Thanks! That’s a good point. I have taken the drawers out but it is still heavy to move around.

What are your thoughts about the drawer fronts? Did it probably have veneer that was removed later or maybe it was painted? I don’t really see many 1930’s dressers that were painted originally. But the lack of finish confused me especially since it doesn’t match the top or sides.

When I was a kid it had basic circular brass knobs. Would those have been original?

 

There were screws under the front, but the back is not so simple unfortunately.

 

Oh, corrugated fasteners...........drill a hole ontop and bottom of the fastener big enough to get some needlenose pliers in them to pull the fastener out. May help to loosen them first by pulling up on the front of the top and moving it up and down like you are trying to break the top off of a can of soup. You can go back and fill the holes with dowel wood/wood filler
Try loosening them fist - they might just pull out without having to drill any holes. Or go to youtube - somebody has to have a better way?

 

Yeah I’ll try that. One other question is that I read about dating furniture by the screws and they said that pre-Industrial Revolution the slots will not be tapered because they were filed by hand. Mine sure don’t look very tapered, so I’m wondering now if it was already used furniture in 1937...? Maybe it’s older than I thought.

 

Don't know - to me all the old screws look a like!

 

It’s off! Thanks a lot. I just pulled up the front and broke the old glue that was still holding it, then flipped the top over and backwards until the connectors broke. I’ll pull those out later. Quite the joining going on under there, and underneath the top I also found what appears to be the actual finish color. Still not sure what was on the drawers...

Now to get this mess off!

 

This article has some interesting info on veneer used during the Great Depression:

https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/depression-era-furniture-147968

 

Would I be correct in calling this Federal style? Or is it something else? The ribbed sides and centerpiece and bottom woodwork is what I was going by.

 

So I had my brother here delivering some Citristrip. He had a look at my drawer fronts and concluded it isn’t wood at all but wood filler!! So in addition to stripping seven layers of paint off I also have to either sand down the filler or... something. Looks like someone already used your idea @Rayo56. It all makes sense now.

I’m determined to make this restoration project a success.

 

Also discovered the handles did originally have two holes. Wonder what they looked like?? Having some success getting the filler off with a heat gun but I will need to sanding it out of the grain most likely.

Thos will probably be more of a rustic piece than a like new dresser when I’m done, but with this beautiful oak grain underneath and a deep golden stain I think it might just turn out amazing.

 

@Venny - So with the dresser being Oak and you're nixing another repaint - what is with the plywood between the drawers? Could those be removed, put some pieces of wood inside for the drawers to slide on, then fill the gaps between the drawers with pieces of Oak stock to match the rest of the dresser??

 

My brother is making a new drawer slide for me right now as one was missing at the bottom. I don’t know why it’s just thin plywood between the drawers unless that was a holdover from Depression times. The drawer slides are oak.

Two sections are warped and cracked probably from when it was left out in the rain for weeks. So I will at least consider replacing those sections.

 

Made some progress over the weekend but sure is a lot of paint stripper and heat and elbow grease! Got the top cleaned up and am working on the front and sides.

 

This looks like its gonna be a really nice piece! Keep on keeping on!

 

Yess, keep up the pics!!

 

Sorry I lost my password and requested a new one multiple times but never received the email. Also emailed the owners of the site and nothing. And I misspelled my new username, so I guess I’m Vinny2 now... haha

Anyway here is a progress photo. I didn’t do a whole lot more paint removal but I have the new drawer slide (bottom one was missing) from my brother and I’ve been experimenting with shellac in place of wood stain for the finish.

 

Oh also I could use advice for getting the paint out of the many ribbed section of this dresser. I tried a knife with limited success. The stripper softens it but then it just smears.

 

Toothbrush? I guess it depends on what kind of stripper you are using, the chemical ones may melt the toothbrush's bristles.