How to restore an old cabinet and bring it back to its former glory
Do you love hunting for treasures at flea markets as much as we do? Recently, we came across a beautiful vintage dresser and couldn’t resist. We bought it for a bargain and gave it a makeover, turning it into a real eyecatcher. Now, how do you go about restoring old furniture?
Vintage goes with anything, as long as you mix and match the right objects. A modern sofa on top of a vintage rug? Instant charm! The same goes for a few vintage furniture pieces, like our favorite cabinet-in-the-making. Now, how do you restore them? Time for some practical tips.
Identifying the finish on your cabinet
Paint is easy to spot, it sits right on top of the wood. If it starts to peel, you’ll immediately tell whether it's just that one layer.
Sometimes, a protective coat of varnish was added over paint or stain. You’ll know this is the case if you're not able to scratch anything off with your fingernail. But with a polished piece, you can. It’ll leave behind a greasy paste.
If the wood was oiled, there won’t be a coating on top. The oil soaks into the wood, making the grain stand out.
Does the cabinet have any structural issues?
Is one of your cabinet doors dragging? You can either shave or sand down the bottom, or raise the hinges with metal rings. To strengthen the frame, re-glue the corners where the shelves meet. Use clamps to hold them in place until the glue has dried.
Notice any small holes in the wood? That means the cabinet has been affected by woodworm, and you’ll need to treat it with a pest control solution. Just be sure to apply it on raw wood only.
How to remove the old finish
If the varnish or paint is too damaged or flaking, start by removing it with a paint stripper and steel wool. Then, clean the wood with water. If the old finish is still intact, simply sand it down until it's matte.
If you’re staining over a previous layer, do a test first. Stain a small area and let it sit for 24 hours. Apply tape to it and check after 5 minutes to see if the new stain peels off of the wood. If it doesn’t, you can go ahead and stain over the existing layer. If it does, remove the separate parts and sand down those spots. Then, lightly sand the entire cabinet and it’ll be ready for a new stain or paint job.
If you need to remove multiple layers of paint, warm them up with a heat gun and then scrape the paint off with a putty knife. If it’s just one layer, you can simply sand it off with some coarse sandpaper.
Heat guns
Remove polish with some turpentine on an old piece of cloth. To work on corners, stretch the cloth over a putty knife. Once it stops picking up polish, your wood is almost fully stripped.
Be careful! Afterward, either toss the cloth into a bucket of water or hang it to dry, as turpentine is flammable.
How to paint your cabinet
Sand down the wooden surface with a rough grain of 100 first, then finish with a finer grain of 120 or 180. Wipe all the sanding dust from the wood, using a wet cloth.
Once dry, apply a primer to the wood. Use a brush for the corners, edges and small surfaces, and a roller for the larger surfaces. Once the primer is dry, sand it with a fine grit, like 220, and remove the dust with water. For painting, use both a brush and a roller. Apply two coats for the best finish.
The easiest way to sand
For decorative profiles and rounded edges, it's best to sand by hand. But for larger surfaces, a power sander will make your life easier. Opt for a palm sander, which has a triangular base to help you work in corners. Both corded and battery-powered models are available. With the battery-powered version, you can work freely without the cord getting in the way.
If you attach a 20 V battery to the cordless Dual Power palm sander, you can work for 30 to 45 minutes without interruption. With a 2x20 V battery, you can sand for up to 1.5 hours. And it's completely dust-free, thanks to the dust collection box.