Ebony Stain Tiger Oak Dresser

This was a project dresser from Amherst, Virginia, that we could not pass up. We've always loved Tiger Oak pieces. So when they come available, we try to jump on them. We hope that you enjoy reading our blog. There are more finished pictures at the bottom.

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Before you get started, you'll need to gather the following materials: 

• Purdy 3-Pack Polyester-Nylon Blend Angle Sash Paint Brush Variety Pack
• Broadway Behr Paint​
• Minwax Ebony Stain
•  Minwax Polycrylic Matte Base 32 fl oz Polyurethane
  • Unlike oil-based poly that goes on clear, this will go on milky, but we have honestly been very satisfied with the result thus far.
• Purdy Syntox Finish Brush
  • You will need a special brush for the Polycrylic finish. The Purdy Syntox brush will do the trick.
• Frog Tape Trim Painter's Tape
  • Frog Tape is a lifesaver if you are going for a more professional look. Generally speaking, it is time-consuming to tape up the dresser, but you will be happy that you did when you see the finished product. 
• CitriStrip 32 fl oz Paste Multi-Surface Paint Remover
  • CitriStrip is extremely effective, but we must give a warning; due to the fact that CitriStrip is thick and sticky, it requires a little extra work to ensure that all of it has been removed from the wood, and it can be a headache later on if it is not properly removed (for us, a combination of mineral spirits and steel wool seems to do the trick).
• Pro Grade Precision 9 in. x 11 in. 120 Grit Medium Advanced Sanding Sheets 
• Pro Grade Precision 9 in. x 11 in. 320 Grit X-Fine Advanced Sanding Sheets  
  • This sandpaper will be necessary for smoothing out the surface between coats of polyurethane.  This will definitely help you to accomplish a great final product.  
• Amerock Rochdale Knob, Graphite

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Step 1: Remove the Original Finish from the Body and Drawers of the Dresser

The first step was to remove the original stain from the body and drawers of the dresser. Since the entire dresser had a beautiful tiger oak veneer, we decided to use CitriStrip; this allowed us to remove as much of the original stain as possible before sanding the dresser down (so that we would not sand through the veneer). We applied the Citristrip using a  super cheap paintbrush (think dollar bin at Home Depot). After letting the CitriStrip sit for about an hour, we removed most of the original stain from the body of the dresser using scrapers.


Once again, since the dresser featured a lot of veneers, we decided to use 120 grit sandpaper to remove the remaining stain lightly.

Step 2: Taping the Drawers

Before we painted and stained, we made sure to tape the inside of the body and the inside of the drawers. It is always important to remember to tape the inside of the body where the drawers slide in and out, and the inside portions of the drawers where paint might drip/or the paintbrush might touch. We will admit that this is not a necessary step, but if you want to have a re-purposed dresser that looks professional-grade, then every detail matters.

Step 3: Stain

We went ahead and stained the sides of the dresser and the drawers because stain generally takes longer to dry than paint. After the stain was dry, we had to do more taping to ensure that the paint did not end up on the stained sides.

Step 4: Painting the Body of the Dresser

​After we finished taping the dresser, we painted the dresser using broadway paint. We usually do two coats of paint to make sure that everything is sufficiently covered. We generally use Purdy paint brushes so that we can ensure that we get an excellent finish. ​​

Step 5: Applying Finish 

After the paint was dry, we were ready to apply a coat of water-based Polycrylic to both the body of the dresser and the drawers. After the first coat, we sanded down the dresser using 320 grit sandpaper; then, we applied a second coat of Polycrylic.

The End.

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