Whale Gray/Tiger Oak (Pin and Cove Dovetail) Dresser

This was one of those projects where we took a chance on a piece not knowing what we would find underneath the painted surface. We believe this piece dates back to the late 1800s or early 1900s.  It features unique pin and cove drawer dovetails, and beautiful tiger oak.  (Note: More finished pictures are at the bottom of the blog).

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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
• Whale Gray Behr Paint
• Minwax Special Walnut 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. 
• Bosch 2.5-Amp Orbital Sander
  • Just remember, this is a staple item that will continually be used, so you can utilize this on a ton of DIY projects after you make the purchase.  We decided on the Bosch sander because of the quality of the Bosch brand; however, you can probably get away with a cheaper option if you don't want to invest in a nicer sander, and if you only plan on doing a few DIY projects with it.  
• Gator 50-Pack 80-Grit 5-in W x 5-in L 8-Hole Hook and Loop Sanding Disc Sandpaper
• • Depending on the type of stain that the original manufacturer of the dresser used, you may be able to get away with just sanding down the dresser without using any type of stain remover (This is huge, because stain removers are a pain).  Just keep in mind that if the dresser is not solid wood, then you may want to go with a more gentle approach; i.e., a combination of stain remover and hand sanding.  
• Frog Tape Trim Painter's Tape
  • Frog tape is a life saver if you are going for a more professional look.  Generally speaking, it is a time consuming task to tape up the dresser, but you will be happy that you did when you see the finished product. 
• Hickory Hardware Drawer Pulls

Step 1: Removing the Ugly Green Paint

We sanded the body and the drawers down. As we usually do, we start our sanding process with our orbital sander using an 80 grit sandpaper.  Then, we use 60 grit sandpaper to make sure all of the original finish has been properly removed.  Finally, we hand sand with a 120 grit sandpaper to get a smoother wood before applying paint. .  This process seems to be extremely effective in putting the dresser in its bare bones state.  Make sure you wash it off with a damp cloth so that there is not any dust or residue left on it. Once it is dry, it is time to tape around the edges! ​​​ We should note that we did not use the electric sander on the drawers because of the thin veneer (but we did hand sand them).

Step 2: Taping the Dresser

Before we painted the drawers and the body of the dresser, we made sure to tape the inside of the 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 paint brush 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: Staining the Sides of the Dresser

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

Step 4: Paint the Body and the Drawers

​After we were finished with taping and staining the dresser we painted the dresser using whale gray 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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