This is a poplar (yellow tulip) chifferobe I purchased off of Craigslist for $40. I included some before and after photos. It was in sad shape. Much of the veneer was broken or coming off. My wife wanted me to add shelves inside. I began stripping off the old finish using liquid stripped and by sanding. I removed the old veneer by using a very hot steam iron and a putty knife. I ordered up the new veneer from veneersupplies.com and new hardware from Kennedy Hardware.
I built the new shelves using 1/2" poplar. I then began putting on the new veneer. I used 22 mil. paperback veneer and contact cement. If you have never replaced veneer spend $10 and get a veneer cutter and another $10 and purchase a scraper. They make the job much easier.
I then began applying the stain which is Minwax Aged Oak gel stain. I had a challenge with trying to match the stain. The old veneer was tough to match the stain with the new veneer. Father time adds his patina so I had to darken the stain. I used Minwax Jacobean stain. I think I got it too dark but since it is completed I like the contrast. I went ahead and purchased some 1/2" rope trim (poplar) and a poplar applique to add to the door. Since the mirror was broken I decided to go ahead and fabricate new back splashes for the chifferobe. I found these on Ebay. A gentleman had bought out these from an out of business pool table company. They are poplar and once I cut them down they really seemed to match. I will use the mirror frame for a later project to make a photo frame.
My wife and I had wanted to put this into our bedroom for extra storage. We didn't realize that we couldn't get it into the bedroom due to a narrow hallway. It ended up in the kitchen/dining room as a buffet. The funny thing was that it looks like it belongs there now.
The whole project cost me around $150 and took approximately 40 hours to complete.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
2-3 coats of Minwax aged oak gel stain. I used 2 coats of a mix of the aged oak and Minwax Jacobean liquid stain for the new veneer. I think I mixed it too dark.
I applied the stain with a brush. I wiped it down after 10-15 minutes using a cotton rag. I applied 3-5 coats of Minwax fast drying polyurethane and sanded with 320 grit sandpaper between coats.
When replacing veneer on parts of a project, remember that new veneer will stain differently than antique veneer. I have used a product called wood-ager in the past and it helps somewhat in matching color but it seems to cause air bubbles in the veneer. Those can be taken out with a hot, dry iron.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
Comments
Pam the Goatherd
Mon, 09/03/2012 - 20:49
Love it!
Love it!
Imadethis
Sun, 05/12/2013 - 09:31
beautiful
could you please share your instructions for your couch? My email addy is [email protected] thanks!!!
Sarah Jane
Thu, 05/16/2013 - 11:30
In Love!!
I love your variation!! It looks like a cross between the outdoor sofa and the Bristol? Could you tell us what size wood you used for the different components? I know 2x6 cut to shape for the front leg......but what about the seating area slats (1x3?) and the back rest slats (1x3?) and the back leg/backrest upright (2x4?) and the top of the back rest(2x4? with radius end) and the box for the seating area (2x4?) You did a truly amazing job!!!!!!! I would love to see more pictures if you have any showing your progress through the build! [email protected]
Michael J
Tue, 05/13/2014 - 12:51
nice curves
I like the way you curved the front legs.
I am wondering how you curved the back legs/backrest?
Pursuit of Handyness
Sun, 07/13/2014 - 09:42
This looks amazing
Great job. Since its now 2 years later, how are your joints holding up at those