Appreciation post: My neighbor's workshop in Detroit changed how I look at old dressers

I stopped by Mike's garage last weekend to borrow a sander and saw him turn a beat-up 1970s dresser into something that looked brand new with just a can of Restor-a-Finish and some new knobs. He didn't strip it or sand it down, just wiped it on and buffed it out in like 20 minutes. Has anyone else tried that stuff on really rough veneer or is it just for light scratches?

3 comments

3 Comments

jade_hernandez11d ago

Hold on, I gotta push back a little (respectfully though). Restor-a-Finish is great for light scratches and water rings, but on really rough veneer like peeling or deep chips? It's basically just polish on a mess. I tried it on a dresser with bubbled-up veneer once and it looked decent for about a week before the bubbles showed right through again. You really gotta fix the veneer itself first or you're just hiding the problem for a little while.

coleman.jamie11d ago

You're dead on with this. I did the exact same thing on a mid-century side table with peeling veneer on the edges. The Restor-a-Finish made it look great for maybe two days and then the peeling just came right back like nothing happened. It's really just a temporary band-aid for anything past light scuffs. You have to glue down the loose veneer and fill any missing chunks before you even think about a polish or stain. Otherwise you're just wasting your time and money on a cosmetic fix that won't last a week. I learned that lesson the hard way too.

victor_adams9510d ago

Respectfully though" - come on, is it really that deep? You're talking about a 20 dollar can of polish on a beat up dresser from the 70s. If the veneer is peeling and the chips are bad, yeah no quick fix is gonna save it. But for 95% of people who just want their furniture to look less like trash for a party or a listing photo, Restor-a-Finish works fine. It's not a museum restoration. It's a paper towel and some elbow grease for something that's already half dead. I used it on a nightstand with light scratches and it looked good for months. If the thing is already falling apart, maybe just buy a new one instead of treating it like a family heirloom.