/diy/ - Do It Yourself

Closeup (ish) of the desktop. Had to tear off a newer looking veneer that was improperly glued.

Corner showing (maybe faulty?) bracer work

Oh christ, this is going to be a lot of sandpaper.

This is solid wood right? Felt like it. Super heavy.

Aaaand done with the first round. Sorry for the skewed picture, it's a Photomerge of two pictures.

Software: A ream of sandpaper, a gallon of wood glue, stain, varnish.

Hardware: Clamps, rags, dust mask

Glob wood glue into the wobbly joints, clamp in place so their square.

Sand it all until bare wood. Stain and varnish to your hearts content

>>514748
Grit level's medium right?

And how do I know it's the bare wood? Is it a matte texture?

Thanks for the help, hopefully I can get to it tomorrow.

>>514824
Medium will do it. But you may want to go over it with some very fine afterwards.

>>514730

This right here is a problem. This is not "peeling finish", this is plywood delaminating. Basically you've lost a good chunk of the veneer here. Only way to fix that is to completely remove that veneer and replace it with a new one.

Next, you've got plywood and veneers, so its not as old as you think. Another clue to that is the weight you spoke of. Real wood is *lighter* than man made wood, not heavier. MDF, particle board, plywood, is all heavier than a piece of normal wood of the same dimensions (baring you having some ebony or some shit). If that was made of *solid oak* its would probably be an easy 1 man lift. I'm no weight lifter and I've picked up desks like that and carried them on my shoulder.

It looks to my like all of your panels are plywood veneer with real wood for everything else. I could be wrong though. Thats not bad but if its wobbly its probably more trouble than its worth. If you want to to be solid again you're going to have to take it completely apart, chisel out the old, broken glue joints and put it all back together again. Thats another clue that its not that well made. If it was done right originally it would still be solid today. Still, $20 ain't the end of the world. Least you didn't get it from an "antique store" and spend $200.

>>514864
>If it wobbles it's poorly made.

Can't I fix that with brackets? I'm not looking to sell this to an antique shop, just need a place to do my homework.

If I take the veneer off, an I still sand and varnish the wood, regardless of how shitty it is?

Thanks for your advice by the way, I figured it might be too good to be true.

>>514897
>Can't I fix that with brackets?

Sure. It'll look like shit and make it harder to restore to original condition later if you decide too but that will stiffen things up.

>If I take the veneer off, an I still sand and varnish the wood, regardless of how shitty it is?

Sure. It will look terrible though. The veneer was a very thin sheet of nice wood placed over the top of an less nice wood. If you remove the veneer and varnish it it will look better but it wont match. Nothing wrong with that other than it looking bad though.

OP, it looks good, kinda rustic. Just strengthen it and be done with it.

>>514993
Op, possibility of painting it a solid color instead of using a stain/varnish?

>>514725
shit OP, nice desk, but i'm more interested in that big ass TV off to the side that looks like it was made in the 60's, but has composite inputs. wut is?

>>515061
I'd prefer to strip it and stain it since it matches the other shitty wood furniture I bought. Also gotta do a Lead test - thanks for reminding me.

>>515073
I haven't tested it to see if it works but I remember it being way too heavy and way too big for my room. I can post some pics when I head back to Goodwill in the next hour though.

>>515095
Whoa. I just realized that is probably not an art nouveau woman. More like uh

If that's not board safe, can a mod delete it? Thanks

I'm also looking to restore some old furniture of mine. Would it be a terrible idea to go over it with an orbital sander rather than using sandpaper by hand?

Also, what's a good dust mask? those white things you strap over your face don't seem to work very well, and I'm not opposed to spending a few dollars to save myself from lung cancer.

>>515095
>>515098
She's not showing nudity, it's fine. Also, you can delete your own posts if you're a nervous nelly.

>>515119

Using an orbital sander is ideal. You should have no problems if you choose a paper of appropriate grit for the job. Avoid using a belt sander unless you're skilled at operating it, however. You can dig huge ruts any soft wood extremely fast with a belt sander.

I have no clue about masks, though.

Picture somewhat related to the subject. It is a pipe rack I built from reclaimed wood.

>>514725
Just sand the old finish off and put a new one on.
I used to build and restore furniture professionally.
There's nothin' to it.

>>515119
I'm going to buy a respirator, come to think of it. Thanks for the tip.

More pics coming in a second, sanded the top and discovered that, yes, crap on a map, it's plywood and veneer.

Welp, time to work the ol' Etsy magic. Maybe replace the interior panels with leather and studs?

>>515073
First, here are pics of that TV. Felt like particleboard and masonite in the back. Not bad if that's your style. I think those are built in speakers too!

>>515199
Product number/model if anyone wants to know.

>>515198
Back of the TV. Got a lot of stares from old ladies when I took pictures.

"Excuse me, young man. Does your phone work as a remote control?"

Now for the desk. I unscrewed the border...thing and it came out easily. Too easily maybe. I'll slap some wood glue on those dowels.

>>515203
Drawer holes have the same system but I think those dowels are stoppers for the drawer when it slides out.

>>515204
Is this even worth staining?

>>515205
Going to replace the handles. There's three more.

At least they smell nice. Like a shoe horn or mild moth balls.

>>515207
Just like >>514864 suspected. The panels are veneer and the side of this desk is shit-tier plywood.

Still. I can find a way to support it somehow. I'll hit the hardware store tonight and check what spare wood they have. Maybe I can make a cross piece.

>>515209
Looks like someone already used brackets. Guess I need to add more somewhere else.

>>515212
Scraped off crumbly veneer. Not the best wood but then again I could put in a leather insert after staining.

>>515214
Some light sanding with the 150, on the corners I used the 60. At least it feels like unfinished wood now.

Dark stain might be the way to go on this. Matte or satin finish since it looks terrible with gloss.

>>515216
From the back. Looks better with more light I think.

Last one until tomorrow. Can't find my orbital sander so this will take a while.

>>515207
I stopped scrolling because your powertool looked like a dildo.

>>515209
>>515212

These confirm the other anons suspicion that the desk was poorly made with poor quality material. I however still think it looks pretty great.

I myself really like this >>515216
>>515218 rustic look and would just put a matte finish over it. But that's just personal preference.
Using a leather insert (>>515214) sounds like a very aesthetic solution to me.

Keep us updated, OP.

>>515220
With enough power it certainly could be used for that, yes.

>>515229
Will do! Thanks for the interest.

Regarding leather. Do fabric stores carry it? Or maybe a dark naugahyde*?

*pleather, don't let the term fool you into thinking I'm from the seventies. I just dig that word.

>>515154
Why do you need that many pipes....

>>515205
tbh, nah i don't think it's worth even staining, too much time not enough reason

>>515368
Whyyyyyyyy?

>>515232
I picked up a neat little table too! It folds down at the top with a locking hinge.

Also, while we're on the sanding/staining part of woodwork, I'm going to post some pictures of the awful floors we have courtesy of the frat guys who lived here in the summer.

Even though we're frat guys too, but we're the nerdy frat and most of us our clean. Ugh. How can this happen?

>>515369
Such a waste...

>>515371
What is that even?

>>515372
This is the best it looks, near the front door oddly enough.

>>515373
You must end them, Billy. The woodworking gods demand blood for their insolence. Sand the floor down, stain it WITH THEIR BLOOD, then varnish it tastefully with a nice protective polyurethane.

>>515373
I'm stupid, here's the picture I was supposed to post.

>>515376
STAIN FOR THE STAIN GOD

STAIN FOR THE STAAIIIIN GAAAWWWD

>>515369
>>515371
>>515372

Made me cringe a little bit. Loads of potential though! The two little tables also!

>>515198
>>515199
>>515200
> OP delivars
Thanks dude, late 80's Sony looking a lot older by having that routed moulding around the edges and the MDF back. Plastic hadn't gotten that cheap by that point I guess.

>>515372
..is that chewing gum?

I would have had those little cunts on their hands and knee's scraping that shit up before I let them take their shit from the property. Thats fucking disgusting.

>>515455
It probably is, plus God only knows what else is left over from their constant ragers.

Anyway here's more sanding. The sides proved trickier since I don't think they're even veneer. Just a printed pattern? Came off with 60 grit, then 150.

>>515820

Finally wore a mask and goggles today. Didn't walk back home with a chest full of phlegm!

Side note: when I sanded the sides they got white and streaky first, then revealed the wood after some elbow grease. Was that the original polyurethane cover coming off? Should I use a thinner like acetone or Citristrip first or something?

>>515822
Hmmm...decisions decisions.

>>516252
This. I like this. $7 a pop though.

>>516252
>>516253

This. I fucking know this.

>Staring at a wall of knobs, hinges, locks,.. for 20 minutes to find the perfect piece to finish the project you've dedicated many hours or days to.
>Finally make a decision based on the aesthetics/material/dimensions and check the price tag;
>most expensive piece of hardware of its kind on the rack, pushing you over the intended budget

>>516528
>ohhh, that's a nice pull knob
>$75 each
>FFFFFFFF!!!!!!

I usually end up lathing out my own from local wood.

>>516529
Suppose I could stain the brass or nickel-plated ones a darker color?

Is there a process for that? Like copper coating an iron nail?

Also, I plan to use copper or copper coloring all up in this. It's...just, so shiny.

>>514725
stop smoking weed and remember wood tech from high school, fuck your order of staining

>>517574
>wood tech, nigga

I wish I had it :C

Here's some pictures of the process! Just finished staining.

Also, literal cobwebs.

>>518506
Fully sanded.

>>518507
Needs handles.

>>518508
Top coat. Used a pres stain conditioner because I am a dumb.

>>518509
Fully stained. Dark Mahogany, mmmm.

>>518509
>pres stain

*pre stain

>>518511
Top part.

>>518513
Drawers that need handles. Maybe dull brass?

>>518514
Final staining picture.

Drying tonight and tomorrow I add some pleather I found.

>>518515
Fake leather! In which I will stud to the table top with copper nails.

I think it looks great, OP. Much better than I thought you could get it when you started this thread. I myself usually prefer the raw unstained look and go with just a matte clear coat, but I must admit I like the dark stain too.
I hope the fake leather works out too. Keep us updated.

I like the brass - dark wood combo. Very art deco.

>>515154
Nice. Both the piece and the collection of pipes.

>>515234
Some folks like to collect pipes. I've been a pipe smoker since the late 1970s. I also buy estate pipes and restore them. It's satisfying to buy a Dunhill Shell double patent for two bucks at a garage sale, fix it up, and sell it for four hundred dollars.

>>518515
Damn fine job you've done in bringing that desk back into good condition. I can't wait to see how the leather panel on the top turns out.

>>514748 here

Looks great, but I'd recommend a coat of varnish or shellac to really make that stain really "pop"

>>514734
>filename
hue

Thanks for showing this. You did an excellent job with it. Are the dovetails on the drawers hand sawn or machined? The panels remind me of millwork done in the past for bar backs. the one drawer section looked to be solid wood even. such a unique method of attaching the Panels to the drawers i suspect it was added later. the round on the back and the mantel like back seem out of place with the rest yet you pulled it all together nicely. Thanks again for the pics it was appreciated

Any progress OP ? I'm checking this thread daily in the hopes of seeing how the fake leather worked out.

>>521601

My bad for the lapse in updating, guys (and or ladies). I realized halfway through that I laid the stain on way too thick and some of the veneer didn't take to the color. I'll post some pics of the leather tomorrow but the desk will end up lighter.

>>521601
Back from the dead! I moved my desk into my room finally after spending 3 days cleaning off the stain on the kitchen floor. Note to self: old Coors boxes are not an appropriate substitute for a tarp.

Onward to the (p)leather!

>>523748
I tacked the corners of the fabric and sheared it down to size with an exacto knife - but I didn't plan for enough play space so I ended up stretching the thing out super tight. It works though, has this sort of studded-leather-armchair thing going on.

>>523749
Backside was some sort of thin nylon mesh. Used a spray adhesive that looked like silly string.

>>523751

Folded the corners for a smooth(ish) edge.

>>523752
That's it for now. Handles go on tomorrow, though I might actually rip this out and try again. If anything, it's a proof of concept but it won't look the way I want until I cut it with perfect edges and a darker stain.

I splurged on the copper handles though. :/ Couldn't help myself.