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This Is Why I Never Give Up


Remember when I showed you my refinishing projects last week two weeks ago?  And. . . I said I was going to finish them last week?  And. . . I didn't?



Well, I have a perfectly good reason for not being punctual.  Failure.

Actually, several failures.
The plan was to:

                      1.  Remove old hardware
                      2.  Fill in holes and missing veneer with wood filler
                      3.  Sand it smooth
                      4.  Apply 2-3 coats of gel stain until desired depth of color was achieved
                      5.  Top with satin water based poly to protect the finish.

Simple enough?



I started out well.  Here you can see that the top drawer's holes are filled in and sanded.  The bottom drawer has it's first coat of gel stain.  I wasn't really loving the color - a little too red, but I figured the color would deepen with layers and I was right. 

Then, failure.  The poly coat that I bought said "satin", but it was really "semi-gloss".  I checked to make sure I had stirred the product thoroughly before applying but it was definitely "shiny" and I wanted "satin". 
 GRRRR. . . .

Did I mention the weather has been hot (90's) and humid (75-100%).

GRRR. . .

After waiting 4 days for it to cure, I lightly sanded the poly off so I could apply a new top coat.  The gel stain started coming off of the dresser and a lot of the "shiny" stayed put. 

GRRRR. . .

I couldn't give up.  I wouldn't give up. 

I called my daughter and informed her that I was going to go to plan "B" and asked her what color paint she would like on the dresser.  She chose white.

After 3 coats of primer and 5 coats of paint, we have a finished product.


We got the silver handles in a bulk pack at Lowes.  She has a few extras to use on another piece if she so chooses.  We'll be hauling it over to her place this weekend so she can put it to good use.  I'll try to remember to take pics after she gets it into place and accessorized with her cute stuff.  She'll be using it as a credenza in her office.
Yup, this is why I never give up.   It always works out if you just stick with it.  But sometimes you need to growl while you do it. 

I'm still working on the other piece, but until the humidity lets up, I'll hold off on putting the final coat on.

The Shabby Nest

Furniture Feature Fridays


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Comments

  1. The Cozy CapeJuly 8, 2011 at 4:25 PM

    This looks great! Is it for Melissa? And I'm having the same drying issues with polyurethane over here at The Cozy Cape. Darn humidity!

    ReplyDelete
  2. AshleyJuly 8, 2011 at 4:26 PM

    I LOVE IT! It will look so good in Mel's place :) Great job mom!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Flannel Jammies FarmJuly 9, 2011 at 3:02 PM

    I love this happy accident! The finished project is lovely.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AlexiaJuly 9, 2011 at 3:38 PM

    It looks great! I would have given up long ago....LOL!

    ReplyDelete
  5. JackieJuly 10, 2011 at 3:11 PM

    I love the way it turned out. It looks great.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Decor & HarmonyJuly 11, 2011 at 12:13 PM

    Bravo to you! No guts no glory. You are one tough cookie:)

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousJuly 11, 2011 at 3:59 PM

    Absolutely lovely. It is so nice of you to share your frustrations and unsuccessful attempts. It helps put my failures into perspective.

    ReplyDelete

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