Rebuilt wash stand

This is a major rebuild of a small chest or wash stand that Susan and I got from a former landlord in 1979. The piece likely dates from the 1920s or earlier, but it had little antique value. It was painted a pretty nasty green, and the back was a mess. The side trays were missing and the well at the top was cracked and unfinished. The drawers were poorly fit. We believe it was a one-of-a-kind handmade piece rather than something manufactured. And it was clear it needed a lot of TLC.

Finally got around to doing something about it in 2006, before I started building furniture from scratch. Learned a ton reworking this baby … took the whole thing apart, rebuilt the back using wood reclaimed from oak palettes (milled my own tongue and groove boards), rebuilt and realigned the drawers, made the side trays and lined the top with 24 gauge copper.

Dye and gel stain finish with Waterlox tung oil, for a faux Stickley Fayetteville look … it’s a really close match to the real pieces we have. The drawer pulls are Stickley from Rockler.

-- David in sunny Cleveland, Oh