Let’s Save the Dresser!

What? Save a dresser? Please tell me more! Well, sure….

Acquiring the dresser

I was at a friend’s house, delivering sod (see my landscape posts for details) when she asked if I could use some maple wood. Intriguing. I answered that I probably could and asked to see it. I was a bit surprised when she started walking toward the back of her property and even more surprised when I noticed that we were walking in the direction of her very large burn pile (they had just thinned their trees and were getting ready to set the pile on fire). As we approached the pile, I saw a wooden dresser sitting in front of the pile. I asked her why she had it there; she said it was the maple wood she mentioned. What??!!! I quickly said YES, I would take the dresser!

Here is a picture of the size of the burn pile.

She then told me that the dresser had belonged to her mom and that it was bought while she was still in high school. At that point, I knew that I would be giving this back to my friend once it was restored.

She was relieved that I was taking it and thanked me for saving it; she didn’t want it burned but also didn’t know what else to do with it. As someone who works with wood and has the tools to fix things, I was shocked that someone would consider burning a dresser. However, the dresser was in really sad shape and since my friend isn’t one who works with wood and doesn’t have the tools, I could understand. The drawers were out of it and sitting somewhere on the woodpile, the doors were disconnected, none of the hardware was there, the back was gone and the wood was weathered and falling apart.

I drove my truck out to the burn pile and we loaded up the dresser then went on the hunt around the pile to locate the rest of it. To my surprise, there was also a shelving unit that set on top of the dresser, making it a hutch.

Bringing the dresser home

Deconstruction

I didn’t have time to work on this project when I got the dresser, so we stored it in our shed over the winter. Now that it was getting close to winter again, I needed to get started on it! My first step was to bring the dresser & shelf unit from the shed to the garage. The first step in the project was deconstruction beginning with the removal of the top of the dresser, then the structure that held in the upper drawers & doors. My plan was to move the small drawers from the top of the dresser and have them sit on top of the large drawer.

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Once the top was removed, I took out the T-shaped frame that held in the small drawers and the two doors. This frame was held in place with wooden dowels. Since the dresser had been in the weather and was falling apart, it was easy to pop this piece out of the sides of the dresser.

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Starting to reconstruct

Now that I had the top and drawer frame removed, I was ready to create the bench. The boards that sat above the lower drawer were solid, so I could have used it as the bench seat. It would have been a little low to the ground, but by adding a nice foam cushion on top, it could have worked well. However, I wanted to utilize as much of the original dresser and shelving unit as possible while adding more storage, so I planned to use the small drawers. What did this mean? More work, of course 🙂 The small drawers had been attached to the top of the dresser and the back piece that held them in place was broken. I would need to rebuild the frame that holds the drawers.

When the frame was complete and I slid the draws into it, I found that they didn’t slide all the way into the frame. Using a small trim knife, I shaved off a little of the wood from the board that the drawers glide on. Once I did that, the drawers fit better. I attached the frame to the bench with screws and then angle irons to secure it to the sides of the bench.

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Creating a bench seat

I planned to use the two boards that I removed from the dresser top, along with one of the shelves to create a bench seat. I could have used the 3rd piece of wood that was part of the original top but after doing a dry fit, decided to keep that board for another part of the bench.

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The next step was to glue the seat boards together. While they were drying, I also glued together the boards that made the top of the large drawer because they had also fallen apart in the weather.

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Deciding on a design

The wood on this dresser is nice and solid, so adding extra to the sides was not necessary. However, as I mentioned earlier, I wanted to use as much of the wood from the unit as possible….so, I decided to use the wavy pieces and the last piece of the top of the dresser to create pieces that would attach to the inside of the sides. I also needed to remove the back of the shelving unit so I could use it for the back of the bench. Since that backing is only 1/4″ thick, to add strength (and also utilize even more of the original piece) I decided to use the doors of the dresser along the back of the bench. When I measured the area, I found that I had to cut off the trim from one side of each door. I used my miter saw to do this.

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Repairs

While the bench seat and top piece to the large drawer were drying, I moved on to other repairs that needed to be done. One of the wavy pieces of the shelving unit needed gluing back together, the large drawer trim needed to be glued, the front of the large drawer needed gluing, both doors needed to be glued and the front trim on the dresser needed repairing. I used 24″ clamps on these repairs.

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The lower piece of the front trim was missing on both sides. I used the supports from the shelving unit to create two new ‘feet’. Luckily, the supports were already curved on one end, so they blended well with the design of the trim. To create the notch each piece needed, I used my oscillating tool. Using wood glue and clamps, I attached the new feet to the bottom of the trim piece.

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Removing the finish

Some of the finish on the dresser was long gone, some was peeling and some was still adhering well. For the finish that was peeling, I used a putty knife and a 9 in 1 tool to scrape it off. Once the finish had been scraped, I used an orbital sander and sanding blocks to buff the wood smooth. For the pieces where the finish was either still intact or gone, I used the sander to remove it. I started with 150 grit and moved to 220. For the corners, I used a mouse sander.

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Dry fitting the pieces

Now that all the wood was sanded & glued as needed, it was time to make sure it all fit before moving on. Using several clamps, I positioned the sides and back pieces (doors) to see how it all looked and fit. At first, I was going to install the doors with the knob holes on the sides but when I set them in place, I changed my mind. A bonus was that the trim on the doors fit perfectly in the groove in the wood on the back piece of the seat and allowed the doors to lean slightly backward as a result!

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Trimming out the bench

I noticed that I would need some trim to go along the sides of the bench to cover raw areas and gaps. I also thought a piece between the doors would help finish off that area. I had a piece of trim that I thought would work. I had bought it for another project but didn’t end up using it. Since the trim was light wood, I needed to get some stain. I found some at Habitat that looked like it would match and for $1.25, I took the chance. It matches perfectly! I stained the trim then cut it with my miter saw once it was dry.

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Protecting the wood

Now it was time to apply polyurethane. I wanted the beauty and uniqueness of the wood to shine, so I didn’t plan on staining it. Using a new brush (all my other ones were ragged) I applied 3 coats of poly, allowing each coat time to dry.

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Assembling the seat & side panels

Time to put it all together! I have to admit, even though I did dry fits, I was nervous that it wouldn’t all come together as I had hoped. The first piece to attach was the seat. Using painter’s tape & a level, I marked the bottom of the seat. Using my drill, I drilled pilot holes for each screw. I then used a 1/2″ drill bit to create the hole where the wood buttons that would cover the screw heads would go. Next up were the sides. I clamped them in place before drilling the holes. For the top screws, I used the existing holes from the dowels. When the holes were done, I installed the screws then used a dab of wood glue to install the buttons.

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Attaching the back

To secure the doors that would create the back of the seat, I used a piece of corner molding. I attached it to the seat & the back of the doors with screws. Using my nail gun loaded with brads, I attached the 1/4″ board for the back. Working from side to side, I placed brads about 5″ apart from top to bottom of the sides. I followed that same method along the top of the board, catching the top of the doors in the process. I then added an additional row of brads horizontally along the back of the seat and the support at the bottom of the large drawer.

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Finishing touches

Time for the finishing touches. Using wood glue and small nails in my nail gun, I attached a piece of trim along the front and top of each side. I also added a piece of trim between the doors on the back of the bench. The last pieces of trim were installed at the bottom of the sides where they meet the seat. These trim pieces are the ones I trimmed from the doors. I can’t believe how perfectly they fit here!

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After the trim was installed, I filled in the holes with wood putty. I bought one that was the same color as the wood. After a light sanding, I touched up the areas with polyurethane. To cover the holes where the doors used to be installed, I found little metal pieces. Unfortunately, there were only two. For the lower set of holes, I installed a couple of interesting screws that were used on the original dresser.

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Delivering the bench

Now for the fun part, delivering the bench to my dear friend! She had asked about the dresser a few months ago, wondering if I had started on it and if I had decided what I would be doing. I told her that I had an idea of what I’d do but wasn’t sure it was possible so I hadn’t started yet. She didn’t know that I planned to give this back to her.

Before taking the bench to its home, after a quick photoshoot, hubby and I loaded it into the truck. It was considerably heavier than when we got it. We placed a blanket below it and covered it with a 2nd one.

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We drove to my friend’s house with the bench. To say the least, she was surprised and overwhelmed! I was thrilled that she loved it! It now resides with its rightful owner at the foot of her bed.

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Finished Project

I could not be more pleased with how this bench turned out! I am honored that she trusted me with a family heirloom and grateful that I was able to transform it into something so beautiful; a piece that she can not only treasure but also houses memories of her mother.

Before, During, After

Supplies Used

• 5″ Orbital Sander
• Sanding discs
• Sanding blocks
• Elmers Glue
• Wood putty
• Stain
• Clamps
• Scraper – 9 in 1 tool
• Putty knife
• Nail Gun
• Compressor
• Drill
• Screws
• Wooden buttons
• Wood trim
• Misc wood scraps
• Polyurethane
• Paintbrush

Instructions for this dresser to bench transformation

• Decide on the design of the bench
• Remove the top of the dresser
• Remove supports not needed
• Build supports that will be needed
• Remove finish with one or more of the following methods:
  • Stripper
  • Sanding
  • Scraping
• Create a seat for the bench
• Cut wood to fit the inside of the back & sides of the bench
• Sand all pieces to create a smooth surface
• Apply 2-3 coats of polyurethane to each piece including the wood buttons
• Install the hardware to the drawers
• Begin assembling the pieces
  • Attach structure for small drawers
  • Secure bench seat
  • Attach interior wood for the sides & back of the bench
  • Attach the backing board to the back of the bench
• Install wooden buttons to cover screw heads
• Install trim as needed
• Apply wood putty as needed
• Sand areas that are rough
• Apply touch up stain and polyurethane

If you need supplies

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