Repairing, Stripping, Sanding and Staining a French Provincial Desk

When I was offered this french provincial desk for sale I was all over it. I love the simple classic design of it and totally could see it reloved.

As in any vintage used piece there is some wear but this poor desk had seen allot of wear. I did not notice the above piece missing on one of the edges until I had it home. I contacted the manufacturer and cabinet makers and online sites but no luck finding a replacement. We decided to go without it and move this one to the visible side.

The one drawer had a chunk out of it which I figured I could rebuild.

I researched and purchased this wood putty . Cut off the amount you need, knead and form to the edge. (wear gloves)

You have a wee bit of time to manipulate it. Try not to use more putty then required as that will mean more sanding once dry.

Let it dry well then sand smooth.

Now on to stripping the top. The thick original glossy finish rolled up so satisfyingly. 

Just watch it!! I show the brand of stripper at the end too as I am always asked which one I use.

Heirloom Plus

Then it was on to sanding. I use my Dewalt orbital and 120 grit; right side is sanded left is just stripped

All sanded, crazy how lighting and angles makes the wood a different color but just look at that grain!!

The wee edge crease showing darker was stubborn. I even bought a 1/4 sheet palm sander to try and get it but no luck. I came up with the idea of using a chopstick to place the stripper in the crevice. I am now using Heirloom Max as my plus was all gone. 

After it sat for a bit I used my screwdriver as a mini scraper and success!!

All was wiped down with mineral spirits and when dry the first coat of  Homestead House's natural stain and oil finish. This product is so easy to work with and not smelly like many stains. Wipe it on and wipe excess off about 10 minutes later and let dry overnight.

The edges were visibly much lighter so I used Homestead House's pine colored stain and oil finish on them to darken just a tad more. The contrast from the top to the edge to the base is a perfect transition.

Never liking to waste anything including product, I wiped the natural stain left in the paper towel on the drawer runners. This will make them slide smoother when dry and helps hydrate the vintage wood.

I applied 3 coats in total, isn't that top beautiful?

This project has so much detail I broke it into 2 posts. To see how the desk base was painted be sure to watch for the next blog post.  If you are subscribed it will arrive in your inbox in the next few days. If you don't subscribe, please do. All my tutorials are FREE and delivered right to you.