Hi guys - I have this old chifferobe that is supposedly a chifforette due to its size.  Anyway, its another rescue piece from my hoarder FIL.  I have been stripping chicken poo and urethane for the last few months and have discovered that the casework is veneered wood.  Some of the veneer needs patches to repair damage.  I do not want to peel all the veneer and replace it with all new wood because I really like the grain patterns in the existing veneer.  The existing veneer was very dry and almost chalky looking so I treated it with boiled linseed oil.  That really made the grain pop and the attached pictures show the wood after linseed oil was applied except the picture with the drawers and doors installed, that was pre-linseed.  

 

I thought this wood was walnut because of its dark color and open grain but then I went to the state governors mansion last night for a Christmas open house and saw a bunch of mahogany furniture that looks eerily similar to my project.  Now I am not so sure.  I took a bunch of photos close up and away and was wondering if any of you would take a gander at this.  I can take a lot more pics if necessary.

 

Thanks,

Tom

The quilted piece sure looks like quilted mahogany. Here's a picture.

If it is mahogany, possibly t h e solid wood is mahogany also. But, you never know.

 

Edited December 10, 20178 yr by Gene Howe

I would agree that it is Mahogany.

Mahogany, yes for sure.

Edited December 10, 20178 yr by Smallpatch

Chicken poo???

John

No, not the wood. That's mahogany.

You said you treated SOME of the wood with BLO.   If you don't do every piece of wood exactly the same then when you go back with a stain or dye or what ever you use there will be a variation in color. I don't know how you are removing the old finish but you do need to do the hole cabinet exactly the same. First take off all the hinges and pulls. 

   There is a look of two different doors already whether it is the light or something you did to one door and not to the other, you are in trouble.....and I hope that is a screw driver and not a scraper for you will make too many divots and marks in the wood to never get it back to new condition.

   Can you explain what all you have done so far. Are you using a wood stripper or what....

Hi SP, the wood I treated with BLO were all the veneer on the side panels and drawer fronts.  The veneer on the two doors was unsalvagable and has been removed.  It was at this point that the red color started to really pop out and when I began to wonder if I had Mahogany. 

 

The wood for the frame, legs and trim is not mahogany and at one time was painted an ugly brown judging by the patches left behind.  Most of that brown paint is stripped and I plan to replace it with Black milk paint which I think will look good against the mahogany.  So basically, all the mahogany veneer currently has BLO and the rest no BLO.  The mahogany will eventually get shellac, the rest will get black milk paint.

 

Regarding finish removal, that was already done to everything but the drawer fronts prior to my ownership.  I have since stripped the drawer fronts and they are ready for new shellac.  I used denatured alcohol and a white scotch brite pad.  I worked great!

 

Regarding the doors, one door was previously stripped and ruined, the other was unstripped but still ruined.  As stated earlier, I removed the veneer on the doors and will replace with new veneer.

 

Regarding the screwdriver, I have no idea why its there but it is not part of the refinishing process, its probably there because I was too lazy to put it away.

 

Thanks for your help, let me know if you would like more pics!

Tom

 

 

Thanks for the explaining. Since I was in that type of business I have seen many great pieces of furniture screwed up past any chances of going back to original so just thought I would say something...Its amazing what someone told someone across the fence type of knowledge and I thought your piece of furniture, could a wooda,

      Rule number one,, I would never take in something someone else had started on then put it all in a big basket and brought it to me...  There is only one way to strip a piece of furniture if it is to go back to original...."my way and only my way".