Wood Finishing Tips (for those in need)

[VRBeauty]

Welcome back, somethingshiny! I'm so sorry to read about your house problems. I hope they get resolved soon.

Than you for the tips. I've looked very closely at the edges that I can see, and I've come to the conclusion -- to my great surprise -- that the surface is not veneer! The ends of the drawer facings have little "pinpricky" holes that are consistent with the grain on the front, and the exIt also looks as if the light and dark surfaces are the same wood,finished differently.

Thank you for the warning on the fabric lining. The sides are not satin but a funky, kind of crepey woven fabric. I don't see or feel any sort of fasteners; it feels like it's glued in and could be pried loose with a knife. The side pieces are not connected to the top and bottom liners, which are a satin that looks fairly flimsy. Hmmmm...

My computer is so ancient (9 years!

) that I've been afraid to load the software that came with my new camera (*blush*). I'll take some "before" pictures just in case.

Anyhow, your input remains welcome. I did pick up some sandpaper and a handrub polyurethane finish from the neighborhood hardware store this weekend -- the longtime owners are retiring and closing the business

-- but I'll use something else if you tell me to!

By the way, You inspired me to try contact lenses again -- I'm getting fitted later this week! My optometrist and I agreed that it might be worthwhile to give soft lenses a try, since the shorter break-in period would be less likely to be derailed if my epi flares up!

BTW2: If you haven't already done so, you might consider chatting up your new neighbors -- find out which local plumbers might be familiar with your house

.

 

[somethingshiny]

VRBeauty~

Yay for wood!! (tee hee!)

Once you sand it and clean it, I think a hand rub poly would be great. It should look really rich and really bring out the grain. You can still use the stain pens if necessary to fill in any scuffs, just buff it out really well so it''ll match the original color.

If you decide to pry the fabric off, see if you can take a snippet of it to test hot glue on. Sometimes those fabrics will melt when confronted with a hot glue gun, but if you can check first, it would probably be the least noticeable when reapplying. btw-the woven fabric sounds kind of like those "silver saver" fabrics which may be an updated fabric from the original.

Completely understand about the software! Every time my DH gets something new to install, I hesitate!

When I went back into soft lenses, I could only wear them for short periods for the first little while. And, even now, I only wear them for maybe 10 hours a day. Good luck!!

Oh, and I already chatted with the neighbors, no help. But, the one lady gave me the feeling that they had been friends, so I''m sure she''s not going to rat out a friend. But, I am looking into the area plumbers for info. Thanks for your thoughts.