u/Suspicious-Essay219

Hi all, I picked up this Pembroke / Heppelwhite-style table for a few dollars at an online auction and would like to do it justice. I have a few refinishing pieces under my belt but would like to try to properly restore this as best I can.

My father-in-law thinks it might be ash or fir. I originally thought oak. What do you think?

I suspect it's a homemade reproduction in the 19th century style. The cutlery drawer fronts are nailed on, and underneath there is MDF nailed in under the drawers. This looks newer and I wondered if it was put in later to stabilize it.

I posted it over on r/Antiques and someone suggested it might the modified work of a competent 19th century woodworker, while another indicated later than the 1920's. Also that the legs and drawers might be a different wood than the top, and the top may have been converted to a drop-leaf.

The wood is incredibly dry, to the extent that the grain is almost lifted. I plan to do a lead test, then take it apart, clean the hinges and strip it and then... See what I get and go from there. What would you suggest? Any other thoughts on this piece?

I picked up this Pembroke / Heppelwhite-style table at an auctions for a few dollars and am hoping to get a sense of the wood, date, or anything else experts might think. I hope it's ok to post it here as I don't believe it's an actual antique, but maybe a vintage homemade reproduction.

I say homemade because the cutlery drawer fronts are nailed on, and underneath there is MDF nailed in to support the boards (this does look newer than the rest of the table, so I'm wondering if it was a later addition). The painted legs (and the other paint that ended up in random spots) will certainly be tested for lead. There are some random, round tool marks on the underside of the leaves, too.

No maker stamp that I can see anywhere.

The wood is incredibly dry, the hinges and screws look old, and I'd love to know what type of wood it is and how best to refinish it, as I'm newish to refinishing. I think it's maybe oak, but my father-in-law thinks fir or ash. Of course I'd love to get a sense if it's date and any value, but it might just end up as a for-me piece anyway since I think it's unlikely I would make back my time in $ in refinishing it!

I picked these two solid wood nightstands up off Marketplace with the idea of trying to restore them. I thought the tree emblem inside was interesting and like the joinery. I‘m new-ish to refinishing and restoration and tried searching the name on the back and the tree emblem but can’t find anything online about these, except that American Drew and Stickley also use embossed tree emblems, but I don’t think that fits these pieces?

Can anyone tell me anything about these?

Are these vintage, or did they just live hard? Is commone a random furniture brand that does not exist online? does the 303 on the back mean these were made in March 2003, and they were just treated very, very badly? The locks are either filled in, or false to begin with, and there’s lots of are lots of nicks in the wood.

Several months back I posted here looking for advice on this little $10 nightstand and I'm finally getting around to sharing an update.

I (45+ F) wanted to have a beginner project to do with my son to give him a sense of pride in accomplishing something that takes time. I was initially duped because the seller did not mention the top was badly cracked and raised, there was water damage to the bottom, some horrid sticky lacquer had eaten through a portion of the bottom shelf and also something sticky in the drawer, the back panel was essentially glued on and unremovable, and it was overall in much rougher shape than I was prepared to take on.

And yet I took it anyway because I'm a relentless optimist.

I wanted for us to do it justice. I wanted to remove the top, clamp it, etc., but clamps are $$$ here, I was already $70 in the hole for sandpaper, poly, etc., and though I reached out to local community groups we're all apartment dwellers without space or know-how for tools ;p

So I did my best with wood filler. And stripping and sanding it. And sanding some more. And sanding until my hands hurt. The lacquer was horrible. The orange stain was so, so deep. Eventually I got it to a point that was ok and the kid and we did a couple of layers of tan paint wash (don't hate me if this isn't cool in this group. I didn't want my kid sleeping next to a stinky nightstand), three coats of polyurethane, and the kid picked out an appropriately kid-themed drawer pull :)

The top is still a wee bit bumpy but I just couldn't handle sanding anymore!!

Thanks for your advice, everyone. This was a pain in the bum but I learned a lot and have so much admiration for those who have the patience to sand until the cows come home.