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So I spent a week refinishing a 'solid oak' dresser that turned out to be mostly particle board and paint.

A client brought it in, said it was a family heirloom. I quoted for a full strip and stain. The second I started sanding, the 'grain' just wiped off. It was one of those printed-on finishes. Underneath was the flakiest particle board I've ever seen. Had to call the client and explain their antique was basically fancy cardboard. We ended up doing a painted finish instead. Has anyone else had a piece totally lie to you about what it's made of? How did you save it?

4 comments

4 Comments

jessica9212mo ago

Painted mine too. Saved it from the trash.

williamw752mo ago

Totally feel your pain. I had a "solid wood" headboard that was hollow inside with cardboard honeycomb. The worst. I saved it by cutting out the bad sections and grafting in real pine blocks, then using wood filler to blend it all. It was more carpentry than refinishing. The painted finish was smart, sometimes you just have to change the plan completely.

lewis.brian2mo ago

Cardboard honeycomb inside a "solid wood" piece is just wild. That's some next level corner cutting from the manufacturer. Honestly, grafting in real wood blocks sounds like a rescue mission, not a simple fix. Makes painting it seem like the only sane choice after all that work.

abby_morgan1813d ago

Did you check if the cardboard honeycomb was actually part of the original design or just a cheap fix? Ive seen some manufacturers use it as a weight saving trick in certain spots, like inside table legs or headboard panels, but it always feels like a bait and switch when they call it solid wood. Grafting in pine blocks sounds like a ton of work, but at least you saved the piece from the trash. What did you use to cut out the honeycomb without wrecking the rest of the wood? I bet a oscillating tool would make that job way easier than fighting with a chisel and hammer for hours.