Materials
- 0000 steel wool
- Mineral spirits
- Extra-fine sandpaper
- Shellac (wax-free)
- Tack cloth
- Wipe-in wood filler
- Oxalic acid
- Paint
- Acrylic urethane
Start By Cleaning & Sanding
Lightly rub the wood with mineral spirits and rub with the 0000 steel wool. Too much rubbing will create lightened areas. If you have black hardware stains, apply oxalic acid with a cotton swap and rinse it off when the stain's gone.
Rout Accents
Rout the grooves in the door and drawer faces.With a 3/16" straight bit, set the fence to ccut the center of the groove 1-1/4" from the edge. Make cuts slowly and carefully to preferred length.
Apply Finish
Apply two coats of shellac to the door face. Use a tack cloth to clean the doors between coats. After the shellac dries, apply two coats of water-based polyurethane and sand.
Add New Hardware
If you're going to add new hardware, a few things need to be done. Fill in the old hardware holes, paint the accent lines, attach hinges, hang the doors, then drill holes for the new handles.
