Furniture, Wood and Cabinetry Finishing - Antique dresser set needs lots of help!

I have an antique dresser set. The tall dresser is in good shape on top, but the wood from one of the drawers peeled off (just a corner piece). It seems like a thick piece of laminate. The whole set is walnut. Is it possible to fix this?

Also the shorter dresser has lots of damage on top - water and other stains - possibly from perfumes. Can I salvage this somehow?

Any books or suggestions will be of much help. I have plenty of time to do this - not a big priority - but I want to make this furniture look as good as possible.

Thanks
lacarba

Almost anything this side of a pile of splinters can be repaired and/or restored. Patience and knowledge are the key.

Since you seem to have the patience, here are some sources of knowledge.

'Understanding Wood Finishing' by Bob Flexner.

'Finishes and Finishing Techniques' - no author listed, published by Tuanton Press.

You might also want to visit both the websites I list below. They both offer other instructional and informational books, as well as all the materials you'll need.

http://www.vandykes.com


http://www.rockler.com

Appreciate the quick response. I will pick up the books you suggested.

Just an aside - I have only stripped flat paint off a dresser before, sanded it, and used a polyurethane over it before - it was a pine dresser.

Does the job I described above seem totally out of league for an amatuer? I did not pay much for the set years ago. But I definitely do not want to botch the job up.

Thanks again.
lacarbs

From what you originally described, the process may seem somewhat overwhelming, but it can be dealt with by someone with relatively little experience. The key is the same process I would use in my shop:

Prioritize the work; repairs need to be made before finish work.

One repair at a time. Understand the process involved in what you're trying to do, then go at it with patience.

If you don't know, ASK! And yes, I run into brick walls sometimes myself - after 20+ years.

Before starting refinishing, decide what the final piece should look like - you may not have to do as much work as you think.

As you go along, don't hesitate to come back here with questions on anything that isn't clear. I really can't emphasize this too much. No one knows it all, and I'm perfectly willing to hunt for the answer to a question I don't know.