A couple came to me with this dresser that had been handed down through the generations. A beautiful small chestnut dresser that needed a good deal of restoration. The top of the dresser had some deep water marks from water glasses and what I suspect was a potted plant. Over the years and through the
changes of seasons, various cracks had formed on the top and sides originating mostly from where the large “cut nails” had firmly held the top to the dresser frame. In terms of holding strength and longevity, nothing really compares to the “cut nails” of yore. Their only drawback, is that their wedged shapes lends to considerable crack formation over time. I cut out most of these large cracks in the top and sides, where feasible, then re-glued the pieces back together. The top was sanded down to remove the water marks while the other surfaces were stripped three times to remove the old worn finish. A curved piece of trim was missing on one of the drawer faces, so I took a scrap piece of walnut and carved it to match the void. Much of the original backing was missing so a new backing was made and fit to the dresser. Then lastly the dresser was stained and finished to last yet another century of use.
And as to not forget about the history of the piece. I used the original “cut nails”, the ones that held the top on for so long and consequently formed the cracks, to visibly fill the holes they had originally occupied for so long.