OT: Completed Restoration of 120 y.o. Heirloom China Hutch

[todeen]

The following pictures are showing the stripping and sanding process. The first pic shows the color of the altered exterior stain versus the wood original stain underneath (pic 1). The product I used pulled up both layers of stain and the finish too. The other photos show that every inch of the cabinet needed to have work done - exterior, interior, shelves, doors. There was so much square footage, it doubled the amount of time I thought I would need. Further, the interior of the top display was lead paint. I had never dealt with lead paint before, but I sure was impressed how well it adhered to wood! I was sanding by hand on the exterior, but to get the paint up I had to go out and buy an electric sander - I bought a Black and Decker Mouse sander, and I liked how it handled (pic 2). You will also notice a dings and dents picture. My dad didn't want me to sand so deep that the dings and dents went away. He said if I wanted to retain its character I needed to retain its scars. So I sanded lightly on the top of the base, and it turned out very nice with the new stain and finish. Professionals would call it a stressed look, but I didn't have to do fake any of the dings - it's from 120 years of love and abuse (pic 7).