This afternoon I took a large bag of recycling over to the depot near here, and noticed a chest with art deco-ish lines sitting in the exchange area. It has an oak veneer, dove-tail drawer construction, but it also has some staples and nails and some cardboard in places that are a bit confusing. It isn't a fine antique, but it may date from the 1940s (or looks like it) and is an interesting and kind of ugly dresser. The mirror frame (the glass is missing) attaches on behind so when you look at it without the mirror, it doesn't look like anything is missing. The veneer has some chips. So, I figure this is the kind of found object that needs to have some plastic wood used to fill the veneer gaps before it is sanded, primed, and painted. The drawer pulls aren't all there, so they need to be replaced. It has interesting bones, so to speak, and I think I'll paint it in a high gloss enamel. So far I only brought home a can of primer, tinted gray so the paint doesn't have to work so hard (instead of being painted over bright white).

If I don't like this when it's finished, I can sell it or give it away. The price was right (free) and the paint won't cost that much. It also isn't so big that it will take that long to work on. I do need to clean it up, and someone did use some paint on it before, so I'll probably use the little circular sander and take most of that off before I repaint it. I may end up doing some sanding inside the drawers, since I don't plan to paint the insides. I don't think. I see a little crayon or maker in one drawer.

I know, I'm supposed to be getting rid of stuff. But this was just too tempting to pass up. I'll post before and after photos.   :-)

SRS