Restoring an old desk

[ChristineL]

Hi everyone!

We've inherited an old children's desk and it's become our first little restoration project (alongside our kitchen reno, because we insist on biting off more than we can chew). Having never really worked with wood before and not wanting to damage an already old desk, can anyone suggest some restoration tips. Picture of the desk attached - she's pretty old and worn out but there's lots of potential.

Our plan so far is rust removal from the metalwork, clean and then sand the wood, potentially repaint the metal and varnish the wood. I feel confident enough in the cleaning and sanding, but restoring to its former glory is where I get a little lost!

[Jason]

Looks like a great little project @ChristineL. I'm sure our members would be happy to help. Let me tag some of our community who might be able to assist: 

@Beachbox, @AnitaH25, @Peggers, @ChadBaker, @r23on, @Vicki65, @Christian1, @Mjay, @vickiec, @Hay

You might also find these posts of interest:

• Furniture restoration

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• School desk restoration

A very warm welcome to Workshop. We look forward to reading more about your project and seeing others in the future. Feel free to post whenever you need a hand or have something new to share. And please let me know if you ever need help getting the most from the site, or have any feedback about how we can make Workshop even more useful to you.

All the best,

Jason

[redracer01]

Hello @ChristineL, 

It still looks in good condition. I recommend Integrain timber reviver! Soapy water and a semi stiff brush. The timber looks like its been in storage for a while, check for borers before starting.

[Mjay]

Hi @ChristineL
Are you able to take the wooden pieces off the metal part to make it easier to get rid of the rust?
I did a single old desk but it was only wood. I sanded it back, replaced some wood on the top and used a stain for a nice colour, then poly mixed with metho wiped on for a finish.

[ChristineL]

Thanks everyone for your feedback so far! We've been attempting to figure out what kind of wood we're dealing with, since the top of the desk looks as if it has a crumbling veneer. Which may prove to be a problem when it comes to sanding. But the seat looks to be different, and a later addition.

@redracer01 - you're right, the desk has been in a back shed for over 20 years, we were surprised to find it in reasonable condition. I hadn't thought of borers, thanks for the tip. And we'll take a look at the timber reviver. Some spirited cleaning yesterday mostly resulted in arm cramp!

@Mjay - we actually contemplated that very idea (removing the back pieces to get to the rust), and it seems possible to do so. The rust is positively entrenched in some spots, so some maneuverability will be useful.

[redracer01]

I suggest for the next step to remove the screws holding the timber in place. If they are rusted out you may have to consider cutting the screw heads off and tap the timber off with a hammer. This will give you access to the full metal frame and gives you a chance to determine if the wood is worth saving or cut a new piece using the old set as a template.