Antique Workbench
B y - Selena Cate
The Ugly Duckling story sticks in our mind as we wander into barns, dusty garages or cluttered basements. We continually search for the gem hidden amongst the junk. Something that might be unattractive but with a little bit of care can become something beautiful.
This antique workbench is one of those items. It had good bones when we stumbled upon it at a home in Cloverdale, Calif. The top appeared to be oak although you can barely tell in these photographs.
Workbench Top - Oak Boards
The great thing about working with old furniture is that for the most part they were made to be solid. This was handcrafted and made with great care using quality wood. Even though plywood was used for the drawers, older plywood is really sturdy and the grain stunning.
Timothy sanded the top using a belt sander while I cleaned the base of the unit. He also sanded the drawers (not pictured but they were the same color of gray as the base) to bring back the natural wood grain. I replaced two of the handles on the right hand side to better match the old metal drawer pulls on the right. We used Watco Wipe-On Poly for the top which is one of our favorite products that we currently use. It leaves a satin finish which is smooth but not too glossy. To us, it brings out the woods natural color and leaves a matte covering that is lovely.
HappenFound Restoration Workbench
This was delivered to the Antique Society on Monday and sold within the week.
WorkBench Oak Surface
The patina of this workbench tells a story with each ding, stain and cut left in the old oak top. To me that is what makes it magical. It gives this piece life and history. Modern furniture simply lacks that. It's so very different than driving to a big box furniture store and buying something poorly made from China. This is about recycling, reusing and restoring something that deserved to be brought back to its former glory.
In a way I'm sad it sold so quickly. I can often get attached to our restoration pieces and this one I had a fondness for. Hopefully the new owners will love it dearly.
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