Campaign Dresser 3.0

So, I'm here again.  You know when I said that there are times where I do shit, and I can't leave it alone.  There is something off about it, or something I half-assed (let's get real here), and you can't appreciate exactly what you did until that little thing is fixed?  Have I rambled enough?  I think so too.

These campaign dressers.  Man, I knew they were going to be something that would require work. Who knew I would be talking to you about their third update.

Just to recap - remember when?

Not terrible.  I was clearly very excited at the time. But, let's get back to half-assing.  I never actually got around to attaching the wood.  In the two years or whatever, the wood slid around, scratched up the top and my ego.

Then I had an epiphany.  These dressers were never conjoined in the first place.  So why dress them up like they are?  It was time for these sweeties to part ways.

They got a new paint job - different colors.  And were encased (or topped) with some good quality poplar wood, stained and secured with brads.  The hardware got a new metallic paint job too.  If you can make your original hardware shine with a little love and elbow grease, by all means.  But this brass hardware went from pretty to dingy in a month.  Plan B.

Spray Painting Hardware Tips:

For perfect hardware the first time and every time, pick up some Clean Metal Primer by Rust-Oleum. This is one serious heavy metal ass kicker.

Give your hardware a nice, even coat of primer and let dry.  Flip hardware over and spray other side.  Any knicks or debris can be sanded with fine grit paper.  Spray additional light coats as needed. Once your primer is set, any paint type, color, sheen, you name it, will be flawlessly applied.  Let dry.

While the hardware was basking in the sunshine, I began sanding away flaws that I overlooked the last time I decided to "fix" these dressers.  I noticed there was still a lot of leftover laminate stuck in various spots.  The medium-coarse grit sandpaper and orbital sander took care of that.  With the wood settling over the years, there were some tight spots.  A little buffing allowed for the drawers to glide a bit more easily.  Once the sanding was done, I took a damp shop cloth and wiped down all surface areas.

Onto the painting!  I did two different colors for two dressers - I used Rust-Oleum's 2X Ultra Cover in Antique White, Satin finish, for the babes room and Stone Gray in Satin for our bedroom.  Hardware was painted in Rust-Oleum Universal Pure Gold.

When it came to the wood, I can't remember if we went with a large slab of poplar (my favorite), or pine.  The wood was cut to size, sanded, and stained.  I ended up applying a few coats of poly to the top of the babes dresser - just in case convenience factor plays a role, and we use that space for a changing table.  I don't need shit getting into the grooves.  No puns here.

Otherwise, the wood was stained with Minwax in Puritan Pine and Natural.

The babes dresser was completely encased in wood.  Only a top and bottom trim piece were added to the dresser in our bedroom space - it's interesting how much room an inch takes up when you have limited space to work with.  Small brads were used to secure the wood to the dressers.  We opted to carry the dressers inside before securing the wood slabs.  One of the smarter choices we've made - because those dressers are heavy AF with the added wood. 

Here's a little snapshot of the beans dresser:

And ours:

Same same but different.  But still same.  On that note. 

Happy fall!