Refinishing An Old Desk

This awesome desk belonged to my pop who unfortunately passed away about 3 years ago. My nan was moving and getting rid of a lot of old furniture, so myself and Chris decided to take the desk off her hands. My pop used this desk when he was practicing medicine and it followed him through the various clinics and offices he practiced at over the years. I am not sure exactly what year it's from or where it was originally bought, but my nan says its a good 40 years old.

The desk was in great condition when we got it, but it was looking a little dated and didn't quite match my office. I gave it a new look with some white paint and new hardware (see below for the step-by-step process). The project was a little time consuming, but it was definitely worth it in the end. It's really cool to be able to work at a desk my pop spent so many years at.

Tools:

Sand paper (220 grit)

Wood filler

Prime Lock primer

Paint (I used Cabinet Coat by Insl-x)

Screw driver

Foam roller with refill and paint tray

Foam brushes

Painter's tape

Tack cloth

Step 1: Cleaning

First I washed down the desk and drawer fronts with warm soapy water, rinsed and let air dry.

Step 2: Fill Holes

Since I was changing out the hardware on the desk, I filled the holes with wood filler. I did this in two steps filling half way and letting it dry overnight each time. If you have hardware that fits the hole pattern then you don't need to do this step.

Step 3: Taping

I taped off the inside of the drawer fronts so the insides wouldn't get messy if some paint dripped inside.

Step 4: Sanding

I then sanded off the excess dried wood filler on the drawers and gave the drawer fronts and the whole desktop a light sanding with 220 grit sand paper. I used a tack cloth to clean up all the dust. To help with the sanding and to get ready for painting, I set my desk up on some old cabinets to get it up off the floor. If you have a garage or nice weather you can do this outside.

Step 5: Priming

The desktop was made of a faux wood veneer and the rest of the desk was real wood. To make sure there was a solid base for my new paint, I used two coats of Prime Lock primer. I primed the desk and drawer fronts, using a foam roller for the large flat surfaces and a foam brush for smaller recessed areas. After letting it dry for 24 hours, I lightly sanded again with 220 grit, wiped off the dust with my tack cloth, applied the second coat of primer and let it dry for another 24 hours.

Step 6: Painting

Once again, I lightly sanded the primed surface with a 220 grit sand paper and removed all the dust with a tack cloth. Using a new foam roller and foam brush, I painted the desk and drawers with Cabinet Coat by Insl-x. This paint dried enough to recoat in a few hours but it really took about 3 weeks to set up and fully harden to a more durable finish. Since the desk was so dark, I had to do 3 coats of paint to get a nice even color (sanding in between each coat).

Step 7: Reinstalling

I waited almost a week before putting my desk back together. I probably should have waited another week, but I didn't have much time because I had to set up my office for work. I removed all the tape from the inside of the drawers and installed the hardware on the drawers.

I added a glass top to the desk for added protection against scratching. I got this custom cut at a local glass place for less than $100. This whole project cost around $150, a lot cheaper than a new desk!