The dresser that James and I spent so many lovely hours sanding is n0w completed...it's actually been done for two weeks or so, and it feels GREAT to have it off our chests. Saying that I underestimated the time and sweat this refinishing project would require is an understatement in itself. So just in case you have found a wooden piece of furniture by the dumpster with great potential, let me give you a few pointers:
1) There are actually products that remove the current varnish and stain, so you don't have to actually sand through all those layers.
2) If the piece has fairly large and deep scratches (like this one) USE AN ELECTRIC SANDER! Even if it doesn't have huge scratches USE AN ELECTRIC SANDER!
3) If you are working illegally in an apartment stairwell with very bad ventilation that feels like 100 degrees and breathing in all the particles of stain that you are sanding off, reevaluate how much this piece really means to you - can you find something comparable on Craigslist? (probably). If you're stubborn like me and want to keep on pluggin with the project, at least buy a little mouth mask to wear so you don't choke on the sanding dust.
4) For the finishing product, don't buy the "two-in-one" stain and finishing product. It is very thick, gooey, doesn't go on very smooth, and leaves big splotches that won't even out. Or perhaps my problem was that I was staining in the noonday heat outside and it was drying faster than I could evenly apply it. Don't do that.
I can certainly tell you that next time I take on a refinishing project (which will be many moons from now I can assure you) I will be heeding my own above advice. But in the meanwhile, the dresser turned out fairly well and I love having drawers to put things. (AKA underwear doesn't work very well on a makeshift shelf in your closet)
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