How to Repair Drawer Handles Using Resin
Updated: Oct 7
Funkensense received a French provincial dresser from a client who wanted it painted gray, but with some Funkensense flair. It wasn't in terrible condition, but it needed some repairs as well as some love. There were some noticeable bumps and dings, but even so, it was a beautifully crafted French provincial piece.
The most notable repair on this piece was the hardware. A few of the drawer pulls needed repair, and all of them needed a deep clean. They are brass-plated and had tarnished over time. They quickly became the most challenging part of this restoration. To clean them, they were soaked in vinegar for a few hours. Even after soaking them and scrubbing, the tarnish was still very present.
Afterward, they were boiled in vinegar and scrubbed, still with no luck. In the end, "tough love," aka a wire brush, did the trick. It became apparent that even though the tarnish was pretty much removed, these drawer pulls were not in great condition because some pieces and chunks were missing.
The drawer handle that had the end completely broken off was the trickiest part to repair, and it actually took a few tries. Luckily, when love goes into the restoration process, it overcomes a multitude of "sins," so to speak.
Play-Doh was used to create a mold that would allow the broken handle to be restored. To do this, an intact handle was carefully pressed into the Play-Doh to form the mold.
A two-part resin solution was then poured into the mold, and the broken handle was carefully settled into it so that the resin and handle would bind together. In order for the resin to harden properly, it was left to cure for 18 hours. Surprisingly, removing the fully cured resin from the Play-Doh was a bit tricky at first. Due to the Play-Doh hardening, pieces of it were being pulled away from the handle in chunks. The residue was soaked in water so it could soften and easily be scrubbed away. Finally, the new end made from resin was sanded down with a fine-grit sandpaper, removing all roughness and imperfections.
All of the drawer pulls were primed with two coats of shellac to allow for proper paint adhesion and to cover any remaining tarnish that would try to seep through the paint. They were painted with a metallic silver spray paint that also had a built-in primer. (When using spray paint on hardware, make sure to choose a paint with a primer, even if the hardware is already primed.) Several coats of Polycrylic were applied as a top coat to finish the handles off.
With the customer's vision in mind, this French provincial dresser received the love it required to see a new dawn. The overall experience from beginning to end was very rewarding. It was amazing to see this old French provincial dresser reach its new potential. Although fixing the hardware was the most challenging part of this experience, Funkensense takes pride in facing new challenges and moves forward with new knowledge that can be applied to the next custom-painted furniture piece. Thank you so much for enjoying this read today. If you are interested in a custom piece of furniture, please submit an inquiry on our Contact page or visit Funkensense on Etsy. If furniture art and restoration pique your interest, please consider following Funkensense's social media or check out Funkensense's YouTube channel.
~ Hannah Jackson & Ali Rey
1 Peter 4:8
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