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If an item is old or a little rundown and shabby, it doesn’t mean that it’s time for it to retire to a landfill. All it needs is a little bit of elbow grease and dedication and it can look like new again. Not only is restoring our possessions a great way to be more sustainable, but the completion of such a challenging project can also be very rewarding.

Not to mention, the before and after pics look more than satisfying! Bored Panda has gathered a whole list of people who didn’t back up from the challenge and brought back old items to their original beauty. Scroll down to find them, and be sure to upvote the ones that made you want to do the same.

#1 Eastlake Pocket Door Plate Restoration

Image credits: 1890victorian

#2 Restored This Beauty Back To Its Glory. It’s Now A Staple In Our House

Image credits: Skyewanderers

#3 Saved This Beauty From The Trash Can

Image credits: Amenra138

Tackling a restoration project is great for those who don’t want to part with something that is dear to their heart. Or those who refuse to participate in throwaway society. And those who wish to save money by buying items secondhand that need just a bit of a refresh. And even those who like transforming old things to sell them and make some money on the side.

Whatever motivates a person to give an item a second life, there are many ways to do that. One of my personal favorite restoration projects I see people doing is making old and antique wooden furniture look almost new.

#4 I Didn’t Even Want It, But I Had To Get That Paint Off When I Saw It At Goodwill

Image credits: tenglempls

#5 Picked This One Up For The Price Of The U-Haul To Haul It. I Haven’t Found Any Info On It, But Refinished It Anyway

Image credits: mlkandtoast

#6 Liked The Shape Of This Vase And Knew It Was Spray Painted, No Guess As To What Was Underneath But Decided To Give It A Go. Pleasantly Surprised

Image credits: theothercrystal

However, I’m not talking about those instances where natural wood pieces end up getting a layer of paint whenever they become a bit worn down. Sure, doing a trendy and chic paint job on an antique cabinet might make it look like new, but it pains my heart to see all the original beauty and charm being hidden by a coat of white, green, blue, or black. Besides, the paint eventually chips, making it look even worse in the long run.

Such a way of refreshing an object is also not technically considered a restoration, as it’s not bringing the item to it’s original state but rather making it a new piece altogether with a few novel updates.

#7 Viking Axe Before And After Restoration

Image credits: conditackler

#8 Found An Old Tube TV By The Trash. Now My Cats Have A New Spot!

Image credits: vianetzy

#9 Restored My Night Stand I Didn’t Even Know Those Colors Were Possible

Image credits: Melodic_Local_4385

Those restorations where wooden furniture is brought to its original state I enjoy the most. When antique or vintage pieces get a good cleaning, a fresh coat of stain or wax and are repaired as needed, it makes my heart sing. Bonus points if they get freed from layers of paint that were clouding their original beauty.

If you’re interested in learning how to rejuvenate your furniture pieces or are simply fascinated by others doing it, we will be diving into the nitty-gritty of it, as explained by experts over on Bosch.

#10 Vintage Pocket Change Bowl Before And After

Image credits: madame_xima

#11 Refurbished The Front Doors Of Our 1864 Home, Learned A Ton, Love The Outcome. Finished With Wood Kote Ultra 450 Poly

Image credits: lpen-z

#12 Herself Again

Was mentioned I should post this here too

Found on marketplace for $30 and scrambled to get it before anyone else recognized it. Late 1970’s rare lamp, not a speck of paint left on her and shines like a mirror!

Image credits: stickchomper

When starting to revive an antique chest you found in grandpa’s attic or a vintage chair you can’t seem to part with, it’s important to first clean it so you can evaluate the work it needs. Often, mild washing up liquid and some water is enough to do the job. If some tough stains remain, they can be removed with cleaning chemicals and spirits, like white spirit. But beforehand, it might be a good idea to test any chemicals on a small or hidden area of the piece, as they can damage its surface.

#13 Wooden Chair, Before And After

Image credits: _NITRISS_

#14 (USA) Antique Boiler Door I Converted To A Fireplace

Image credits: reddit.com

#15 I’ve Renovated Old Screwdriver

Image credits: Troynoi

After it’s clean, it’s time to evaluate its condition. Take a closer look to see if there are any scratches, cracks, dents, or discoloration. Are there any parts missing or wobbling? Maybe the drawers and doors don’t open easily. In case the furniture’s functionality is damaged, it will have to be restored.

#16 Built My Uncle A Liquor Cabinet Out Of His Old TV

Image credits: Dimi6

#17 I Made Another Restoration. Before/After

Image credits: lilydavay

#18 My Favorite Before And After Flip I’ve Done!

Image credits: aap1997

Loosened connections or unstable parts can be glued with wood glue, while broken hinges should be replaced. Broken areas can be filled with wood filler, which is great to repair any dents and scratches. Water stains on wooden surfaces can be removed with furniture polish or light sanding.

#19 I Restored This Rusty & Broken 1940 Chevy Headlight And Transformed It Into A Floor Lamp

Image credits: TotallyHandy

#20 Saved At $30 Bassett Mid-Century Nightstand

Image credits: AngryAlan

#21 Thought I’d Share This 4$ Goodwill Lamp

Image credits: Independent_Papaya40

It’s also important to mention that older pieces of furniture often have a thin layer of good-quality wood on their surface called veneer. Over time, it gets loose, breaks or cracks. This issue can be solved by adding wood glue and sealing it by putting something weighty on it. If anny bubbles arise, try putting a cloth on top of it and heating the veneer with an iron. When that doesn’t help, inject some wood glue using a disposable syringe and weight it down to dry. In more extreme cases, it might be necessary to replace the veneer with a new one by cutting it and gluing it down.

#22 For $3.99 At Goodwill, I Really Had To Know What Was Under The Chalk Paint

Image credits: tenglempls

#23 Painted Antique Mantle Restoration Transformation

Image credits: senor_roboto

#24 No Idea Who Would Buy This, Paint It, And Throw It To The Curb, But I Love My New Lamp

Image credits: 99_ahc

Before applying a new finish to the piece, the surface has to be sanded. When that’s done, remove any sawdust and be mindful of the thin veneer, as it can be damaged quickly. Then, a finish of your choice can be applied. Natural-looking options include stains, shellac, waxes and polishes. “Shellac, a natural raw material obtained from the excretions of lac insects, is often used in antique furniture restoration,” explains Bosch.

#25 Before & After: Mcm Hutch From Fb Marketplace

Image credits: WeilaArt

#26 So I Found A Rusty Old Axe, And Decided To See If I Could Restore It. This Was The Process. Turned Out Better Than I Thought!

Image credits: RoboftheNorth

#27 I Couldn’t Buy The Lampshade I Wanted In Portugal, So I DIY’d My Own Weird Design Using An Old Whiskey Globe

Image credits: Ok_Cut_4643

If prior to everything the furniture piece was covered in paint, it can be removed with stripping chemicals or stripping and heating tools. It takes a lot more time and work, but the result is sure rewarding and satisfying! For more articles on restoration, make sure to check out these amazing restored cars and pictures.

#28 3 Year Old Asked For Rainbow, So We Did Rainbow ?

Image credits: mrswoomongrle

#29 First Ever Woodworking Project: Upgrading My Mom’s 17 Year Old Mailbox!

Image credits: PeepoBoi

#30 Replacing The Old Cellar Door

Image credits: Jadedhungary

#31 Restored My Great Grandfather’s 1960’s Omega Seamaster

This is a before/after of an early 1960’s Omega Seamaster Automatic that belonged to my Great Grandfather. I had it restored back in January and I can’t believe how well it turned out!
On a technical note, the watch got a new internal spring to get it running and some spring pins to put the bracelet back together. Everything else is completely original.
I added the leather strap to preserve the original steel bracelet, as it was a little wobbly. I also prefer the look. I’m almost positive it’s a knock—off, but I don’t really mind because I have the original bracelet that can easily be put back on.
I also understand that some aspects of a restoration can diminish the value of a vintage watch. I’m not particularly concerned with that either because I will never sell the watch, so resale value is irrelevant. I would much prefer the watch to look great, as I wear it to court with a suit and tie multiple times per week.
The restoration cost about $750 USD after tax. I estimate it’s worth somewhere in the ballpark of $1,500 in its current state.

Image credits: njart11

#32 I Found An Apple 2e In The Trash And Restored It

Time to play some Oregon Trail

Image credits: lowlife9

#33 My Daughter Wanted A Sleeping Beauty Dresser

Image credits: Fox_hunt_1980

#34 The 19th Century Chair Was Delivered In A Deplorable State

Restoration work was carried out: one side part of the seat, decorative parts of the legs and embossing were restored. The surface was covered with walnut stain, as well as three layers of oil and one layer of wax. The customer’s upholstery was complemented with decorative nails along the edging. How do you like this restoration?

Image credits: Khamza.Atabaev

#35 Updated A Piece From My Late Grandmother. Wish She Could See It In Our House Being Loved

This took months and I may get hate for painting it, but I'm no professional & this looks so much better in our house vs a landfill.

Image credits: dejavu1251

#36 Birthday Gift Small Refinish

Image credits: 2sad2process

#37 What Is A Paint Color That Would Achieve The Bottom?

I’m having a hard time finding a black that doesn’t come off blue. My ideal would be something like the bottom, does anyone have any good recommendations?

Image credits: Cats_and_Cofee__

#38 1909 Westinghouse All-Brass

Image credits: Captainpunchline

#39 Great Aunts Meat Cleaver. Asked For A New Handle And I Went A Bit Overboard

Image credits: Kalsor

#40 My Parent’s House Has This 100 Year Old Hubbel Light Switch, But It Didn’t Work Consistently For As Long As I Can Remember. I Took It Apart, Polished The Outside, And Bent The Internal Contacts Back Into Shape And Now It Works Great! The Physical Mechanism Is Incredibly Sturdy And Satisfying To Use

Image credits: markv12

#41 American Of Martinsville Dresser That I Tried My Best To Restore

Image credits: LaneyWynne

#42 Goodwill Vase: Saw The Color Inside And Had To Remove The Paint

Purchased this vase after I noticed it's poor paint job and the beautiful orange inside. I couldn't wait to remove the paint!

Image credits: I_Am_A_Twin

#43 Bye Bye, Yellow “Antiqued” Paint!

Image credits: GoalHuman

#44 $25 Solid Teak Table

Image credits: Wrathskellar666

#45 Don’t Know If This Belongs On This Sub. The Previous Owners Of Our 1918 Home Put A Cheap Ugly Finish On The Floors. Second Photo Is The Refinished Result

Image credits: charliepuppers

#46 Goodwill Rescue Of The Week. Saw Some Cobalt On The Bottom Of This Bud Vase. Got The Twine And Hot Glue Off Only To Find That It Had Three Layers Of Paint On It (Black, Gold, And Red). Some Soaking In Boiling Water And Some Very Satisfying Paint Peels Gave Me This

Image credits: tenglempls

#47 Facebook Marketplace Makeover

Image credits: Unpurified-Water

#48 I Bought This Walnut Nightstand For $10 And I Tried Bringing It Back To Its Former Glory. 🙂

Image credits: CobraMarmalade

#49 I Don’t Know If I Can Top This One! ? Fully Restored Brasilia II Petite Buffet

Image credits: midcenturymistress

#50 I Put Two Months Of My Time On Weekends And After Work To Remove The Awful Paint From This Gorgeous Danish Teak Desk With Floating Legs!

Image credits: PoachedPears

#51 I Bought A Little Goat Figurine And Gave Him New Life

Image credits: Apawstate

#52 This Cute Little Mirror I Repainted: $2

Image credits: Stella1897

#53 Hobart Mixer Restoration: Before, During, And After

Image credits: vgravedoni

#54 Got This Kayak Off Craigslist, Restored And Painted It. Time Lapse Video In The Comments

Image credits: ProbablyNotYourSon

#55 Restoring An Old Knife

Image credits: GlockTheDoor

#56 (Oc) Picked Up Some Old, Rusted Steel Olympic Plates. Had Some Fun Restoring Them

Image credits: BannyDing

#57 Restored This Old Door To Its Former Glory

I started this project not knowing exactly what to expect to find underneath all the old crusty white paint. I’ve also never worked with quarter sawn wood before and wasn’t sure if the medullary rays were a mistake from not sanding the door correctly. The Reddit community kindly let me know that this was a very valuable find and not a mistake. Super excited to be done with this project and have such a great looking door restored to its former glory. Thanks for all your help and kind responses.

Image credits: ryannearhood

#58 As Part Of My Recent Bedroom Renovation I Decided To Restore This Almost 100 Year Old Wardrobe Instead Of Ripping It Out And Replacing It With Something New With Much Less Character. Sometimes Old Things Can Still Be Nice With A Bit Of Work

Image credits: mcn35

#59 Re-Did These Late 60s Chairs

These chairs were bought in Winnipeg by my wife’s grandmother in the late 60s (you can tell by one of the pics) and then had them covered in the 80s (again by the pics lol). They made it all the way to us. I stripped them down completely, and 1 million staples pulled by hand later, found oak chairs with a walnut skeleton.
I ebonized them with a steel wool vinegar mix and then used a spray on flat poly to protect. Then off to an upholsterer we knew for a nice leather treatment with studs.
Wife and the whole family who remember them love their transformation! Sorry for the mass of pictures, but wanted to show everyone the steps.

Image credits: lvpond

#60 I Was Asked 14 Few Years Ago To Paint This Cat And Try To Restore It After A Coworker Found It In The Rubbish After A Tornado. He Still Has It To This Day And He Says It’s Still Good As New!

Image credits: mom2one2610

#61 Before And After Restoration Of “Puppy”!

Image credits: Hobby-Raccoon

#62 Recently Picked Up A New Hobby And Now People Are Placing Orders Asking Me To Repaint Their Statues

Image credits: CasMaSas

#63 DIY Barbie House Made From Old Dresser

I made a DIY Barbie house with my "little" in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. My goal was to repurpose items or make things myself as much as possible.
I already had basically all the woodworking tools I used for this project, but this was my first big project with them. It was definitely trial and error to figure things out, so there were lots of mistakes made along the way.
Almost all of the furnishings and decor was made from thrifted odds and ends or bits of plywood and dowels. A few things were purchased at Dollar Tree or on clearance at various craft stores. My amazing mom sewed the table cloth, bedding, curtains, shower curtain, and towels. Most of the flooring is stick-on wall paper/decals from Dollar Tree. Kitchen flooring is shelf liner I already had (I think from Target). The "rugs" are placemats that I thrifted or bought at Dollar Tree.
If anyone has questions about where other items came from or how things were made, I'm happy to provide lots more detail.
(Side note: see my post history for kitchen cabinets that were later added… Sorry I don't have any photos of them in the house.)

Image credits: Grass_of_Parnassus

#64 Restored My Mystery 60s Bass

Fixed the action that was sky high (no truss rod … D’oh!) Now it plays much better, hopefully you agree it looks much better. ‘Before’ pics are the bare stained wood. Cheers. (Edit: reposting to fix a buncha typos, sorry!)

Image credits: UndertowBass

#65 I Completely Repurposed An Old Foosball Table Into My First Custom D&d Table! As Promised I Mapped The Entire Journey And Spent Less Than 50$ To Do This Project! Enjoy!!!

Image credits: BigTig77

#66 Repurposed 100-Year-Old Flywheel

In 1963, my grandfather acquired some of these giant flywheels that were in an old factory that used the current from a stream to turn their spindle machines. They sat in his garage for decades until his passing. In 2021 they made their way to me and the other day I turned one of them into a table. Had to router out about 1/8” of the beveled inside edge to make the glass fit. Pretty happy with the way it cleaned up.

Image credits: DabbledInPacificm

#67 Before/After Vintage Coach Purse Restoration – $10 And Looks Brand New! 🙂

Image credits: CaptainAlexa

#68 Found This Old Cheapo Junior Kit In My Gfs Parents Basement While Cleaning Up Their Old House And Decided To Restore It. Amazing What A Bit Of Metal Polish, Stain, And A Few Amazon Purchases Can Do!

Image credits: tysgray21

#69 Snagged A Wrecked Doorstop For Cheap And Restored It ✨ After>before

Image credits: -Anne_of_Avonlea-

#70 It Took 3 Months And A Few Shed Tears, But I Finally Finished Restoring This Huge Swivel Coffee Table

When I spotted this massive 80s-ish swivel coffee table for $40 at ReStore, I really had to convince my spouse that I had a vision, and promised that it would look wicked cool. We were about to move into a much bigger house with a large living room, and I knew this would be awesome in the space. I always dreamed of having a house with a conversation pit-style living room, so this was just the funky piece I needed.
The paint job was yellowed, scratched up, and fairly ugly. I spent a few weeks mulling over a colorblock style with a different rich color on each of the three major pieces, but landed on a simple off white.
We sanded it all down and disassembled the whole piece. The biggest surprise was discovering that the table was so heavy because it's FULL of like 50lbs of sand in the base. We picked out Rust-Oleum Heirloom White spray paint and went to town. If I was going to do this again, I would definitely get rollout paint and not use spray paint. It took a long time to get it smooth and full covered.
A big point of distress was when we went to spray the clear gloss coat. I'd let the color paint dry for 3 weeks, and when I sprayed the gloss, the entire color layer had a bad reaction and shriveled up. This was the source of some major tears, but I sanded the top layer down again and did another layer of color to fix it.
I waited a month to figure out what kind of top coat to pivot to, and ended up going with a high class polyurethane. This was super easy and a way better choice. It took about 2 days to do 4 layers.
Putting the table back together was awesome and filling it back up with sand was a relief. I did cry again at this point out of sheer elation at how amazing it looked, and the fact that it was exactly how I had envisioned. This was such a hard project labor-wise, and I feel super fulfilled and validated by the result.
We finished it the night before our housewarming party and we got so many compliments on it. It's a wild statement piece and looks really unique in the space. It almost looks like, gravitationally impossible, it seriously rules.
This is my favorite piece I own now. My friend got me a huge decorative vintage ashtray to complete the vibe, and it looks perfect! I am so stoked on it and hope y'all like it!

Image credits: HorseGirl666

#71 Inspired To Share This After Seeing Yesterday’s Popular Post

Found on Facebook marketplace for $15 and refurbished as a nightstand.

Image credits: trevorl56

#72 Before And After Of My Palm Beach Regency-Style White Whale Found In The Garbage In Philly

I'm very into Palm Beach Regency/Golden Girls/Miami grandma style and have been pining over a faux bamboo dresser for ages. My boyfriend kindly slammed on the brakes when we saw this dresser in the garbage in Philly. We loaded it into our car and I've been working on it for a month.

This is my first ever large furniture rescue, so please don't come at me for spraying it white! ? I did a ton of inspiration research and while off-white is the prominent style, I saw plenty of originals in white. I hope this isn't a faux pas that will get me dragged.

I dry brushed the grime out of the textured fronts in several stages, and sanded all the smooth sides. I didn't prime, and just spray painted it flat white with 2 coats. The drawer handles cleaned up beautifully with Barkeeper's Friend and Brasso.

I'm still trying to decide on my top coat of choice, which I'd love to take advice about! The original is very shiny on the top and sides, so I can't decide between a polyurethane or lacquer top coat. I'm primarily concerned with protecting it. I'd like to keep the front more matte, but think I still need a top coat of some kind. I'd prefer a brush-on method to another spray. Let me know your thoughts!

Image credits: HorseGirl666

#73 Did This For Myself To See If I Could- The Second And Third Pic Are The Results Of My Efforts

Not a professional by any means but I thought it seemed like a good challenge and the stools were $40 on fb marketplace. I learned a lot, including what I would do differently if I were ever again to restore the caning on a piece of furniture, but I’m proud of the result!! I did the bare minimum with the wood- got feed n’ wax from Lowe’s and applied it, following the instructions on the bottle. Before, the legs especially were seemingly very dry and parched looking, the backs and bendy parts were dull but not as bad. It definitely brought some luster back into the wood overall so I’m happy with it compared with how much time and money I invested in doing it. Sure, it could use more complete refinishing but it’s not in dire need of it. Overall, I’m happy I did it and I saved them from being cushioned and painted over. Sadly, they’re too tall for the bar in my home and I’m going to have to part with them so I wanted to memorialize what I did here in this post. since I’ll never be able to show them in my own house. I’m actually in distress about it but it’s a good reminder that things are just things 🙂 have a nice day!

Image credits: art-ho_

#74 1927 Flints Fine Furniture Makeup Vanity Restoration And Refinish

Image credits: Mundane_Western8057

#75 Cherrywood Dropleaf End Table Restoration

Found this antique end table at a storage auction; it’s essentially a miniature dropleaf dining table. Absolutely stunning cherry wood underneath!

Image credits: Chainsaw-Charlie

#76 Just Finished My First Serious Project

What do you guys think? It’s still not perfect but I think I’m ready to list it. It’s a Danish MCM drafting desk. Lightly sanded veneer, fixed bubbles in the veneer, stained, filled dents, color matched to the best of my ability, and sprayed some polyurethane.

Hopefully it’s ready for fb marketplace.

Image credits: BeUsefulScott

#77 Restored This Table Found In Our Recently Purchased 1922 House!

Found in what we have dubbed the "horror room" in the basement of our century home, this table needed some serious tlc. I could have tossed it, but I needed a table for beside the window, and this was literally the perfect height to not block the window and add some extra storage/utility.
Top was scuffed, dented scratched and covered in construction dust. The bottom of the drawer was warped and falling apart. The slide-out panel was swollen stuck and had to be sanded down in place to be removed. The finish was chipping and there was a tar-like residue leftover from some kind of screwed on padding on the feet, not to mention the rusty screws still left in the base of the feet. And naturally, there was rusty hardware that needed to be replaced and split pieces of wood that needed to be glued back together.
In the end I used dollar store contact paper for the drawer and leftover stain and other materials, probably spent $30 max and got some quality bonding time with my new garage and enjoyed some lovely warm spring weather while working on it. Considering how beautiful the grain of the wood is and the hints of chatoyance, I am so in love with this table and happy to give it a new life. Many books will be read and mugs of tea set here.

Image credits: lithigos

#78 Refurbished This Dresser: Before And After

Image credits: Its_migi

#79 Two After And Two Before

Image credits: lilydavay

#80 Flipped This Solid Wood Dresser From Goodwill Into A Vanity For Our Bathroom! Before And After

Image credits: courtneyrel

#81 Restoration Of The Chair ⁠

Let me entertain you and show you my work. I’m sick of discussions of TNT stars and Ivleeva’s crowd.

An antique armchair from the end of the 19th century was purchased on Avito. The external condition is quite satisfactory, and in general the armchair is stable. I carried out the restoration for the first time, I did it for myself and used modern materials, so I can’t call my work a museum one. And yes, I have a workshop with the necessary equipment.

Image credits: zipa4

#82 New Life For A Chair

Image credits: lynxme

#83 Before, During And After. Modernized Old China Cabinet With Flat Black Urethane And Updated Hardware

Image credits: kingoptimo1

#84 Before And After Coffee Table

Image credits: ItsAllinYourHeadComx

#85 1943 Waterfall Vanity Restore

I still have some more to go but I am just so happy I could cry. I bought this poor vanity a month and a half ago when it was just caked in chalk paint. It hid many secrets: gorgeous inlays, some child’s “artwork” of scratching the word “help” in the wood, and the manufacturer stamp! I have spent the last month and a half spending every free moment I have had into stripping off the most gooey, gross paint and sanding it until FINALLY tonight I am to this point. And I am so happy! Tomorrow I get to start staining but I am so proud of how far I have come. I have never done anything like this before and this was a pretty ambitious first project but it is paying off!

Image credits: Embarrassed_Worth543

#86 First Attempt At A Flip!

First attempt at a flip!

I didn’t quite understand what I was getting into with a dresser covered in old chipped veneer, but this was a fun project and was able to learn some new skills.

Image credits: Ludwigfan97

#87 My First Flip

It’s not perfect, but it’s for my home and I had a lot of fun doing it!

Image credits: GuiltyAd1498

#88 Before And After Of My Latest Flip

I'm very new to furniture flipping, this is one of my first few pieces and although it's not perfect, I'm very happy with it and proud of how it turned out! My partner helped me build a new wood base, the original was mdf and falling apart. It just needed a little love and now it's good as new! I really liked the style and shape of this one and glad I was able to give it new life!

Image credits: FootParmesan

#89 Repainted! $15 For The Dresser

Image credits: ooblada

#90 1st Tool Box For My Sons 1st Birthday

Image credits: vtr1994

#91 I Restored This Vintage Hand Saw

Image credits: Celtico117

#92 First Time Restoring Something! I’m Proud!

Image credits: witchy_femme

#93 My First Furniture Refinish

Image credits: gourmet_croutons

#94 Scored This Huge Brass Swan Planter For $10 And Brought It Back To Life!

She could use another 2-3 hours of work to clean up the inside a little more and to get her to a mirror finish (except for the wings), but I threw in the towel after 6 hours.

The paint was thankfully just acrylic craft paint, so I was able to get that cleaned up with a dish rag and soap after a hot water soak.

For the wings I made a paste with Bar Keeper’s Friend and scrubbed gently in small circles with a soft bristled toothbrush. I didn’t want to risk losing detail on the wings with more aggressive mechanical polishing in these areas.

Everywhere else I used Twinkle brass polish and a few different foam polishing bits in stages with a Dremel tool.

To finish up, I’ll eventually go over the whole thing with Cape Cod metal polish which smells AMAZING and really brings out a mirror finish. I usually do this with a wool polishing pad on my Dremel on a slower setting, but I may buff the wings by hand.

Image credits: reddit.com

#95 Hi! New Here. I Recently Found This Corner Table In The Trash And Stripped Three Coats Of Ugly Paint Off Of It And Stained It

Image credits: mads1renwoman

#96 Before And After: Green Secretary

Image credits: agtitan

#97 Refinished My Thrifted Vanity

Made quite a few mistakes but overall I’m happy with how it turned out. I had no idea the wood underneath the paint was so cool. I originally wanted to stain the trim but it was pretty battered and had been filled and painted black previously, so I just painted it to save myself the headache. I think it makes it a little goth anyway, which I love. I was refinishing it because I planned to sell it but now I’m not so sure I want to.
Ps the mirror was cracked in a moving accident. I’ve had it for 5 years.

Image credits: haunteddollvintage

#98 First Major Restoration

Image credits: Ac_page

#99 $75 Craigslist Find. Ended Up Getting It For Free After He Saw We Were Expecting. First Time Refinishing Something!! Pleased With How It Came Out

Image credits: L0-Ki

#100 40 Hours On This 1960s Bandsaw And If Looks Like New

Image credits: reddit.com

#101 Restored A 1950’s Amf Junior Tricycle For My Daughter. It’s Glitter Red, But May Be Hard To Tell From The Pictures

Image credits: imgur.com

#102 My Father’s Eight Year Restoration Of A ’61 Chris Craft Capri

This is it's first time in the water, all finished. My father had never built a boat nor approached anything wood related to this degree. He used to do wreck diving as a hobby, but took this on as going into the cold murky depths off of Long Island is no longer appealing to a 63 year old man. He apprenticed with a boat restoration shop once a week and worked on his own boat in his spare time.

Image credits: ShockinglyMilgram

#103 My Craft. I Restored These Century Old Doors Of A Mausoleum

The doors are about 130 years old, made from oak and are heritage protected. I am a carpenter and my job was to restore them, rebuild missing parts and treat the surface. I hope I did them justice.

Image credits: MoonMoonMoonMoonSun

#104 Ugly Dusty Rose Lamps – Restored!

Image credits: redvelvet_ko

#105 Kitchen Playset From An Old Entertainment Center My Wife And I Made For My Son’s 2nd Birthday

Image credits: sixstringhook

#106 Today I Made A Watch From A Broken Skateboard! Job Was Entirely Done With Jigsaw And A Dremel. Let Me Know What You Guys Think

Image credits: DaRealOr

#107 An Old Vintage Radio I Repurposed Into An iPod Speaker

Image credits: Guppy1985

#108 Rescued From The Bargain Bin At The Thrift Store. Removed The Flocking, Salvaged Some Bulbs, Bought A Wooden LED Base. Behold

Image credits: pseudo_su3

#109 Finished My 1930’s-40’s Chair

Lastly is doing the bolts. I’m thinking clear but open to suggestions.

Image credits: BathtubPartyTime

#110 Me And My Brother Restored A Bench

As the title says me and my brother restored this bench! We sanded it and got all the rust off, replaced the rusted legs, and obviously painted it. It's for our mom's birthday coming up. It's the last thing she has of her dad and it's been quietly sitting under our porch for nearly a decade, but it's probably on the higher end of 40 years old. We did our best and weren't able to reverse the bend in the backrest. But we're really proud of it! And we put our hand prints on the back of it before coating it all in semi gloss exterior finish.

Image credits: preciousCafe488

#111 Restored My Grandparents Gas Parlor Stove. Not Back To Original Condition, The Firebox.and Burners Were In Really Bad Shape So I Installed Electric Flame Flicker Bulbs

Image credits: navy_snipe

#112 How’d I Do?

Before and after pictures of my restoration of my grandfather’s old bench grinder. I suspect that he inherited it from my great uncle. The stand is actually the base for an old cream separator. The grinder housing and the stand are both cast iron making this thing heavy! Thus the addition of locking casters.

Sandblasted and painted everything. Replaced all the bolts with new. New power switch, bearings, belt, and wood top. New 8” wire and buffing wheels. Dismantled the electric motor to clean and check everything. Other than a mouse nest in it the motor was in amazingly good shape.

It’s so quiet now it’s unbelievable. They sure don’t make them like this anymore.