Is This $35 Art Deco Piece Beyond Saving?

I bought this Art Deco waterfall dresser for thirty-five dollars off Facebook Marketplace. It sat in our garage for four months because I genuinely did not know if I could fix it. The water damage was severe. The veneer was peeling away from the substrate. The structural support blocks were completely split. Everything about it looked impossible. ...I decided to tackle it anyway. In this episode, I walk through the restoration process step by step. You will see how to inject glue into split veneer using a syringe, rebuild missing structural supports, steam out deep gouges with nothing but a household iron and a damp cloth, and apply a hard wax oil finish that brings dormant wood grain back to life. I also made a mistake. I glued my clamping board directly to the dresser side and had to carefully pry it off without causing more damage. That moment taught me why every restoration expert uses painter's tape on their clamping boards. By the end, this piece went from something I almost did not buy to something I genuinely wanted to keep. If you are following furniture restoration, you know the difference between a flip and a true challenge. This is the latter. Subscribe for a new restoration or upcycling project every two weeks. CHAPTERS: 00:00 The 35 Dollar Art Deco Gamble 02:15 Repairing Severe Water Damage 07:25 The Structural Rebuild 13:45 The Refinishing and Paint Process 20:30 The Final Reveal and Profit Breakdown PRODUCTS AND TOOLS USED: Paints and Finishes: Fusion Mineral Paint Coal Black: https://amzn.to/4vVTzAc General Finishes High Performance Top Coat Flat: https://amzn.to/4pxCs5W Stix Primer: https://amzn.to/4fuor4h Odie's Oil: https://amzn.to/4yIZECD General Finishes Gel Stain Candlelight: https://amzn.to/4vH2dlJ Hardware and Supplies: Drawer Liner: https://amzn.to/4fjJAPW Drawer Pulls Black and Brass: https://amzn.to/4bZQyaC Daddy Van's Beeswax: https://amzn.to/4yCjqzA Howard's Feed-N-Wax: https://amzn.to/4vMqB5x Mohawk Epoxy Putty Stick: https://amzn.to/4fihsNh Bondo Wood Filler: https://amzn.to/4b9yhHL Tools: Carbide Scraper: https://amzn.to/4wi5EjP Wagner Flexio 5000: https://amzn.to/4pCLi2u Hand Sander Kit: https://amzn.to/44M2lp5 Cricut EasyPress Mini: https://amzn.to/3RRlp2j WILD MILE WANDERERS: Want to see where our adventures take us when we are not in the workshop? Subscribe to our travel channel, Wild Mile Wanderers:    / wildmilewanderers   — 👋 ABOUT WANDERER'S WORKSHOP: Welcome to the creative home-base of Vicky and Pat (Sully)! When we aren't traveling the world, we are in the workshop turning trash into treasure. Every project is an adventure! We tackle step-by-step furniture flips, vintage restorations, custom upholstery, and creative home decor DIYs. We show the good, the bad, and the beautiful, so we can learn and build together. Disclaimer: Some of the links above are affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting the workshop!