Refinished a 1960s oak dresser and was shocked at how much the wood shifted in the shop

I picked up an old oak dresser from a thrift store in Denver for $40. Stripped it down to bare wood and left the panels in my garage for about three days while I sanded the frame. When I went to fit the drawer fronts back on, they were all about an eighth of an inch too tight. The humidity in my garage was way different than the seller's heated house. I had to let everything sit for another week to adjust before I could even think about staining. The lesson was that wood moves more than people give it credit for. Has anyone else had a project warp or shift after bringing it into a new environment? What did you do to fix it?

3 comments

3 Comments

jennifer_jenkins1mo ago

Hate to nitpick but that's not really shifting, that's just moisture acclimation.

bennett.jana1mo ago

Wait, so you're telling me my floorboards aren't actually "shifting" they're just DRINKING in the humidity like a thirsty sponge? Great, NOW I have to rethink my whole home renovation brag and accept that my hardwood is just doing a little moisture dance.

craig.john1mo ago

I've had the same thing happen with my place last summer when the humidity spiked. It's frustrating realizing all that creaking and popping isn't some cool old house settling story, just wood being dramatic.