Lexxy,
I read your plight two days ago about not particularly liking the pickled oak
finish on the cabinets in your A/S...Then I realized, maybe I have a remedy
for you...
On our unit, I am using sheets of veneer to cover over gouged and damaged
doors--it's a bit easier than planing and recutting new doors. Moreover, it
seems to work (I fill the holes, apply contact cement to both sides, clamp them,
route to trim, and finish with danish oil). Now I am matching the old surface,
but it occurs to me that for you, it would be fairly easy to put new veneer
over the whole darn thing (if you wanted to be thorough, you could even remove
the original pickled oak veneer). Then, essentially, you would be refacing
the cabinets. You could customize the veneer--even get into exotic woods or
get into inlays (heck, tell folks that that lovely, say--baobab--veneer is from
special stock personally selected by Wally Byam during his famous cross-Africa
rally)!
If you go the veneer route, my only advice is to buy a few test strips to
experiment with finishes before making your final veneer decision--I was
surprised how much the color changed depending on the wood and the tint of the oil.
I can't wait to see your new photos. I love what you've done so far!
Mary
'61 Safari