I wonder - doesn’t everyone in Gorham, Maine know that if they leave a 19 Century chest of drawers out in the rain, Tom Johnson will make it whole again? Another wonderful video. Thank you!

After 1,363 comments written before me, I don't expect mine to be read by you, but, I feel compelled to say, how honored I am to be a witness of the amazing work of a true artist of furniture making. Thank you so much for sharing the detailed process of your meticulous craft. The best for you always sir. Cheers

The fact that you kept it out of a landfill and saved a piece of history makes it invaluable.

Im the academic department assistant fir the Cabinetry and Furniture Technology Dept. at Palomar College, Escondido Ca. Your fabulous videos should be used in classes. Furniture restoration is the foundation of knowledge.

A customer was watching me fix veneer on a similar piece recently, and asked me who taught me to do it. I said, "Thomas Johnson, of course". I totally meant it, you influence a lot of my restorations and I am very grateful. Thanks Tom.

Probably my favorite restoration to date! No client, just done out of pure love for furniture and craft. Perfection!

I just have to comment that this has to be the luckiest piece of furniture on Earth. To be found wasting in rain and then picked up by Mr. Johnson, completely repaired and placed in a beautiful home. As a retired nurse...this is like being far away from home, needing an emergency surgery...luckily the best surgeon in the country is visiting his niece who admitted you. He finds you, fixes your issues and restores you to return home to loved ones. This was a great video!

My late father used to repair and renovate old grandfather clocks. He would staple a typewritten card at the back detailing his work, with some background, and the date. Why not do the same? In another 200 years the chest of drawers will be worth a fortune! Best wishes from London UK.

Mr Johnson, it's amazing to watch you transform furniture! You're definitely the master! I'm so glad you rescued this chest! Beautiful, stunning job 😊❤

I swear, wood turning is a form of magic. Watching you turn those legs was amazing.

Those shots where he shows the materials and supplies used: priceless. So many repairs will be enabled by Tom's educational efforts. Yes he himself will fix many great things, but the rest of us will fix 100's times more furniture via his methods.

KZfaq has so much ..... garbage, but Tom Johnson never disappoint. Insightful and quality every single time.

Thomas you are too humble. You took a ragged thrown out piece of history and gave her a new life! Honestly, I love you for what you did. Those people that want to complain have no beauty in their own lives and go around making others miserable just so they have company.

Ruined? RUINED???!!! It's an inspiration. You've saved it from landfill, tidied it from the roadside, recycled it into a useable piece of furniture, employed traditional and modern methods of work, used traditional and modern materials, utilised products from small companies who are trying to stay alive in the face of corporate giants, gained the satisfaction of what you've achieved, and helped to instruct and inspire the rest of us. So, it's far from ruined. Oh, and thanks for not covering it with chalk paint.

I've Rescued a few antique pieces over the past 50 Years, every time I dust or Polish one of them, I can hear It whisper. Thank you. Imagine what this piece is saying to this guy.

Just goes to show you, you can't have too many clamps. Beautiful Restoration Thomas.

This lovely elderly lady has been on quite a journey. Beautiful restoration. Wouldn't the original craftsman who cut those dovetails, be justifiably proud of how they stood up to time, use and weather. It's been beautifully restored so following generations can appreciate craftsmanship. Thanks for sharing with us.

Only a master furniture restorer and historian could recognize the actual value of the hopeless pile of trash left by the side of the road and then bring it back to its former glory. Beauty from ashes. Nicely done.

Ive been watching you for several years now. Haven’t done any woodwork yet. But you and your gentle way with your gentle voice and animals have given me so much peace through many family tragedies in the past several years. I thank you so much. Just one thing … I need a tee shirt that says ‘I think that looks pretty good’. God Bless you Thomas Johnson.

Australia salutes you again for a fabulous restoration. Well done, Tom!

I know I’m not the only one who thinks this, but geezum this is so interesting and calming…almost zen.

This was a wonderful project. I can't imagine how any solid wood furniture could be considered worthless these days. Bringing that old chest of drawers back to life - such a worthwhile way to spend your time. Thank you for sharing with us.

I like how you made it look just like it would had it been "lived with" normally rather than set out on the roadside. It still belongs to its era.

Mr. Thomas, you not only teach furniture restoration techniques, but you also teach the history of furniture making and design. You are a valuable asset to anyone interested in these things. Thank you.

Sir, you said you think it looks pretty good, I say it is fantastic. I make furniture as a hobby for family, and I've learned a huge amount of information on furniture construction, coloring & finishing from your videos. Your videos are exceptionally descriptive in the procedures used, the how's, and why's. Thank you for taking the time to provide these tutorials, you are a most generous man, as well as an expert in your field.

Furniture snobs may turn up their noses if they wish, but this is a lovely piece of furniture that you have brought back to life!!

WOW, WOW, WOW!!! All I can say is you are a master craftsman! To any naysayers that have heartburn over refinishing this antique, this baby was headed to the dump. This was an absolute rescue of epic proportions. Well done sir!

Not only are you a great restorer, you shoot an excellent video. Camera, lighting, editing, and easy listening without and-uh and all the fillers. A true master.

Once again, it's clamp city and Old Brown Glue time! This is a wonderful example of Thomas and his knowledge and skills in the resurrection of a roadside wreck. Yes sir, it looks pretty good!

The drawers have outlasted its maker and continues its journey into the future, thanks to Tom's intervention. Good work!

As a small boy i watched my grandfather in his shed at weekends.He was a builder/carpenter by trade.His hobby was cabinet making and he was meticulous like you.All his tools were hand tools.No electric drills,no circular saw and various hand planes.He made some very good furniture and i have several pieces he made.I have worked in engineering until i retired an have good hand skills on metal plus multiple machine tool knowledge.I do make and repair wooden items but not on your or his level.Your demonstration brought back fond memories.Thankyou.

Always looking forward to Friday and your Videos Mr. Johnson. You'd doing great work. Best wishes from Germany Alice

Beautiful job Mr Johnson.

As someone who worked as a refinisher for 5 years in the 90’s, I can say you are a master of your craft, well done sir ! Bringing discarded pieces like this back to life must be very rewarding.

Favorite part of this one is probably the fine dry delivery Tom gives that ‘hard data on the most recent transaction’ line he’s saved for the close. Keep ’em coming, Tom!

A true diamond in the rough that not many could see. Thank you Tom for having the knowledge, skills, and supplies to bring it back to life!

Thank you for making these videos. I thoroughly enjoy watching them.

Now that was a piece worthy of restoration and you did a great job. I think I can say from all of us that we'd all like to see more of your Tortie assistant!

As a retired cabinet maker,I can say,you did a fantastic job.

At the end of the day people buy antiques to brag about them to their rich friends, and people buy old beautiful pieces like this to enjoy and admire them. So kudos to you Tom for, "restoring" this one to it's golden days!

It does my heart good to see beautiful wood furn, esp an antique, saved from the trash. Ppl just don’t appreciate quality and craftsmanship so much anymore. Thank you for restoring this treasure! Have a lovely weekend greetings from so Fl.

Anyone who thinks that you have ruined the value of an antique isn’t worth listening to. You rescued a piece that was destined for the junk heap and did it in a fashion that is respectful of its history and preserved a lot of the patina of its age. The repair of the veneered drawer fronts is amazing.

I have a solid black walnut dresser that is abit shorter. It's size is perfect for a bedside dresser. Same rounded side panels and my original feet look very similar to the ones you made. The drawer bottoms and back panels are hand planed raised panels that are walnut also, as well as the secondary woods are all native black walnut. This dresser has been in my family 200.00 years. When I received the dresser after it was found under feed sacks in my grandparents chicken coop. Its also water damaged and painted white in 1946 by my grandmother. I grew up with this dresser as my night stand since 1960. I never would ever dreamed I would be the one refinishing and fixing this piece in 2006 while recovering from a serious life threatening infection. This project gave me something to focus on while my body recovered. Yes it doesn't have its original finish and is worth nothing but my husband now uses it as his night stand and place to store his work clothes.

Another stunning restoration and conservation, but above all, a salvation!! It's heartwarming to see how you've resurrected a piece of history from certain destruction, and given it life again. Not only have you saved an item of interest, heritage and charm, but sensitively and meticulously respected the original joinery and materials. About 200 years ago it was a basic but essential piece of decent home furniture, and served it's purpose since then. Thomas, you've given it another lease of life and as a result of your skills and the modern conservation materials you've used, it will no doubt last even longer again. It has evolved from utilitarian to unwanted and now, under your craftsmanship, back to being a charming item that will no doubt be cherished, respected and much loved. Another wonderful job, another informative and educational account, another piece of our heritage saved from the scrapheap. Thank you Thomas, and bravo! Warmest greetings from UK. 👏 😊 🤗

Well Thomas, that was yet another masterful bit of work! In my 20s (now 69) I saw the leg of an upside down wooden table in the dumpster of my sister apartment. I pulled out a small three legged tilt top table of walnut with a veneered top. One leg was missing and the veneer was lifted. I made a new leg, glued down the veneer and sprayed it with NC lacquer. I still have it today! As a project it was maybe 1 or 2 percent of your chest of drawers project here, but it did get pulled out of a dumpster for gosh sakes! Since then I have rescued many pieces as an amateur. I remain in awe of your talent and the fine fine work you do! All my best, Doug

As a fellow restorer of 50+ years I commend your workmanship. Makes me want to find something to restore, thanks for the motivation.

I watch a lot of furniture restoration videos but have never come across Thomas Johnson before. WOW. He's the real deal. And he owns more clamps than any person on the planet. :) What a treat to witness this amazing transformation - beautifully done!

Destined for landfill and brought back to life with sensitivity and understanding. Shows why you are a master of your art. Outstanding.

Tom never fails to impress, just keeps getting better!

At long last, a man that calls it a 'Chest-of-Drawers' and not a 'Chester Drawers'. My mother would be proud of you. Great work. I like a man that does good work for the sake of the work alone. It looks like a million to me.

First video I have seen from you and was instantly reminded on my father. He was a carpenter and worked most of his life in an castle in my hometown in Germany. He did restorations and normal wood work there. In his free time he always had one or two projects going on. Mostly old, lovely characterful pieces that somehow found his way into his hands. Just like this old piece. The last thing he did, was an old daybed from the 30‘s. I did all the work and he watched on the side giving me instructions, cause he was not that strong anymore. You did a lovely job on this one. Doing what was necessary to give it a new life while keeping it‘s character and history. Thank you for sharing your work sir! Really enjoyed it.

I’m so happy that this chest found a person with the skills to make it beautiful again!!! If I had seen that on the side of the road, I would have thought it was hopeless!!

You can see the beauty in abandoned furniture. I love your patience and positive energy. :)

So much furniture produced today is particle board and plastic. I have furniture from my grandmother that is from the 30s and bulletproof. There are issues with the veneer and finish, but I’ve hauled this tall chest of drawers from Chicago to Atlanta to Boston to LA and back to Chicago and it only lost a bit of veneer on the bottom. You can’t even move a modern piece of furniture crosstown without it falling apart. (I lost the foot off a credenza just moving it from one floor of my apartment building to another!). Real wood furniture, while not museum quality, is still worth restoring. Thank you for tolerating my rant. ❤️

Thank you for rescuing this poor furniture.

I never get tired of seeing these old gals get another chance to shine.

A nice indepth look at a master craftsman's solution to so many problems, and a worthy and utilitarian piece repaired and put back into use.

Pure artistry Tom, outstanding!!!!....Thank goodness some furniture-flipping chick with a Graco spray gun did not pick up this piece, drown it in wood filler, and paint it the obligatory sage green LOL.

Just amazing! Thanks for inviting us into your shop. You are a true craftsman. My Dad (retired carpenter) would have loved watching you work and learning your techniques.

From the first removal of the drawer bottoms, he is showing and teaching us skills and correct techniques.😮😮

Dear Mr. Johnson, only a master can do what you do! Your find was a treasure! Greetings from California.

While my husband was employed by the county highway department, he would find furniture “in the ditch” so to speak. Wisconsin is a newer state than Maine so our ditch treasures aren’t as old as what you get. Nor are they in as good of shape. He manages to see past the broken parts, the horrible finishes to see the potential finished piece. I refurbish/refinish them. Watching you work, I was happy to learn that most of what I do follows your techniques. Our home is furnished with “old attic”, “early rummage”, “dumpster”, and “ditch”. Old furniture is much sturdier than most of what you find new. My maternal great grandmother’s kitchen table, and my paternal grandmother’s chairs are back in use today. I look forward to each of your videos to see what treasure you will bring back to life.

I also found one these pieces recently. I’m taking in every piece of information your putting out. Great job on saving a landfill and giving something old a second chance. Enjoy you as always. Thank you sir 🐝

What a wonderful piece of furniture, resurrected by a true master craftsman. Watching you and listening to you at work is a very peaceful experience. Thank you Mr Tom Johnson

From roadside wreck to a thing of beauty. You worked your magic one again. 👏👏👍 Antique furniture purists , eat your heart out😊

Tom, the best restorations are of pieces found alongside a road. You have given this a new life as a treasured dresser that can be used for decades to come! Really enjoyed this, and your little tortoiseshell kitty is quite beautiful! 😊

You brought a badly damaged gem back to it's beautiful glory.

Magnificent finish, and I loved watching the process as always. It is because of you that this chest of drawers still exsists. I'd say you've multiplied it's worth tremendously.

You are the best that could have happened to that piece of furniture. You rescued it and I don't understand how somebody could have thrown this out in the first place. Those feet are amazing. I don't care whether it has any value, it looks great. This is far better than modern mass produced furniture.

You are a master! ❤

So I watch videos where people paint wood furniture for a quick sale and that's fine. Then I watch these videos and I think, and I'm awe struck at what can be accomplished when you know exactly what you are doing. And have a great workshop. And have all the tools. I mean, wood turning is just so very cool.

What a lucky piece of furniture to be so lovingly restored by Mr. Johnson…It was crying in the rain and look at it now!

Sir you are a magician. I have learned so much from watching you. Who cares about value when you are saving a fine piece from the side of the road. Outstanding work

I think you did an amazing job in giving this piece a second chance to adorn someone's home. Great job!

What a fortunate chest of drawers to have been lovingly repaired and restored by you.

Tom, I found this one of your more satisfying videos. This piece wasn't treasured by a client; it didn't have a family history; and the materials and construction weren't the best. But, it was fit for purpose and made well enough to serve for nearly a couple of centuries (so far). Restoring its usefulness and its intrinsic beauty honors the dignity of the piece and of the people who made, bought, and used it. Wonderful work.

My favorite video from you ever because I love how you took this out of the garbage and refinished it into something stunning. I feel your quiet pride in this one.

Wow, wow. I wonder if the people who dumped this piece could see it now, would they have regretted their actions. Its a beautiful piece brought back to life by a man who just gently and methodically works his way through the entire piece showing respect and love for what he does. A truly beautiful piece in all its glory. Thank you 😊

Just beautiful. The love and care you take to preserve what is and restore what was is amazing. I'd love to have it in my home and I am sure you are making American carpenters looking down proud.

Tom, it may be crap to Nutting but I'd be honored to have it in my home, knowing it was restored by Thomas Johnson. Wonderful work, as always!

Absolutely amazing. My favorite furniture has always been from the 1830s and 40s. Late Sheraton early empire or in Europe Biedermeier. It’s so wonderful to see you work and repair this piece. I wish I was 40 years younger and could be apprentice. Thanks for another great video.

I am grateful that I found your vlog. I have an antique trundle table that I got from my sister who inherited it from our aunt. Her husband left it outside covered with a tarp for several years. The veneer on the top is completely gone and the top had started to curl. Now I have the confidence to try to repair the damage. Thank you.

I was so fascinated by your wood working!! I bought a 52" oak round table, 2 leafs, 6 chairs and a buffet for $250. Painted black !!! I stripped off the black, took varnish remover then to clean, and left the walnut stain on. It's beautiful !! That was in 1978 and I still am using everything today. I still do small refinishing and painting, wish I could do more. Your work is wonderful. Blessings Claudia, from Minnesota.

Somewhere in Maine is an abandoned piece of furniture awaiting their hero to drive by and save them. Brilliant work as always sir!

Thomas- this a wonderful restoration of this chest of drawers. I learn so much watching your videos. Thank you. You saved a bit of American history.❤

Well done Tom. Whatever anyone says in a negative way about this restoration, you have actually brought back to life a piece that was on the way to the graveyard. Thanks for sharing you knowledge in this enjoyable video.

I learn something new with every video. I redo furniture myself and tell people you don't need an ultra fancy shop with all the latest and greatest tools. I snatch up a lot of vintage tools at yard sales and estate sells as they're made to last if treated well. Great job on saving another beautiful antique!

Dear Mr Johnson, You have made a wonderful job of restoring a piece of furniture that was obviously in the view of its previous owner regarded as rubbish. Thank You for sharing your skills and expertise with us. Every blessing.

Incredible The real Beauty is that your Art saved a piece of history ✨

"I think it looks pretty good." I love that understatement at each reveal in your videos, Tom. I don't think I've ever seen a transformation where the piece didn't look superb after your restoration magic! This chest is no exception -- it's a treasure now!

Your hands remind me of my father. Grace and efficiency of moveme t, attention to detail, skillfull use of tools, no wasted movements.WORKMANSHIP!!😮😮

How can anyone in their right mind say or suggest that you’ve ruined a piece of antique furniture? What you’ve done is restored and preserved a piece of history! To think that that was constructed in the mid 1800’s and has survived until you came along is mind boggling!! I wish that I only had a fraction of your skill set and knowledge and love and appreciation of wood and wood furniture!! You are a true gem in this world of ours!!

Quite impressive, including the metric where needed!

You took a scrap pile of wood, and turned it into a beautiful and useful dresser! I Love it!

True craftsmanship on display. I love the veneer repairs and the final colour and finish. The new feet match the style of the dresser perfectly 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

I really loved watching this because I pick up a lot of stuff on the side of the road and in the trash. This is a real find and I'm glad you rescued it so that it can be enjoyed for another 100+ years. That's how I look at it in terms of value. You gave it another life and a very beautiful one at that. Thanks.

Tom you are the restoration wizard of Maine if not the world, nothing short of legendary. 50.59 minutes of Resto Bliss. Thank you once again.

Thomas, I learn something new each time I watch you. I now know that your a "leg man" 😁. Wow, what an incredible transformation. I can only imagine if you went by the house where you found it and asked, "Did you throw this away", as their eyes got very big and their mouths dropped. Thank you for all your excellent hard work. John here, from the back-roads of Northeastern Tennessee.

Tom, that was a great find and just in the Knick of time. A wonderful restoration. Great work! Thanks for uploading it 😃

I could have sworn that this result would not be possible, especially the rebirth of the drawers` veneer patterns. Unbelievable, Thomas!