Post #619890 by Matt Helm on Thu, Jan 5, 2012 7:18 AM

Hey all, I came across a Witco bar that a local south Florida kid received from his mom. He had no idea what it was and had already began "restoring" it by ripping it apart and replacing the plywood underneath (assembling it with drywall screws and not much else) - discarding all but the carved pieces, one crossbar at the bottom back of the bar, and the screwed on bottle opener :(

Apparently it's been sitting in an outside bar for the better part of a decade and it shows... very faded, some cracks from drying out in the sun, miscellaneous damage to the bar top in the way of scratches / gouges / and even some initials lightly carved into the top. One of the stools is solid, the other needs help from a large crack. The cushions were removed long ago as was the fabric on the bar.

I felt sorry for it so I gave up some cash and brought it home to do what I can to restore it in the hope that it has potential to live again and serve as a centerpiece for a little home tiki bar of my own.....

I could really use some advice on how to go about restoring this thing. Can anyone provide pictures of the interior or bottom of one of these so I can try to replicate the original construction? Any tips on if I should try to replace the 2-3 chipped / missing pieces? What about refinishing the wood itself? I am guessing that the damage to the top of the bar will be difficult to repair given the raised grain nature of the wood...

Thanks all for your help! I'm looking forward to the project!