We are a small town on a budget that is getting used oak furniture from a bank who is remodeling. Our furniture now is from when they remodeled 30 years ago and we had it repainted. This furniture is solid oak and can be refinished, however the pieces have metal stripping that is about 1/8" wide in both silver and gold, depending on the item. The stripping is missing on may pieces leaving a routered empty space, which is U-shaped with straight edges(not rounded). Is there any way to repair these desks and credenzas by removing the metal strips that are left and replacing with something new to get rid of the used look?
Thanks in advance for any help we can get.

Daria Lynes, October 2007

take the trim out and fill the remaining slots with coloured / tinted epoxy resin (resin can be tinted to just about any colour existing) and once it is dry then sand it smooth (using very fine grit paper) to the timber and polish accordingly

craig, November 2007