When you restore old chairs, you restore a part of history!
Auntie M will show you many ways to restore and recycle old items such as this
vintage chair.
Less is more when it comes to restoring antique chairs, because the less you do, the more chance you have of preserving the original character. You can't always get away with a simple finish touch-up, however, you often have to repair broken wood or strip off the old, damaged finish and apply a new one. Attention to detail is crucial, because each change affects not only the appearance but the value of the piece.
Restore Antique Chairs With Ease!
Disassembling the Chair
It's rare to find an antique that doesn't need some type of repair: The joints may be loose, a spindle broken or the wood gouged. It's best to make these repairs before refinishing. You have to disassemble the chair to reglue weakened joints, which may mean removing some upholstery. Disassembling the chair also allows you make repairs to individual parts, such as split or cracked spindles, with glue and clamps. Label all joints with numbered pieces of tape before disassembling, and then knock them apart carefully but firmly with a rubber mallet.
Stripping Off the Finish
If you have to remove old finish, it's best done while the chair is in pieces. Depending on the finish, use a mild stripper -- one with orange oil is the least toxic option, but you may need a stronger one to remove layers of paint. Scrape the stripper carefully with a pull scraper, which is easier to control than one you push into the wood. You need to neutralize the stripper with water when you're done. This raises the wood grain, but you can sand it back down when the wood dries.
Sanding and Reassembling
You'll probably want to sand some of the pieces before you put the chair back together, because you have more control of the sandpaper when you're handling small pieces. Sanding an antique chair is not a job for a machine -- it's better to sand by hand, going with the grain, to avoid reshaping the wood. The coarsest sandpaper you should use to remove stripper residue is 120-grit. Do fine sanding with 150-grit paper. After reassembling the chair with glue and clamps, a final touch-up with 150- and 220-grit paper should get the chair ready for finishing.
Staining and Finishing
If you choose to apply a stain, use a brush to apply it -- that way, you'll be sure to get into all the crevices -- and wipe the excess thoroughly with a clean rag. The best surface coating is the one that the chair originally had. If it predates 1920, that's usually shellac, which you apply in successive coats with a brush, lightly sanding between coats with 320- or 400-grit sandpaper to knock down the grain. If you choose to apply lacquer, you should spray at least three coats on with air spray equipment, sanding between coats. You can also finish with a penetrating oil for a more natural sheen.
