Replies

1. 
   SteveSchoene | Apr 19, 2009 10:37pm | #1

   I'd start with a good cleaning.  First remove water soluble dirt with a damp cloth, perhaps with a touch of TSP mostly to break the tension.  Then clean with naphtha or mineral spirits.  Cleaning may be enough. 

   Never remove old finish with a scraper or by sanding--patina disappears too easily.  If you have old shellac, you can likely reamalgamate it with DNA rather than completely stripping. If you feel too much of the shellac has been removed in the process, then you can add shellac.   

1. 
   veggiefahmah123 | Apr 20, 2009 12:24am | #2

   OK, thanks very much Steve. I'll try that.
   Tom

1. 
   Joe Sullivan | Apr 20, 2009 06:58pm | #3

   Agree with Steve. Another thing you might consider after cleaning as Steve suggested, would be to apply a thin coat of very 2# clear shellac like Zinsser Seal Coat. That will probably make the chair shinier than you prefer, so wait a full week for it to fully dry, and then go over the shellac with a good-quality furniture paste wax applied with a 0000 synthetic abrasive pad. Rub it in very well. You want to thoroughly and consistently cover every bit of the finish. You'll wind up with a very nice glowing but not shining surface -- an hand rubbed finish. ORIf the existing finish is relatively sound, you could just apply the wax without the coat of shellac.Joe

1. 
   veggiefahmah123 | Apr 20, 2009 09:27pm | #4

   That sounds good, don't mind all the rubbing. The parts of the chair that got wear from being used- the seat, arms, and part of the backrest don't have the build up of crud and shellac that the rest of the chair has, and your idea might help keep the wear pattern. There is beautiful grain and color under there. Thank you both,
   Tom

2. 
   vendi | Apr 20, 2009 09:44pm | #5

   Hello:

   After carefully looking at your photo I see a couple of concerns that should be addressed before any finish is applied.

    1. It appears the top back veneer has wood movement stress cracks in it. This isn't too serious but the cracks should be colored in using a fine artist brush after the initial cleaning with Naptha or mineral spirits first. Then proceed with the amalgamation process.

    2. The seat appears to have some delamination on the top veneer layer. If you rub your hand across the top going against the grain and you feel ridges then you have delamination. These can either be re-glued with hyde glue and pressed back into place. Or they can be sanded to level them off.

   The chair is a very nice representation of fine craftsmanship and I would certainly do some research on the proper restoration techniques to repair the finish and delamination.

   vendi

1. 
   veggiefahmah123 | Apr 20, 2009 11:49pm | #6

   Yes, you actually anticipated my next question, and I was nervous about flattening the ridges in the veneer. But that could be hidden as you say. Wonder if the delamination ishappening because of drying and shrinking of the glue or the veneer or both, and whether some type of oil would help remedy that to give the chair more longevity, but that would prevent the finish from penetrating and doing it's job. The other thing is, this chair is proving to be quite a job, even using some Minwax Antique Furniture Refinisher. Evil thoughts about 5F5 are creeping into my head. But this is a really nicely made piece, and is worth the work. Wondering if any one has an idea about how old this chair might be and whether it is hand made?Thanks for the advice,
   Tom

1. 
   integrity_woodworks | Apr 21, 2009 02:28am | #7

   veggiefahmah, looks like a factory piece from late 1950s or early 60s.I have refinished several similar over the years , comfy I bet. I am no expert /but I have been a professional refinisher/finisher for over 20 years.

   Dan

1. 
   Gretchen | Apr 21, 2009 02:36am | #9

   I totally agree with you. It is a nice substantial rocker, just factory made and finished. No collectibility/long term value except for a nice piece of family furniture.

   Refinish it as desired, but  I would think long and hard about trying to refinish all those "spokes".  If that finish can be preserved, not stripped, and everythhing refreshed, it would be a great day.Gretchen

1. 
   integrity_woodworks | Apr 21, 2009 10:23pm | #10

   Gretchen , personally I would refinish it but for me that is no big deal, I would strip it using liquid stripper and straw brushes(easy strip) .the repairs look minor,unless it is loose. but if I was not someone who has done this for a living ,I would think long and hard about hiring a professional to do it.

   I strongly believe it is beyond a simple clean and finish! in fact I know it is!!!

   Dan

2. 
   Gretchen | Apr 21, 2009 11:02pm | #11

   Oh, I would never hire it done. My point was from having done it myself in the past. Turnings are just a pain.  It is certainly not at all beyond doing. ANd it would be very pretty.

   Gretchen

    

   But I just looked again, and I think a really good cleaning would be the very first thing I'd do and then look at it. That finish looks pretty intact to me--and those turnings look REALLY close together for hand stripping. I hate dipping.

   Edited 4/21/2009 4:04 pm ET by Gretchen

3. 
   integrity_woodworks | Apr 21, 2009 11:37pm | #12

   I hate well really dislike dipping to!! I have what is called a flow tray where you can catch and reuse your stripper. If you use the proper mick/mock/ tock ec,or even a good stiff  scrub brush,it does not matter how close they are ,that finish will wash off if done right,requiring very little sanding.

   I did not say you would hire it done. I said I would. and that finish is dead, to each is there own.Sorry I think I will just stay off this site

   Cheers Dan

4. 
   veggiefahmah123 | Apr 22, 2009 12:20am | #13

   Thanks to all who have replied to my post. I've learned a heckofa lot. I have a neighbor who runs a refinshing business in the next town over. He'll give me a bid on stripping it, and I'll decide where to go from there. The rocker comes apart easily, held together with hidden nuts and bolts, so things like the spindles can easily be removed. I once used the lathe to clean up the paint build up on a bunch of stair spindles, and it saves a lot of time. So the parts that can be dipped can be separated from the laminated parts for different treatment. Glad to see the agreement that the rocker is worth working on, and ya, it is comfy. I'll post a pic when it's done. In the meantime, if anyone has ideas on how to make it look like it has a aged patina, please let me know. Right now, I'm thinking that involves shellac.
   Again, thank you all for your responses and advice.Happy Spring,
   tom

5. 
   Gretchen | Apr 22, 2009 03:03pm | #16

   I'm sorry if I offended you in any way. I was giving my opinion and certainly didn't think any the less of yours.  ;o)

   Veggieguy, please give some thought to a realy good cleaning with some mineral spirits, and then even going over it with something like Howard's Retor-a-Finish. The places where there is "wear" can become very attractive. I think that finish is intact for the most part, and just needs cleaning and "rejuvenating". It is certainly a good first step--and maybe the last one. Good luck.

    

   Gretchen

   Edited 4/22/2009 8:05 am ET by Gretchen

6. 
   WillGeorge | Apr 22, 2009 06:10pm | #17

   Gretchen

    

   Like I posted with your added ideas!

2. 
   vendi | Apr 21, 2009 02:31am | #8

   Veggiefahmah123

    If you are asking for a professional opinion I can give you an answer on how I would deal with your chairs' condition.

    To conserve the original integrity and finish I don't believe you will want to take on the task of trying to preserve all the original workmanship. It's a daunting task even for the ones who conserve furniture for a living.

    So ask yourself what you are willing to put into it for time and effort. The truth of the matter is, even if you did conserve it, you have to ask yourself how much will you have earned in the restored state of the rocker? As bad as it may sound, my solution is to completely strip the chair of all dirt and finish and start from raw wood. The veneer is easy to repair and any gaps or cracks in the veneer can be delt with easily. Once the damage is properly repaired they can be finished with the rest of the wood and no one would be the wiser. 

      Looking at the seat I don't believe the veneer needs to be replaced, it just needs to be repaired. Sand it smooth and fill in any gaps with a matching wood fill. Any bubbles can be repaired by injecting hyde glue into the bubble and clamping it down for a couple of hours. The areas where the veneer is already missing, replace with the same species of wood so it will match when stained. Try to match the grain also when replacing the veneer.

     I don't recommend using any PVA glues. They tend to rear their ugly head after finishing and look like someone stained over white paint. Hyde glue on the other hand will stay hidden after finishing and more importantly, hyde glue can be repaired with out damaging the wood surface it was used on.

     The new finish will hide most if not all repairs. With regard to the patina, that can also be reproduced by a good finisher who knows color matching and dated materials. They can replicate the time during which the chair was produced. More than likely it was a  shellac finish. If you want it to match its current state of apperance. The patina can also be added as a finishing  technique by a good period  finisher.  For finishing techniques I recommend the book "Understanding Wood Finishing" by Bob Flexner. He covers most of the period finishing materials and techniques used to repair and refinish furniture.

    As far as production of the chair, it was more than likely made in a production shop that was probably suitable for making a profit during its time. It appears to have both hand work and machine work. The ornate pieces I would assume are hand made or worked. Where as the spindles and such are machine made. All of which require skilled craftsman to produce. Unfortunately for me I don't date furniture unless I can document its history.

     Adding any type of oil treatment will not prevent any further damage of your veneer or substrate materials. Top coats of any kind will not stop moisture from getting into or out of your wood. It can only slow it down at best. Wood will move constantly by atmospheric pressure, moisture and temperature. Glue on the other hand will not. There in lies one of the problems with damage to wood surfaces and substrates. The absolute best solution for stabilization of wood is to keep it at a constant temperature and humidity ratio.

    

     I hope this helps.

    Vendi

3. 
   WillGeorge | Apr 22, 2009 03:40am | #14

   I would say ..  Do nothing to it if it is still sound and will still rock safely...

   A Pretty Woman in a Rocking Chair with a new Baby is something to behold!

   EDIT; I should have said .. A pretty woman in a OLD rocking chair....

   
   

   ---

   Edited 4/21/2009 8:45 pm by WillGeorge

1. 
   veggiefahmah123 | Apr 22, 2009 05:23am | #15

   That's precisely the image in my head that drives to not leave well enough alone. You're right, she'd be just as happy in a rocker that Papa Libby had tightened up and delivered pretty much as is. Well, goldang it, now I don't know WHAT to do. Thanks, I guess