90 year old rocking chair

[fitter30]

Best way to strip the paint off and not lose the detail. The upper upper end of the back spindels are loose.

 

[tipsy]

The detail is in the wood, not in the paint. Use paint stripper and soft bristle brushes like toothbrushes to remove the paint. Then strip again with 0000 steel wool. Then clean it with 0000 steel wool and mineral spirits. Repeat the process until it's bare wood. Then finish whatever way you want.

 

[tipsy]

Somewhere in that process you may have to reglue some joints because the stripper sometimes softens the original glue.

 

[Zeke]

If you can find some methylene chloride paint stripper, that will be easy work. The MC is dangerous and the EPA has outlawed it, but the population has somehow survived a few generations when it was available. The newer stuff works, just takes longer. I partially agree with tipsy in that you will need stiff brushes and steel wool at some point. 0000 wool will load up with one swipe so get some #2, some #0 and maybe some 000. For me 0000 is for waxing and polishing.

That chair is what is known as pressed wood relief. It isn't carved, the design was pressed in with a mold, heat, steam and a whole lot of pressure. It's a mass producing technique. And yes, you may very well need to glue some spindles if not more after stripping. Try not to use any water which will dissolve old hide glue.

There are plenty of tutorials on YT that go over regluing in place or taking apart. Some involve injecting CA glue with a crafts needle. I do a lot of that. Drill a 1/16th" hole right in the joint and fill it up with glue letting gravity take the glue to the bottom and all around the joint.

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[BillK]

See if there is somebody in your area that does furniture stripping in a dip tank. Pay them to do it. Been there done that Just had an old swivel office chair done. Best $150 I have spent. I would have spent hours trying to do it myself. Mine was all black paint. Had it stripped and I finished it with oil based poly.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

^^^ Wow, quarter sawn oak is truly beautiful.

 

[My Old Tools]

Lye will take it off, cheap and easy

 

[Milton Shaw]

Look on Amazon for wood chair glue. That will take care of the loose parts. Lots of work to get all the finish off. Getting the finish off will ruin the value if you are looking for antiques but I don't like that old black finish either.

 

[Cairo94507]

Man, that's a beautiful office chair; I love the finish.