Armchair Part 6

Sunday after a super busy weekend I got two hours to do some work. I pulled off the broken straps and red trapped the chair with a different pattern. I of course failed to get a picture of this. Also when I went to get veg for supper I went by the fabric store to get my liner I skipped on the more expensive and less functional burlap and went with a simple cotton fabric.

Armchair Part 5

This is what happens when people get in your shop while you are away. The straps I had just put on will now have to come off. The lesson here is that half done chairs are not for sitting.

Armchair Part 4

Last Sunday was a really nice day for a February. So I took the chair outside to strip the strapping and start the upholstery process. I spent some time separating good and bad tacks do that I could reuse them.

Armchair Part 3

Saturday afternoon gave me a chance to do a little more work on the armchair. This involved more tack pulling. I did however get the burlap partially removed. This week has been super busy so I have not had time to post much. The regular job is out of control right now.  Plus, I work there this weekend so there wont be too many post for a while. I will be hustlin but it will be academic hustlin not antique hustlin.

I finally got the arms exposed and started work on the burlap underneath. Seems that someone made it from old sacks. 

Getting the burlap off. Exposing the strapping

Here is the chair with just the burlap attached. 

Another child's rocker

This rocker was at the flea market this weekend.

Small Wardrobe

This wardrobe is perhaps five feet high. I like the applied decorations. As many of you know I love dark wood. Too bad I don't have room for it in house.

Switch covers

I think switch covers are an excellent element for any house. I got four of these a few weeks ago for one dollar. I love the nouveau style. This one is by the sink and has made that space a little nicer. I could have done a better job of matching the screw. Still, I like it better than the plastic cover that was there.

Antique Singer Sewing Machine

After last weeks sewing machine another was brought in. If I remember this one sold for either 30 or 75 dollars. It was not as nice as last weeks.

Door knob and architectural antiques

I really love architectural antiques. I think they add something to a house that simple furnishings cannot. This piece was not cheap enough to pick up for resale at the flea market. It was in the booth of one of the nicer dealers whose aesthetic choices I admire. I think the object market is weak right now but the market for useable architectural elements is still strong. This is a direction that I think it might be good to take my business in. The market is strong because the elements can be used as intended objects in the house, as decorator objects or as new projects. Architectural elements appeal to restorers, modernist, and fit many design motifs. 

Teacup Lost

When I went to Hancock to pick up my tack puller I stopped by The Salvation Army which is in the same shopping center. This cup was here and I was excited for the imperial eagle mark on the bottom. That is until I noticed that it was cracked. What a shame.

Tea cup lot

I narrowly missed this tea cup lot. I did not get my bid card up fast enough.

Vanity set

This vanity set was at the auction last Saturday. I liked the looks of it but never heard what it sold for.

Arm Chair Part 2

Tuesday after work I went to the Hancock Fabrics because they were the only local source for a tack puller.  After struggling to get the tacks off the project the first time I looked up how professional upholsters did it and watched some videos on how to use one. It turns out to be one of the best four dollars I have spent in a while. Once I got the hang of it last night the fabric removal moved right along. After dinner last night I went out to the shop and spent three hours before bed pulling tacks. I got all the fabric off and later this week will pull the burlap bedding. 

This is the chair with the side panel removed. 

The Chair with the front fabric pulled away. I tried to be careful here so I could make a study of how the arms were covered. I don't think I will do the button tufting when I recover it. 

This is the tack puller. Its narrow head and gentle angle allow the tool to slide under the tack and pop it out with little or no damage to the wood. Sometimes a gentle tap from the rubber mallet helps this process. If the tack was really dead sometimes it had to be gently pried with a screwdriver. 

The back of the chair. Where the back panel and front panel met, they were sewed together. 

The three primary tools that I had to use for this project. 

The exposed back and side

The front. Notice how the strapping and burlap on the bottom has failed. 

The back showing the batting and thread from the button tufting. 

I also spent some time Tuesday trying to figure out the style of chair. If you remember the chair has a sweeping back. It does not have wings so that eliminated it as a wing back chair. It is close to the shape of a Victorian slipper chair but does not quite match that style. I have decided that based on what Ic an find that I am going to call this an armed nursing chair. Nursing chairs leaned back to make nursing easier on mothers.  Most examples I have seen do not have arms, but some do. This accounts for the sweeping back. It also like a slipper chair accounts for its short height. 

Child's Rocker Part 2

Well the Child's Rocker got finished Sunday night. I just had not updated blog on the process. After the Clamps were off for the glue up I flush cut the proud dowels. I still worried that the joint would not hold so I decided to go ahead and attach some repair bars to the rocker. A better woodworker would probably not have to do this but I was afraid of them breaking if the rocker got any hard wear in the future. I bent one and place it across the top, another two went across the sides of the break. I then painted these with some enamel paint to match the colour of the wood. This was a brown base with a streaked black to mimic the shellac that is the original finish.  Having sat in a barn or garage for so long the whole piece had to be cleaned. I did this with a little Murphy's Oil Soap. After this dried I coated the finish in a good furniture wax. I prefer Mylands Furniture Wax because I believe of all the waxes I have tried it best matches the quality and tone of antique finishes. The wax glazed over and was given a light hand buffing. All the spindles made this quite a long job but not a particularly hard one.  These pictures were taken at night but in the daylight the colour of the wood is extraordinary. 

The finished chair. 

The chair before cleaning. You can see all the dust on the seat and rails. 

The repair bar before painting.

The chair before cleaning and waxing.

This is the repair bar with the coat of brown enamel. 

The good ole' flush cut saw.

The chair after cleaning.

Paint and other things. 

The repair bar with the black streaks added. 

It's ready for resale. Now I just have to figure out what to do with this piece. 

Vase, pestle and vase

These three objects were at the flea market. I liked the lines of each in turn.

I love most Roseville patterns but I can't afford any of them.

A bit blurry. It looked better in person.