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.
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