Unpacking the chair box

Unpacking the chair box was a lesson in furniture forensics. I laid out all the pieces and realised that it was actually two different chairs.  An Eastlake chair and a Lincoln Rocker.  The Eastlake is in terrible shape. Pieces don't match, wood putty everywhere, someone has used four different dowel sizes to start the repairs. I tried to figure it out and could not. I am not sure that anything can be done for it.  The Lincoln rocker is another story. All the major parts save one are there. A few pieces need major repair and some remanufacture. My major problem, it was cane. I have never done this type of work. I am not sure I could. Plus it would take a significant investment on my part to do it and I am not sure I could cover my cost on resale.  It is not a type of chair that I have always wanted so I am not sure that I would want to keep it. I did however knock it together so I could see it complete. I held it together with clamps. You can never have too many clamps. 

The pictures would be more dramatic and show the process if they were in order but they are not so whatever. 

Part of the Eastlake. 

Eastlake detail

The top of the Lincoln Rocker

The Lincoln Rocker knocked together. The good news with this one is that the rockers are in good shape even though they are two different widths. Perhaps it will rock in a circle because of this? 

Starting to put the pieces together. Sorry the pictures are low quality. The light in the shop is not exactly great for photos at night. 

The box o'chairs including the bucket of small parts. 

The small parts included the castors and some blocks for rails. You can also see the top rail of the Eastlake in this picture. The Eastlake has front castors but not back castors. 

Laying all the parts out. Here you can see the Eastlake legs and the Lincoln Rocker Arms. The board in the front is a piece of 'new' wood that was in the box. There was also a broken spindle and some wood with a lots of nails in it that I never figured out where it went. 

That back splat that is white does not belong there but was placed there as a replacement. A new one would have to be made. It would also have to be drilled for cane. Also here you can see that the left hand side where cane would be threader is missing that would have to be made as well. The right hand side is about 7/8ths  there. Part of it would have to be made. There are some upholstered Lincoln Rockers and that may be a way to avoid tedious remanufacture and caning. 

More parts laid out including the nail boards that seem to go with nothing and the jute rope attached to them. I was lucky that all the spindles were there for the Lincoln Rocker because I don't have a lathe. 

The Lincoln Rocker chair seat. And the stupid white splat someone put in there. 

The origional box of chair parts.