Thread: wooden office chair- road side find. Help!

It looks very familiar. My parents had a chair with the same design as this (with springs under the seat to allow for leaning back) for years. Not sure where it is now. It was heavy and made of oak I think...but painted white.
Looks like a difficult repair around that break out in the seat. I am not sure it's worth the effort but if you want/need a project then it could be a real challenge.

It's called a captains chair. My mate's wife who restores bentwood recently did one. It'll be oak and beech. I think you will find electrolysis useful in derusting the iron. Looks like the seat bow will need to be remade - steam bending is another slippery slope so take care! It came up beautifully though, she uses FW floor seal and gets a very subtle sheen not unlike shellac, but much harder wearing. If you dismantle it couldn't you clean up the spindles on the lathe?

I'd say it's a complete dismantle and remake the main seat body is needed.

The steam bend on the seat looks fairly extreme. tight curve in the long ways direction.

Hi TL,
Are you sure it's not laminated? I can't make up my mind from the photos and I know nothing about the design.
Regards

I'd say its Edwardian. Its a big job and there is only so much of the chair you can save. I'd take it apart completely, number the parts. Probably remake the seat, looks like laminated steam bent to me and likely not fixable. Start out by washing the bits down with warm soapy water and see what its like, then steel wool and turps, depends on the finish. I'd probably use danish oil.

The metal bits, try a bath in dilute vinegar and clean up with steel wool.

Typically they were just steam bent oak, not laminated. It just looks laminated because of the oak grain pattern.

Originally Posted by mic-d

Typically they were just steam bent oak, not laminated. It just looks laminated because of the oak grain pattern.

Yes, looking at it again you are right. I think I'd cheat on the remake and avoid steam bending if possible.

Originally Posted by Grommett

Yes, looking at it again you are right. I think I'd cheat on the remake and avoid steam bending if possible.

I think cheating might be easier for me to tackle! I can laminate. Just like a big fat tea pot handle.

Yes save what you can and remake the rest. I would laminate the seat with epoxy and the rest is just clean and put back together. You can turn new spindles.

Originally Posted by Glenlara

Yes save what you can and remake the rest. I would laminate the seat with epoxy and the rest is just clean and put back together. You can turn new spindles.

After turning new spindles and replacing the chair frame it would be like Murphy's axe wouldn't it?

Purists block your ears....... could I just fill the cracks with bog? :run:

Originally Posted by tea lady

After turning new spindles and replacing the chair frame it would be like Murphy's axe wouldn't it?

Purists block your ears....... could I just fill the cracks with bog? :run:

I think the bow is beyond bogging TL. Before you pull it apart I'd clamp a bit of thin sheet material to the bow and drill the cane holes into it to make a template.

TL
as others have advised you'll need to make a new seat frame -- steam bent or laminated -- I'm not sure from the photos, but the arms and crest rail also appears cracked. If it is repairing may involve making a new one -- again steam bent or laminated.

If you go ahead with the project I have a tip for you. If possible the seat fram should be bent from green wood. The holes to take the spindles should be drilled slightly undersized. The spindle tenons are carefully dried in hot sand and then inserted into the drilled mortices. What hapens then is that the seat frame dries making the holes smaller and the tenons swell making them bigger -- resulting in a tight joint that doesn't require gluing

Originally Posted by ian

TL
as others have advised you'll need to make a new seat frame -- steam bent or laminated -- I'm not sure from the photos, but the arms and crest rail also appears cracked. If it is repairing may involve making a new one -- again steam bent or laminated.

If you go ahead with the project I have a tip for you. If possible the seat fram should be bent from green wood. The holes to take the spindles should be drilled slightly undersized. The spindle tenons are carefully dried in hot sand and then inserted into the drilled mortices. What hapens then is that the seat frame dries making the holes smaller and the tenons swell making them bigger -- resulting in a tight joint that doesn't require gluing

I think the arms and crest are OK! Its just the joint that has come appart a little .

Green wood for the frame? ....... :idea: Maybe I could make a complete new seat out of solid wood instead? Then I wouldn't have to learn how to cane the seat quite yet! And no steam bending! :yay: Slightly mould the seat like a Windsor chair!