Tag: Minwax

#44 Windsor chair #2

I got this chair off the curb across the street from my house. Something about it drew my attention so I felt very validated when I discovered it is a solid maple, mid-20th-century, Windsor desk chair, possibly made by Ethan Allen; definitely a piece worth rescuing. As usual the design evolved throughout the process and I think the final result is a perfect blend of several influences.

Materials used: Minwax Furniture Refinisher, Peel-Tek masking fluid, Designer Stencils bamboo lattice stencil (c328), Rust-Oleum 2X Ultra Cover in Coastal sage ultra matte, Varathane oil-based polyurethane in semi-gloss finish.

One of the first things that struck me about the chair is the bamboo-style legs, spindles, and stretchers. Since bamboo furniture often has a mid-century vibe to it, and because the existing finish was badly scuffed in places, I decided to first of all remove the dark brown glaze finish. At this point I was thinking I would maybe just restore it to its lighter, natural color.

After cleaning the chair with a weak solution of Simple Green, I removed the glaze finish using Minwax Furniture Refinisher. It came off nicely and I was happy to find beautiful maple wood underneath.

When I started sanding I quickly realized I wasn’t going to be able to prep every nook and cranny to a standard that would have merited a clear polyurethane finish. This was when I decided to go with a Hitchcock-inspired design which includes a stenciled top back rail, some paint, and some clear topcoat. When they were sufficiently sanded, I masked off the chair parts that would stay unpainted.

At this point I had decided to use a bamboo stencil and knew that I wanted the pattern to be in the natural, maple color. So I had to find a way for the pattern to be masked off while I painted the rest of the chair parts. I found Peel-Tek masking fluid on-line and applied it to the top back rail using the stencil and a stencil brush.

Now I was ready to apply 2 cans of Rust-Oleum 2X Ultra Cover in Coastal Sage ultra matte finish. I chose this color because it is in the mid-century color palette.

It took a long time to peel off the Peel-Tek masking fluid but it worked perfectly! Once all the masking tape was also removed, the chair just needed its finishing coats of Varathane polyurethane in semi-gloss finish. The semi-gloss finish really brings out the warm glow and the chatoyance of the maple.

#39 MCM bentwood armchair a.k.a. “The Ballerina”

Materials used: Minwax Antique Furniture Refinisher, shellac, polyurethane, Krylon spray paint, foam, batting, upholstery fabric, weed barrier.

On May 28, 2020 I got a surprise call. My friend’s father, Jim, knew about my mission and was calling to see if I would make this chair one of my transformations. It had been his son-in-law’s work chair and Jim had saved it from being thrown away years before. How lucky am I to have friends and followers who bring me gifts like these?! I’m ashamed to say it then spent two years in my garage—a victim of other projects and life’s distractions, but never forgotten. It’s had to wait a long time for its moment in the spotlight, but I hope you will agree it was worth the wait.

Jim Wright knew good workmanship when he saw it, so I was not surprised to find a Liberty Chair Company tag under the seat. Several messages, emails, and phone calls later I found out it had been made in Liberty, NC in the late 60s/early 70s. At that time it was model 700 and was named “Contemporary Chair”. Members of an online woodworking community think the wood is cherry, and in 1969 its wholesale price was $10.45.

Although the bones of this chair were sound, it was dirty and had been stained and upholstered badly. It was not a difficult decision to strip it down to the bare wood and refinish.

I removed the existing finish using Minwax Antique Furniture Refinisher, then sanded the frame with 150, 220, and finally 400 grit sandpaper. The final prep step was to remove all dust with an air compressor and wipe with a slightly damp cloth.

Refinishing began with a full aerosol can of shellac to seal the wood, accentuate the grain, and give it a lovely honey color.

Now it was time to elevate this chair from the ordinary. After some minor repairs I slippered the feet in Krylon “Ballet Slipper” gloss spray paint. Hence the chair’s nickname “The Ballerina”, because now it looks like it’s on points.

To finish the framework I applied 3 coats of clear, Varathane, oil-based polyurethane in a satin finish. As always I lightly sanded everything before the final coats.

Finally I re-upholstered the seat with a boucle-style fabric. It was a little stretchy in one direction so, to prevent over-stretch, I first attached it to some cotton lining fabric. Fully re-assembled this chair deserves to be in the spotlight.