Polyurethane – Transforming Trash

#46 Ice Cream Parlor Set

A friend asked if I wanted to transform this table and three chairs she was getting rid of. I didn’t hesitate to accept. Even though they were in a bad way, they have a charm I couldn’t resist. I’ve always loved bistro-type sets; they conjure up visions of outdoor dining in romantic European cities. It was only when I started work on them that I discovered they are 130+ years old and are a true gem.

Materials used: Rust-Oleum American Walnut stain, Varathane Dark Walnut stain, Rust-Oleum Rust Reformer, 1/4″ plywood, 1″ x 6′ red oak board, Rust-Oleum Satin Protective Enamel, Shellac, Varathane oil-based polyurethane.

A bit of a mess: The original, laminated plywood seats were either missing completely or damaged beyond repair. The paintwork was flaking and rusted. The table top was only being held together by the leg brackets and a makeshift brace, and the finish had almost completely worn away.

Researching the maker’s mark on the underside of the table revealed that this set was made in the late 19th-century by a company called A H Andrews of Chicago. In their catalog (where I found these images) they state that they made metal furniture for “Drug Stores, Confectioneries, Restaurants, Clubs, Billiard Parlors, Barber Shops, Shoe Stores, Offices and Reception Rooms”. This set is made of Bessemer steel and originally had a Japanese copper finish. The seats were laminated plywood and the table top was mahogany or quarter-sawn oak. When I read that another original finish option was white enamel, I knew I could paint with a clear conscience.

Leg brackets and pine block holding the table top together.
Separated table parts after removing the legs and block.
Replacement reinforcing wood ring parts cut from new red oak.
Glued, clamped and re-assembled table top.

Once the table top had been repaired I routed the edge of the reinforcing wood ring, removed all the old finish and stained both the top and the new wood ring with Rust-Oleum American Walnut stain followed by Varathane Dark Walnut stain.

It was then time to prep the steelwork by first removing any loose paint. What was going to be the most effective way? I looked into sandblasting and chemical dipping but they were expensive. I tried wire brushes, sandpaper, and my Dremel but that was fiddly. Then I remembered our 173cc pressure washer and turbo nozzle which will take the skin off your bones if you’re not careful. It worked wonders.

With a little help from Handy Hubby I took apart the pressure-washed chairs so I could cut, prime and install new plywood seats. Next I used a product I have used before on old metalwork that had signs of rust: Rust-Oleum Rust Reformer “instantly bonds with rust and transforms it to a non-rusting, flat-black paintable surface and prevents future rust.”

Once the chairs and table were re-assembled I applied 3 coats of Rust-Oleum Protective Enamel in shell white satin finish to all the metalwork.

Finally the stained tabletop was sealed with 2 coats of shellac and then finished with 2 coats of Varathane oil-based polyurethane in satin finish.

#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.

#43 Birch chair

This chair sat in my garden shed for nearly four years while I waited for inspiration; it came in the form of a stencil. If I’m honest, I underestimated this piece. It wasn’t until I started prep work that I realized it’s made of solid birch and is a quality piece of furniture. It quickly took precedence over the piece I was already working on, and I’m thrilled with how it turned out. I had one mishap along the way; read on to see the mistake I won’t make again!

Materials used: Zinsser shellac-base primer, Rust-Oleum semi-gloss protective enamel, Show-Offs stencil, Anita’s acrylic craft paint, Varathane oil-based polyurethane in satin finish.

When I went to clean this chair I discovered a label under the seat. A bit of internet research quickly revealed that the chair was made in Canada by AP Industries, Inc. who “made quality case goods out of solid birch”. It was then that I decided to sand the seat back to bare wood to showcase some of the birch.

Once the chair had been cleaned and sanded, I masked off the seat and primed the frame. I chose a shellac-base primer because it will block any residual color better.

Now it was time to apply my inspiration: a faux cane stencil by Show-Offs. There are no bridges in the stencil; it is attached to a fine silk mesh that the paint can penetrate. After sealing the bare wood with a couple of coats of polyurethane (1) I was ready to start. At this point I made the mistake of trying to spray-paint the frame and stencil at the same time. The first application went well, but after cleaning the stencil with mineral spirits, it no longer stuck properly and the spray paint bled (2). I had to sand the seat back to bare wood and start again with a new stencil and acrylic craft paint that I applied with a sponge brush — much better (3). When the pattern was complete, I finished with three coats of semi-gloss polyurethane (4).

To finish the project I masked the completed seat and applied a couple more coats of semi-gloss enamel to the frame.

#42 Klaussner end table

This project nearly made me hang up my paintbrush, and it will not make my top 10 list when I eventually reach my goal! It still fights me by refusing to be photogenic. Trust me when I tell you that the table top looks better in person than it does in any pics.

A friend of mine originally bought this end table as part of a living room set in the early 2000s. The matching coffee table had not withstood the rigors of raising four children; this table showed the scars, and had been put to the curb. It is a good quality Klaussner table that needed a complete makeover. The flare of the legs, the grid pattern of the lower shelf, and the upward curved edges of the top were what inspired the Japanese-style makeover.

The wood took the stain unevenly which gives the top a more aged look

Materials used: Rust-Oleum 2X Ultracover primer, Rust-Oleum 2X Ultracover gloss Colonial red, Varathane wood stain (Kona), Folk Art Treasure Gold 5535, Varathane oil-based polyurethane in satin.

A previous paint job desperately needed fixing.

After I dismantled the table, I used paint stripper to remove most of the finish on the top.

I then sanded the top down to bare wood and painted it matte black.

Meanwhile I sanded and primed the legs and lattice shelf (which was no mean feat). My Dremel 3000 with a sanding attachment was invaluable on the lattice work.

My vision really started to take form when I painted the legs and lattice with Rust-Oleum Colonial Red in a gloss finish.

Turning my attention back to the table top, I printed and cut out some cherry blossom clip art. I transferred the image to the matte black surface using a chalk pencil (part tracing the outline and part freehand). Next I used my Dremel Diamond Wheel Point engraving attachment to carve the image into the wood. A coat of Varathane wood stain in Kona darkened the carved wood, and then I picked out some details with Folk Art Treasure Gold 5535.

Everything was going perfectly (top right pic), until I applied the final coats of lacquer and it turned blotchy and cloudy.

The only way to remove the blotchy lacquer was to sand back to the bare wood again. Since I didn’t want to paint over the engraving, this time I decided to stain the surface. After three applications of Varathane wood stain in Kona, the top was a lovely rich brown color.

I liked the soft sheen so much I decided to apply wax instead of polyurethane at this point. However, the final coats of wax also looked blotchy, no matter how much I buffed it. It was back to the drawing board again as I removed the wax finish with mineral spirits and re-sanded the surface.

After removing the wax, I needed to stain the surface again and touch up the gold details. When I was satisfied with how it looked, I went with finish #3: Varathane oil-based polyurethane in a satin finish. Finally I had success.

#40 Windsor chair

If a chair could look like a hug then I think it would be this chair. As usual I hesitated when I first saw it because I already had a garage full of projects. I just couldn’t resist its charm.

Materials used: Rust-Oleum 2X spray paint (black, flat), Varathane oil-based polyurethane (satin).

In my research I learned a lot about Windsor chairs, but I never found out the provenance of this particular one. I only know it is a low-back Windsor chair with a shield seat and front legs that are turned and tapered. At the same time as learning that Windsor chairs were often painted dark green, brown, or black (to disguise mixed use of woods) I saw a chair in House & Garden that became my inspiration piece (bottom right). After cleaning, I sanded the chair a little to smooth out a few lumps and bumps. I didn’t want to paint over the markings so I covered them with a piece of contact paper.

One can of Rust-Oleum 2X Ultra Cover in flat black formed the base coat.

When the base coat was dry I used 220 then 400 grit sandpaper to give it the distressed look I wanted.

I finished the piece with three coats of Varathane oil-based polyurethane in a satin finish, lightly sanding the whole chair before the third and final coat. I could also have finished it with some clear wax but… spindles! Spraying spindles is a lot easier than brushing them.

#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.

#35 Pedestal table

Materials used: Wood filler, spray paint, transfer, ceiling paint, wood stain, polyurethane.

This pedestal table was one of several abandoned furniture pieces in a fixer-upper homestead my friend bought. Rather than discard it, she offered it to me to transform. Now that it’s finished, I find myself in need of a table about this size and shape, but with a different look. I’m hoping something similar comes my way soon so I can try out another design.

Before I could do anything with this table I needed to be able to fix a wobbly foot that was preventing it from standing stably. It turns out that removing the feet from the pedestal was a lot easier than I thought. You can see a how-to video here.

Once the feet were removed from the pedestal I cleaned and sanded all the woodwork and repaired the damaged foot with wood filler.

I then reassembled the base using plenty of wood glue to make sure the feet are now really secure.

I had planned to leave the tabletop bare, but when I sanded it I found that the veneer was too thin. Plan B was to paint the entire table with several coats of Rust-Oleum 2X Ultra Cover in Canyon Black satin finish.

I used the same stencil I used on the Sophia desk to apply a perfectly sized pattern to the tabletop. I used ceiling paint because its flat finish would take up color from a stain.

A quick application of some Varathane wood stain in Kona took the edge off the brightness of the white ceiling paint. And a few coats of Varathane oil-based polyurethane in a satin finish give the tabletop the protection it needs.

#33 Ethan Allen console cabinet

Transformation expenses: $205

Before I even got it home fate had a plan for this Ethan Allen cabinet. On the day I decided to rescue it, I called a friend and neighbor to help me load it onto my truck. Straight away she knew it would work as the bar cabinet she and her husband wanted for their library/office renovation. Designing it to be a showstopper in an eclectic room with both rustic and modern elements was a challenge. I’m happy with how it turned out.

I started by taking the piece apart, stripping the top, removing the old hardware, filling the holes with doweling and wood filler, and cleaning and sanding everything.

I primed the carcass with two cans of Rust-Oleum 2X Ultracover primer. I then added some glamour to the inside panels of the doors & cabinet using Rust-Oleum Aged Metallic paint in Vintage Gold. You’d think this stuff was real gold the way it has been disappearing off the shelves!

Next I added the Wow! factor with four coats of Behr high gloss enamel in a custom color that we’ll call Hermes Orange. I actually took a friend’s Hermes scarf box to The Home Depot for them to color match.

The lovely maple top of this cabinet is the design element that pulls everything together. I custom stained it to complement the rustic fireplace mantel it would be near. The stain was a 50:50 mix of Varathane premium wood stains in Cognac and Dark Walnut. I then added a bespoke stenciled design that mirrors the one on the new door pulls.

New door pulls from Bellwith Keeler and new brass hinges updated the hardware

The back panel had to be replaced because it had warped, so I got my husband to cut out all the identification from the old back panel and then I attached it to the underside of the cabinet. I also attached mirror glass to the inside of the back panel, then reassembled the piece. A glass interior shelf was the finishing touch.

#29 Antique Queen Anne-style dressing table

Transformation expenses – $55.46

This circa 1910 dressing table was put to the curb just yards from my house! Its beautiful, long legs drew my attention immediately. Despite being disguised in paisley fabric I knew it could look amazing just because of its fine lines.

I secretly liked the fabric-covered look but it had been very badly done and was falling off in places. A lot of it just peeled away and the rest came off after a little dampening.

I was delighted to find the top and drawer fronts in pretty good condition, but other parts of the piece were seriously damaged, including a leg that had obviously been broken and shoddily repaired.

After much research and deliberation I realized it would not be worth attempting a full restoration so I decided on a combined restore & refinish approach. I started by restoring the drawer fronts, which have a beautiful tiger maple veneer. Fortunately the fabric adhesive came off with a dilute soap solution and did not require any solvent. Once they were cleaned, I used Howard Restor-A-Finish in walnut followed by Howard Feed-n-Wax oil-based wood conditioner.

The Chippendale-style drawer pulls were so tarnished they were nearly black (top right). I considered leaving them that way but realized they would complement the restored drawer fronts more if they were refreshed. I set about polishing them, only to find they are brass plated, not solid brass. The Bar Keeper’s Friend I was using removed some of the brass plating (top left) but all other gentler approaches I tried were ineffective. I decided to go ahead and polish them all then touch them up with Rust-Oleum’s Metallic in gilded brass (bottom).

When it came to the table top, allowing myself to refinish rather than restore had a couple of advantages: For one thing it would have been impossible to remove the adhesive without damaging the old finish and for another I could now use a more modern, durable ,and practical polyurethane. I got back to the bare wood using stripper and sandpaper. I then applied Rust-Oleum wood stain in American Walnut, followed by 3 coats of Varathane polyurethane in semi-gloss. The color perfectly complements the drawer fronts.

Finally it was time to tackle the frame and legs. The biggest challenge of this piece was the adhesive used to attach the old fabric covering. It behaved differently on every different surface. Some mineral spirits thinned it out in places but would not remove it completely. In the end there was nothing for it but to sand it off. Using 150, then 220, then 400 grit sandpaper I eventually removed all traces of adhesive. I used professional wood filler to repair some dings, cracks, and damaged veneer.

Once all the cavities were masked off ,I applied primer followed by two coats of Rust-Oleum Canyon Black in satin finish. The piece was then ready to reassemble.

#26 Pair of solid oak rocking chairs

Transformation expenses: $120.16

This pair of rocking chairs was no doubt discarded because the herringbone cane was falling apart, and the cost to replace it is prohibitive (around $500 per chair). However it seemed a shame to throw the baby out with the bathwater so I picked them up and contemplated a more economical solution.

The caning in both chairs was damaged beyond repair. There was no choice but to remove it all. Being able to take out the seat pads made the job a lot easier.

Pressure washing the frames to remove the ingrained dirt was possibly the most fun I’ve had on a project to date. The difference was amazing!

Pressure washing was hard on the wood and patches of the original finish were still there so a good bit of sanding was needed. I used 80 then 150 then 220 grit sandpapers to bare and smooth the wood.

The first of two more economical solutions was to replace the backrest caning on each chair with new spindles. We started with a 9ft long piece of 2″ x 1″ oak. My husband rounded the edges with a palm router then cut four spindles of the right length.

I attached the new spindles using doweling joints at the top rail and 3″ screws through the bottom rail. The frames were now ready for staining.

Before staining I treated the chairs with Minwax pre-stain conditioner. I then applied Minwax gel stain in mahogany to match my client’s front door.

Two coats of Minwax indoor/outdoor Helmsman Spar Urethane in clear satin finished the woodwork.

The second solution was to replace the cane seats with woven rush seats. Armed with a 10 lb reel of fiber rush, the necessary tools, and a really good instructional video I took on the challenge. You can find the video here and I am happy to share my learning curve with anyone who wants to attempt this themselves.

The seats turned out great. To finish them off ,and provide as much protection as possible, I applied 3 coats of shellac (50:50 solution in denatured alcohol) top and bottom.