Three chairs, three scenarios - techniques to restore chairs to their intended beauty. This article will show you how to deal with previously oiled/polished chairs, previously lacquered/varnished chairs and previously painted chairs. These techniques can be used, by extension, on other similar furniture pieces.
DEALING WITH A PREVIOUSLY OILED/POLISHED FINISH
Before applying the first step of cleaning the wood, we had to remove the old rattan. It had been fixed to the chair back by a cane strip and glue pushed into a retaining groove. To prevent damage to the wood surrounding the groove, we used a sharp carpet knife around the edges. Then we used a thin chisel, slightly narrower than the groove, to "dig" out the retaining strip and old rattan (a small screwdriver could also be used). Now for our three steps...
 
Cleaning the Wood
First we used a cloth well soaked in mineral turpentine to wipe away the old grime and as much of the polish build-up as possible. Then we used Medium Woodoc SteelWool and mineral turps to remove all of the old polish. Always working with the grain. Finally, we used a stiff plastic brush and mineral turpentine to clean out the grooves in the head piece and ball and claw feet. A final wipe down with a cloth dampened with mineral turpentine and the wood was left to dry.
Preparing the Wood
The chair was made of a hardwood (stinkwood in this case). As such the grain did not fluff up. All that was required was a careful and thorough smoothing down ith Woodoc Fine SteelWool. We did this twice to be sure. We rubbed it down and dusted it very well. We rubbed it down again paying special attention to the areas we felt weren't done well enough the first time. Lastly, we wiped the chair down with a cloth dampened with mineral turpentine and the chair was left to dry.
Sealing the Wood
Our choice was Woodoc 5 for a natural "oiled" look.
Following the instructions on the tin, we applied three coats, sanding down after the first and second lightly with Woodoc Fine SteelWool.
DEALING WITH A PREVIOUSLY LACQUERED OR VARNISH FINISH
These lovely American High Backs were lacquered which had dulled and started to deteriorate.
Cleaning the Wood
To remove the old lacquer we used a reputable brand of paint stripper following the instructions on the tin. Because virtually all the surfaces were round and patterned, we used pot scourers to remove the stripper - working with the grain at all times. To clean out the grooves we applied more stripper and used a plastic brush (this avoided using an abrasive/scourer across the grain). The brush was also used to clean out the patterning on the head piece.
Preparing the Wood
The residual stripper was wiped off the wood with mineral turpentine. Then the wood was left to dry thoroughly. As with the stinkwood chair, Woodoc Fine SteelWool was used to smooth the surface. We also used the SteelWool very lightly in a circular motion to smooth the grooved parts. The chairs were thoroughly dusted and then wiped down with a cloth dampened with mineral turpentine to remove all the dust.
Sealing the Wood
We used Woodoc 10 for a velvet finish to match the style of the chairs. Three coats as per instructions were applied and we sanded lightly after the first and second coats, using Woodoc Fine SteelWool.
DEALING WITH OLD PAINT
Here we had the opportunity of taking an uninteresting white painted chair and turning it into something very interesting.
Cleaning the Wood
There are two ways of removing old paint:
1. With a Paint Stripper
Use a reputable brand and follow the instructions. We used a combination of a triangular scraper on the flat surfaces and pot scourers on the round pieces.
2. With a Hot Air Gun
These are expensive for just one job but are generally quicker and cleaner to use than paint stripper. A triangular scraper should be used to keep your hands away from the heat. Care must also be taken not to scorch the wood.
In both methods care must be taken to get the old paint out of the joints and cracks. We used the tip of a carpet knife to get into the cracks and corners.
Preparing the Wood
Once all the paint was removed, the chair was wiped down with mineral turpentine and left to dry thoroughly. An 80 grit sandpaper was used on the flat surfaces to remove the last of the paint in the grain. Then we progressively used finer sandpaper - up to 240 grit - to completely smooth the surfaces. Woodoc Medium SteelWool followed by Fine was used on the round surfaces to achieve the same result. We then dusted thoroughly and wiped down with a cloth dampened in mineral turpentine.
Sealing the Wood
We used Woodoc 10, tinted with Knysna Green. Always apply three coats of Woodoc Sealer. If the colour you require is right after the first or second coat, finish the job with a clear sealer. Woodoc has 20 tints to choose from but we settled for classical Knysna Green and will do the other chair in Kalahari Red.
Materials Needed:
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