Asked on Mar 26, 2015
Can these chairs be saved?
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My husband and I bought this set very cheap. They are sturdy chairs and we love the detail on the top and that part is in great condition. The problem is they are missing some of the bottom bars and all the chair seats are marked. We love the wood and don't want to paint them. We need suggestions.
9 answers
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looks like a good sanding, staining ( or not ) wood look nice, the missing parts can be purchased at Lowes (spindles or dowels) .. good luch
Tudyrunningwater
on Mar 26, 2015
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try fixing them with wax.
Mia Martin
on Mar 26, 2015
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I would get a good stripper, stain them, seal with non yellowing urethane. You can probably get the spindles at a good hardware store like lowes,homedepot.
Marcia
on Mar 26, 2015
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I just purchased (6) similar chairs and I'm considering painting them. I found this one on Pinterest and I love it! I'm thinking of a powder blue for mine. Pinterest has MANY ideas!
Doreen Colman
on Mar 26, 2015
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I found out that a stain color mixed with a glazing compound can be an easy fix to marked up wood. (I did it on my pine floors) Just put the stained glaze over the bad spots and wallah...fixed. Use a sealer over that for protection.
Carol
on Mar 26, 2015
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Sounds like you love the chairs and you feel they are solid wood, so your answer is save them. Now you just need to decide how you want them to look. Do you want to restore to original or have them distressed but cleaned up. Note: Careful with a stripper bc usually dangerous so use protection and neutralize the surface bf staining or anything else with denatured alcohol. If you want to restore then then sanding and staining is work but you will love them and the work you put in.
Linda 4 Real
on Mar 27, 2015
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I recommend taking "baby steps." By that, I mean first give them a good all-over washing with something like Murphy's Oil Soap. Let them dry thoroughly. At this point you will see what is damage and what was soiled surface. Then, using medium steel wool, rub over the areas you deem to be damage. Rub with the grain of the wood and wipe with a tack cloth or a barely damp cloth to remove any residue. Sometimes that's all that is necessary to remove blemishes. I don't recommend sanding until absolutely necessary. If this process isn't sufficient to restore a reasonably acceptable surface, then you might consider applying some stripper and removing the finish. Once you've done that, you will have to restain and refinish the wood. As for the missing spindles, replacing them exactly will be next to impossible but you might come close if you find another chair with similarly-turned back spindles. Otherwise, you could reduce the number of spindles in each chair, causing them to all match without inserting replacements. The two outboard spindles on each back could be removed, the holes in the upper back and seat filled with stainable wood filler. This method allows you to have spare spindles in the event that some of the ones still in the chairs get broken. You don't mention if any of the hip huggers are missing. If they are, they are easily replaced by purchasing them from any number of furniture restorer sites. Just make sure they are the correct size because they do come in more than one size. As I've mentioned in other posts here on Hometalk, my late husband was a cabinet maker and furniture restorer. I worked with him in our business for over 30 years. My suggestions come from those years of experience.
Swan Road Designs
on Mar 27, 2015
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I agree with Swan. It's one thing painting chairs, but stripping and sanding down chairs is hard work. Baby steps is the way to go.
Sherrie
on Mar 28, 2015
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If these are just scratches, I would try the 3/4 cup Canola oil + 1/4 cup white vinegar treatment first. Have used this mix successfully on items where there are scratches or some of the finish has worn off.
Marion Nesbitt
on Mar 29, 2015
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