Born on the Fourth of July
I bought this poor abused bent wood rocker back mid-March. I immediately saw her inner beauty. She was "born" on the Fourth of July - and she is gorgeous and independent.
For time of project - I put 3 months. Keep in mind - I was hand sanding, in the south, amidst the heat and humidity. Taking my time. So, it was slow going, but in cooler weather would have taken a heck of lot less time.
Here she is....sad and forlorn....not happy at all. She cost me $15. Time to take her apart. 33 wood screws and 16 machine bolts.
I started hand sanding the finish off with 60 grit sandpaper, until I remembered the wonders of a Dremel. Once I took the finish off with the Dremel, I hand sanded all the pieces - 60 grit, 120 grit, then 180 grit. I know different people use different grits, but this works best for me with the stain that I use. Once done, I wiped all the pieces with a microfiber towel (to get all the sand dust off).
I used Minwax Water Based Wood Stain. I had asked for the "dark blue" of the 'standard' colors Minwax has (found out it's called Navy Blue), I got "True Blue". I didn't notice til after I applied my 1st coat of stain. You can "make" any color stain w/Minwax. I find that cool
***Tip - check the tint label before you leave the store***
Oh well, still looks good. Onward!
2nd coat of stain. Looking better.
Note on Minwax Water Based stain. You apply it then let it sit for ONLY 1-3 minutes then wipe off. You must NOT let the stain dry on the pieces, and this can happen quickly/easily in a draft (which is why I stain in my craft room - more below). Most of the time, my coats are only 1-2 minutes TOPS.
3rd coat of stain. Much better! Happy girl!
I don't have a "she-shed" but I have a Craft Room in my house. All my staining/painting/lacquering is done in here. No dust, no flying critters to mar the finish, and my hubby even made me "lines" to hang the pieces while they're drying.
Take note of the fan in the window facing OUT. I exhaust the air out the window to maintain a proper air flow so I don't pass out while lacquering. I only do this for the lacquer, not the stain and Minwax Water Based stain has no offensive odor and is safe to use inside.
I did not do the caning myself - once I had the seat and seat back rings finished, I sent them off to a local caner - South's Treasures in Lugoff, SC. Less than a week later (he had to order the cane) and they were ready to pick up.
Here she is all put together again! The caning looks absolutely gorgeous. The only thing left for me to do is get some spray lacquer and spray the TOP ONLY (where you sit) of the seat and seat back to keep any spills from staining.
I love this rocker! It's comfortable, beautiful and fits ME perfectly!
Now to find a cute saying for a "Keep off - mom's rocker" pillow...
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WOW!! Just beautiful!!
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Thanks!
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I'd love to try to make-over an old bentwood rocker if I could only find one. I live in California, and haven't seen a bentwood rocker in many years.
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Seriously - try FB Marketplace. That's where I got mine. Look under Project Furniture.
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Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
What do you mean by 'you can make any color stain with Minwax'?
Did the caning company install the cane into the chair frame?
You obviously wanted to do this perfectly and took the time and did the details perfectly, do you think it would be possible to sand it somewhat and paint it, without dismantling it? It would not look like yours, which is stunning, but for the rest of us with time constraints, it could be done, right?