Restoration part 2

[Mark Yundt]

Some of you may remember the cabinet I restored recently. Here is that thread http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...34-Restoration The second part of the project was the restoration of the chair. It was in much worse condition than the cabinet. On just one of the front carved panels under the seat there are 9 repairs. I had to repair rotted and split pieces, pocket joints that were gone, one arm along with the back carving that were in several pieces. All in all it was a mess which I chronicled on my blog. Here I'll post a few photos of the stages of restoration for you to see as well as the finished piece.

[Mark Yundt]

....and here is the finished piece.


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[Mike Wilkins]

Masterful restoration job. Would you be kind enough to share the cleaning and finishing steps with us??

[Mark Yundt]

Thank you Mike,
I didn't want to strip it to the point of looking like a new piece. I ( as well as the customer) wanted an aged look as if the piece has been maintained but shows the usual effects of aging.
I used a combination of lacquer thinner to cut the initial dirt and soften what finish was left. Then Formby's refinishing products to remove the bulk, followed by repeated applications of the thinners until I got to a satisfactory look. Being that there were so many variations of wood ( color and texture/grain) I then had to make up a variety of stains to try and balance the colors somewhat. The results are sketchy ( end grains in the carved areas vs. flat woods) but it seems to work well.
The color isn't as red nor as shiny as it appears in some of the photos because I used a flood lamp for illumination which also showed more shine and some of the areas were still a bit wet from the oil finish. I am shooting for a soft luster which I'm still addressing in some areas and killing shine in others as I buff out the final finish.
Still, it looks better than it did looking like parts left over from a fire.

[Jay Jolliffe]

Great job....It takes a lot of know how to do what you did.

[Jeff Monson]

Thats awesome Mark, you did a great resto on that chair.

[Kevin Adams]

Mark,

Awesome job, thanks so much for sharing.

Where do I sign up to apprentice with you??? Seriously, I need to set up a good time to visit in the future to see your work.

Take care,
Kevin

[Mark Yundt]

Hello Kevin,
Thanks! If you are from the area or plan on being in or around Bethlehem I'd love to have you stop in for a visit. The offer extends to anyone else who might be interested. Just give me a heads up. I don't generally have much in the shop except for whatever project I'm working on at the time as every piece is a commission. Then too there is always my portfolio to look at. But then again with the recent influx of work there should be plenty around to play with.
I look forward to visits. Most of my daily interaction is with my cat. She's not much of a conversationalist!