Chair Advice

[Andyh77777]

I recently picked up four cedar chairs at a clearance sale for next to nothing. I have had a little experience in restoring furniture but would not want to set myself loose on something of higher value. I would appreciate any feedback on what level of respect I should attach to these chairs. Note the curious variation in leg turning on the chair on the left. The age of odd leg appears to be of the same order as the chair itself.

[old pete]

Hi Andyhhhh,

I'd say the odd chair leg is what we refer to as a mistake on the part of the turner. You need a pair of new legs to effect the repairs. I'm happy to turn them for you if you Pmail me. I have cedar but I'd have to laminate to get a square of the necessary dimension... that's no problem. I'd need the broken off leg as a sample or an accurate dimensioned drawing: preferably the former.


Old Pete

[rustynail]

Nice old pair of balloon backs. It would appear the left complete chair has, in the past, suffered the same fate as the broken chair and the leg has been replaced with what was available at the time.
The first turning has been taken in very deep for such a soft timber, creating a weak point.
They could both be returned to their former glory. PM me if you want them done.

[Andyh77777]

Thanks guys for your opinions and offers. I am keen to tackle the restoration myself as one of my many retirement projects. I have been slowly building up my ability to do spindle turning, and while not quite ready to load up a cedar blank right now, I hope that I will be eventually prepared to do this.

My main concern at this stage is to eliminate the possibility that I have stumbled upon chairs of such rarity that I should not attempt touching them myself. In any event I certainly won’t be rushing into any aspect of restoration.