1st time caller long time listener

[supaflygy]

Well, hit the search button and scored the forum, but being a newbie to the timber times. Some of the terminiology has me baffled. I had to google every second expression & i was getting nowhere.

Sorry for waffling.
I bought myself some chairs, nothing super but they mean something to me as like a family tradition.
The are apparently made by 'The Melbourne Chair Company' from the 1920's. They are the Kangaroo Back Chairs.
Ok so i want to bring them back to life and make them useful for my home.

They are in pretty reasonable condition, out of 6 chairs, 3 are really good and could be used tomorrow with a bit of glue to steady up a wobble or two.
The rest need a bit more glue if you know what i mean.
The chairs are not painted. So i have that in my favour.

What i ask here is what do i do to restore them to their glory, do i sand/steel wool/shellac/stain???

Can't wait to spend hours on end working on them.

Thanks.

[Blackout]

Might be an idea if you could post a picture or two for people to have a bit more of an idea of what needs to be done. I've been cleaning mine with 0000 steel wool and methylated spirits then applying shellac and finally applying U-Beaut wax (just to the table so far) and they are looking nice.

Enjoy the restoration.

Blackout

[supaflygy]

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1145/...0554e1d45e.jpg

deep scratches

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1248/...7c06dd2533.jpg

the chair

[Honorary Bloke]

First off, very nice chairs. I like them a lot and if you find the restoration too challenging, feel free to post them to me.

Assuming they have not had repairs done to them in the past, the glue is likely hide glue (pearl glue) which can be heated to loosen the old glue and then additional hide glue applied which will meld with the old glue. Some tenons may need small wedges if the wood has "shrunk" (often meaning the mortise has expanded through the wobbling of the legs).

I would begin with the one in poorest shape first, unless I was in a hurry to use some of them. You may make some stuff-ups and at least you will be operating on the poorest of the lot so less sense of loss.

As usual, the most damage appears to be from the seat downwards, where shoes, walls, etc. cause dings. The seats appear to be thick enough that the seat scratches can be carefully sanded out, being midful to sand the entire seat at once to maintain smoothness and not end up with a "valley" in one spot.

NB: Keep the sandpaper well away from the carving on the back! A little steel wool, perhaps, but don't want to remove any depth from the relief work.

You might consider posting a thread here as a Work In Progress (WIP) with pictures, so you can take advice as you go. I am not the expert by any means, but there are those here who are and will be glad to help.

And welcome to the Forums.

[RufflyRustic]

Hi supaflygy

I fully support Blackout's and Bob's suggestions, especially suited for chairs.

Cheers
wendy

[Honorary Bloke]

If Wendy says it is so, then it is so. No more discussion. Anybody who supports my suggestions is a winner. But if Wendy offers a suggestion, I recommend you pay attention.

[ubeaut]

Welcome supabuzzingbloke - What the others said, however...... Rather than try and muddle through with no knowledge of what you are doing and a brief explanation from the ever helpful members of these forums, you may be better off getting a copy of "A Polishers Handbook" which actually goes into restoring pieces like this in full detail. From stripping and breaking down the wobbly chairs through gluing up with hide glue and right on through to the finished product all polished and freshened up.

Cheers - Neil
U-Beaut Polishes

PS be very careful around the backs. What appears to be carved, isn't carved it is actually pressed into the surface. Do not sand the chairs, stripping is a far better method and safer for the chairs in the long run especially if the sand paper is in the hands of a novice, which I gather you are by your question.

[glenrockgirl]

I have just found out about kangaroo back chairs ny the Melbourne Chair Company in the 1920s and have a question or two. When originally made were they made from different timbers or were they always all pine? I have seen 2 that are made from different timbers - ie pine seat and kangaroo back but different timber elsewhere.

[astrid]

I often get chairs like this and i find this the most satisfying treatment.

First as to the wobbles, you are going to have to carefully take the legs off, sand off all the old glue in the sockets and the joining bits. this isnt hard just make sure you mark and number the joins so they go back where their comfortable.
only do one chair at a time.
re glue with pva wood glue wipe off excess befor it dries.
if the joints are tight you wont need to clamp.
If you try to put new glue over the old it wont bond.
if the joints are loose, wrap them with abit of linen and soak them with the glue.

for the finish, first clean the old polish with 0000 steel wool and a mix of olive oil and vinager 50/50.
rub it on let sit 5 min and rub some more, this is a dirty job but wont damage the original polish, wipe off muck and let dry.
wax with a good quality bees wax.
put on thin with an old cotton sock over your hand.
let dry and then buff off with the other sock.

this will keep the aged look, (patina) but freshen them up

cheers
astrid

[astrid]

when you take the legs off watch there are no old nails hammered into the joins take it slowly and gently or you might break the inserting bits.
if you find nails rock very carefully to snap the nail not the timber.

astrid

[astrid]

i dont know if using two different timbers was standard, but remember this was the great depression, i have found that it was not uncommon to use different timber on "working class" furniture in this period as manufacturers used whatever was at hand.
on the other hand some timber is more suitable for turning and others for steam pressing the backs.
maybe some other members can give some insight into this.?
astrid

[MacS]

I maybe able to help you out here, and make it much easier for you with your chairs.

To remove hide glue, which actually is gelatin, you should use regular household vinegar, you will be surprised how it will dissolve that glue.

Once the spindles come off, you can be stick one end into a container filled with the vinegar, allow it to soak for a while, and then clean off the glue, and stick in the other end.

Be patient, and you shall be rewarded...

Good Luck

[Clinton1]

Hey mate, welcome to the forums.

Good score on the chairs, I've been thinking about getting a set of these myself and never found any I can afford.

I'll second Neil's comment re the "polishers handbook"... its a bloody useful book. You will pick up a lot of know how through this book and going to the local library and taking a look for the older furniture books.

Now, a cautionary note.

These chairs can be expensive (usually are) and you may not want to start your practice with a $1200 - $1600 set of chairs.

Have you thought of buying a really stuffed up chair from the local second hand shop or auction house (@$20)and practicing on that?

Its a good way to learn and to learn the "must not's" as well as the "should do's"...

Have fun!