J. J.
I didn't mean to imply that you paid too much in saying that I got mine for so little, just that I am still stunned by my good luck. I think you paid a great price and there is a lot to be said for supporting a thrift shop of that type. (Though I think in these parts, Goodwill might not have put it out on the floor at all---unless maybe someone spotted the mark on it and knew a thing or two).
Found LuciferSum's tips on using soap flakes:
http://www.designaddict.com/design_addict/forums/index.cfm/fuseaction/th...
also
My chair is out on loan right now so I can't check--but are the spindles just straight cylinders? No taper at the ends? If so, it'll be really easy for a repair person to stick a new one in there of the same wood. Well, pretty easy, anyway. And even if they do have some shaping, it's still a fairly simple repair.
Are the joints tight? It looks like this was used as a porch rocker, maybe. A lot of humidity changes might have loosened up the joints. You might want to let it stabilize in your house for a month or two before making a final assessment of that kind of thing.
PS--it's actually not the most comfortable rocker in the world as is, but with a lumbar pillow it's pretty good. IMHO.
Me again
LuciferSum posted the link below with specific instructions on using soap flakes on paper cord seats:
http://www.soap-flakes.com/recipes.html
I'm still here
Pure Soap Flakes are available online ($7.99/lb on Amazon, free shipping) but as I suspected, they're essentially Ivory soap in flake form. I lived in Denmark for a year and a Danish friend there told me that you can just use Ivory soap. (They also wash their pine floors with the same soap weekly, so to them it's not anything out of the ordinary.)
Directions below. I actually have a jar of this stuff that I made for felting wool! And I know of some dirty paper cord that I could use it on. Hmm....
http://www.ehow.com/how_5021399_make-soap-flakes.html
Great stuff
Thanks Spanky for all your work. If soap flakes are the best way to go, I'll start looking into all that right away.
The spindles do taper a bit in both directions.
Robert1960, sorry I didn't have better pics. I was shocked to be standing in front of a Wegner chair and thought how often is this going to come around? And hey, it's just paint right? 🙂
Thanks again, gentlemen.
http://4jjwright@gmail.com
Wouldn't it be possible to...
Wouldn't it be possible to repair the spindle with a pin in the center? It would take some skill to position the pin properly, but it seems like it could certainly be done, and I think that from a conservation point of view, it'd be preferable to an entirely new piece. Nice find, btw!
Spindle Repair
Hey Brbeard,
I'm not comfortable with any repair myself to the spindle unless it's some glue. Sounds like you're onto something and that I could recommended to a shop around here.
I'd like to have as much information and experience to help me approach it the best and most cost-effective way.
Thanks!
If your chair
is up for a repaint anyway, the spindle should be an easy fix with glue and plenty sturdy as well. Also It could be completely invisible after a new paint job. If it were mine I would dry fit it back together to make sure the two sides aligns properly, then glue it. A wood or soft jawed clamp should hold it just fine (little cardboard shims can help prevent dents from the clamp). I do a lot of repair work and it looks straight foward to me.
Titebond Wood Glue!
I have used this wood glue for numerous incidental repairs and found it to be superior bonding strength and easy to work with.The tip is very narrow,so you can drizzle a good amount in the crack.(Be sure and mask around the seat base first)Then you can clamp with a padded clamp so as not to mar the wood.Be sure and clean the excess which will squeeze out with a damp cloth.Wait 30 minutes and unclamp,and don't sit in the chair for 24 hrs until fully cured/set. You can then lightly sand and paint with a satin,or matt black spray paint,whichever might match.I repaired a cracked lower spindle on a black McCobb Bowtie chair in this manner and it came out perfect.Good luck,and do post the results.
Glue
Thanks Tulipman!
Love to hear the consensus but that sounds great. I probably will look into having it repainted professionally but I certainly might take a stab at a glue & clamp job.
Damn this thing is beautiful. I'm happy I pulled the trigger and brought it home. And very happy I have you all on the forum for guidance.
Titebond is probably the...
Titebond is probably the most widely recommended glue used by woodworkers, and is an excellent glue, as Tulipman stated. You do not need to bother with Titebond II or III, as they are for water resistance. Regular Titebond is fine. I would test clamp the spindle before gluing, to be sure that you have enough clamps on hand to do the job. Also, if the crack does not close fully, you should try to see if there are any stray wood fibers (even tiny ones) inside the crack that can be removed. After gluing and clamping, wipe away the glue that was squeezed out using a damp rag. I would leave it clamped for at least 24 hours.
Cleaning
Try water only first. I did that on mine, even though I read a recommendation to NEVER use water on paper cord, and it worked. If that does not work, try water and soap flakes. Lastly, you will have to either have it rewoven or reweave yourself. You can purchase paper cord on Ebay or Amazon I believe. I love the wear on the black. Adds a ton of character.
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