Restoring Plycraft Lounge Chair and Armrest Bolt help  

Easy
There is a long and exhaustive thread about restoring PlyCraft chairs at the link below.
As for the bolt - if it's one of the ones under the arm, my guess is a 1/4" carriage bolt. Not sure how long you would need. You can disassemble the chair into all of its pieces quite easily - start by removing the screws that hold the cushions in places. Then remove the cushions and you will see the backsides of the armrest bolts, which should tell you how long they are.
Notes on finishing veneer here:
http://www.designaddict.com/design_addict/forums/index.cfm/fuseaction/th...

Nichole
These chairs are very easy to take apart and they go back together nicely, too. (Doesn't always work that way, does it?)
Take out all the smaller black wood screws on each section of the chair and on the ottoman. The cushions have a thin plywood base that is held into the outer shells by these screws. Once they're out, gently pry the inner shells loose. Be careful not to scrape the seat cushion edges against the arm rests. You might have to unscrew the armrests first to get the seat cushion out. The screws are on the underside of the top surface of the arm rests.
Once you get the cushions out, you can remove the arm rest supports by undoing the nuts on the inside of the outer seat shell.
I just refinished two of these chairs with ottomans and I found it easier to remove all the hardware first. That means the chair and ottoman bases, the arm rest connectors and even the two pieces that connect the head rest to the back. It's just too hard keeping chemical stripper off these parts. And tricky to work around them.
I used a paste-type chemical stripper outdoors. It's nasty but it works quickly. I let it sit for 10-15 mins then scraped off the goo, then went over it again with 00 steel wool and a little more stripper. Then wiped down with paint thinner and paper towels. I did a fine sanding when it was dry just to smooth the grain and insure a uniform color.
I used a Danish oil finish on mine. I like that look. What I did not like about the original finish was that it was a tinted varnish, which I think they used to even out variations in the grain. Varied grain is more stylish now than it was a few decades ago. Plus, tinted varnish has a nasty way of chipping off when scuffed against a wall, and there's no way to touch it up nicely, which you probably know by now and that's why you're thinking about refinishing!
Anyway, the oil finish gives a very matte look with one coat. All the light-colored scratches are gone. I plan re-do my two daughters' chairs when I have time. It was pretty quick to do since the pieces are just big planes, no fussy turned or carved details to slow you down.

Thank you for your great...
Thank you for your great help and advice on this.
I tried to disassemble the ottoman. I took out all the screws but it still seemed glued to the base or attached in some way. Are these glued to the wood? The cushions on the chair come off very easily but for some reason the ottoman cushion will not come off at all.
Also the tips and link for refinishing the veneer is exactly what I needed and I will be starting this projected this weekend. Thank you so much for all your help!

nichole
I've had to pry some cushions out of the outer shell. I think maybe some adhesive was used on some, or maybe the wood just stuck together due to humidity over the years.
Try gently slipping a butter knife between the cushion and outer shell and working it back and forth a bit. If you can get one edge free, you might be able to pop it out. Just be gentle. No forcing.