Hi All,
I just picked up 4 vintage bertoia side chairs through eBay - spent so much less than through some place like DWR. They don't have pads or glides. Have you all found glides or pads that you've felt good about? I've seen some older posts and know there are glides and pads available through eBay, but I don't know how good they are. I'm in SF and saw some pads at Advanced Interior Design, they were made by Alphaville and just so-so. Not as nice as the originals I saw at DWR, but $30 vs $150.
Also, I want to sandblast and powdercoat them. I don't know if there are any Bay Area peeps out there and if there are any recommendations (the East Bay would be best, as we're technically in Oakland). I called Patio Chair Care in Concord and they are quoting me $95/chair, but this would include sandblasting, a primer layer, and then the final layer. I don't know if I need a primer layer - he recommended it, but said it would be $70/chair without the primer. For those of you who have done this, have you gone the route of primer or not?
Thanks so much for any advice!
K
Indeed, sandblasting is a bad idea...
You should get in touch with a shop which will "dip" them. It's a chemical solution technique used to remove everything down to the metal frame. Then they'll be good to go for a powder coat treatment. I don't think the primer layer is necessary. But it's not a bad idea either if you'll be giving them a bit of use. Powder coating is better than spray paint but it's still susceptible to nicks and dings.
As for the pads, why not wait for a vintage set to present itself?
I agree with lunchbox on...
I agree with lunchbox on this one. Sandblasting these will result in a shoddy finish at best due to the complex nature of the chairs. Too many nooks and crannies. They will need to be dipped which may be cheaper than sandblasting anyway. There is no need for a primer coat in powder coating that I have experienced. Most colors if standard, are a one shot application.
thanks!
thanks you all for the input...
i remember reading about sandblasting versus dipping in the past and vaguely remember this coming up with regards to the vinyl coating. i thought someone had ok'd the sandblasting and even posted the results which looked good. i can't remember all the details as it was before i actually had my chairs and wasn't as motivated.
but, to be safe, i will go the route of dipping. does anyone have a recommendation for any place specific in the Bay Area and any sense of what a reasonable price might be for this (and for the powedercoating)?
it's good to know the single layer should be sufficient for the powdercoating, without any primer. one note is that i am hoping to use these on our deck and we do get a good deal of rain over the year - would this make any difference as far as primer or not?
i will keep an eye out for some vintage pads. but do any of you have any experience with the non-Knoll pads seen on eBay or other places?
the wrench.....
i would lean towards MEDIA-blasting....there are a multitude of different materials that are used in this method that have varying degrees of abrasiveness/courseness...the problem i would see with chemical dipping is that powdercoat still needs a good a "scored" surface to adhere properly....the intricate nature of the chair has no bearing whatsoever, media blasting gets into the tightest of spaces providing the media is fine enough- which it usually always is...
there is definitely such a thing as powder coat primer, but in this application i would say its unnecessary and in all reality would result in a good amount of build-up [pwdr ct primer+ pwdr coat color = high mil thickness] and would detract from the design of the chair...
one thing that doesnt seem to have been mentioned is inspecting closely after whatever process you choose for weak or broken welds...i know these are prone to that and it would be a shame to find them after the fact...
Hi,
I just picked up the...
Hi,
I just picked up the chairs at the local Greyhound. They look nice and I'm sure will look better after being restored. I'm not sure what will emerge after the treatment (media-blasting versus dipping), but at this point one chair does have some breaks behind the rear joints that connect the chair and base (i.e. it is the wire of the chair that is broken at a location just behind the square joint). They seem like clean breaks but they are rusted. How would I go about having these fixed? I'm waiting for some vintage pads to pop up, but am thinking that I might pick up something non-Knoll to start with, just to be able to sit more comfortably and to bring some more life to the chair. Have any of you bought non-Knoll pads for your side chairs and if so, where from and how do you like them?
Thanks Much,
K
the breaks....
have the breaks "fusion" welded after whatever stripping treatment you choose...the stripping will clean any contaminates from the surface i.e. rust, dirt, coating and there should be enough metal there to not have to add any with a typical weld...a fusion weld is nothing more than a TIG weld with out filler rod...any welding shop should be able to do this in very short order...
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