DCM, Stain or dye ??  

Keep in mind also that a future readers will find this thread in their search to find information on how to restore these. Even if this chair's original condition is gone forever, others might learn something valuable from this discussion.

I thank you, Zepyr, for confirming my aniline dye theory. Thank you also for cluing me in to the import of the snarky and unhelpful comments by others. I suppose I should have intuited what was driving them. Also, thank you for observing that " it is your chair so you can do what you like with it ...... especially now." Perhaps a bit of damning with faint praise, but nevertheless nice to have on record.

Knowing what I do of the original condition of my chair, ("patina" had nothing to do with it), I will leave the heartbreak over the supposed desecration of a museum piece to others I am confident that I will end up with a DCM which will provide an enjoyable sitting experience, be a source of visual pleasure and also a respectable example of a truly timeless design.......but not a museum piece.

Further comments and advice not encouraged.

As spanky has correctly noted, this thread will be read by future users who may have similar questions.

Therefore my message to these future readers is: if you come across an Evans red aniline DCM with finish issues (as almost all of them will have), please, please, please do not sand it and try to make it better. And if you accidentally sand it before reading this thread, please go ahead and sand off the Evans label as well, because at that point, it will just be there to haunt you forever.

Now if it's Lane Acclaim, then by all means, knock yourselves out with the Black and Decker.

@Pico I actually feel that your view that what you do with you furniture is your business isn't totally fair to people who value it. Unfortunately some items are more rare than others and it's an actual genuine shame when they're lost, as they are very much limited. You may intend to keep it for the rest of your life, but even that is a finite duration.

I can't say that I like DCMs, so I don't have a real interest in this particular topic and I can't say how rare these actually are either. But as a concept I hope maybe this explains some of the comments that appeared snarky.

It's also a shame that you found the right place to ask questions, but just a little too late!

And for the record, I like the non book-matched veneer on the seat.

At the risk of beating a dead horse, I have this to say:

How is it that the holier-than-thou trolls have pounced upon my post, piling on with disparagement, shock,grief, horror and outrage, but left another poor pilgrim entirly alone when he posted about his "DCM in deplorable condition" ???

https://www.designaddict.com/forum/Repair/Herman-Miller-DCM-Chair-Deplora...

Replies to his post were, for the most part, friendly, civil, helpful and encouraging.

Go figure !!!

Yes, well maybe I shouldn't have said anything - it's the second time in not very long I've gotten involved in a situation like this and I'd prefer not get typecast.

I was just trying to communicate that it's not personal, but given that post I suspect it's too late to convince you you're not being persecuted.

Good luck with your chair, I'm sticking to Danish threads from hereon...

.

The person in the other thread acquired the chair after other people had damaged it with tacks and red chalk paint.

And posted asking for advice *before* going at it with a power sander!

Don't sweat it Pico. My comment was backhanded, but no less true ...... it is your chair, and you can do with it what you like.

Your decision is clearly not what most of us would have done, but many of the people that commented on your post are some of the most knowledgeable in mid-century design that are out there. Not one, would I consider a troll.

Of course, none of us started out with an ounce of knowledge on this subject, and the journey to understanding was no doubt paved with mistakes like yours. I expect that much of the snarkyness in the responses is rooted in regret for some of these mistakes, just as your lashing out, is. So I return to my starting advice, don't sweat it.

Now, I have refinished dozens and dozens of pieces of mid century furniture(and made plenty of mistakes), but I have little experience with aniline dye application. I have finished birch and maple with stains and dyes, but not on pieces of furniture, and often with mixed results. What I can tell you is that these woods need to be sealed first. I would go with shellac (A few coats of Zinser Seal Coat) since it is compatible with just about every top coat you put on it. There are other methods of sealing as well, but I am less clear on their compatibility with aniline dyes. I can talk all day about about how to remedy wood issues, and apply traditional finishes for Mid Century designs, based on my experience. Since I have not had much experience with what you are asking, there is not much I can give you. I think you need to visit a wood-working forum to get the best advice on how to proceed, since I suspect that this question stretches the general understanding of finishes for people around here.

OK folks. Thanks for your attention to my posts. I believe that many of you are breathing a more rarefied air than would be good for my lungs.

Over and out.

pc

I still think it would look great in a sarcophagus of gold leaf, or perhaps upholstered in hair on buffalo hide (that would perhaps be more American).

I just feel that the entire idea of trying to breath life into in some semblance of the original technique is excruciating, like a Greek tragedy. Oedipus Rex maybe. It is a vain striving that can never be achieved. The tragedy is that the audience and all the other players all know this, but the lead character just can see it.

It has gone over to the other side, returned to the land of Plato

Just get some red dye. Like TransTints or Lockwood. Wet the wood, let it dry, then finely sand. Mix the dye up a in water. Not too strong... you can always add more. Then just apply it to the wood. Cover it evenly, quickly, and then wipe it all off. Let it dry, and you can then apply any kind of finish you want to seal/protect it.

Also they do make gold leaf in red.

This chair is no longer a DCM, precisely as the body is no longer the animal after death. It will not be visually pleasing. It will not be a respectable example of a timeless design.

We usually find it rather awkward to have bodies lying about. Hence in the vast majority of cases burial and cremation is elected. There are exceptions though. Taxidermy is an option. There are many people who find it appalling. This chair suffers from the same. The taxidermist is a pale shadow of the creator. Slathering it in red dye and varnish at this point is poor taxidermy. Many will find it appalling. And appreciators of taxidermy will think it a farce because the hunter killed the fox with a blunderbuss and the taxidermist pickled the remains in a jar.

The ancient pharaoh