HELP NEEDED - painting an old family rocking chair

jemw

Hi Everyone

My nan has very kindly donated my grandad's old rocking chair to us to use as a nursing chair when our baby comes - won't be long now.

She has already given us her blessing to paint it, so we won't be offending her :j

It has quite a glossy varnish type finish and we would like to paint it white - see pics below. Will we need to sand it down or is there a special undercoat we could buy? Is there any specialist paint you would recommend that we use?

Also, I'd like to make some cushions for the seat and seat back - can anyone offer any advice on what type of filling to use?

Thanks in advance

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenemw/4462657261/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenemw/4463433190/in/photostream/

Penelope_Penguin

I would sand it down using sandpaper Have you decided on your paint, because for a fiddly shape like that, you may get a better finish using spray paint :j

Penny. x

Bitsy_Beans

Gosh that's a lot of sanding! You would get a better finish if you prepare the wood first rather than just painting a primer first.
Would a paint stripper be easier to remove the varnish?

jemw

Penny - haven't decided on the paint, but i think you're right - spray would be so much easier!!!

BB - re the paint stripper, how does that work? do you just 'paint' it on or use a cloth or what?

Anyone else have any suggestion?

Thanks in advance!!

Farway

There are commercial "Dip & strip" firms around, I would just let them do the stripping and then paint the chair once done

Beware of "strip" in Google you may not get what you want

blackcrow

please don't use dip and strip on a chair you want to keep!!! i used to restore antique furniture as a job so i promise i know what i am talking about! it is a huge tank of caustic soda mix that they put items in and leave - great for if you have a dozen doors with lead based paint on but lethal to any kind of weight bearing furniture as it weakens the joints and can cause structural damage. You can use caustic soda made up at home if you wish but i would NOT recommend it unless you are 110% confident(add the caustic soda to the water NOT the other way round otherwise it causes an explosion) and you MUST use safety goggles and industrial rubber gloves and protective clothing and NO mixing in a metal bowl or with metal implements as it reacts with certain kinds - ALWAYS use plastic!

honestly? if it only has varnish on it then i would recommend a GOOD sand (the better you do now, the better the final finish) starting with course wire wool or sandpaper, through to medium then fine to get a smooth surface, finally use a cotton rag and white spirit and rub all over to get rid of all the dust. follow with a base undercoat of white and then 2 thin coats of white top coat.

if the chair has layers of old paint then you need to remove these first before you follow the above sanding preparation steps. You can buy paint stripper from most DIY shops which you paint on OUTSIDE as the fumes can be dangerous, wait until it starts to bubble up and then scrape paint off, you MUST rinse item with water before you start sanding.

hope that helps?

black crow x

babyshoes

Well said black crow! I second the 'thin layers' idea to avoid drips. Rather do 15 dust coats to get a neat, even finish than try to do 1 or 2 thick coats and end up with runs...

Sandpaper is your friend.

jemw

Thanks everyone

Took it to an antique restoration shop who have sandblasted it for me. The guy said the same as black crow about the dip and strip!!

So, what's the best paint to use?

Photos below:

BEFORE: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenemw/4463424894/

AFTER: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenemw/4510575838/

soappie

I would just revarnish it jemw so the natural beauty of the wood shows through

wogglemaker

A nice light varnish would really show off the wood grain.

wssla00

What about a nice wax? That could really show off the wood...?