While dropping off some rubbish at the local dump I couldn’t believe my eyes when I came across 4 of these lovely windsor dining chairs. And I knew that with some care and attention they could be restored to their former glory. So I took them home with me. And so began my windsor chair upcycle project.
First I disassembled as much as possible without damaging the chairs. I had to break the old glue and remove some hidden screws. Then I repaired any broken or damaged parts and sanded down the old lacquer.
This sanding step is really important. If you don’t get the lacquer down to a rough surface you might find your primer and paint doesn’t stick to the wood. This happened with some of the chair legs because…well…ok I just got lazy. After the primer dried I realised a light scratch with the back of my nail was taking it off. I ended up sanding off my primer and doing it again, so I just doubled my work.
It’s also important to remove the old glue. You want a nice bare surface for your new glue to bond to, so take the time to scrape off any old adhesive or debris.
I applied cream paint to the legs and spindles. Followed by oil and varnish on the seat and bow. And then I put everything back together again. Most tricky bit? Sanding the seat without flattening the contours. Had to go eeeeeeasy with the orbital sander.
This windsor chair upcycle was hugely satisfying. It’s always great to see objects saved from landfill and turned into something of value.
If you’d like to know more about upcycling, feel free to contact me and I’ll be happy to help. Or you can receive our newsletter to get the latest news, updates and projects straight to your inbox.