Maintenance Mode -- Duh moment and I'm not blonde!

Jay Lock

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We have an outdoor table chair set that need major refinishing. When we bought it, I stupidly agreed to apply a new "wonder product" water based, better than varnish etc. Well, it failed, looks terrible and I thought I'd get going on the dreaded task.

Looking over the list of honey do projects LOML suggested that we see what it would cost to have them stripped. I spent lots of time last year sanding down a two seater bench that goes with the set. Mind numbing work I hate it.
So, off to the stripper, he says he'll stop by. Takes a look at the chairs, says it will be between $80 and $120 a chair (gulp! I didn't pay that for them) and then he takes out a pocket knife and starts scraping. Looks at me with a raised eyebrow, I feel so dumb, hadn't even thought about scraping. So I thank him for his time and start working on a chair yesterday. As I was disassembling one (there are hidden bolts tying the stringers and sides together) I notice that the back had a bit of a wobble. Several taps with a rubber mallet and the thing is in pieces, the glue had failed and all that was holding it together were some brads -- and some of those had rusted out.

So the good news is that I can get at those pieces easier, and that I avoided more work down the road when the thing failed completely. The bad news is I now have four more to check!

I am thinking of using this finishing technique -- anyone have any experience with it. You might need a subscription to FineWW to view the link -- essentially it is an epoxy based primer with varnish on top.

http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/SkillsAndTechniques/SkillsAndTechniquesPDF.aspx?id=24929

I am going to take it slow, do a chair, then do a fun project, then another chair -- oh, and the table too!

Here's what I've got on my hands right now.

Jay
 
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