Well I couldn't get the stain(ink?) out of the wood so I stained the whole chair in a Jacobean finish. It masked the marks but I hate the Jacobean on this wood. I think the wood is a species of Poplar and I think this furniture was intended to be painted, why you ask? There are tongue and groove joints on the back legs that are visible when the wood is bare or has a stain finish and one of the four still has most of the paint on it that looks like it was applied in the factory. My conundrum is this, do I continue to sand out the stain as I've already begun to on the one chair I've stained and find a lighter stain alternative and also try to find another remedy to the marks(ink?) and live with the visible joint, or do I paint them (ugh!). I hate going with paint as a last resort, it seems wrong and like cheating.
 |
| tongue and groove joint + marks(ink?) |
 |
| Jacobean Stain |
These are some very large (5yds up to 10yds) and what would otherwise be expensive pieces of upholstery fabric if I'd bought at a fabric store but I found these at Value Village for no more than $7.00 each for the whole piece, I'd like to use one of these on the chairs. The one in the middle with the diamond pattern I like and the blue faux suede at the bottom but what colour to paint the chairs if I go that route. I was thinking paint them black and paint the the back rest either the lime green or orange that appeared early in my blog and also pictured at bottom here but then these fabrics wouldn't work and I'd have find something else.
Painted furniture seems to be really popular now. My SIL has wanted to paint a few designer pieces a bright color, but so far, I've been able to talk him out of it. I've suggested that we try it on some unidentified pieces. I really like the black and green combination in your post, and Ikea makes fabric pattern called Majken in black, gray and orange that was on a consignment dining set we sold. People loved that fabric.
ReplyDeleteNever would I paint designer or anything with a name and as much as I dread painting solid wood I think that is how these chairs came originally and I think they will stay that way. I love green and am really liking orange lately, I see black or a dark rich brown on most of the chair with the exception of the back rest being a bold colour (green or orange) and then the seat pads covered in something to complement the back or maybe just colour in the fabric and all the wood the same. Thanks Dana I think you gave me the push I needed to paint these chairs. I googled Majken I really like it, I may see if I can find it or something similar.
DeleteSorry for the delayed response to your inquiry as how to remove the stains. If you haven't already painted the pieces you may want to try some wood bleach. I bought some awhile back at a Mom & Pop hardware store @ 70% off as they were closing their doors. So sad, another cauality of the big box. The brand name is Savogran and it's Oxalic acid. Comes in a crystal form that you mix with hot water. This is the solution I used back when I was working on the H/W M148 nightstands that were a mess back in June. The stains on the legs look like tanic water stains where the piece had been submerged in dirty water.
ReplyDeleteMost furniture manufacturers, especially those that use less than perfect wood will finish their pieces with a toner which knockdown the grain and hides imperfections. You can't but this at the big box stores, but if you have a Mohawk distributor in your area, they may be able to resolve the piecing issue if you want to stay with a stain based approach. Hope this helps...
I've not painted yet and really don't want to, I think it will cheapen the look to much. I was thinking I'd go with an Ebony stain which is plenty darker than the Jacobean and save the colour for the fabric on the seat pads. Oxalic acid can be bought through the drug store but they usually need to order it and I'd need to sign a poison control form. I know a few older hardware stores out my way in the country that I'll try but why I didn't think of it before is the half bottle of deck wash in the garage. I'm going to try the deck wash simply for shits and giggles for future reference but will likely go with the ebony stain. Great reply, always glad to here from another who has similar interests.
Delete