Antique Scottish chair with woodworm restoration and repair. Jump to 2:59 to skip the chat!

A wooden stick back antique chair which has been weakened by woodworm - repair and discussion about woodworm.
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Thank you!

[@janebradford5435]

Somehow I missed this video first time round Bruce! My parents were absolutely delighted with their chair restoration and it is well used by them - thanks again!

[@TheCottackWorkshop]

You are so welcome - it was a pleasure to learn about and restore

[@fdort3971]

@thecottackworkshop thanks for the lesson. I'm currently working on refurbishing a vintage children's rocking chair that was badly damaged in a flood last year. I've asked many people for advice over the past year and either I didn't get an answer or I was told can't be done. (I only just met your channel but I haven't asked you) The base where the spindles go in and the seat are laminated layers of light and dark wood. For some reason only one colour rippled so the layers are spread apart in places. Since I never got any answers I thought I'd test my theory. After disassembing it, washing the flood crud off (I washed it last year when I first got it from my friend but not all came off until today)...I took the spindle base and soaked it in hot water as hot as I could stand it with nitrile gloves on and degreasing oxi palmolive dish soap. I moved it around under water for a few minutes. Then I took a thin plastic scraper (used for scraping food off plates)and slid it into the rippled spaces. In a slicing motion I worked around all the edges and with minimal breakage I was able to segregate the layers! Now I simply have to finish cleaning them, sand the old glue off and soften it to flatten the pieces before gluing and clamping it together! I hope this helps others.

[@TheCottackWorkshop]

Wonderful!

[@GT_Racer347]

I'm attempting to restore an old rocking chair and this type of advice is invaluable. Thanks for sharing! I'm just starting out trying to restore / renovate some old items.

[@TheCottackWorkshop]

That is great news - all the best with the restoration

[@Quaker521]

That is a beautiful looking chair and one that, with your skills applied, will be around for many years to come. Nice job and a lovely finish.

[@TheCottackWorkshop]

Thank you very much for taking the time to comment - it is a lovely chair and so nice to see it ready for the next chapter.

[@tomkerr552]

@@TheCottackWorkshop What do you recommend to remove the ink stains that I saw on the roller cabinet drawers? I have ink stains on top of a desk and I have bought a planer and palm sander to try and remove. It just seems to keep penetrating. Thank you in anticipation of your reply.

[@TheCottackWorkshop]

@@tomkerr552 Hi Tom! Sorry to hear sanding isn't working. I am not an expert on stain removal ...and ink, in particular, can be very tough as it is specifically designed to be a permanent record of the writer's thoughts on paper (made from wood). The older the ink stain is the tougher it is to remove and what material the desk was finished with (shellac, varnish, bare wood etc) makes a difference. In some cases, you can be very lucky and a simple dish soap (washing up liquid) solution can go a long way. There are multiple websites and youtube videos professing the 'top seven or to ten for ink removal' ...and go from soap through ever harsher treatments. Acetone has got to be worth a try in an inconspicuous spot but if the ink has long since dried then unlikely to shift. If you knew what caused the stain e.g. parker India ink or quink or whichever brand it might be a lead to follow with the manufacturer. Sorry, I don't have a magic 'go to' ...but let's talk about sanding: Is it a veneer top desk or solid wood? If it is solid wood then more sanding might be the way to go. I'd be wary of the planer if you've not used it before - they can be great but can also remove a lot of material in a very short space of time and you end up with more problems to sort than just the ink. If it is veneer - tread carefully. It can be lightly sanded but cutting through to the substrate will likely be more unsightly than the ink stain. This is your last option ...live with the ink spots - in some settings they add character and history to the desk. In the roll top video I left all of the ink stains visible inside the drawers. I hope this helps and happy to have a further dialogue. Email address is found at the cottack.com website.

[@djl5424]

Great video. I've just acquired a set of Chapel chairs and one or two have evidence of woodworm. I'm going to treat them with a chemical spray to be on the safe side. Did you stain the chair before sanding? It looks altogether charming.

[@Cradley684]

Great job Thank's for the share, Stay Safe now !!!.

[@TheCottackWorkshop]

Thanks Brian - more to follow!

[@jackieohehir3259]

Enjoyed part 1 on the roll top desk as I'm currently in the middle of restoring one myself. Lots of problems with the tambour sliding/moving but I'll get there eventually. Best of luck with videos.

[@TheCottackWorkshop]

Thanks Jackie - much appreciated. I did watch a number of other videos before diving in and was fortunate it was only in two sections so didn't have to make up a jig to hold down multiple pieces. I can only imagine the fun you are having! I see you have subscribed (thank you) and also subscribe to Gilboys ...their wax makes an appearance in part 2.

[@georghalder2816]

@@TheCottackWorkshop I have never restored a roller shutter like this, but built a new one a few years ago for an office cupboard. It is really a good idea to cover the entire back with fabric, as Bruce showed. Back then I was using unprimed canvas that I could buy from an art supply store. The fabric is very resilient, the roller is still in good condition today, although it is moved up and down several times a day.

[@TheCottackWorkshop]

@@georghalder2816 I've heard from a few people that the secret is indeed to keep moving the rollers - i.e. frequent use actually helps them. It is those rollers that get left in one position (usually open) that make one section take the prolonged strain and when they finally do get moved this part fails. Lots of discussions and information on choice of fabric - unprimed canvas sounds good. Did you wash it first? I heard some fabrics shrink on glueup.

[@georghalder2816]

@@TheCottackWorkshop ... yes, that makes sense, then we'll do everything right if we keep it moving. I got the advice with the painter's canvas from an old restorer, I glued it with modern white-glue (PVAc). I wanted to glue it with hide-glue, but in the end I didn't dare because the roller was quite large. I didn't wash the canvas, and I didn't notice that it shrank. BTW: It is important to use unprimed canvas because the glue cannot soak the primed canvas. Here in Germany it was not easy to get unprimed canvas, most artists apparently prefer primed.

[@scottcates]

How about resin stabilization for woodworm repair?

[@TheCottackWorkshop]

Could do thank you

[@RoslynLamb]

4 minutes in to an 11 minute video before you even show the chair. Too much chat

[@TheCottackWorkshop]

Yes! You are right ...I've learned a lot making these videos and tried several different tweaks and approaches. I wouldn't make the same video today that is for sure.