Return to The Show Page
PhilT writes:
Just thought you like to see what I can do with painted furniture.
These babies were finished in that antique white finish from the
20's over the original finish- you know the one I'm talking about;
it's the one that you find over solid mahogany furniture.
Very judicious stripping removed the paint, and a coat of white oil
(hopefully) primer over the surface. Now the first chair I stripped
had little of the original finish on it, so I assumed (and You know
what that can do to you) that the other was like it. I then used
gesso and acrylics to duplicate an old beige gesso finish.
I stripped the other chair, and lo and behold ... the gray brown
finish, with the blue striping is what was under the paint.
Time to get the paints back out. Lady Liberty marks the original;
the other is mine. The effect was done with brushed on lacquers
and toners, with an acrylic stripe, and dry brushed in burnt umber
dry colour and padding lacquer, so it doesn't rub off.
My customers prefer a dead flat painted finish. The frames of
the chairs are oak, and I will most likely have some colour work
to do on the original as well, because large parts of the frame
are showing through. Both chairs had to be reglued, and there
was some minor replacement bits to be made.
I stripped the chairs first, then coloured them, then did the repair
work, so that the touch ups would look slightly different than the
rest of the look of the chair.
Some of you purists my be getting a little rankled by now,
but when this stuph hits my shop, it usually comes in in a body bag,
so I make the best out of it.
There's more to finishing than bright and shiny wood.
Phil Tortorici
FL
