Cool Danish Reclining Lounge

[65Buick]

Guys and  gals,
really excited to do this piece.

https://gdurl.com/uSci

Will probably have a few questions along the way.. And I'm sure the wood refinishing will take a bazilion hours. But it's a stunning, true Danish piece by Ib Kofod Larsen and bears the flag insignia on the seat. It's to be sold retail, and they say black or grey, so that's what it'll be. Leather, of course.

Really amazing construction, tight solid joints. Looks like lawn chair webbing was used on the seat, and looks to be original. Reclining mechanism works great. Missing the knob on the lever, though.

The Ikea chair I'm sitting on now has a molded back rest padding. Can't do that here but I'll contour it somehow.

[kodydog]

Nice find. Danish Modern is hot now. This is the type furniture I like to resell. Simply add new cushions and touch up the frame and ready to go. When you get ready to sell it look for Danish Modern group sites where all they do is buy and sell. Leather would be awesome. Check out Mohawk for refinishing, their products are phenomenal.

[65Buick]

Yeah Kody, this is a nice one. I actually asked Mohawk and they said strip it.

So, wood refinishing people, which product? My citrus strip did not work. It's very durable varnish.

[MinUph]

Strip Eze. It will take it off. Wear gloves.

[SteveA]

If strip eze is metholine chloride based it may be difficult to find in CA.  The Citris stuff will work you need to be patient -
I'll add dust mask and eye protection - a fan with source for fresh air.
SA

[gene]

It amazes me that so many people do not protect themselves when using chemicals. Especially their eyes. Even when using a pneumatic staple gun or even pulling staples I've had staples hit my eye glass lenses.

I've been following this video blog from the beginning of a guy from England who is rebuilding a wooden boat in Washington state. A 4 year project. He has 52 videos over these last 2 years. A few videos in he mentioned that he was getting a lot of complaints about his unsafe woodworking methods. He said he is well aware of what he is doing and everyone has different ideas about what is acceptable and safe. A few videos later he showed his bandaged hand where he had cut off the end of his finger. Ouch! He did not mention his previous comments.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg-_lYeV8hBnDSay7nmphUA/videos

gene

[kodydog]

I've had those staples bounce off my glasses. I look at my hands and think, its amazing I still have all 10 digits.

One nice scar on my palm from a slipped wrench while changing a lawn mower blade. 6 stitches.

Another on my pinkie finger from breaking up a dog fight. 8 stitches.

When I was 18 years old I worked at a liquor store stocking shelves. Nice little 1" scar across my wrist from a box cutter.

Working in the produce dept. at Winn Dixie. Cutting corn on the cob with a cleaver. Cut one end of the cob off, flip it over and cut the other end off. I could do a box full in about 5 minutes. Until that day when I caught the tip of my finger. Scared the hell out of me thinking if I had caught that finger 1" further in.

Not to mention all the knuckle busters working on car engines and doing upholstery work. At 61 years old it seems like the wounds come easier and take longer to heal.

[65Buick]

Not to worry. I use all PPE, every time. I may be young and stupid, just not THAT stupid.

I do believe the product is carried at home depot. I don't know about regs concerning MC. I did see on the citrus stuff you can leave it on for 24 hours.

Always a battle. To strip or to sand.

[SteveA]

It's surprising that so many folks want to do their own recovering.  Even though I had worked with my hands all my life the first time I stripped the fabric off a piece of furniture I was bleeding from 5 places.
Worse injury was cutting a nerve in my finger with a skew chisel 40 years ago - I stuck the point of the chisel into the nerve.  it did heal and the finger has full feeling now but it took 15 years for another nerve to compensate and regain full feeling.   
The eerie thing was I knew the chisel could slip before it happened.  I was rushing to finish a job.  From that day I made a promise to myself that I would never work faster than I'm comfortable with.
I have many pairs of gloves, and masks and eye protection always.  I've not protected my hearing in the shop but use ear protection with the lawn mower - weed wackers - blowers etc. 
SA

[kodydog]

It's surprising that so many folks want to do their own recovering. 
SA

I've found by the time most people strip the piece down with inadequate tools they call me and ask if I can cover it for them. Usual quote from customer, "I didn't know it was so hard."

I'm stripping 10 dining seats, seats and backs are upholstered plus an extra border on the front of the back. I have 8 done and my hands are feeling it.

Customer called and said she has 6 fully upholstered parsons chairs. Her sister went to JoAnns and bought fabric, foam and dacron and was going to recover them herself. She stripped the first one and gave up. The project sat there for a year and a half before she called.

[65Buick]

I've got so many re-finishing options for this piece, it's mind blowing. But, important. The frames were just as much the art as the upholstery.

I know we kind of touched this issue a while ago: More eco-friendly products. I know the upholstery will be leather. We're using something there that might ordinarily go to waste. Cushions, I could go latex.

But as far as the wood re-finishing, I've considered something totally non-toxic. I tested out a transtint on the piece, and as a base coat, it may just work. It's 100% water based dye, you can might it with anything, I used 50/50 water, alcohol.

Then, there are companies coming forward with water-based lacquers, polyurethanes, etc. Perhaps even a marketing aspect?

All cars today as finished with waterborne, so if they can do it, I see no reason why we can't use it for our furniture. With this method, it would be safe for me, and safe for my neighborhood. The piece would not off-gas harmful chemicals.

Anyone interested in this type of thing?

[SteveA]

I don't know that all cars are finished with water based coatings but I do know water based are not as good as solvent based products.  Choosing a finish is based on what you're looking for - is it hardness, drying time, UV Protection, flexibility, abrasion resistance, ability to build thickness, ability to re-coat, etc.  What is appropriate to the project you're working on ?  Don't choose an inferior finish because someone convinced you you're ruining the planet. 

I am not against environmentally safe methods and products but the think tanks have to offer better solutions before repair guys will change what they use.  You can't tell me that if i refinish a chair and use 3 pieces of steel wool, 1 sheet of sand paper, 3 oz's of stain and a pint of finish I'm hurting the environment.   Contrast that waste with how many planes are in the sky at any given time, boats in the water - home furnaces, air conditioners, cars, power plants and my chair refinish waste needs to be regulated ?   

What good is it if the products they mandate we use are inferior.  If the old finishes lasted 100 years and now a new finish lasts 10 years how does they equate to a savings.  If the fabrics are made poorly and we recover every 5 years vs every 25 years where's the savings to the environment ? 

I think the planet is 300 billion years old and you can't tell me that science has the ability to declare an environmental emergency based on measuring the numbers for the last 50 years.
SA

[SteveA]

Ian - this came to me this morning after I wrote the above response for using safe products.  Please find the humor in it - I'm not targeting you - it's a coincidence it came in my email this morning - still friends ?


God was missing for six days. Eventually, Michael, the archangel, found him, resting on the seventh day. He inquired, "Where have you been?"
God smiled deeply and proudly pointed downward through the clouds,
"Look, Michael. Look what I've made."
Archangel Michael looked puzzled, and said, "What is it?"
"It's a planet," replied God, "and I've put life on it.. I'm going to call it Earth and it's going to be a place to test balance."
"Balance?" inquired Michael, "I'm still confused."
God explained, pointing to different parts of earth. "For example, northern Europe will be a place of opportunity and wealth, while southern Europe is going to be poor.
Over here in Europe I've placed a continent of white people, and over there in Africa is a continent of black people. Balance in all things."
God continued pointing to different countries. "Saudi Arabia will be extremely hot, while Greenland will be very cold and covered in ice."
The archangel, impressed by God's work, then pointed to a land area and said, "What's that one?"
"That is the State of Florida, the most glorious place on earth. There are beautiful rivers and streams, lakes, forests, beaches, and ocean. The people from Florida are going to be handsome, modest, intelligent, and humorous, and they are going to travel the world. They will be extremely sociable, hardworking, high achieving, carriers of peace, and producers of good things."
Michael gasped in wonder and admiration, but then asked, "But what about balance, God? You said there would be balance..."
God smiled, "Across on the other side of America, I created California. Wait till you see the idiots I put there."

[65Buick]

This piece had no old cushions. So, no template.

Given that I can do anything I want, what do you guys think? It'll be genuine black leather. The original style was sort of so-so in my opinion. Basic seat cushion, boxed, and the backrest was built up at the top and buttoned thrice.