Upcycling vintage rocking easy chair - advice please!

[ILoveELK]

Hi, I've just found this forum as most are American so hoping one of you can help.

I would like to know if anyone can identify this chair's design or period? So far I've found no ID on it so it could be cheap reproduction from the 1970's but maybe earlier.

I've had a little look and see some reference to nursing chairs having no arms, as I haven't seen a rocking chair without them before.

The other thing is I want to bring it back into use but it seems to be missing the seat base or webbing. I'm not sure which but there are 2 grooves either side of the base looking at it and one screw on each side of the seat base, on the inside, towards the back that may just be holding the back (with its sweeping wings) in place, or may be something to do with webbing.

I haven't attempted re-webbing before but would be up for buying a stretcher and having a go. Could the grooves be for dowels to lie in with the webbing wrapped round, or are they for something else?

I thought meanwhile until I figure it out, I could cut up some plywood to fit the inner part of the seat frame (the outer section would hold it in place) and use heavy duty stick on velcro to hold it in place so I could at least sit on it and then re-upholster the cushions, which cover yellow latex foam and seem to be glued and stapled on and around the seat back, while the seat cushion is removable.

The wood meanwhile has a horrible brown stain, which I took a little off using a heat gun, very tentatively and it has a nice walnutty shade of wood underneath but I'm not sure what wood it is. Again any ideas?

Thanks in advance guys!

Now to try and upload some photos!

 

[ILoveELK]

Here I hope are some pic's.

 

[AndyT]

Your chair probably had "Pirelli webbing" on it originally. Knowing this term should make it easier to find more info. It is used with metal clips which fit into the groove. Easily available from any upholstery supplies company, probably the same place as where you buy your foam. Make a criss-cross open weave pattern with only moderate tension on the strips.

The wood is probably beech, widely used for furniture frames. It has close grain and takes nails or staples well. Plain looking grain which stains well.

Looking again, I see there are only two grooves, not four, so it may well have had a one piece rubber seat held in the groove and by screws.

You could just replace that with plywood and firm foam. Ask the foam supplier for a suitable grade or multiple layer pad.

 

[Roxie]

I have used Ace Foam as a supplier of foam for replacement seats, they do various grades depending on its use. I agree with Andy T it would have had Pirelli webbing. with clips on the ends to go into the grooves. obtainable from Upholstery Warehouse.

Hope this helps

John

 

[AndyT]

Remembering a bit more, there's no need for Pirelli webbing to crisscross, just side to side is fine, fairly close spaced.

 

[ILoveELK]

Hey, thanks guys for that! Should help a lot. I'll have a look tonight.

Just wondering how I'd attach plywood into the grooves using screws as you mention, without damaging the grooves? I might just do the heavy duty velcro and plywood for now for unsuspecting visitors who try and sit on it and order the webbing and v clips for next week. I'd like to learn how to tension webbing. Have always been interested in upholstery.

Beech sounds about right. I forgot about that. Thanks.

I'm also wondering about how best to replace the fabric. I thought I could carefully remove it and use it as a template to cut out the new fabric but there is also the case for covering it in situ. I've since the tacking strips on heico-direct but they come as metal, cardboard, padded metal sleeved metal. Do you think I could use them for this chair or could I just staple and glue?

Oh and I'm still wondering about the design and era.

 

[AndyT]

If you do decide on a plywood insert, just screw or nail some strips of wood around the inside of the frame so the ply can rest on them. Ignore the grooves.

 

[ILoveELK]

Coming back to this post. I have still not touched the chair due to having a 2 year old taking all my time.

Does anyone have any advice on recovering the seat?

I nearly bought some furniture grade webbing from Boyes but it had getting degrees of stretch on it from 30 to 70%. What is advisable on a seat base?

I'll update this thread when I finish it.

 

[sunnybob]

Unless you have a special need to learn how to recover chairs, find a local upholsterer.
By the time you have screwed up the first couple pieces of material, and blackened your thumb trying to put tacks in, that upholsterers price wont seem so bad at all.

The chair type was very common in the early 70's and through the 80's, hospitals and old folks homes had hundreds of them. Untill elfin safety got complaints about kiddies fingers and toes being squashed so they all went to the great waiting room in the sky.