Chairs and armchairs are used more intensively than many other pieces of furniture. As a result, they wear out faster and more severely. And what can we say about old models!
Chair upholstery scheme The most vulnerable in theirconstructions, as a rule, are load-bearing parts. They fail faster than other elements. Today, do-it-yourself chair restoration at a high-quality level, thanks to the availability of excellent tools and materials, is available even to a beginner. But in order to either partially repair a chair or completely restore it, you do not need to call a carpenter. You just need to know some of the technological features of this process.
Materials and tools necessary for the alteration of the old chair
To reupholster the chair you will need: a screwdriver, screws, a stapler, staples and a screwdriver. For the convenience of the master and excellent quality of work you will need the following:
- upholstery fabric;
- foam rubber;
- wooden (plywood) shield;
- varnish for furniture;
- stain;
- glue on a tree;
- electric drill;
- the machine vibrating-grinding;
- A stapler;
- pliers;
- Nippers;
- screwdrivers;
- spanners.
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Partial restoration of the chair
It often happens that completelyit is not necessary to restore the chair at all. For example, if its fabric or leather upholstery is well preserved, but the legs are very loose, then a major renovation of such an item is not required - it is enough to take care of the legs. Let's consider the most common cases of breakage of the components of the chair, the restoration of which will give a second life to the entire product.
Leg mounting diagram.The first case: the legs are very loose. The simplest restoration option is to glue the legs back into place. The main drawback of this option is the short service life of the glued legs. To eliminate this, it is recommended that in addition to gluing the legs to the horizontal bar, you also connect the parts to be fastened, for example, with dowels. To do this, the entire unit being repaired must be slowly disassembled. It is advisable to replace the tenon. In this case, the joints are covered with fresh wood glue, and the tenon is inserted into the seat. For a tight bond, the joint is pulled together with a clamp. After this, 2-3 holes are drilled in the leg, into which dowels are driven. These auxiliary parts, which are also covered with glue, should be made of hardwood and be slightly larger in diameter than the diameter of the through holes. Holes are drilled in the seat body corresponding to the location of the dowels on the legs. The legs are connected to the rest of the chair, the parts being fastened are firmly pulled together and left in this position until the glue dries.
Stages of fastening upholstery fabric to the framechairs. The second case: the seat belts have stretched out a lot. Because of this, a significant "hole" is formed in the seat. Another defect will have the same effect - the nails that hold the belts in the seat frame have fallen out. If the problem is in the belt fasteners, they must be repaired by hammering in new nails. If the reason is in the old belts being stretched out, then you cannot do without replacing them with new ones. When installing new belts, they must be tightened. This can be done with a wooden block. In this case, one end of the belt is fastened to the seat frame, and the other end is pulled tight with a block, clamping the belt between the block and the frame of the chair. Holding the belt in a taut position, it is nailed to the base. This must be done so that after this there is a free section of belt 30-40 mm long. It is bent and nailed with nails for greater reliability. Between the tensioned seat belts, gaps of up to 100 mm are left. Return to contents</a>
Full restoration of the old chair: the order of work execution
If there is a very old chair in the room for a long time,not showing "signs of life", this is not a reason to throw it away. Of course, in many cases it is better to buy a new item, but often the owner really does not want to part with the old thing.
Frame of a chair-bed.After all, it can be very beautiful, stylish, and finally, turn out to be a real historical relic for the whole family. You should not discount the factor of saving money. In this case, you should try to restore the chair with your own hands. A complete restoration begins, of course, with disassembling the furniture. To do this, remove the calico from the bottom of the seat, unscrew the nuts hidden under it. Removing the corresponding fastening elements, dismantle the armrests. Next, unscrew the fastening elements connecting the back and seat. As a result of these operations, the old chair should be disassembled into the following components: seat, back, back, 2 armrests. Disassembly is followed by removing the old, worn-out upholstery. If it can still be useful for something, this should be done carefully, gradually removing the staples with pliers. But often the fabric is simply torn off. In any case, it should be remembered that a lot of dust and debris has most likely accumulated under the old upholstery. Next, all internal wooden parts are inspected. The cracks should be impregnated with wood glue, and the defective part itself should be fastened with staples. If the part cannot be restored, it is replaced with a new one, using blanks with the same properties and dimensions. Also (if necessary), figured elements that have become completely unusable are cut out of a wooden shield according to the appropriate sizes and shapes. The varnish is removed from all the old elements of the chair, sanding them with a drill with a special attachment. The final sanding is done with a grinder. Wooden parts are covered with stain. After it dries for 5-6 hours, the specified parts are varnished. After this, you need to let the varnish dry for 24 hours. And only then can you assemble the wooden frame of the product. Assembly is done using metal fasteners, wooden dowels and wood glue. The entire assembled structure must stand until the glue is completely dry.
It is better to use for re-upholstering a chairwear-resistant fabric. When we completely restore an old chair, we most often have to update the soft filler as well. Whether the foam needs to be replaced or can be restored can only be judged after a thorough examination. If you have to lay new filler, you should first determine the thickness of the old one and add 2-3 cm to its actual thickness (this is approximately how much the foam sags when frequently pressed on it). Then, a new soft component is cut out according to the same shape and size as the old filler. In this case, its density should be no less than 22-25. If the density is lower, it can be increased by placing a layer of spunbond (calico) between the layer of new foam rubber and the old foam rubber. The new foam filler or filler made of another suitable material is glued to the wooden base of the seat or fastened with staples along its perimeter. At the final stage of the repair, the chair is upholstered with fabric. To do this, you need to carefully remove the old upholstery from the chair and rip it into separate elements. After placing these fragments on the prepared fabric, cut out new patches. Gradually, placing individual pieces of fabric on the corresponding parts of the chair, sew the adjacent fabric fragments to them. In this case, you should always remember that the furniture is upholstered with good tension. The corners of the chair are nailed last. The fabric is attached to the wooden frame with staples nailed at intervals of 2-3 cm from each other. Return to contents</a>
Some useful tips for the restoration of the chair
If the master has a desire to radicallychange the design of the chair being restored, then the patterns for the new upholstery cannot be made from the old one. The measurements for cutting will have to be taken on site after laying the new filler. It is necessary that the quality and density of the new upholstery match the quality and density of the filler. So, with too soft a filler, a hard and not very elastic fabric can burst due to excessive tension. When choosing a stapler for furniture repair work, preference should be given to mechanisms with the most powerful spring. Restoring an old chair is not only a reason to revive a half-forgotten product, but also a chance to change the style of the entire room furnishings. Therefore, do not be afraid to experiment.</ ul>
