reydelaplaya
Super Member
Yes, the punchline to the classic dad joke about the son/daughter asking dad about the holes in wood paneling; with dad replying ‘They’re knot holes.’
Figured that would set the mood for what I’m asking your help on.
If this isn’t walnut, then what is it?
I’m currently refinishing the set of chairs I bought a few years ago at a yard sale.
I picked these up a couple years ago as a potential refinish project because I instantly recognized the style as I was driving by and I’ve wanted a set of MCM dining chairs anyway. In all likelihood, they’re by Adrian Pearsall for CraftAssociates, and I knew that from the view out my car window even before I stopped - and that’s exactly why I stopped. There were two out front with a board across the seats with some odds and ends displayed on it. I asked if the chairs were for sale, and not only got a ‘yes’, but also a ‘we’ve got two more in back if you want all four’.
“Of course I want all four. ”
Didn’t even have to negotiate when they told me 10 bucks for the four of them.
Enough backstory...
According to the internet, there should be walnut under that mess of a tan paint job. Here’s a pic of a set from the net in what should be original look.
I picked up some gel paint stripper today and started to disassemble the chair and remove the paint. But once I got a spot stripped down on one of the legs, this is what I found underneath:
It’s a lighter colored wood with that dark pigmentation within the finer grain. It’s pretty evenly distributed over the pieces I’ve done so far, so I don’t believe it’s the original finish that’s absorbed into the wood. The original finish on these was visible in spots that the paint chipped off and in areas underneath that weren’t painted. It was a dark brown like the internet photo above. It was in pretty rough shape from what I could tell, which is probably why these got a coat of paint, but it was on the surface of the wood and came up with the stripped paint.
After doing the ‘top handle’ of the back and one of the slats, I see that they all match as far as wood type goes, and it looks very nice. What I can’t seem to figure out is what type of wood this actually is.
What I have determined is that it’s a golden blonde, and refracts light with interesting patterns of iridescence as I tilted it around under my overhead lamp.
To get a better look at the grain, I fine sanded with 600 as to not remove any old patina, then wiped a thin coat of teak oil.
I assure you that the color of the wood in these two pieces is a very close match, and that the reason that ‘handle’ looks darker on one side is because of that refraction/iridescence.
I have no idea what this wood is. I only know that while working with it, it is very familiar - as if it’s something I’ve worked with when I refinished furniture back in the 80s.
Although the internet says it can sometimes come in a lighter yellow color too, I’m starting to think it’s probably not walnut. But it’s those darker flecks in the grain that make me think ‘well, maybe...’
I’m probably still going to stain them a darker color, closer to the other pic from the net, but before I do, I’d kinda like to know what this wood may actually be.
Any ideas? Please let me know what you think. Thank you. I’ll be posting more pics as pieces get stripped.
Figured that would set the mood for what I’m asking your help on.
If this isn’t walnut, then what is it?
I’m currently refinishing the set of chairs I bought a few years ago at a yard sale.
I picked these up a couple years ago as a potential refinish project because I instantly recognized the style as I was driving by and I’ve wanted a set of MCM dining chairs anyway. In all likelihood, they’re by Adrian Pearsall for CraftAssociates, and I knew that from the view out my car window even before I stopped - and that’s exactly why I stopped. There were two out front with a board across the seats with some odds and ends displayed on it. I asked if the chairs were for sale, and not only got a ‘yes’, but also a ‘we’ve got two more in back if you want all four’.
“Of course I want all four. ”
Didn’t even have to negotiate when they told me 10 bucks for the four of them.
Enough backstory...
According to the internet, there should be walnut under that mess of a tan paint job. Here’s a pic of a set from the net in what should be original look.
I picked up some gel paint stripper today and started to disassemble the chair and remove the paint. But once I got a spot stripped down on one of the legs, this is what I found underneath:
It’s a lighter colored wood with that dark pigmentation within the finer grain. It’s pretty evenly distributed over the pieces I’ve done so far, so I don’t believe it’s the original finish that’s absorbed into the wood. The original finish on these was visible in spots that the paint chipped off and in areas underneath that weren’t painted. It was a dark brown like the internet photo above. It was in pretty rough shape from what I could tell, which is probably why these got a coat of paint, but it was on the surface of the wood and came up with the stripped paint.
After doing the ‘top handle’ of the back and one of the slats, I see that they all match as far as wood type goes, and it looks very nice. What I can’t seem to figure out is what type of wood this actually is.
What I have determined is that it’s a golden blonde, and refracts light with interesting patterns of iridescence as I tilted it around under my overhead lamp.
To get a better look at the grain, I fine sanded with 600 as to not remove any old patina, then wiped a thin coat of teak oil.
I assure you that the color of the wood in these two pieces is a very close match, and that the reason that ‘handle’ looks darker on one side is because of that refraction/iridescence.
I have no idea what this wood is. I only know that while working with it, it is very familiar - as if it’s something I’ve worked with when I refinished furniture back in the 80s.
Although the internet says it can sometimes come in a lighter yellow color too, I’m starting to think it’s probably not walnut. But it’s those darker flecks in the grain that make me think ‘well, maybe...’
I’m probably still going to stain them a darker color, closer to the other pic from the net, but before I do, I’d kinda like to know what this wood may actually be.
Any ideas? Please let me know what you think. Thank you. I’ll be posting more pics as pieces get stripped.