Vintage Church Pew Redo
I found this wonderful church pew with at least five coats of paint at the Lake County Fairgrounds Antique Fair in Spring of 2015. The seven-foot length would be perfect extra seating on the backyard deck. I just loved the funky layers, two shades of brown-tan, the varnished oak, a cream, a turquoise and the country blue.I confess this was an old post I have tweaked from June 2015, but no one saw it then as it was only my second blog post.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
Let's get started on the redo. This OLD REDO, is DIY Ladies, this will be totally doable on your own, except for moving the pew, this oak monster weighs a ton.
The pew was sound, but I reinforced the legs by pre-drilling holes and inserting deck screws and wood glue from the inside out to keep the wood from splitting at the seams. I drilled a series of holes for drainage in the rear of the seat.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
It's wise to use a
mask and gloves when working on old finishes, many before the seventies
contained lead and other harmful substances. Chipping paint, while a
romantic 'shabby chic'
look, is a true hazard to a curious toddler and the environment. Think GREEN!
After
a vigorous scrubbing with Murphy's wood soap and hot water, I scraped
and then I orbital sanded with 60 grit to remove all the loose paint
layers and evened out the finish. The shop vac and a damp cloth removed
all traces of dust and debris. The surface is finally ready.
Saftey Tip: remember to wear a mask and gloves when emptying your vac and change the filter before using it again.
Saftey Tip: remember to wear a mask and gloves when emptying your vac and change the filter before using it again.
I applied two sparse coats of Minwax
Helmsman Spar Urethane-clear semi-gloss (indoor/outdoor) varnish. We
intend to use this on the back deck for extra seating--so much nicer
than tripping over folding chair legs.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
Ready for sealing.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
The Helmsman varnish was very
runny, and needs to be applied quickly in thin coats. I used sponge
brushes (not recommended on the label) to avoid carrying too much
varnish on the tilted surfaces. Sponge brushes helped to soak up excesses
instead of pushing it around. I had no significant deterioration of the
sponges, other than normal wear from the irregular surfaces. I used two
sponge brushes for the two coats. They don't last long, but I save the
handles to use as dowels for other projects.
Some
drips occurred, but this can be brushed out in the next coat. I only
waited two hours between coats, as it was a very warm and low humidity.
After curing the two coats for a week, the finish is very tight and very shiny.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
Waterproofing the legs
Tip:
I weather-proofed the legs by submerging the wood into large oil drain pans filled with Cabot's Wood Toned Deck and Siding Stain, 19200 Natural. This
soaked up the feet nicely and used almost a full quart of stain/sealer. This
project will be on a raised deck, but this step is absolutely necessary
for furniture in contact with dirt, grass, or damp surfaces.
This is just one battle in the history of marriage challenges between a pocket-protector
husband and an artist wife, LOL.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
PS: After a month the finish has mellowed and the shine has gone way down. If you want it even less shiney, a polish of steel wool, will bring down the shine.
I use it every day, come join me for a cup of your favorite!
Update:
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| oldnewgreenredo |
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| oldnewgreenredo |
All the opinions and photographs in this blog are my own, I have not
been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions or posts. Please do not
use photos without linking back to this blog without my permission.
Thank you for your cooperation, Sandi Magle
Sandi
