Featured Cool Old Rocking Chair I am working on Restoring

So I found this old rocking chair that was a really bad shape but I started the painstaking task of cleaning in so I could refinish it. Just because I really like it. Not that's it's valuable. Never seen one with it before the designs on is are actually metal dome applied over the wood some of the wood came off with the domes and are still in them, still haven't thought about how to clean those yet maybe some 00000 steel wool.





Close up of the build up on it






After some hours of scrubbing hot soapy water still not completely done

 

Very unusual decoration! That's going to be awesome when you're done!

 

Oh and here are the pieces I took off for the cleaning

 

I am hoping so .

 

@DeAnne, Looks like you're doing an amazing job!!!!! I HOPE you will PLEASE show us the FINISHED ITEM??????? PRETTY PLEASE????

 

Agrees, very unusual. Oak chair with what looks like "north wind" face on center metal decoration.

 

That's going to be seriously cool.

 

Yeah it is, agrees. What's the restoration plan or still evolving?

 

Yep seriously evolving lol. I have been scrubbing it it with warm water an green scrubbing pads because I don't want to sand to much of the original work off. Honestly I am just hopeful it will turn out okay.

 

It's really an um let's try this project but I think it will be worth it an so far so good. Do not try this at home on your counter lol it's messy

 

Votes for a really nice paint job with polished brass metal decoration.

 

Ooo, nice. Can't wait for the finale.

 

Nope can't do it LOL I have this thing about beautiful wood.

 

I was afraid of that! What if it was designed to be painted?

 

To tell you the truth that was the original plan, until I started cleaning all the yuck off and saw how beautiful the wood was. But I can say it was never painted before it is just covered in a lot of dirt and old varnish. And by the age of it I doubt it was ever meant to be painted. It is at least 100 years old if not more.

 

Yes, i think that's correct, late victorian era with that "north wind" face on that brass circular medallion. Aesthetic movement perhaps? I'd guess 1880-1900.

 

Second vote for NO PAINT. It's too cool to paint.

 

LOL, votes for PAINT!
Naturally, i realize i am gonna lose this argument. In 1st pic it looks like it's painted light grey which i agree, isn't exactly knocking my socks off.

 

Hopefully @verybrad will stop by and look at this chair, it's not in furniture forum so exposure/posts might be limited. A very interesting chair in my view.

 

Congratulations on the effort DeAnne. It's looking amazing and I think will have heaps of character when you finish it. Also, in photo 4, is that another chair "project" sitting alongside?