Upcyling an Old Chair
Oct. 21st, 2024 11:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmith posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
craftyToday I waterproofed some things for the yard. I spread out a plastic tarp to keep things off the grass.
This is the decorative wagonwheel for the wagonwheel garden. It came painted, so all I had to do was spray it with waterproofing seal.
I found an old chair in the house with a loose plywood seat, which I have already screwed tight. I decided that it would make an excellent plant stand outdoors, especially for tall or vining plants because of the back arch. As it is meant for plants, I did not bother to sand the seat or use fancy products.
This is the old chair before I started waterproofing the plywood.
I'm using motor oil since a friend suggested it. Water sealer, stain, etc. are expensive -- like $10-15 a can. Motor oil is cheap, like $2-5 a bottle and there's more since it's a liquid rather than a spray. It's not very environmentally friendly, but this is for an outdoor project that is purely practical. I wanted to see if the trick would work, and it did. I also used rubber gloves and paper towels, not shown because I didn't want them to blow around in the breeze.
This is the chair after waterproofing the seat top.
The seat top turned a gorgeous amber-gold color. I'm very pleasantly surprised, as I was expecting brown or black.
I flipped the chair over to waterproof the seat bottom. Probably some of the cracks and bits right next to the metal frame aren't fully protected, but that's okay. It's definitely much better than it was before.
Here is a closeup of the seat bottom.
Here is the chair, all finished! The thing is done, out of the house, and ready for use later.
This is the decorative wagonwheel for the wagonwheel garden. It came painted, so all I had to do was spray it with waterproofing seal.
I found an old chair in the house with a loose plywood seat, which I have already screwed tight. I decided that it would make an excellent plant stand outdoors, especially for tall or vining plants because of the back arch. As it is meant for plants, I did not bother to sand the seat or use fancy products.
This is the old chair before I started waterproofing the plywood.
I'm using motor oil since a friend suggested it. Water sealer, stain, etc. are expensive -- like $10-15 a can. Motor oil is cheap, like $2-5 a bottle and there's more since it's a liquid rather than a spray. It's not very environmentally friendly, but this is for an outdoor project that is purely practical. I wanted to see if the trick would work, and it did. I also used rubber gloves and paper towels, not shown because I didn't want them to blow around in the breeze.
This is the chair after waterproofing the seat top.
The seat top turned a gorgeous amber-gold color. I'm very pleasantly surprised, as I was expecting brown or black.
I flipped the chair over to waterproof the seat bottom. Probably some of the cracks and bits right next to the metal frame aren't fully protected, but that's okay. It's definitely much better than it was before.
Here is a closeup of the seat bottom.
Here is the chair, all finished! The thing is done, out of the house, and ready for use later.
no subject
Date: 2024-10-22 07:22 pm (UTC)Thank you!
Date: 2024-10-22 08:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-10-23 12:43 am (UTC)Thoughts
Date: 2024-10-23 01:03 am (UTC)Well, it's oil, and oil repels water.
>> Any particular variety? <<
I just bought the cheapest plain motor oil available. I doubt that type matters much, although I have not tested that.
>> How well does it work over time? <<
As I just finished the project, I don't know. I expect it will last pretty well because motor oil is synthetic rather than organic and thus not prone to break down the way plant oils can.