Restoring Midcentury Modern Hans Wegner Teak Chairs - Thomas Johnson Antique Furniture Restoration
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 มิ.ย. 2018
- Tom Johnson of Thomas Johnson Antique Furniture Restoration in Gorham, Maine restores a set of Danish Modern "W2" chairs designed by the great Hans Wegner. Tom has been restoring furniture professionally since 1979. Visit our website at www.thomasjohnsonrestoration.com, or write us at thomasjohnsonrestoration@gmail.com. And for those on the west coast looking for custom framing, be sure to check out Tom's daughter's shop, www.emcollier.com (@emcollierframes on Instagram).
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The dye stain trick for the leather is new to me. Thank you very much for sharing that!
You're welcome!
Is the dye stain specially for leather?
Yes! I need just such a product for a vintage Ingmar Relling chair!
40 years of restoring! You just know he's going to always do things right!
Thanks! Well, at least try my best!
Very nice, as usual. Since I also am a mid-century modern classic, I find it encouraging to see that with proper care and attention to detail items from that era can still look pretty good.
Thanks! Yes, we can only hope!
I much prefer to be called a mid-century modern classic than a baby boomer! Thanks!
We have to keep those classics alive ! ;)
Great job Thomas as always. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks!
It’s refreshing to watch someone who truly enjoys what they do. Thanks for the great content!
You're welcome!
Great work, Tom, thanks for the video. A great way to start relaxing, ready for the weekend!
You're welcome, and thanks for watching!
Your a true craftsman. Love all your videos. Thanks for sharing.
You're welcome!
Excellent work Tom,
Jim
Thanks!
Love everything you do, Tom. Keep up the good work.
Thanks! Will do
They look incredible!
Thanks!
Top class restoration as usual. Excellent!
Thanks!
I like the smooth deco shape of the chairs, even more now that they look so lovely.
Thanks, yes, I like them too!
They are gorgeous. Just what I would love to have today in my home. You brought them back to life.
Thanks!
Outstanding! Thanks again for sharing!
You're welcome!
This could be my new favourite channel. Thanks Thomas.
You're welcome! I hope it will be!
I think they look fabulous!!
Thanks!
Beautiful restoration, I especially liked the treatment you gave the leather seats, I would not have thought of the dye followed by the leather conditioner.
Thanks! New for me too, but it worked well
Me either. But now that I think of it, that's what the shoemaker does when you take him a pair of old shoes to refurbish. Recently my upholsterer warned me that a piece of green leather I picked out for a chair was "raw" ( dyed, but not sealed or painted) and told me I had to treat it with leather sealer (new to me), let it dry for a week, and then treat it with leather conditioner.
Hello Tom , great video again what kind of oil do you use to clean leather furniture? Thank you.
Wonderful restoration! Amazing job and video! Thanks so much for sharing with us! Love your videos! 😊👍👍
Thank you!
Wow, llamas and mid century modern furniture... my kinda life! Thanks, Tom.
You’re welcome! I’m very fortunate!
Excellent as ever. Lots of useful info there. Keep them coming, please!
Thanks! I will
Another job well done they were beautiful chairs
Thanks!
Great work!
Thanks!
Tom, I really do admire your systematic and precise work you do and just love your absolute respect fir the craftsmanship of the past as well as the value your work brings to the owners of the furniture that means so much to their family.
Thank you, I appreciate it!
Every time i see your videos i learn so much. Thanks for sharing your hard work, your modesty is humbling, God bless you sir
You are very welcome!
Great job. I wish I could see your customers reactions when you reveal how nicely their furniture was restored. Cheers!
Thanks! It would be fun to get that on video!
Great job on these Thomas
Thanks!
You are such a perfectionist. And a very tidy worker. Everything properly prepared to begin with.
Thank you!
Ahh been waiting for these ones! So exciting!
Thanks!
The Danish modern stuff is just so spectacular. We need more collectors to come your way for restoration, then we can see these designs dismantled or worked on. So little of the construction of these items if documented.
Also loved how you deal with the leather upholstery, will have to bear that in mind. Obviously it works in a case by case basis, but that is not something I'd have thought of doing. To me, it is either don't dismantle or entirely reupholster.
The wood looks like silk...smooth, perfect glow. Masterful job of bringing them back to life. Perfection in your work. Peace
Thank you!
These chairs will be a lot stronger now than they were as new, they were just thrown together in the factory. Really nice job as usual.
Thanks!
Excellent work as always. I’m a huge fan of F-N-W and have had good results from using it on older leather to give it some new life. Each vid is a gem!!
Thanks!
You did an Excellent job mate ! Thanks for sharing. It really helps
You're welcome!
Great Work as usual Young Tom!!!
Thank you sir!
Amazing!
Thanks!
Patience and perseverance, good work. Sure glad I found your site.
Thank you! me too!
I totally missed this video! I am subscribed!! Excited to see it. Those are beautiful chairs.
Thanks! Welcome to my channel!
Beautiful restoration, Wegner is by far my favorite designer within his period. Great job as usual.
Thanks!
Wegner was a great designer, but there is a lot of great danish designers from same era, like Utzon, Børge Mogensen, Kaare klint, Finn Juhl, Arne Jacobsen, Poul kjærholm, Aksel Dahl and I could go on.
Wegner was lucky and hit the international market back in the 60’s, especially with “THE CHAIR”. But trust me there’s a lot of great ones from that era.
Another pretty good video sir. Thanks for sharing.
You're welcome!
All the time and care you take really does pay off. Wood is such a lovely material to work with, and the finishes you get are fabulous. Thanks for sharing your skills :-)
You're welcome!
Nice work! The chairs look great, and its so interesting to see how you approach the tasks. Thanks for sharing. Keep up the good work!
You're welcome!
GREAT JOB, AS USUAL .
Thanks!
Being a Dane myself, it really warms my heart to see how good care you take of these magnificent pieces of furniture. Thank you - excellent job! ;o)
You are so welcome!
@Lix which is why you wanna make sure they survive for another 100 years. Quality chairs over quantity ;)
Love your show.
Thank you! And I appreciate you watching!
They sure do “look pretty good”. Love MCM. I just want to touch those chairs. 🙌🏼
Thanks! Yes, they felt good too!
I have recently discovered your channel, I really enjoy the seasonal intro, I try to learn from what you are doing. Thank you!
You are welcome!
Very helpful. Thank you!
You're welcome!
Thank you!
You're welcome! Love the name!
I am a big fan of danish chairs, but I do seem to have had quite a few of them in for a re-glue like this over the years. You have to be quite inventive with the clamping sometimes. Great video Tom, thanks for posting.
You're welcome!
Thanks for sharing!
You're welcome!
Nice Job!
Thank you!
Excelente toda tu labor!!!! Saludos desde Argentina, La Plata!!!!
¡Gracias! Quiero ir a Argentina para buscar a mi amigo Andres da Silva
Excellent
Thanks!
Greetings from Denmark. You did a great job on those chairs. It is great to see the steps you went through, some that worked and some that did'nt. It is refreshing to see that professional and methodical way of working. You are very talented and the finish you achieved was incredible. It is very very difficult to restore but keep the patina and look of a piece of furniture that is pushing 70 years old.
Thank you! I appreciate it!
LOOK PRETTY GOOD??? Those are over the top gorgeous!!! I thought the leather was history. GREAT JOB!!!!
Thank you!
Mr Johnson, sorry that I send so many comments about older projects. I just found your videos and watch at least one a day. My business, Furniture Medic in NC, repairs chairs, etc. Often tell customers that we have not met a chair yet that we can’t fix. Some are not worth fixing(just firewood), but if they have the money... very impressed with your work.
Hi Clay, thanks for watching my videos! This video shows one of the worst moving damage I've seen, I think the owner paid for most of this himself: th-cam.com/video/CL3EUq39mbg/w-d-xo.html
If someone were to ask me, I'd have to say... looks pretty good! Bet the clients were thrilled.
Thank you! They were
Nice video as always tom! Thanks for sharing.😎👍JP
You're welcome!
😎
Muy buen trabajo, las sillas parecen nuevas!! Saludos desde Montreal. Gracias por el nuevo video
¡Gracias! Amo Montreal
Fabulous
Thanks!
Very impressive! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 True craftmanship! I actually until recently had a set of six of the exact same Wegner W2 chairs, also from the late 50s, but have now swopped them for some other, beautiful vintage chairs by Hans J. Wegner; the GE525’s, produced by Getama, Denmark. Keep up the good work! Greetings from Oslo, Norway
Thank you! I appreciate it, coming from some one who knows about these chairs
"I think they look pretty good."
Understatement of the year.
Thanks!
Oh yes they do look pretty good.
Thanks!
I'm pretty sure I sat in a chair similar to your project many years ago. That too had loose joints.
Sadly, I think the set was scrapped. Great repair and restoration. Thank you again for posting.
You're welcome! It's sad how many things are scrapped for want of a little maintenance!
I think they look pretty good too
Yes! Thanks!
Really nice! I think your work looks pretty good Tom! :-)
Thanks!
Good, overall finished look. I use that same leather conditioner for 18th and 19th century book covers as part of a process to keep them from drying out.
Thanks! I think the leather conditioner is a good product
Thanks Tom. Now I know how to cope with cracked leather seats. Just brilliant. Once again many thanks. (Alan)
You're welcome!
BRAVO de France. Beau travail. Je m abonne !👏👍😍
Je vous remercie! Et bonjour à la France! Merci pour votre subscription
_Those are lovely chairs, thank you another excellent video
You're welcome!
Amazing work!! Loved the video.
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks!
I inherited a lovely Dux Scissor chair from my parents that needs *exactly* this type of restoration. If only you were closer ...
Thanks! I'll have to look that one up. Just did - nice chair!
So far as these things go, these chairs now look "pretty bloody amazing"...they're not a style I particularly admire, but I think you've done a fantastic job on them...there are some other awful seventies terms I could also employ, but won't...great job as always
Dave
Thanks! You gain an appreciation for these chairs when you work on them, I like them a lot
For me this restoration not only showcases your skill, but also your patience. In my limited experience with restoring furniture, a one-off piece offers the satisfaction of the diagnosis, repair, and finish of the project. With a set of chairs, you do the first one, then repeat, then repeat, then repeat... my attention span doesn't handle that well. My wife knows me well enough, and has forbidden me, from bringing home "sets" of anything.
Thanks! Luckily, just 4! Sets of 8 or more can get pretty boring. Once had a set of 26 chairs!
Hi Thomas, thank you for sharing your skills and processes with the world, as a furniture restorer in Australia I really appreciate it. I'm always looking for ways to avoid using solvents where possible and I'm curious to learn about your oil soap mix. Kind regards, Daniel.
Thanks! I use a lot of different soaps, but I always seem to come back to Krud Kutter - a degreaser
amazing... I've always dreamed of owning "the chair." If I ever find / can afford a set, I know where I'll send them for restoration. Thanks again for sharing your craft with us!
You're welcome!
These Wegner look great but when it comes to dining chairs of this type, Moller chairs are the reference for me.
Nice job, subtle restoration.
Thanks!
I think that looks pretty good.....
Thanks! Me too
Another fantastic job, Tom. With so many almost identical parts it's a minefield at times to remember where all the parts go during assembly. I like the simple labelling method you use. Do you work on one chair at a time (start to finish) or, more akin to assembly line techniques for speed? . I suspect if the latter, the labelling comes into its own. would you use a different tape colour for a particular chair identification or just use different lettering or numbers? Anyway, as always, I enjoy watching your methology of work.
Thanks! Sometimes one at a time. sometimes assembly line. The problem with assembly line is just what you mentioned, too many identical parts lying around!
Upholstery leather is actually ‘finished’. It’s a lower grade leather. We always recommend Fiebings dye products and Dr Jackson’s Leather Cleaner and Conditioner. Applied every 6 months it will extend the life of leather many years. I know the new ecologically friendly stuff is popular now but i just cant get away for what works!
Thanks!
Thanks for sharing your restoration videos and tips, they are of a great value and very professional.
Your videos have encouraged me to try to restore a set of Mcintosh teak dining chairs myself.
I have started do disassemble the chairs and have a doubt in which I would much appreciate your help.
My chairs have a dowel joint, and in my case some of the dowels are loss but others are quite steady.
Should I remove only the loss ones and re-glue and leave the others, or should I try to remove all and glue it all again?
Is there a way to "easily" remove the steady dowels that you could suggest?
Thanks
Thanks! Leave the steady ones. Trying to get them out will break them, and redrilling is too inaccurate
Thank you so much Tom. I have 8 Wegner chairs that are in need of repair. this video is just what I need. i have been told that I should never glue the joints but it appears you have. what type of glue do you use. thank you
You're welcome! I used hide glue on these, but any type of yellow carpenters glue will work fine too. Also, this Wonder Loc Em is good for joints that are loose but you don't want to diassemble them: www.pcepoxy.com/products/wonderlokem-tite-chairs/
Beautiful chairs and great restoration as usual! I'm curious as to what determines whether you use tung oil or danish?
Thanks! Both are fine, I use the tung oil varnish because it builds faster
Hi Thomas, very nice job! As a Danish funiture restorer I have never used tung oil or tung oil varnish. You don't really use this product in Denmark, where the chairs are produced, so if you want to be true to the chairs, I would use lindseed varnish. I can see if I can ask at PP funiture(where the chairs are made), what the original surface treatment was, if you are interrested? I know a few cabinet makers from there. Keep up the good work! It looks REALLY good ;)
Thanks! I would be interested. Send any info to my email: thomasjohnsonrestoration@gmail.com
Absolutely stunning....how often do you replace the heads on your dead blow hammers?..or do you use them JUST to knock joints apart?....Mine built up knobs that sometimes bruise the wood and I have to grind them down smother? Keep up the great work and again thanks for sharing your talents with us.
You're welcome! The dead blow hammers are from Lixie www.lixiehammers.com/. They have replacable heads, but I've never had to replace them!
I know it is impolite to ask, Tom, but for folks who want to do what you do, please give us an idea how you charge, and what a job like this one would net for all the time and labor you have invested. If you choose not to answer, I completely understand. Thanks very much, Tom, for sharing these informative, educational and entertaining videos.
You're welcome. Well, I could write a book on charging for your work, I should make a video about it! After 40 years of being in business, I have a lot of good customers who want to keep me around. It helps to live in an affluent area.
That would be a great and most welcome video, Tom. Thanks very much!
I like your channel. I have a few restoration projects, but can you change one thing, can you add total working minutes on your projects. That would be really helpful. As soon as I get a place to live, (homeless veteran) I will start looking for curbside furniture to restore for it. Thank you for the tips. Keep up the great work!
Thanks! I have started doing that, this is an older video. Good luck with your projects! (and finding a home)
Ummm I am not sure ..., 7 thumbs up..???? Amazing vid thank you thank you This was great !!!! THX again,.. oh and do more
Thank you! I will!
A great video. You are an inspiration to me. I do have a question regarding steel wool. When I use it finishing furniture I find pieces of it come off and get inbeded in my work. Is it the quality of the steel wool or am I rubbing too hard.
Thanks! Well, something is catching the steel wool, maybe not sanded well enough? It will catch on oak frequently, but I never had much of a problem. I do like the Liberon steel wool, but I don't think that's the problem
the master of understatement usual standards usual comments sir
Thank you!
Hi Tom, great job as always. Beautiful chairs. May I ask, what is the tool you use for scraping off the old glue? I could really use one of those! Thanks, Keith
You're welcome! I use all different types of scrapers, I like the small ones. I've collected them from various sources, catalogs etc. Japan Woodworker sells the small Bahco scraper
Such great work...once again! Was the client adverse to putting new leather on the chairs? I am just curious as to they wanted the original leather. You did a wonderful job restoring the color and texture.
Thanks! Well, expense was a consideration, and the leather still works, so why not keep it original?
nice chair reminds of frank loyd wright
Thanks! Yes, in it's simplicity
art deco form following function
Love these chairs! Remembering coming in homes all my childhood filled with 50’s and 60’s danish design furnitures, and I thought they were awful and outdated and you could more or less get furnitures like this for free.
By the way when you say Hans Wegner, forget the G in wegner and you pronounce it right.
I should know, because I’m danish.
Thanks! I figured that from your moniker! I got the part where the "W" is pronounced like "V", but I'm sitting here trying to drop the G and it's not working! I need to hear it pronounced correctly. I think I can do that on line.
Just say Ve-ner 😉 One of our favorite thing, is to put letters in words, that doesn’t have to be there.
Got idea how to restore leather seats.thank you teacher
You're welcome!
That was a fortunate happenstance the chairs coming apart so well. I notice you use the ‘pads’ a lot. What is the difference in color mean? What is the advantage of using paper towels to buff? As usual, it does look pretty good!
Yes, thanks! Do you mean the pads of the mallet? One's hard and one's soft. Paper towels have an abrasive quality to them that can be helpful
Hello, Mr. Johnson. I just viewed a TH-cam video entitled: Wie ein alte Moebel resteuriert/ SWR Handwerkskunst (a German item). If you haven't viewed it, perhaps you should. The shop organization is what I call typical German. Techniques are interesting. You'll note the authenticity of this video when you see the bandaged right index finger. There's an assistant that's a real knockout (and I don't mean the fat man). Best regards, psh
Thanks! Ok, I found it! I'll watch later
While you had the leather released why would you not have considered adding a minimal amount of additional stuffing? I appreciate your knowledge and am thankful for you willingness to share
Thanks! Not a bad idea but I stay away from anything to do with upholstery. It might have opened the proverbial can of worms!
Huge fan of your work and this episode I don’t how many times I’ve watched it. I have a question for you if you wouldn’t mind giving me a tip but I just picked up a Hans Olsen Roundette dining set and the chairs have some pretty good wear on them. Would you recommend still starting with 220 or somewhere around 150? Thank you!
You're welcome! Wash the chairs with a mild solution of Dawn detergent, then sand lightly with 220. Then a coat or 2 of an oil finish (think Watco Danish Oil), then use 0000steel wool and Howard's Feed N Wax
Nice work, I have to wonder though, were the staples original? Seems for such a high quality chair they would have used nail heads of some sort, as I've seen nice Danish chairs levels down from Wegner's with nicer fasteners than staples.
Thanks! I'm sure they were original, the seats had never been reupholstered, there were no indications of any other nails, etc
Great looking chairs, and lovely restoration. What do you mean by oil soap? Also I couldn't quite catch finish. Is it just Tung oil? What is in the jar? Thanks once again
Thanks! Murphy's Oil Soap, a nice mild soap. Yes, it was Waterlox Tung Oil