Featured Old ladder back armchair, repair help, age?

I have a host of ladder back chairs, mostly new-ish. This one, however, is older and once upon a time I posted it in the eBay discussion boards though can't find any sign of that old post.

Anyway, this came from a country auction in Virginia. It had damage to the front of the rushing and the front seat rail/stretcher was broken. I love this chair and in this old photo you can see the clamp where I glued the split in the wood then I wrapped it in wire. I did a repair to the rush with some glue (it actually looked kind of ok). Anyway eventually the rail broke again and the chair has been sitting in the garage.

What I'm wondering is if I can drill the legs and insert a rod behind/under(?) the old rail or is there another solution short of tearing it apart.

Any idea of age, location etc? I think 19th C was a general suggestion last time.

 

( @James Conrad you finished partying yet)

 

It is a nice old chair that deserves a proper repair. This probably means tearing it apart. The only other option might be to remove the rush and try to do a better glue job, possibly splicing in some new wood if necessary. The type of repair you suggest would harm the integrity of the chair. I realize that this chair doesn't currently have much monetary value but may some day. I think we need to be as good of a custodian as we can if we value old things.

 

I agree really and don't want to scrap it or ruin it further so it sits there. (I either paid $2 or $5 for it so nothing to be lost there.)

 

Oh yes! all done! lol
Agrees, it is a very nice ladder back and early too, I'd guess 1st half 19th century. It needs restoration and no, you won't get your money back at this time. The turned finials & turned front stretchers are very well done, you should shop around for someone that repairs chairs. In my view it is worthy of restoration, look around your area, i bet you can find someone to fix this for not a lot of money. It needs a new seat & the arm repaired, not that big a deal really.

 

Thanks James and Brad. I guess I'll leave it for now and see who I can come up with for restoration.

 

Here ya go SIS, easy as pie, MAKE IT HAPPEN!

 

Or if you are lazy like i am, $7. per inch at widest part of chair, not expensive!

https://hhperkins.com/repair-restoration-pricing/

 

And another in Fredericksburg Va with a link on how to find seat weaver/caner in your area
http://furniturerepair.net/WeavingGuide.htm

 

I'll check into some restorers, I hate to have to replace that seat rail and aged rush but I guess it needs doing. Thanks for the links!

Youtube is not to be underestimated. Here is a funny horn-armed chair I re-caned using youtube instructions. Not a perfect fix but not terrible. (and I'll not be doing another I don't think).

 

Hi,
Nice job!!!!
greg

 

Agrees, very good job!

 

On your ladder back, it's going to be easier, faster and much better to take apart, repair & re-glue the joints rather than trying to cobble some kind of voo-doo repair job. There are not that many joints to deal with.

 

voodoo, I'm doing that all the time !! The seat repair with glued and pieced in bits didn't look too bad until the seat rail broke again. Here is what it looks like currently with the now sagging repaired corner. It was voodooed for sure!

Don't know if I'm up to doing a real repair or not but I'll give it some thought

 

Yep, was! I have always found that the cheapest & quickest way to restore is to do it correctly the first time, that way one is not continually returning to re-do the voo-doo!

 

Well said!

 

I would think depending on where you are, it would be in the $250-300 range to get a professional chair guy/gal to restore with new seat and all. Not that bad, more than chair is worth probably at the moment but not outrageous either.

 

Look at this thread as an example of a QA walnut highboy base that i put a new top on as an example.
https://www.antiquers.com/threads/burled-walnut-slab.31421/
1. purchased this highboy base for i think $1500.
2. Shipping fee $250.
3. New walnut board to replace existing top which was pine $600
4. Restorer fee to mill new top & refinish server $1000.
Total was something like $3350. maybe 10-15 years ago. NO WAY is a highboy base worth that much at auction today but i don't care, i like the form, it's used in the kitchen everyday so all is well!

 

I had seen the first part of that thread and your replacement top is fabulous! You've got me thinking about a piece I have and I assume it's a highboy base, 40" wide. Don't really know much about it other than said to be 18th C but like it regardless. I think there is a question about it's top.

 

Yes, not a lowboy or dressing table, no doubt. Lowboys are very small, tiny almost. The top does look replaced , if period there should be a thumbnail edge, not square.