Nails, Heat and Lack of Moisture = Frame Damage

Greetings from my favorite furry friend Bear!

Photo: SHS

The summary of last weeks work is that nails used in ways unanticipated by the blog chair frame’s designer damage the integrity of its structure. Today we document some of the damage.

In this first photo the webbing is pictured how I found it; metal straps placed over the jute.

Photo: SHS

Next the metal is removed and just the vinyl strips and jute remain. Recall that these thin vinyl strips were nailed through the webbing and into the inner sides of the frame. 

Photo: SHS

Finally, all the quick fixes are removed and we can see how the webbing bulges down from the wood frame.

Photo: SHS

This is a direct result of releasing the metal strapping and vinyl strips used to shore it up.  Re-webbing plus re-installing and retying the springs would have been the proper way fix the sagging webbing, but that takes more time and effort. 

Recall that both of the "quick fix" efforts drove more nails deeper into the chair’s frame and at angles unforeseen by its designer.  In this photo of the under side of the back seat rail, notice the large crack extending from the right and spreading left towards the center. This occurred over time as nails were repeatedly driven into the wood.  

Photo: SHS

Notice the placement of the last nail head on the right side of the webbing. It is below the crack.  This leads me to believe that the crack to the frame existed for quite some time. The damage was obvious and the nail placed under it to keep the crack from spreading further.  This had to be done by the last person to web the chair

Also playing into this picture are heat and humidity. The wood is dry and there is very little moisture left in its fiber. It was probably stored in an attic or placed near a heat vent when in use.  I would have preferred storage in a barn as there would have been more humidity present. The lack of moisture in the wood causes it to crack more easily, especially when all those nails are used.

Further evidence of parched dried wood is in the use of extremely long staples by the chair’s most recent upholsterer technician; used to apply the decorative fabric. 

Photo: SHS

These staples are 5/8” long. The industry standard is 3/8” long. The added 1/4” penetration helps the fabric stay put but also damages the chair further by forcing the staples further into the wood and spreading its fibers.

Undoubtedly I will discover more damage as I remove the rest of the cover. 

So the moral of the today's story is?  Understand the importance of employing an upholsterer who understands that she/he should repair your frame before attempting to recover it.  

Love your dog,..and give him something yummy to chew on! 

Theresa

Yummy Furniture and Design

theresamhs@sbcglobal.net

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For more on the wood's qualities and how people crafted in the medium, see John T. Kirk's, American Furniture, Understanding Styles, Construction and Quality, New York, Harry N. Abrams. Section 2, pp 17-25.

About American Rococo

What's not to love about Rococo?

Today scholars call the colonial American adaptation of Chippendale inspired furniture Rococo, after the French Rococo made in the early to mid 18th century.  This French style was a great source of inspiration for all of Europe. (4) The American adaptation occurred in America later that century; from approximately 1750-1790 (5) and the term rococo was adapted in the 19^th century. (6) 

The English furniture industry drew much inspiration from this French style during its golden age.  So it is only natural that the French influence is illustrated in plates 19 through 23 in the Director where Chippendale named the illustrations “French Chairs”. (7) 

Plate XX in TG&CMD

The Rococo style incorporates foliate (plant-like) and nature based forms carved into the furniture. While not obvious on these two chairs, the balance is always asymmetric. So I've added an image of an 18th century mirror, or "glass" where the effect is more easily seen.

In the chairs frames notice the “S” shape of the front legs of both French Chairs chair in plate XX. (Fig 4)  Then compare them to the photo titled "Chippendale style ribbon back armchair" in my first blog post and find that the shape of the front legs of both chairs is very similar. These legs are called cabriole and the curve an “S” curve.  Simple!

Other influences of Chippendale style are medieval Gothic and Chinese architecture and furniture.(8) Examples of these styles are found in TG&CMD on plates CVI for Gothic and CXXXII-CXXXVII for Chinese.  These influences play a smaller part in the American rococo style.   

The blog chair’s main stylistic influence is the French rococo, one of my yummy favorites! 

Hope your chairs "Roc", 
Theresa
Yummy Furniture and Design
theresamhs@sbcglobal.net
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Footnotes

4. Payne, Christopher, Sotheby’s Concise Encyclopedia of Furniture, Harper & Row, New York. 59

5. Kirk, John T. American Furniture, Henry N. Abrams, Inc. New York.  7

6. Payne, Christopher, Sotheby’s Concise Encyclopedia of Furniture, Harper & Row, New York. 59

7. Chippendale, Thomas, The Gentleman & Cabinet-Maker’s Director, Dover Publications, New York, Reprint 3^rd Edition. Plate XX                                                    

8. Payne, Christopher, Sotheby’s Concise Encyclopedia of Furniture, Harper & Row, New York. 78