# Repairing an old Spring Rocker



## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

This last July a lady brought to me an old spring rocker and asked me if I could repair it for her. It was a sad looking affair, ragged and gee-hawed from one spring being broken and bent, and the fabric all ratty. She said she wanted it with the fabric removed and she was going to paint it.
So I removed the 4 layers of fabric and found that the seat was then gone, and the back spindles were broken and spiced with wound cord and a bent nail.
Since each layer of fabric was nailed with a pillion tacks it looked like it was shot with a shotgun. 
It had a couple of tiny steel wheels on the front of the base and she has wood laminate floors and was worried it would mark the floors so she wanted them removed and replaced with something else.

Here are some pictures of getting it ready for repair.

Herb


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## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

This outta be interesting


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

So after I striped it down , I made a new wooden seat,and a back and installed them, then filled all the holes with auto glazing coumpound, and stained it and sprayed it with lacquer to seal it. She was going to paint it anyway.

Then I removed the steel castors and replaced them with wooden balls and a 1/2" dowel onto the front legs. I bought the balls from the craft store, cheep,cheep.

I ordered some new springs and replaced them too. 

I saw her yesterday and asked her if she had painted it yet so I could get a picture of the finished product, and she said ,"not yet". 
She likes it like it is, it looks old and sits good and she uses it all the time.


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## fire65 (Oct 29, 2008)

Excellent work, love seeing the old things restored. Never had much luck myself as no one wants to pay to get their treasures restored, OR they wanted to tell me how to do it.


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

Wow you do some impressive work Herb . Love how you built the new back


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

*Good Deeds Will Not Go Unnoticed*

In this case LOL is Little Old Lady... 

You're a Saint, Herb! 0


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Nice job Herb. The chair has a lot of charm to it.


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## PRDarnell (Mar 21, 2012)

Super, Herb!

How did you replace the broken/ listing spring? Able to find an off-the-shelf spring? Have to go to a spring shop to have one fabricated? 

Can you tell I have never had any luck finding replacement springs that had the same physical dimensions yet had the same amount of torsion/ torque? ;-)

Paul


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

PRDarnell said:


> Super, Herb!
> 
> How did you replace the broken/ listing spring? Able to find an off-the-shelf spring? Have to go to a spring shop to have one fabricated?
> 
> ...


Paul,
I did a search on the internet and found a lot of replacements. The one I replaced it with is a double spring ,instead of a single, and seems to work good as they are surface mounted. I never thought about the tensioning aspect, hmmmmm......got lucky I guess. 

BTW I found out last night that the lady is going to have it painted by Christmas, so will update a picture of it then. Not holding my breathe tho, she didn't specify which Christmas. LOL

Herb


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Did she mention _who_ is doing the painting? _*Looks directly at Herb...* _


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Speaking of which, it really should be stripped down to bare wood before refinishing...
Paint doesn't bond well to lacquer/varnish. We used to use really 'hot' primers that softened the underlying finish and gave the paint something to bond to. Not even sure you can buy them anymore...they weren't what you might call 'environmentally friendly'.


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

DaninVan said:


> Speaking of which, it really should be stripped down to bare wood before refinishing...
> Paint doesn't bond well to lacquer/varnish. We used to use really 'hot' primers that softened the underlying finish and gave the paint something to bond to. Not even sure you can buy them anymore...they weren't what you might call 'environmentally friendly'.


I will mention that to her, and maybe a spray can of lacquer would work if she used an automotive primer first? just curious, I am not a finisher.

Herb


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Mohawk sells a spray can of a type of prep coat. I've used it for prepping cabinets for a new clear coat after years of being exposed to hand prints, cleaners, waxes etc.. 
Works extremely well.
Cleaners & Surface Prep - Mohawk Finishing

I'm trying to remember whether it was the Wax Wash or the Quick Clean(?)...


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

DaninVan said:


> In this case LOL is Little Old Lady...
> 
> You're a Saint, Herb! 0


nice try but it won't wash...


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

heaps more KUDOS Herb...


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