Refinishing Helm Chair

[Southern Grin]

I am attempting to re-finish my helm chair. I have some "air" pockets in the seat and wanted to know if I need to sand ALL of the old varnish off and start new, or can I just sand the "spots" out and re-apply varnish.

[billschwabe]

Don't know the history of that chair but if it is original "factory" finish it has several coats of epoxy beneath 15-20 coats of clear LPU paint (Imron Chromaclear, Awl-Grip or Alexseal). Unless you like refinishing often don't use regular varnish! All the chair manufacturers switched to clear LPU paint years ago.

It sounds like you will have to take it all the way back to bare wood. You can take it down with pretty aggressive grits and work back to about 180 before starting the epoxy layers. West Systems special 207 clear hardner works very well and cures quick enough you can get two coats a day. Sand the next morning (180 also) and apply a couple more. The first couple of coats will "fisheye" in lots of places due to the teak oil rejecting the epoxy but carry on, it will get better each coat.

Once you have a good base of epoxy, sand with 320/400 and start the clear coating, NO more than 5 coats a day sanded each morning before starting again. It is a lot of work but you will be justifiably proud of the finish and it should last many years without further attention. Good luck!

[alex n]

Varnish on a fighting or helm chair is sacreligious. Take down to bare wood and use the 207/105 epoxy from west. Start in the morning using a small foam roller to apply, when the first coat begins to tack apply a second then a third then a fourth then a fifth. If you allow the epoxy to harden all the way you will have to sand between coats, it is best not to do that. You want to have each coat chemically bonded to each other not mechanically. Also dont push too hard on the foam roller, it will produce air bubbles. If you get air bubbles in the finish you can get them out by waveing a handheld torch over them. When its all hardened up after 24 hours or so you can get the chair flat and smooth by wet sanding with 320 grit . Then its probably best to bring to a automotive body shop and have them spray 4 or more coats of a good urethane clear , then wet sand with 1500 and buff, I have done a few this way and its pretty much the way Release and Pompanette do it . Check these photos out of a chair that I made

[Southern Grin]

Hey Guys, thanks alot. It took me the better part of a day, but was able to get it all down to bare wood. I own a Topaz and I assume this is the original seat. It still has the Topaz name burned in the top rung of the helm chair. Anyway it is working out fine and I appreciate all your help.

[Southern Grin]

Alex n: where did you get the hardware for that chair ??

[billschwabe]

Varnish on a fighting or helm chair is sacreligious. Take down to bare wood and use the 207/105 epoxy from west. Start in the morning using a small foam roller to apply, when the first coat begins to tack apply a second then a third then a fourth then a fifth. If you allow the epoxy to harden all the way you will have to sand between coats, it is best not to do that. You want to have each coat chemically bonded to each other not mechanically. Also dont push too hard on the foam roller, it will produce air bubbles. If you get air bubbles in the finish you can get them out by waveing a handheld torch over them. When its all hardened up after 24 hours or so you can get the chair flat and smooth by wet sanding with 320 grit . Then its probably best to bring to a automotive body shop and have them spray 4 or more coats of a good urethane clear , then wet sand with 1500 and buff, I have done a few this way and its pretty much the way Release and Pompanette do it . Check these photos out of a chair that I made

That is some awesome looking wood in that one! Where did you find such pretty stuff? I always canvas the mills around here when making a new chair or helm pod but I've yet to find any that gorgeous. Great looking chair!
Bill

[alex n]

I got the hardware from Bluewater Chairs, the wood is Bubinga from Hearne Hardwoods in Pennsylvania . Bubinga is from Africa. check out thier website they have a lot of nice stuff

[Southern Grin]

Alex n: I'm thinking about making a pedestal rocket launcher for the cockpit. Do you think that wood you used would be good ??

[clt_capt]

Mahogany or Sapele work nicely and are a good bit less than teak.

I also think that they hold finish better than teak - Teak is oily and you really have to prep it well for a good bond

[mikehalseyjr]

I am attempting to re-finish my helm chair. I have some "air" pockets in the seat and wanted to know if I need to sand ALL of the old varnish off and start new, or can I just sand the "spots" out and re-apply varnish.

I took my rocket launcher down to bare wood last winter, I used bristol finish. It turned out great. see this thread, http://www.sportfishermen.com/board/...sh-636956.html