Hmm, it looks like your process doesn’t maintain the size of the chair. Try to avoid water based products. They cause the wood to expand.
this post was submitted on 06 Jun 2026
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I also tackled restoring a chair that had a thick layer of paint. The seat was split, so I repaired it with domino joiners. Removing the paint was a real struggle: I started by scraping, then disassembled the parts, which was difficult because the old glue joints wouldn’t come apart cleanly. The turned, symmetrical pieces I was able to refinish on the lathe, but for the rest I spent hours sanding the carved curves. It turned out to be pine underneath, so it wasn't worth the effort.
