And then there were chairs!

Look what I found!  

5 matching chairs that are in wonderful condition - except for the grungy seats!  

Camper daughter wanted 4 matching chairs for the new round table that I just refinished for them.  

(oops, looks like I only have a picture of the refinished table top!)

I guess I'll need to get a photo and include it when the chairs are finished!

We've been searching thrift stores for some reasonably priced chairs - and coming up empty-handed.I was out walking the other day and passed a pile of stuff stacked in a driveway. It was obviously on its way to a dump. In that pile of junk were these 5 chairs!!! I knocked on the door of the home and checked to make sure these were destined for the trash, asked kindly if she'd like me to take them off her hands and, voila, 5 sturdy matching chairs. Now the hard work begins. I've already removed the seats and did a first sand. It wasn't enough - I need to sand them even more. Some of the lacquer finish still remains and they aren't taking the stain evenly. I may resort to a gel stain that might go on and cover even with any remaining lacquer.  

I also remembered that I'd seen a chair just like these at one of the thrift stores we'd visited. I made a trip back and found the poor thing - its seat was even grungier than the others, and there were two missing slats in the chair back. I bought it for $5 and figured I'd try to repair it so that I would have 6 chairs to give the kids.  

See the chair in the front with the two light/raw wood slats?  Looks the same, doesn't it?  Well, read further and you'll learn that although it looks like the others, it's really just a "poor cousin" to the other  5 identical chairs.

After sanding all the chairs, I realized that the thrift store chair was not a true sibling of the others - more like a smaller cousin! Everything is about 1/4" smaller! And, I think it was made with a cheaper wood (poor cousin, too). But, finished, I think that it will pass muster unless someone decides to do an in-depth study of all of the chairs!

I hope to have the chairs stained within the next week. We'll see if HOPE and ACTION can come together!  

Oh, and this will be an early Christmas present so don't be talking to camper daughter about these!