Since the one leg had a deep split stemming from its missing caster socket and needed a repair, I decided not to reinstall a new caster socket to avoid a similar future break. Instead, I fabricated a wooden and stainless steel gliding foot so that it would be level with the other existing sockets. I used putty to repair the missing wood and hand painted layers of stain to replicate the wood grain.
Before - Behind the Restoration
The chair’s swivel and tilt mechanism worked perfectly, but additional repairs and a reupholstering were needed to bring this chair to the 21st century.
The swivel base was removed to begin the reupholstery
A near-century old tag reads "The Sikes Company Philadelphia Branch Philadelphia, PA"
The ancient jute webbing was basically disintegrating. One more sit would have put your bottom through the chair!
Not much was left of the original upholstery fabric and layers of old padding were ready to go!
New jute webbing (top view)
Natural cotton batting was added for a cushioned, but firm seat
I chose a rich, dark cocoa chenille fabric to bring out the complexities of the wood grain
One leg had a split directly down the middle and was missing its socket caster. A glue up, wood filler, and staining was need for the repair
99 bronze nail heads were needed to complete the trim