Saving a Pair of Captains Chairs

A client brought me a pair of black captains chairs and asked if I could save them.   These chairs were left outside under a covered porch and were extremely dried out.  The original paint finish was a matte black with no clear coat protection so they took a beating outside. Let me show you how I brought these painted these black captains chairs and brought them back to life.

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Painting Captains Chairs

These chairs were definitely worth saving.   They are the most heavy-duty, sturdy, captains chairs I’ve seen in a while.  Not a loose spindle or a wobbly leg between the two of them.    Yes, definitely worth saving.

When wood is so dry there are actually small, surface splits in the top layer of the wood, it’s necessary to remove a layer of the wood and not just rough-up the paint.  This was the case on the front portion of both seats.  This was a job for my DeWalt rotary sander.

My client specifically asked for a paint finish that could survive the outdoor elements.  That meant painting with an enamel paint, which is far more durable than acrylic paint.  When I paint chairs, enamel is the only type of paint I’ll use.  I’ve painted chairs with chalk and acrylic paint, but find that Benjamin Moore’s enamel is the best and most durable.

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To see the the exact brand and type of acrylic enamel paint I use, please refer to this ebook, Painting Furniture.

Here, I explain all of the different types of paint, including my go-to paints for each type of project. I also explain how to manipulate the paint to minimize brush marks.

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My client also provided me with a stencil to re-create the original eagle design.  The eagle and the small gold trim arond the legs and spindles were all painted in a gold enamel as well.  Time consuming, but required to remain true to the original finish.

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