a classic redo

In between visits to the children's museum and story times and the park and Catcher starting preschool and Scout's naps and getting ready for the baby, I carved out a little time for a project that I've been dying to work on since I first spotted a pair of Eames LCW chairs in my in-laws' garage. Below is a restoration recap:

[Not pictured: Alex and me rummaging through a box in the garage where we discovered the chairs].

Step 1: Sand...and sand again. After a trip to the Home Depot for some trusty sandpaper (150 grit) I put my patience to the test as I hand sanded the backs, seats and bases of the chairs. I didn't trust myself to use a hand sander because I was worried I would apply to much pressure and completely destroy the wood, so I sat out on the balcony and sanded the hours away. Pictured above and below are the chairs before...

and after the sanding. 

Step 1 1/2: Find something to make it stick. The shock mounts on the chairs were in surprisingly good condition, but we had to find the right glue to hold everything together. After googling and researching, I found a guy on eBay who sells an epoxy resin that is strong enough for the job. At $14.99 I figured it was a good deal (especially considering that I read somewhere that Herman Miller charges $250/chair to restore the shock mounts). The glue arrived but first the varnishing.

Step 2: Bring on the shine. I used an oil-based clear coat poly (gloss finish) to bring the wood back to life. Here's a look at one of the bases (above) and underside of one seat (below) during the process.

Step 3: Re-assemble. Alex was called in to mix the epoxy and then glue and screw the chairs back together. He tends to be more precise than I do when it comes building furniture.

Step 4: Freshen up. I applied a final layer of gloss to cover any imperfections that may have occurred during assembly.

Step 5: Rearrange your space. I know the lighting is terrible in this picture, but here are the chairs in their final resting spot. I'm really happy with how they turned out, and I'm already looking for my next project. Do you think there's time before the baby gets here next week?