Rosewood Chaise-Longue

 

Fig. 1

Measuring approximately: 24.75" W x 32" H x 96" H

Pre Treatment Condition:

Upon first inspection actual significant breakage was thought to be limited to three areas only. The arm, which was broken across the middle of the curve and its associated joinery which were loose. The other two areas being both head end sides - broken though at/near seat rails. The joinery overall appeared to be tight with only minor shrinkage cracks in the wood at tops of three legs.

The wood was extensively light bleached and weathered, without perceptible finish (some wax finish on the less degraded side). Caning appeared to have been recently done and was intact.

The goal was to repair broken members and address the degraded appearance. Treatment was to remove caning to allow disassembly and access of broken members, disassemble frame as necessary, repair broken sections with tinted epoxy resin. Further, it would be necessary to clean off the old glue residues from joinery faces and reassemble repaired members with hot hide glue.

Additionally, the owner originally desired to have the wood darkened somewhat and a dye and/or stain was to be applied overall to more closely approximate Rosewood color. The frame would have then been paste waxed and polished. It was later decided to leave the piece "as is".

 

 Fig. 2

 

Fig. 3

  Above Left:

Break across arm with loss of wood around break

 Above Right:

Break across seat rail end and crack at top of leg

 Below Left:

Top view of breaks through side rails

 Below Right:

Degraded side with crack at top of leg
 

 

Fig. 4

 

Fig. 5

Mid treatment Condition:

Three of the four legs were found to be broken and loose in seat rail sockets with cracked/broken off sections of leg top ends (top of leg curve). This damage was not apparent until partial disassembly of the corner blocking was done (See photos below). The fracturing and separation of the leg tops from the ends was likely caused by the screws (Note hole locations in Fig 7) preventing slippage from occurring in the joint as the wood dried and shrank across the grain.

 

Below:

With radially carved fascia removed over seat rail-to-end joint removed. Red arrow shows broken dowel from previous repair attempt

Below:

From inside after corner blocking and screws removed

 

Fig. 6

 

Fig. 7

It had been anticipated that the caning would have to be removed in order to access the broken joinery. However, disassembly was accomplished sufficiently to effect repairs by removing all blocking only; thereby preserving the existing cane work. The three legs and broken top sections were removed from seat rail sockets. Old adhesive residues (hide glue?) were washed from joinery surfaces with warm water. Repairs of the broken leg top sections were done with Epo-tek 301® pigment tinted and silica microballoon filled epoxy resin. The broken sections were reassembled to the legs with enough fill across the crack gap to allow the screw to hold the leg in place without tension (that originally caused the cracking).

To lessen the staining effect from the epoxy resin onto exterior unfinished surfaces, an isolating layer of Lascaux Hydrosealer 750® was first applied to the wood. After the epoxy mixture had cured and excess material pared away, the Hydrosealer was cleared with ethanol/toluene.

 

Figs. 9, 10

Fig. 11

Arrows show fracture lines through both faces of both end sockets

Fig. 12 

 

The repairs of the broken and cracked seat rails sockets were done with tinted epoxy resin, as noted above. Reassembly of repaired components (legs and rebuilt sockets) done with hot hide glue.

 Frame as disassembled:
 Fig. 13

 

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