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the computer cart i got from Gothic's isn't painted or stained. would you recommend i paint it or stain it and if so what should i use and make it as simple as possible. i could ask my super but maybe i can do it on my own
I have bought 2 desk chairs from Staples...both looked nice, both were JUNK. The first was Samsonite and the "leatherette" crumbled off quickly, and the last one was truly my LAST one. With a 12 month warranty, the friggen leather back busted open in month 13. They could do nothing for me. I don't ask chairs to last forever...but 13 months is NOT acceptable. The last one was by the famous company called MADE IN CHINA.
(I had to put both together myself...not hard if you just IGNORE the instructions which might as well have been written in ancient Aramaic.)
KK when i spotted your post I knew you would have something good. Surprisingly Gothics showed me some office chairs that were stained so i didn't buy that but i did get a nice Kitchen Island made of bamboo. great storage for my skillets and other things.
I was wondering maybe i should just hang on to this old wooden office chair of my dad's(RIP), it looks old and tattered but it lasts forever.
KK could you respond to my post about painting/staining the computer desk if you are able to?
I guess it depends upon the chair, though the chairs I know from Staples that lasted were upholstered, since the PVC does tend to disintegrate quickly. And, for leather, I don't know that I would buy any that I have seen at Staples for the same reason, as the fabric seems very thin. I am not surprised that the chairs didn't last, KK.
Painting will be easier than staining in many respects for your new computer cart, rlrl. Staining can create more of a mess, but if you want to stain it, have the super do it in the back or somewhere similarly well ventilated. Some stain can be toxic, and the smell can be overbearing when used in an area with little airflow through the space, especially when it is drying.
Milk paint is non-toxic and does not have VOCs, solvents, and other substances that can create a toxic environment. You can paint walls, furniture, etc. DaVinci Artist Supply, in Chelsea and Gramercy, sells milk paint that you would be able to use on your computer cart, and not have to worry about the environment. You could literally just paint it on a drop cloth in your apartment, and not have any of the associated smells and toxins from paint.
ETA: You can even purchase a clear coat with satin finish to protect painted wood furniture, made by the same company, and similarly non-toxic.
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All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.
~William Shakespeare (As You Like It Act II, Scene VII)
KK could you respond to my post about painting/staining the computer desk if you are able to?
What I did first was final sand here and there with an extra fine grit and wipe up the dust with what is called a "tack cloth"
I put on a medium walnut stain on the birch with a paintbrush and a rag (Min-Wax I believe.)
Then 2 final coats of high gloss polyurethane.
I used all oil based products since I'm "old school." Water based is probably easier to work with...I'll probably never find out.
I got a finish almost as hard as glass that has stood up to heavy wear for nigh onto 30 years now and 3 apartments. A few spots have worn and chipped a little and OCCASIONALLY I think "maybe I should refinish it" and I go into the kitchen and make an ice cold pitcher of MANHATTANS and the feeling goes away. Amazing what a couple/three/four Manhattans can do for bad ideas.
Finishing is quite easy...RE-finishing is MURDER. I think I would need dynamite to get the old urethhane off.
Quote:
From BMW guy: And, for leather, I don't know that I would buy any that I have seen at Staples for the same reason, as the fabric seems very thin. I am not surprised that the chairs didn't last, KK.
Thin doesn't begin to describe it. I think they must have gotten 100 chairs out of one cow.
I am thinking of one of those expensive woven stretchy AERO type chairs. But at those prices if it fell apart I would go BALLISTICLY MURDEROUS. I hate to spend more on a desk chair than I spent on the computer.
But have you EVER sat in the chairs at the NY Library of Science, Technology and Business down on 34th St.? It is like sitting in the lap of GOD himself. I turned over the chair to get the manufacturer and model # and the guard immediately came over and said "Sir, you can't DO that" before I got the data.
A good alternative will probably be a fabric chair, I have had a couple that lasted forever. Lesson learned about fabric: a dark tweedy fabric will not show stains like a light monocolor.
I have a bad back and lumbar support is very important too.
Last edited by Kefir King; 09-23-2012 at 08:15 AM..
I believe that SIBL has Herman Miller Aeron chairs that come in a couple of sizes. They are comfortable and very durable in my experience as I have one that looks brand new, despite a few years of use. The Embody is also an extremely comfortable chair, and is a newer series than the Aeron. I think that they are well worth the money, though not inexpensive.
__________________
All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.
~William Shakespeare (As You Like It Act II, Scene VII)
Does yours have armrests and are they comfortably (and DURABLY) padded. With hard armrests my elbows tend to hurt after a few hours. With NO armrests it just feels WEIRD to type..and it slowly but surely hurts my shoulders which have all kinds of rotator cuff issues from skiing accidents.
I see MADISON SEATING has a huge selection...even in Garnet (to pick up the color of my carpet) but I need to sit in one with lumbar support before buying. Do you know of any NYC showrooms for Herman Millers?
I found a Herman Miller Outlet at 45th and SIXTH Ave.
(Good, right near the Laura Pels Theater. But bad, I saw the Jake Gyllenhaal play there a couple weeks ago. Oh well, I'm in a theater at least once a week)
Last edited by Kefir King; 09-23-2012 at 12:03 PM..
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Should i stain or paint the computer cart?
