Help With Star Trek TOS Burke Chair Base

[Captain Dunsel]

Today i decided to try to knock out a TOS Burke chair that has been on my backlog of projects for a while.

I’ve hit a frustrating snag in attempting to remove the damaged plastic coating from the chair, using a heatgun.

Ralph Miller’s shows this as a pretty easy procedure but I am really struggling with it.

Does anyone have a better answer for how to remove this coating?

 

[Captain Dunsel]

Anyone with any ideas?

Perhaps the cast metal base will hold-up to sandblasting the coating off?

 

[scarf man]

I would try any solvents you might have on hand, at least a small test area. Mediablasting is the next escalation I would suppose, but availability and cost of that process locally would definitely have me looking towards solvents first.

 

[Captain Dunsel]

I would try any solvents you might have on hand, at least a small test area. Mediablasting is the next escalation I would suppose, but availability and cost of that process locally would definitely have me looking towards solvents first.

Hmmm…any suggested solvents?

 

[scarf man]

Hmmm…any suggested solvents?

Goof Off is pretty good, turpentine or mineral spirits are good as well. A good brass wire brush and a load of rags will be necessary as well. If the weather permits, do the work outdoors.

I would attack it like so, rough up a spot with your wire brush, dab your solvent on with a rag, leave that rag draped on the work for 15 minutes, go have a cup of tea/coffee, return to your work and see what the solvent has done to loosen the plastic coating and hit it with the wire brush.

 

[Captain Dunsel]

Yeah, I tried mineral spirits, yesterday…no joy

Thanks for the other tips

 

[scarf man]

Yeah, I tried mineral spirits, yesterday…no joy

Thanks for the other tips

I seem to remember Simple Green or something similar being mentioned in an old thread about stripping Denix broom handles, worth a further search, I don’t remember if that was coating specific to a Denix or general advice.

 

[TazMan2000]

Do you have any idea what type of plastic it is?

If I had to guess it would be PVC. If so, tetrachloroethylene dissolves that. Acetone or gasoline may change soften the coating, but sanding the coating beforehand will create more area for the chemical to attack.

TazMan2000

 

[Captain Dunsel]

Do you have any idea what type of plastic it is?

If I had to guess it would be PVC. If so, tetrachloroethylene dissolves that. Acetone or gasoline may change soften the coating, but sanding the coating beforehand will create more area for the chemical to attack.

TazMan2000

It’s definitely a thick circa 1964 vinyl wrap…much tougher than Ralph’s video demonstrates it to be (at least to me)…likely laced with asbestos and lead (LOL).

 

[scarf man]

I totally forgot about acetone until Taz mentioned it. That’s a good call.

 

[JW Foust]

This what I used...

 

[Aku]

What is your plan for building the chair back?

 

[TazMan2000]

It’s definitely a thick circa 1964 vinyl wrap…much tougher than Ralph’s video demonstrates it to be (at least to me)…likely laced with asbestos and lead (LOL).

Ah...then pour the waste liquid and material in your neighbour's yard.

TazMan2000

 

[TazMan2000]

Methylene Chloride is the active ingredient in furniture stripper. This may have an effect.

TazMan2000

 

[Captain Dunsel]

This what I used...

View attachment 1946767

This was able to remove the plastic wrap on the base, or just the paint over the plastic wrap? Thanks!

 

[Aku]

Did you make the chair top out of wood then? I've seen some for sale, but I don't know if I'm ready to put down that sort of money

 

[Captain Dunsel]

Did you make the chair top out of wood then? I've seen some for sale, but I don't know if I'm ready to put down that sort of money

The seat portion of the chair is completed (it sits in a corner of my home office)…

…finishing the base is the current “hang-up”

 

[Treadwell]

You can't just scrape it off? Looks like where it's flaking you could get a blade of some sort under there.

 

[Captain Dunsel]

You can't just scrape it off? Looks like where it's flaking you could get a blade of some sort under there.

Tried that…it’s on super tight.

 

[JW Foust]

This was able to remove the plastic wrap on the base, or just the paint over the plastic wrap? Thanks!

Yes, I think it took some repeated overnight application. IIRC sometimes it came of in chunky sheets, sometimes little clumps.