Expert: Greg Scholl - 3/16/2009

Question
QUESTION: HI. We were given a child's rocker that belonged to my husband's granfather,
so we estimate it is between 80-90 years old. It has a barn-red type paint
color and some very crackled bear applique on the seat back. We would like
to preserve the finish but even dusting with a soft nubby cloth is causing the
pain to slough. How can we preserve the paint but also clean it so it is safe
for our toddler to use? Also, the arm joints and the one wide slat in the back
are loos but not coming out. ANy suggestions there?

ANSWER: Hi Susan, I caution you against allowing your children to use it....all paint of that era had lead in it...and if it's easily coming off, I would just keep it away from them, as there is no way to solidify the paint on the surface. The loose joints can be tapped apart with a mallet, or a block of wood and a hammer, then reglued and clamped, but doing so will likely cause even more paint chips to come off. The only way to safely handle the paint is to remove it and repaint....if done well, it should be reasonable to do....an Antique purist might say that will ruin the value....I wouldn't see it that way...if you want to use it.....so it's a fine line as to it being safe to use, and preserving any inherent value...(many of these chairs aren't tremendously valuable...hope that helps- Greg

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you for the quick response and we were definitely concerned about the
lead paint. What about applying some type of shellac or sealant over the
chair? We do not want to change the appearance of the chair, in fact we love
the patina it has. There is also some doodling under the seat done by one of
the boys at a young age before it changed hands, so we don't want to
remove or conceal it. Thanks again!

Answer
Yes, you could shellac it or even just clean and pastewax it, but this will do nothing to prevent the paint from continuing to slough off because it's bond is failing to the wood, and trying to somehow "encase" it won't work. The act of prepping and applying any protective coat will, however, force even more of the paint off...which is probably a good thing, but Lead is Lead....and that's the danger. So, for purity and to use it as an Antique to admire and save for future generations is great, but to actually let a toddler use it or even have access to it, especially if they're near teething age....is not a good idea. You could even apply an Acrylic Urethane to it, which is a completely clear, water based urethane, but again, it won't prevent the paint from flaking off.....