Dan's Old to New Coca-Cola Rocker

This is a set of 3 old Coca-Cola chairs, old enough that the pine wood slats had totally rotted out and the old cast iron signs and sides where completely rusted. So this is Dan's project and he started by taking all the old bolts out and removing the old wood, including the rocker.

These are 20 plus year old cast iron rocking chairs. First he unbolted and removed all the wood. Second, using a drill with a wire brush attachment, took off the rust build-up. Third, wiped it clean and sealed the sides by brushing it with Rust oleum stain and sprayed a Polyurethane finish. He wanted the sign to have that aged patina look, so he only sprayed it with Polyurethane.

Dan used treated wood, because we live on the bay and everything rots or rusts unless it is concrete or plastic, so he is using as much protection as he can on this set. Three different size slats had to be cut. The bench rocker slats are cut at 48" long and 1-7/8" wide, the chairs are 20" long and also 1-7/8" wide. The extra slats that he put in the rocker to take up the space between the sign and sides is 10". This bench rocker was also a chair, before he changed it to a bench. Because he changed it to a bench, he added a center support and bolted it to the seat and back. This made it very sturdy. Also he added braces on all three pieces on the underneath of the seats to keep the legs straight and sturdy. This was also the same length slats as the seats. After cutting the slats, he bullnosed the slats, sanded each one with a 60 grit paper and finished sanding with 220 grit paper. After sanded he finished them on three sides with the wood stain on three sides. Left one side unstained to mark the bolt holes when putting it together.

Now to put it together, the slats are lined up with the holes from both sides of the bench and marked. After drilling the holes, he lines them up and bolts each slat to the sides with galvanized bolts, lock washers and nuts. Next he centers the sign and bolts it to the slats of the bench, same as the chairs. Seeing so much space in-between the sign and sides, he cuts out four more slats, but only 10" long and puts them on both sides on the sign to take up the space. I think this really made it look good. Now it's time to do the rocker for it to sit on.

Using the band saw, he cuts the pattern for the rocker feet. He uses 60 grit sandpaper and finishes with 220 grit sandpaper and then stains the wood. He does touch up and bolts the legs to the bench.He Polyurethane's everything, lets it dry and sands the slats to make it look weathered. Done.