an old chair.

hi all.
I have been given an old chair with turned front legs, and a wooden back. It has a padded seat with some upholstery fabric on it.

Unfortunately the back (made out of some sort of dark hardwood) has a split in it.

Some brute put an L - shaped plate on the back made out of metal and about 20 screws (old school slotted screws, properly countersunk in but still ugly!!!)

So the thought was to knock the chair to pieces and have a new back made up / carved for it.

Anyone know of or would like to do a carving job on the north side of Brisbane for me? would love some help with that.

Also - seems to have been shellacked in the past - would love to strip it off and re-do it.

Does any one have any advice please on how one should do this?

no offence intended at all, but I strongly recommend getting this chair identified and then quoted for professional repair. I think it may be a special item that may warrant professional restoration. Alternatively, you could acquire some training in how to restore the piece without replacing the wood.

shellac comes off easily with metho and soft cloth and elbow grease.

hi again, just looked at enlarged photo of the metal brace and you're right with the " brute " terminology.people in general can't be bothered looking after possessions.just look at the council clean ups!! in regard to your chair though,firstly you have to decide how precious it is to you.e.g.do you hold the giver in high esteem?? and want a loving reminder of them with you?? if so,then you will want to do all you can to preserve the chair.you can also take a photo of the chair to a good antique dealer to find the period of the piece and also to find out if it is a reproduction. that has a bearing on what kind of renovation to do as well..most antique dealers would say to love it warts and all. because you are tampering with the patina and value and character of the piece. that may be so if it is of a certain antiquity but when breakages occur,the best of them resort to restoration techniques . otherwise,there would not be so many restoration experts out there doing a nice trade,would there?? it also depends on whether you want to be a dealer of antiques and sell it.has the metal bracket been taken off to see the extent of the damage underneath?? also,find out what the timber is exactly. timber merchants such as Lazarides in Brisbane are very helpful and wonderful to deal with,I have found. A lot of things to consider and only you can decide how little or how much you want to do.the upholstery also is another thing to consider.I personally like to keep a piece of the original fabric or fabrics,as there can be several layers sometimes,and I put it together with any information I have on the vintage,ownership,maker etc.. and have it all framed in an acid free glass shadow box or the like.it adds to the joy of ownership. it is a very rewarding and obsessive little road you are undertaking.I hope I have been of help to you.please keep us all informed of the journey. oh!! ps,take a before and after photo or photos.

My bet is that it is either Australian Cedar (if you can dig your thumbnail into it) or Mahogany

I agree it looks like cedar around mid to late 1800's is my guess.
The best way to learn how to restore is have a go and if you make a mess of it... you then can still have it restored by a restorer. Stay away from stripper and heavy sand paper and sanding machines. In my time as a restorer I have come across little that cannot be retrieved. The thing to remember about furniture is in the main is was built for function and as such is liable to get knocked around and broken and fixed and re-broken over the history of the piece this adds to it's history and attraction and a testament to its serviceability.
If you get stuck and ever visit the Gold Coast i'm happy to have a look at it or give you some pointers. Email me if you wish.