How to restore a finish on this Ercol 203 arm chair?

[97_cleary]

Hi all, I recently bought this Ercol 203 Blue-Label Blonde Chair from the 1960s / 70s (I believe it's made from elm and beech wood) - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/267214115212

I'd love to restore the wood to remove a lot of the imperfections / marks and to add a new light finish to it.

I'm a complete amateur, having never done this before. Where should I start? How long will it take? Any product recommendations that I can buy in the UK?

I've heard a lot about using Howard's Restore-a-Finish - is this a good idea? Some people seem to say it can do more damage than good in the long term but I'm also aware that the alternative seems to be a very long and arduous full restoration process with lots and lots of sanding.

Advice welcomed!

 

[TheLastNail]

Great score! First, give it a good clean and do some light sanding with 320 grit to get rid of any marks. Just be careful with Howard's Restore-a-Finish,it's helpful, but it could change the original finish over time. For the finishing touch, consider using paste wax or Danish oil

 

[97_cleary]

Thanks @TheLastNail !

 

[Remotinghard]

@TheLastNail has some good comments, but I'd go for a refinish. It takes longer, is more work, but the overall result is much better. You start with 180 and go up to about 320. Clean everything nicely and apply the finish. There are tons of options deoending on what you want to get, shiny, matte or somewhere inbetween.

 

[J koff]

clean the chair, lightly sand with fine grit 400 to 600 works, and apply something like Osmo Polyx Oil Raw or Liberon Finishing Oil, UK friendly and beginner safe, @Remotinghard has a good point too