I picked up this reproduction rocker base for pretty cheap because the woman’s dog had chewed on the runners. I sanded off the varnish and then sanded down the bite marks without removing too much wood. The runners are maple, but they are really poor quality – one spot is filled with glue where a chunk of wood was missing when they were made.
An original eames rocker base would have birch runners, which are a little darker in color. After looking at pictures online and taking measurements in photoshop to compare the proportions to this base, I found out they were actually pretty close. The runners are about the right length, probably within 1/2″. The wire base however was obviously different in places (it was bent where the runners attach). I straightened out those bends to make it more like the original, and now it’s less noticeable as a cheap china-made base. An original base would have been nickel plated, not shiny chrome.
I mounted the base to a shell and it became Timo the Cat’s new favorite place to sleep.
Finishing the Runners: I had thought about making the runners look older, using tea or coffee and other stuff to darken the wood, but ended up finishing them with boiled linseed oil instead. The oil is applied liberally, wiped off after a few minutes, and left to cure for a day. Then it’s lightly sanded with #0000 steel wool and another coat is applied. This continues as long as you want, I applied 4 coats. BLO is nice because it cures to a tough finish and doesn’t stay oily like mineral oil does.
Painting the Base: The chrome had some light corrosion, so I sanded it off with 320 grit and then scuffed the whole surface before priming. A few coats of primer and a nickel metallic spray paint and it was left overnight. The next day I sanded the roughness away with #0000 steel wool and it’s ready to bolt onto a base.
Looks less like a fake base now.