More than 160 years ago, Michael Thonet designed the Viennese coffee house chair Model No. 14. Since then, the lacquer manufacturer Adler and Thonet have been working together. The wooden parts shaped by steam and muscle power are still stained by hand: "The flexibly applicable staining system of the black dip stain Arova Flex has been specially developed for dipping furniture parts," reports Adler stain expert Michael Moser. "Staining preserves the structure of the wood, and the characteristic grain is shown off to perfection," says Horst Viehmeyer, who is responsible for Thonet surfaces.
After staining, the pieces are placed on an inclined surface to drip off. The excess stain runs back into the dip tank - a resource-saving and environmentally friendly process. The parts are then wiped out with a natural sponge sourced from the Aegean Sea, as this is the only way to achieve a uniformly high-quality surface. This is not possible in this quality with an industrially produced sponge. A maximum of one to two minutes elapse between dipping and re-wiping. After drying overnight, the wooden parts are carefully sanded with a sanding mat and then varnished with Aqualux MSL Eco water-based UV varnish. Thus, the Thonet seating furniture is ready for its use in coffee houses, event halls, restaurants and living rooms.