Your opinion on this repair (Carpenter & Upholstory Work)

[Michael_]

I already had a thread about this quite a while ago:

They just totalled my office chair (Whats wrong with these people?)

Years ago i bought a used "vitra es 104 lobby chair" which is identical to the "herman miller eames executive chair" sold in the united states. I paid about 1,5k for the chair but it was in decent condition back then. Well now the leather is worn (see pictures) and it squeaks when you turn or...

www.forbbodiesonly.com

At this point the leather started cracking and i was looking to get it fixed/recovered.
But all the options i found back then where ridiculously expensive so i did not get it fixed.
Unfortunately the cracks got bigger and at some point the press board wood plate inside the seat pad (where the backrest mounts to) broke which rendered the chair useless.
(I'm negatively impressed they used this cheap wood on a 4 digit chair already back in the 80s. Positively that it held up for so long.)

I searched for months until i found someone in the netherlands that has experience "rebuilding" these chairs and showed me stunning references of chairs he already fixed.
He estimated 650-750 Euro (not much more/less than usd), i agreed and sent him the seat pad so he can fix it.

Today i got it back. Here are a couple pictures...

Before

https://abload.de/img/image3aacds.jpeg

https://abload.de/img/image2b8dkt.jpeg

https://abload.de/img/image0mpekv.jpeg

During Repair

https://abload.de/img/bdn2mjkaa6fkl.jpeg

https://abload.de/img/eqv1ewvabjf74.jpeg

https://abload.de/img/f0dlmnrg5ecf7.jpeg

https://abload.de/img/ftqw5wxan0fcx.jpeg

https://abload.de/img/kjmdsw2a4gf8q.jpeg

https://abload.de/img/lqoojubahad2l.jpeg

https://abload.de/img/om74rjogedevn.jpeg

https://abload.de/img/p72tv3dqd6ip4.jpeg

After

https://abload.de/img/image03zist.jpeg

https://abload.de/img/image1qvdmd.jpeg

https://abload.de/img/image2tgdzu.jpeg

I gotta say it looks PERFECT. If i didn't knew i wouldn't even notice it has been recovered.
I did not expect its even possible to get this close to original.

BUT

I expected he would replace the wood plate and foam, instead he fixed and reused the cracked original wood and foam.
I'm not a carpenter or upholstery guy but this worries me a bit.
If it can withstand a few years of daily usage i don't care but if it only last a couple weeks or months @ 700 bucks i would be mad as hell.

What do you think?
Is this a quality repair that will last or lipstick on a pick?

 

[DeltaV]

Is it comfortable to sit in for long periods of time?

 

[Michael_]

Is it comfortable to sit in for long periods of time?

Well i will need a couple days/weeks before i can tell for sure (we reassembled it just a couple hours ago) but in general these chairs are the most comfortable i know.

 

[69 Sleeper Bee]

No offense but I like my 80$ Office Depot work chair.
I can’t bring myself to spend that kind of $’s on a chair but I will admit I am a cheap *** !

 

[Michael_]

No offense but I like my 80$ Office Depot work chair.
I can’t bring myself to spend that kind of $’s on a chair but I will admit I am a cheap *** !

I'm not that cheap but i was also hesistant to spend that much money on a chair. So i bought a 500€ chinese replica/counterfeit first. That broke immediately after the warranty.
Next i bought this one used for 1500€. I suspect it has been built in the 80s and it lasted me about 5 years of daily usage. If it now lasts another 5 years after this 700€ repair i would be happy.

A new one is about 7 grand with shipping:

I use this a lot everyday so i really need a quality chair to avoid tension.
If you use this 1 hour a day or less its only good for bragging rights of course...

 

[dadsbee]

And does it still squeek and click like every other swivel chair on earth!

My most expensive office chair, circa 1989/91 was $925 to fit the curve of my messed up L3/4/5. Not sure it was any better than the "road side find" Staples POS I'm sitting on now.

 

[Michael_]

And does it still squeek and click like every other swivel chair on earth!

My most expensive office chair, circa 1989/91 was $925 to fit the curve of my messed up L3/4/5. Not sure it was any better than the "road side find" Staples POS I'm sitting on now.

Its pretty silent but i have to lube it from time to time (once or twice a year that is) with WD40 otherwise it starts squeaking.

I think people that use this chair for awhile do not want to go back to a cheap chair. At least i wouldn't want to.
Its kinda like downgrading from a b body to a toyota corolla.

Years ago i tried this erognomic chair (featured in the 90s tv show viper) but i can't sit on that for long without getting painful tensions:

Aeron Office Chair

Aeron—the original innovative work chair, designed for all types of human bodies, thanks to the extensive research of designers Bill Stumpf and Don Chadwick nearly 30 years ago. Updated today with ocean-bound plastic and featuring more than 50% recycled material.

www.hermanmiller.com

 

[Michael_]

I think people that use this chair for awhile do not want to go back to a cheap chair. At least i wouldn't want to.
Its kinda like downgrading from a b body to a toyota corolla.

That being said i watch a lot of old us tv shows from the 60s-80s and i often see very comfortable and quality looking office chairs.
I'm pretty sure you can find a cheaper chair from that period that looks great and is comfortable if you know what makes and models to look for. But they will be hard to find i guess.

 

[Michael_]

That being said i watch a lot of old us tv shows from the 60s-80s and i often see very comfortable and quality looking office chairs.
I'm pretty sure you can find a cheaper chair from that period that looks great and is comfortable if you know what makes and models to look for. But they will be hard to find i guess.

The Pollock Chair might be such an option:

They also cost about 7k new but i regularly see them advertised for only 500€ used.

 

[69 Sleeper Bee]

I have sat in some very nice office chairs from the 70's - 80's that were huge and super comfortable but I didn't pay for them.
Like I said it's just me but if I am going to spend 4 figures on an office chair there will be a decimal point in the middle

Years ago i tried this erognomic chair (featured in the 90s tv show viper) but i can't sit on that for long without getting painful tensions:

Aeron Office Chair

Aeron—the original innovative work chair, designed for all types of human bodies, thanks to the extensive research of designers Bill Stumpf and Don Chadwick nearly 30 years ago. Updated today with ocean-bound plastic and featuring more than 50% recycled material.

www.hermanmiller.com

I tried one of those years ago and hated it.

 

[Lefty71]

I tried one of those years ago and hated it.

Major Hype chair. $1,000.00

 

[YY1]

The best office chair I ever had was a fabric recovered leather "Johnson administration" era char with grossly undersized casters I found in our surplus warehouse when I was an intern at my previous 23 year job. I replaced the casters and kept that chair for 15 plus years, through three promotions.

During a remodel, the building supervisor (not my supervisor) strongly suggested I discard it and accept a $900 new leather chair which I reluctantly agreed to.

BAD MISTAKE, as that char disintegrated after 2.5 short years and then there was no budget for a replacement.

 

[Michael_]

I expected he would replace the wood plate and foam, instead he fixed and reused the cracked original wood and foam.
I'm not a carpenter or upholstery guy but this worries me a bit.
If it can withstand a few years of daily usage i don't care but if it only last a couple weeks or months @ 700 bucks i would be mad as hell.

What do you think?
Is this a quality repair that will last or lipstick on a pick?

No one with an educated opinion regarding this?

 

[Lefty71]

No one with an educated opinion regarding this?

No education here lol, especially regarding furniture building...... But I'm with ya, it looks to me like the guy who rebuilt this has an opinion that this chair is cosmetically restored, and that's the important part. You must have better glue over there than we have here if that ply base is gonna survive lol.

 

[dadsbee]

Edjumicaton... I've got more than I've ever needed to use!

 

[coloradodave]

Michael,
I'm a long time woodworker as a hobby, so that means I'm not a professional. However, after having worked with plywood (laminated wood) for over 50 years, I am surprised your chair was built that way and then repaired like it was. A hole drilled sideways through the plies has very little ability to retain a bolt or pin. Having said that, maybe in that position it doesn't need a ton of strength. The length of time it has lasted is a pretty good indicator of that. Personally, I would have replaced that base with new plywood or solid wood and then reinforced the hole with a 3 sided steel support, mortised into the new wood. BTW, I always practice overkill on everything I build...
I would probably ask the fellow why he elected to do it the way he did and if he warrantees his repair.

 

[Michael_]

Michael,
I'm a long time woodworker as a hobby, so that means I'm not a professional. However, after having worked with plywood (laminated wood) for over 50 years, I am surprised your chair was built that way and then repaired like it was. A hole drilled sideways through the plies has very little ability to retain a bolt or pin. Having said that, maybe in that position it doesn't need a ton of strength. The length of time it has lasted is a pretty good indicator of that. Personally, I would have replaced that base with new plywood or solid wood and then reinforced the hole with a 3 sided steel support, mortised into the new wood. BTW, I always practice overkill on everything I build...

Thanks for the opinion. Pretty much what i was thinking and thought the guy would be doing.

I would probably ask the fellow why he elected to do it the way he did and if he warrantees his repair.

I doubt he will issue a warranty now that i already paid.
I should have asked for that beforehand. I also should've asked what exactly he will be doing / make sure he replaces the plywood and foam completely.
But i did not even think about the possibility of reusing the old stuff because i would've never done that myself.

 

[66 Sat]

No one with an educated opinion regarding this?

You're probably asking on the wrong forum.
You'd get a much better response on one of Joey's other sites:
Forofficechairsonly.com

 

[Michael_]

You're probably asking on the wrong forum.
You'd get a much better response on one of Joey's other sites:
Forofficechairsonly.com

Well i thought a seat is a seat and we have those in our b bodies aswell.

 

[Michael_]

I would probably ask the fellow why he elected to do it the way he did and if he warrantees his repair.

I talked to him once again and he pretty much said (translated from german language) that he thinks his repair will last for years and if not he will repair it again.
I think you can't ask for more than that so i'm happy for now. I hope that turns out to be the truth in the long run.