Herman Miller Vitra Eames Repair Lounge Chair and Bent Plywood






VITRA OR HERMAN MILLER EAMES LOUNGE, DCM, DCW, LCM, LCW Eames Chair Repairs, Reupholstery, & Refinishing:
The Eames Design: A Legacy of Shock Mount Maintenance Or Failure

Herman Miller Eames Lounge Repairs	Eames Lounge Chair with detached shock mounts, back detached


Eames Lounge Chairs suffer from a design problem, which can easily cause a critical break in the back. The back is attached to the seat with four rubber/steel pads called shock mounts, attaching the seat to the back. The essence of the problem is that glue does not bond metal or rubber well to wood, for very long. The older neoprene shock mounts held better than the metal and polyurethane shock mounts made today. For this reason, Herman Miller has never warrantied the shock mounts for more than 3 1/2 years. To prevent a catastrophic failure of the shock mounts, and breaking of the lower back shell, an owner must be vigilant, and observe any signs in deterioration of the shocks: • if the chair back is sagging, the shock mounts are breaking, and should be replaced immediately. Noone should sit in the chair • if the chair back is stiffening up and losing its spring, the mounts should be replaced.
Design of the Chairs and use of Shock Mounts- LCW, DCW, LCM, DCM, and Lounge Chair 670- The first Eames chair was the Eames Lounge Chair Wood - or LCW. This chair used a heavy rubber washer glued to the back support of the chair with a threaded steel plate to screw into. This shock mount technology was employed again in the 670 Lounge chair. The Eames Lounge Chair Metal LCM had similar wood shells, attached to a chromed steel frame, instead of wood. These chairs also were produced in Dining Chair versions, called the DCW (Dining Chair Wood) and DCM (Dining Chair Metal). The LCW, DCW, LCM, and DCM also were offered in Oak and Ash veneers, sometimes stained a color such as red, or ebonized black. The Eames Lounge chair is made with three curved plywood shells. Today the exterior shells are made up of seven thin layers, plus a thin decorative wood veneer on exterior and interior. The veneers are glued together and shaped in a radio frequency press over layers of beech veneer under heat and pressure. The new Eames model chairs are only a little different than the older (vintage) chairs which sometimes used the endangered prized Brazilian rosewood. Vintage Eames Lounge Chair Plywood Veneers were glued up with five structural layers. Eames Lounge Chairs 670 have been made with various veneers in addition to the rarest rosewood, including walnut, teak and cherry. Shock Mount Fragility - Replace, or risk breakage of plywood Lounge chair lower back shell-

Eames Lounge chair broken ear, by a repaired lower back shell	Repaired Eames chair lower shell ear detail


The Eames Lounge Chair 670 holds the back to the seat using the armrests which are composed of steel angles, covered with leather pads. The armrests/steel angles are screwed to neoprene (newer production polyurethane) and steel sandwiches, or "shock mounts". These four shock mounts are glued to the inside wood veneer of the back shell, and to the seat shell. This type of construction allows the backrest and headrest to flex when someone sits in the chair. The shock mounts are weak design points, and should be replaced regularly. Offered with a 3 year warranty by Herman Miller in recognition of the limitation of the shock mount design, failure of the shock mount can be catastrophic to the chair. When a shock mount loosens up, the back can swing away under the occupants’ force as they tumble to the floor, and snap off the lower plywood shell on the side opposite the loose shock mount. Shock mounts separate because they are old and oxidizing, losing elasticity, and don't have the internal strength to hold together any longer, or because of epoxy glue failure. Old shock mounts are irreparable, and the four pieces must be replaced. We could use the neoprene/steel threaded plate sandwich design that Herman Miller used to use, or the newer generations of polyurethane with metal embedded plate, but all of these designs are flawed. Olek has a superior shock mount design that is stable enough to offer a 15 year warranty. By using ebonized solid beech wood plates with the same radiused shape and sectional profile as the Herman Miller shock mounts, with holes drilled into the plates, into which threaded threaded flanges are inserted, with neoprene bushings around the threaded flanges, Olek provides the shock mount flexibility, without its fallibility. We have repaired numerous Eames lounge chairs over the past fifteen years with our proprietary shock mount design, and have not had any failures. You can send the lower back shell and the seat shell to us disassembled in a box, and we will repair and ship disassembled, for you to reassemble (simple screws). Olek Lejbzon & Co. can save the outer veneer of broken lower back shells from the Lounge 670, and rebuild the lower back shell – When a shock mount loosens up, the back can swing away under the occupants’ force as they tumble to the floor, and snap off the lower plywood shell on the side opposite the loose shock mount. Olek restores the damaged lower back shell with the original outer veneer of the shell, preserving the flitch pattern of the outer veneer. A hairline is visible at the break of the outer veneer, upon close inspection. The best means of preventing this is to replace the shock mounts regularly, or certainly without delay if the chair flexibility starts to decline, or stiffen up. This stiffening signals that the neoprene is oxidizing, and will soon break. If the back is sagging, then that indicates that the shock mount has partially failed. DO NOT SIT IN AN EAMES LOUNGE CHAIR IF THE BACK IS SAGGING BELOW ITS ORIGINAL POSITION. The shock mounts will fail completely shortly after.
Examples of Herman Miller Eames Lounge Broken Ear Repairs performed by Olek Lejbzon & Co.
Chair #1:

Rosewood veneer inlays necessary after broken ear repair, prior to touch-up	Broken ear repair after touch-up



Another angle of the veneer repair after touch-up	Inside of the chair has rosewood inlay as well, not carefully matched or touched up (cushions will cover)


Chair #2:

Broken ear repair after inlay at top	Broken ear after repair and touch-up



Inside veneer inlay	Broken ear repair during plywood replacement


Chair #3:

Broken ear after repair, with veneer inlay on interior (not intended to match)	Broken ear after repair, prior to exterior veneer inlay to replace missing veneer



Highly bleached rosewood required use of lighter veneer, for artistic touch-up to infill grain pattern. Rosewood does not come as light as the bleached chair, so a lighter color veneer was inlaid, and touched-up to match.	Broken ear repair, during touch-up of inlays



Broken ear repair after touch-up of missing veneer.


BEWARE- Manufacturer or other Unskilled Repairs of the Herman Miller Eames Lounge Chair can damage the Plywood Shells, and not be repaired by them-

Herman Miller replaced these shock mounts, and broke three to four layers of veneer on each ear


Replacement by inexpert repair people, even experienced repairman that do this repair frequently and should know better, can also critically damage the seat and back shells. We have seen many examples of repairs by the manufacturer Herman Miller, where plywood of the seat or back was broken apart because the shock mount was holding tighter than the plywood, and the plywood broke when the shock mounts were brutishly forced off using inappropriate techniques. The manufacturer will not repair this damage when it occurs. In the hands of Olek's skilled cabinetmakers with the proper education, training, experience, and attitude, such reckless damage has never occurred. Consider carefully who you trust your Eames Lounge chairs too, a "warranty" won't help restore such damage to your chair if the manufacturer or other repairmen doesn't know how to repair it.
Reupholstering the Herman Miller Eames Lounge Chair 670 in Leather Matching the Original Vintage Leather used in the 1950’s, 1960’s, and 1970’s Olek can reupholster the Eames lounge chair in an aniline dyed, black top grain leather with smooth texture and glossy finish, like the original vintage leather used. We can replace padding or supplement down feathers if used, and reuse the back polyester shell of the cushions and grommets, and zippers if in good condition. Comparison of Olek and the Herman Miller leather (from Edelman): Olek Herman Miller Top grain, aniline dyed Filled mid-grain, vinyl pigmented finish(“semi-aniline“) Original smooth texture Embossed, graining pattern imprinted Glossy finish, like original Matte finish (fashionable today) 1.6 - 2.0 mm thickness 1.0- 1.2 mm thickness Expected life 35-45 years 15-20 years (mid-grain not durable)
Polishing chromed Steel Frames of LCM & DCM Herman Miller Eames Chairs: Olek delicately polishes out rust pitting in the chrome legs that results from high humidity, with minimal removal of original chrome plating. Below are sample DCM (LCM) chairs with chrome plated steel finish that were hand polished. The chrome plating perforates with rust from the underlying steel. The rust can be removed chemically without damaging the chrome, and applying an unnoticeable, transparent finish that protects the chrome from continuing corrosion

DCM chair hand polished chrome	DCM Chrome chair



DCM chrome chair during	DCM chrome chair before



DCM hand polished chrome after


CHAIRS MAY BE SHIPPED TO OLEK FOR REPAIR OR REUPHOLSTERY FROM ANYWHERE BY COMMON CARRIER: INSTRUCTION FOR DISASSEMBLING EAMES CHAIR: The cushions are held on clips (with small snaps on older chairs) to the wooden shells; to separate pull each cushion a little bit away from the wooden shell and pull upward on the back shell cushions, or toward you for the seat shell cushion when facing the chair. Use a screwdriver and remove screws attaching the arms to the back wood shell and the seat shell. The seat shell unscrews from the base underneath the chair. Unscrew the back shell supports once the cushions are removed. Unscrew the arm rests after the cushions are removed, supporting the back while you take off the arms
Pickups & Delivery by our truck throughout metropolitan NY, NJ, PA, and CT- Pickups of entire assembled Eames Lounge Chair may be inexpensively arranged throughout the Midwest and Eastern US, from Texas to Chicago, Florida to Boston We arrange pickup and delivery promptly throughout metropolitan NY, including NY and NYC, NJ, PA, and at CT at modest cost. We can arrange for pickup and delivery of furniture throughout the United States east of the Mississippi, as well as all of Louisiana and eastern Texas with a recommended common carrier, TSC Moving (Hallandale, FL), www.tscmoving.com They are very reliable, and surprisingly economical for long-distance moves. Fine furniture deserves the best care, and is worth the trip.
Is my vintage "Eames" Chair Real? Common Reproductions, and the Vitra Lounge Chair also Licensed by Charles & Ray Eames to manufacture and sell in Europe After the Eames Lounge chair appeared in stores in the late 1950's, competitors began to copy the chair's design features, with similar chairs produced primarily by Plycraft and Selig. They are easily distinguished from the Eames Lounge Chair by Herman Miller, and from the multitudes of knock-offs produced in China today. Vitra also produces an Eames-licensed Lounge Chair in Europe, which sells for approximately three times the cost of the Herman Miller licensee Lounge Chair. The Vitra base design is different from Herman Miller's, see below:
Herman Miller Eames Chair Bases are unique among vintage reproductions:



Note the lack of a stem, the chair spider meets the base, with a concealed bushing between
Selig Reproductions of Eames Lounge Chairs The Selig reproduction of the Eames Lounge Chair, from the 1960's. No shock mounts, uses bolts through the outer shells and directly into the 1/16" thinner steel arms. Thicker shells than the Eames Herman Miller. Different base, with typical office swivel chair spider mechanism. Shown without cushions, to make differences more apparent. This chair has a single welting around the arm cushions, the Herman Miller Chair two lines of welting, top and bottom.



Vintage Segal reproduction has flared aluminum five star lounge base, similar four star ottoman base



Back of this later Segal reproduction on R. looks most similar of the reproductions to the Herman Miller, even has neoprene shocks below the polished aluminum struts connecting upper & lower back






Late Vintage Segal Base (above) A later variant of the Segal base, more similar to the five star legs of the Herman Miller Base, with different conical swivel glides, and a notable stem not present in the Herman Miller chair. Some are marked "Midwood Manufacturing" on the round plate beneath the central post. Leg cross section also differs from Herman Miller. Note DF-9263 28" marking in casting.






Early Segal Reproduction Chair Base with Base Mfr. nametag



The Plycraft Eames lounge Chair, from the 1960's. No shock mounts, uses bolts through the outer shell, and straps from the lower shell to both sides of the seat shell, and a third strap at the center of the back lower shell to the seat shell. A cheaper imitation than the Segal. Tubular chromed base, and back supports, not cast brushed and painted aluminum like the Herman Miller, Vitra, and Segal chairs. No welting on arms.



Vitra Lounge Chair, the Charles & Ray Eames-licensed European manufacturer of their Lounge chair. Note the different base than the Herman Miller chair.

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VITRA OR HERMAN MILLER EAMES LOUNGE, DCM, DCW, LCM, LCW

Eames Chair Repairs, Reupholstery, & Refinishing:

The Eames Design: A Legacy of Shock Mount Maintenance Or Failure

Herman Miller Eames Lounge Repairs

Eames Lounge Chair with detached shock mounts, back detached

• if the chair back is sagging, the shock mounts are breaking, and should be replaced immediately. Noone should sit in the chair

• if the chair back is stiffening up and losing its spring, the mounts should be replaced.

Design of the Chairs and use of Shock Mounts- LCW, DCW, LCM, DCM, and Lounge Chair 670-

The first Eames chair was the Eames Lounge Chair Wood - or LCW. This chair used a heavy rubber washer glued to the back support of the chair with a threaded steel plate to screw into.

Shock Mount Fragility - Replace, or risk breakage of plywood Lounge chair lower back shell-

Eames Lounge chair broken ear, by a repaired lower back shell

Repaired Eames chair lower shell ear detail

You can send the lower back shell and the seat shell to us disassembled in a box, and we will repair and ship disassembled, for you to reassemble (simple screws).

Olek Lejbzon & Co. can save the outer veneer of broken lower back shells from the Lounge 670, and rebuild the lower back shell –

When a shock mount loosens up, the back can swing away under the occupants’ force as they tumble to the floor, and snap off the lower plywood shell on the side opposite the loose shock mount.

Examples of Herman Miller Eames Lounge Broken Ear Repairs performed by Olek Lejbzon & Co.

Chair #1:

Rosewood veneer inlays necessary after broken ear repair, prior to touch-up

Broken ear repair after touch-up

Another angle of the veneer repair after touch-up

Inside of the chair has rosewood inlay as well, not carefully matched or touched up (cushions will cover)

Chair #2:

Broken ear repair after inlay at top

Broken ear after repair and touch-up

Inside veneer inlay

Broken ear repair during plywood replacement

Chair #3:

Broken ear after repair, with veneer inlay on interior (not intended to match)

Broken ear after repair, prior to exterior veneer inlay to replace missing veneer

Highly bleached rosewood required use of lighter veneer, for artistic touch-up to infill grain pattern. Rosewood does not come as light as the bleached chair, so a lighter color veneer was inlaid, and touched-up to match.

Broken ear repair, during touch-up of inlays

Broken ear repair after touch-up of missing veneer.

BEWARE- Manufacturer or other Unskilled Repairs of the Herman Miller Eames Lounge Chair can damage the Plywood Shells, and not be repaired by them-

Herman Miller replaced these shock mounts, and broke three to four layers of veneer on each ear

Reupholstering the Herman Miller Eames Lounge Chair 670 in Leather Matching the Original Vintage Leather used in the 1950’s, 1960’s, and 1970’s

Comparison of Olek and the Herman Miller leather (from Edelman):

Olek Herman Miller

Top grain, aniline dyed Filled mid-grain, vinyl pigmented finish(“semi-aniline“) Original smooth texture Embossed, graining pattern imprinted Glossy finish, like original Matte finish (fashionable today)

1.6 - 2.0 mm thickness 1.0- 1.2 mm thickness Expected life 35-45 years 15-20 years (mid-grain not durable)

Polishing chromed Steel Frames of LCM & DCM Herman Miller Eames Chairs:

DCM chair hand polished chrome

DCM Chrome chair

DCM chrome chair during

DCM chrome chair before

DCM hand polished chrome after

CHAIRS MAY BE SHIPPED TO OLEK FOR REPAIR OR REUPHOLSTERY FROM ANYWHERE BY COMMON CARRIER:

INSTRUCTION FOR DISASSEMBLING EAMES CHAIR:

Pickups & Delivery by our truck throughout metropolitan NY, NJ, PA, and CT-

Pickups of entire assembled Eames Lounge Chair may be inexpensively arranged throughout the Midwest and Eastern US, from Texas to Chicago, Florida to Boston

Is my vintage "Eames" Chair Real?

Common Reproductions, and the Vitra Lounge Chair also Licensed by Charles & Ray Eames to manufacture and sell in Europe

Vitra also produces an Eames-licensed Lounge Chair in Europe, which sells for approximately three times the cost of the Herman Miller licensee Lounge Chair. The Vitra base design is different from Herman Miller's, see below:

Herman Miller Eames Chair Bases are unique among vintage reproductions:

Note the lack of a stem, the chair spider meets the base, with a concealed bushing between

Selig Reproductions of Eames Lounge Chairs

Back of this later Segal reproduction on R. looks most similar of the reproductions to the Herman Miller, even has neoprene shocks below the polished aluminum struts connecting upper & lower back

Late Vintage Segal Base (above)

Vitra Lounge Chair, the Charles & Ray Eames-licensed European manufacturer of their Lounge chair. Note the different base than the Herman Miller chair.

© 2012 OLEKLEJBZON Corp. All Rights Reserved

Top grain, aniline dyed Filled mid-grain, vinyl pigmented finish(“semi-aniline“)

Original smooth texture Embossed, graining pattern imprinted

Glossy finish, like original Matte finish (fashionable today)

1.6 - 2.0 mm thickness 1.0- 1.2 mm thickness

Expected life 35-45 years 15-20 years (mid-grain not durable)