Step by step photos that will help you disassemble an Authentic Eames Lounge. The lounge shown is a late 1970’s version with flat clips that hold the upholstery on. The earlier styles will differ in that they have a pair of round clips instead of all of the flat clips. The basic concepts are the same though.
For this restoration the owner wanted the new leather to perfectly match the original. This had been her father’s chair; it was close to her heart and she wanted it restored to match her memories. Restoring pieces to their original specs, right down to the materials and component parts is our specialty. This was a delight.
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Torn up armrests and peeling panels on a lovely vintage Eames Time Life Chair. We made new armrests in leather that perfectly matches the original, and carefully cleaned and restored as much of the original leather to keep the soul of the chair, preserve it’s integrity, and maintain the highest possible value for the piece.
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Four grimey armshells. Upholstered in Herman Miller Blue Hopsack. Vivid and fabulous.
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Bad break. Don’t fret, our panels will restore your chair back to perfection. We perfectly match color, grain, and finish. And we work with the highest quality rosewood veneers you can find. Notice that all of the details are perfect, right down to the plywood edge. Thanks for trusting us with your most precious pieces.
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This restoration was a treat. This sling sofa came to us tattered and well loved. We restored it in suitcase grade buttery smooth Horoween leather, polished the chrome, and deep cleaned the rubber. The result is a gorgeous thing you just want to sit in a pet all day.
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Vintage knockoffs, not Eames, but pretty little gems worth restoring back to beautiful.
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Our client found an orange armshell which had been assaulted with several layers of paint and then left outdoors to deteriorate for years. We removed the paint, reconditioned the fiberglass, and restored the gel coat. Another chair saved from the landfill!
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These easy-to-follow instructions apply to replacing your aged narrow mount shockmounts, as well as converting from the wide to the more versatile narrow mount configuration.
What you’ll need:
Modern Conscience Fiberglass Shockmount Adhesive
Modern Conscience Shockmount Adhesive Activator
Modern Conscience Shockmounts
Sandpaper (80-grit or 100-grit)
Denatured or Rubbing Alcohol
Modern Conscience Gel Coat Restoration Kit
You will find all of these parts on our website here.
1: Using sandpaper, remove all of the old epoxy.
Helpful Tip: All of the original epoxy must be removed. A bond is only as strong as the weakest adhesive in there, so if you leave any of the old epoxy you’re providing an opportunity for failure of the bond.
Modern Conscience Fiberglass Shockmount Repair – Step 1
2: Use a base and the shockmount “bumps” on the shell to help you determine the exact location of the new shockmounts.
Helpful Tip: Don’t overly tighten the shockmount to the base, leave the screw a little loose so that you can flatten the mounts against the shell in their correct position.
Modern Conscience Fiberglass Shockmount Repair – Step 2
3: Trace the shockmount locations with a marker.
Modern Conscience Fiberglass Shockmount Repair – Step 3
4: Clean the prepared fiberglass with denatured alcohol or rubbing alcohol using a lint-free cloth.
Modern Conscience Fiberglass Shockmount Repair – Step 4
5: Clean the new shockmount with denatured alcohol or rubbing alcohol using a lint-free cloth.
Modern Conscience Fiberglass Shockmount Repair – Step 5
6: Apply Modern Conscience Fiberglass Shockmount Adhesive to the shockmount.
Helpful tip: Your puddle of glue should extend to within 1/4″ (6mm) of the edge of the shockmount. You want enough glue that it will slightly press out from underneath the shockmount on the sides, leaving no air bubbles. You do not, however, want so much that adhesive flows out from under it and runs everywhere.
7: Gently place the shockmount.
Helpful Tip: Do not press hard, you will force the glue out from under the shockmount and create what is called a “starved” joint. The weight of the shockmount plus some gentle pressure is enough to allow the glue to evenly lick up around the edge of the mount.
Modern Conscience Fiberglass Shockmount Repair – Step 7
8: Hold the shockmount in place and use a few strategic drips of Modern Conscience Adhesive Activator to secure the shockmount during cure time.
Modern Conscience Fiberglass Shockmount Repair – Step 8
9: Allow 48 hours for the adhesive to reach full cure strength.
Helpful Tip: After the adhesive has cured check your work. Make sure that the adhesive has a nice bead around the edge. Anywhere the edge of the shockmount is exposed is an opportunity for forces to concentrate and will ultimately lead to failure of the bond. If you find an exposed edge, or just for good measure, you can apply a final bead of adhesive around the perimeter of the shockmount, again using the activator to help control placement of the adhesive.
10: Restore the exposed sanded parts of the fiberglass with a Modern Conscience Gel Coat Restoration Kit.
Modern Conscience Fiberglass Shockmount Repair – Step 10
Modern Conscience Fiberglass Shockmount Repair – Step 10
11: Enjoy your newly restored chair. You’ve worked hard, you earned it!
Another gorgeous restoration. An Ash DCM arrived with holes in the backrest and a gloopy messy finish job on the seat. Restored to perfection.
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