I just got a brand new one of these from Herman Miller... and oh my God... what an amazing chair, so comfortable and so well made.. Glad to see you're restoring this work of art.
keep this forever and then pass it down. My shock mounts failed finally only my 1971 model and I'm about to epoxy one back on using JB Weld... if that fails I'll be sure to try gorilla. It's deffinitly a design flaw of the chair relying on opoxy alone when every other part of the chair is help tight with screws!
Me regalaron una de estas sillas está impecable aunque la limpie bien repare algunos detalles .. no tiene la etiqueta pero es exacta en sus detalles con la que usted muestra .. viene numerada bajo el cojín donde uno se sienta grabado en la madera .. es original ?
Hey Mate. I can ensure you the desision of buying the Lounge Chair was a good one! I just inherited one from my grandfather. Even though it's 60 years old and was often used, it is still in a great condition. I wish you many brilliant years with it ;).
Great job !! A lotta commitment, and thoughtful restoration! And, with fantastic results. For somebody who hasn't done this before, you ticked all the right boxes! Damn nice job! And, perfectly crafted video of the whole process to with it. Thanks! For me it was really nice to see all the little differences between the early European Vitra Chairs we mostly have here, and your UK one. Using the right glue for the mounts, is really something you have to know from experience, I guess. I did a couple of these restoration projects, broken lower back ears, broken shockmounts, etc. For me the best working glue, here in The Netherlands, is Bison Kombi Power epoxy. It dries up to concrete, and bonds really, really good. I do let the glue cure for 72 hours, after 48 hours of clamping firstly. Don't clamp to hard! There are a lotta bad epoxies out there, and the only way to know a glue, really, is from experience. Which, in the case of shock mounts, can be quite an experience of tough labour, cause they are a pain in the ass to remove, even if glued with bad glue like the PC7, cause removing glue from something beautiful, like an Eames Lounge, takes a lotta time and devotion. Where you able to reuse the mounts after the glue failed? If a glue is really bad, and fails so soon as yours did, I guess you sometimes can just clean everything of and use better glue :) All in all, fantastic restore! I really like that you repaired the leather the way you did. You can always change later, but the aged look of the cushions, is something I really like! All the best with enjoying your lovely vintage Eames! BW from Holland Cyriel
Thanks Cyril. I reused the mounts. They were fine. I’ve learnt a lot. I would do some things differently. You are so right. Experience is the only way to learn. Thanks for your comments.
I wonder if these chairs are comfortable ? They look quite cosy.. Now in my dotage I'm hankering after a chair which I can perhaps nap in from time to time
just bought a vintage 1970's Eames chair but my ottoman is 2018 so the leathers don't match exactly. Glad I found this video and I think I'll try and add more stuffing to my chair cushions... Do you think you could have even fit more foam in there to give them an even fuller look?
I absolutely could have. The only issue I’d have with that is the poor condition of the leather. It would possibly put too much pressure on the leather. I will recover the seat and ottoman cushion.
One of the rubber mounts failed. It was either the epoxy I used or the fact that I didn't roughen up the rubber on the mount with sandpaper. I reglued them with better epoxy and toughened up the rubber and they've been fine ever since.
Great job on the restoration. You are very talented and patient. What kind of of Epoxy do you recommend for glueing the shock mounts? I need to replace mine. Nice faithful pup btw
Hi Doug. I mad the mistake of getting information regarding epoxy in forums. I would recommend getting the best epoxy available to you. I , eventually went with Gorilla two part epoxy and it seems to be holding fine. I would recommend going with genuine Herman Miller/ Vitra shock mounts. It just makes it all easier in the long run, even If they are a bit more expensive. Little Sue is the best.
Thank you. It is the original leather I restored. Unfortunately it kept tearing in new places. I recently had it fully reupholstered. It turned out amazing.
Hi there! By lucky circumstances I scored an old Eames Lounge chair in horrible condition. Currently i am following your restoration process step by step and i am wondering what kind of glue you used for the leather patches. Could you write that down in a comment? I can't understand it properly in the video (sorry, non-native speaker here). Anyway: Thank you so much for your helpful and entertaining videos. I'd be lost completely without them!
Amazing! I just bought a 1968 Eames Lounge and it needs similar work. The frame is in perfect condition but the leather needs some serious repair. I wish I have the nerve to follow in your footsteps.
Go for it Samira. What have you got to loose. If you’re not happy with the result, get it recovered. It won’t cost a lot to do the repairs yourself. Paul
@@phoneboxman1968 Thank you Paul. All the best. Stay safe. I swear I watch your videos on a daily basis, working up the courage to start my restoration as material arrive :) Love the puppy. He's adorable. I have two jacks, black and white.
Looks amazing, your decor/flooring looks great with it too. How much did you get the chair for pre restoration? ive got a "homage" version which is fine, but definitely doesn't look anywhere near as comfy as yours! Really nice piece of history you've restored they are timeless
Hey great job with restoration! I know Herman Miller started in 1980 producing a lacquered finish instead of the gun stock oil finish. Nowadays you can still purchase an oiled version. Not sure if it’s the same oiling technique but if you were to look at the latest versions would you bypass the extra work of the oiled for a less rich looking lacquered style knowing what you know? I also am having a hard time deciding between walnut and oiled walnut. Does lacquered last longer or have any benefits? Thanks a lot from any help as most people are not too experienced in this realm or don’t care for oiled.
Hi Ryan, to be honest , I am an oil man. I find it more forgiving than lacquer and easier to repair and maintain. I’ve never used that cocktail of oils before, but it us very rewarding.. it’s a bit slow drying, but worth the extra time. Easy to repair scratches etc.
Thanks Robin. There is a push fastener on the top and bottom of each cushion. They just pull apart. Then there is a hook on each side. The cushion just lifts off these.
Great restoration! Do you recommend a leather conditioner for my vintage plycraft replica eames? The leather is cracking and all dried out from the previous owner. Im thinking about using Skidmore's Original Leather cream.
Hello gentleman, first of all nice restoration. I also have a similar chair which has a broken mechanism under the armrest. I tried to glue it without success, is it possible to contact you to have some advice and understand what the problem is? There is no much material regarding my problem here and on the internet. Thank you.
@@phoneboxman1968 thank you very much, unfortunately I don't have Instagram, but I think I found you on Facebook, I am going to dm you there as it's the only social I have 😅
Hi parts are available on eBay, or you can purchase parts from Herman Miller or Vitra. They have agents around the world. Where are you based? Is it the 5 pronged base you are looking for?
I just got a brand new one of these from Herman Miller... and oh my God... what an amazing chair, so comfortable and so well made.. Glad to see you're restoring this work of art.
Thanks SJ
Thank you. Just the video I needed as I’m preparing to restore a genuine Eames ottoman from the early 60s that I found on the curb.
keep this forever and then pass it down. My shock mounts failed finally only my 1971 model and I'm about to epoxy one back on using JB Weld... if that fails I'll be sure to try gorilla. It's deffinitly a design flaw of the chair relying on opoxy alone when every other part of the chair is help tight with screws!
Man with Hoover vacuum cleaner.. rare sight indeed! Ha, I laughed out loud, Ms. repair lady has a sense of humor! Lol
Me regalaron una de estas sillas está impecable aunque la limpie bien repare algunos detalles .. no tiene la etiqueta pero es exacta en sus detalles con la que usted muestra .. viene numerada bajo el cojín donde uno se sienta grabado en la madera .. es original ?
Nice. I bought a new Eames almost a year ago and Love it. It's great to know it can be repaired later if I so need to.
Thank you Gunz. Hopefully you won’t have to worry about repairs for a good few years.
Hey Mate. I can ensure you the desision of buying the Lounge Chair was a good one! I just inherited one from my grandfather. Even though it's 60 years old and was often used, it is still in a great condition. I wish you many brilliant years with it ;).
Great job !! A lotta commitment, and thoughtful restoration! And, with fantastic results. For somebody who hasn't done this before, you ticked all the right boxes! Damn nice job! And, perfectly crafted video of the whole process to with it. Thanks!
For me it was really nice to see all the little differences between the early European Vitra Chairs we mostly have here, and your UK one.
Using the right glue for the mounts, is really something you have to know from experience, I guess. I did a couple of these restoration projects, broken lower back ears, broken shockmounts, etc. For me the best working glue, here in The Netherlands, is Bison Kombi Power epoxy. It dries up to concrete, and bonds really, really good. I do let the glue cure for 72 hours, after 48 hours of clamping firstly. Don't clamp to hard! There are a lotta bad epoxies out there, and the only way to know a glue, really, is from experience. Which, in the case of shock mounts, can be quite an experience of tough labour, cause they are a pain in the ass to remove, even if glued with bad glue like the PC7, cause removing glue from something beautiful, like an Eames Lounge, takes a lotta time and devotion. Where you able to reuse the mounts after the glue failed? If a glue is really bad, and fails so soon as yours did, I guess you sometimes can just clean everything of and use better glue :)
All in all, fantastic restore! I really like that you repaired the leather the way you did. You can always change later, but the aged look of the cushions, is something I really like!
All the best with enjoying your lovely vintage Eames!
BW from Holland
Cyriel
Thanks Cyril. I reused the mounts. They were fine. I’ve learnt a lot. I would do some things differently. You are so right. Experience is the only way to learn. Thanks for your comments.
I wonder if these chairs are comfortable ? They look quite cosy.. Now in my dotage I'm hankering after a chair which I can perhaps nap in from time to time
They are amazingly comfortable. You would definitely not have a problem dozing off on one.
just bought a vintage 1970's Eames chair but my ottoman is 2018 so the leathers don't match exactly. Glad I found this video and I think I'll try and add more stuffing to my chair cushions... Do you think you could have even fit more foam in there to give them an even fuller look?
I absolutely could have. The only issue I’d have with that is the poor condition of the leather. It would possibly put too much pressure on the leather. I will recover the seat and ottoman cushion.
Comfort and a sense of achievement. Hard to beat that.
Thank you. You are so right.
Thanks. How the broken plywood ears are holding with the time passed?
The plywood ears held up fine.
@@phoneboxman1968 thanks for your reply and for dog in camera focus;
One of the rubber mounts failed. It was either the epoxy I used or the fact that I didn't roughen up the rubber on the mount with sandpaper. I reglued them with better epoxy and toughened up the rubber and they've been fine ever since.
Great job on the restoration. You are very talented and patient. What kind of of Epoxy do you recommend for glueing the shock mounts? I need to replace mine. Nice faithful pup btw
Hi Doug. I mad the mistake of getting information regarding epoxy in forums. I would recommend getting the best epoxy available to you. I , eventually went with Gorilla two part epoxy and it seems to be holding fine. I would recommend going with genuine Herman Miller/ Vitra shock mounts. It just makes it all easier in the long run, even If they are a bit more expensive. Little Sue is the best.
Great work! Was this analine leather? What kind of dye did you use?
Thank you. It is the original leather I restored. Unfortunately it kept tearing in new places. I recently had it fully reupholstered. It turned out amazing.
Hi there! By lucky circumstances I scored an old Eames Lounge chair in horrible condition. Currently i am following your restoration process step by step and i am wondering what kind of glue you used for the leather patches. Could you write that down in a comment? I can't understand it properly in the video (sorry, non-native speaker here).
Anyway: Thank you so much for your helpful and entertaining videos. I'd be lost completely without them!
Hi, any good impact glue will do. I used Bostik which i# widely available. Best of luck with your restoration. 👍
Hi, any good impact glue will do. I used Bostik which i# widely available. Best of luck with your restoration. 👍
@@phoneboxman1968 Perfect, thanks a lot!
Sue looks lovely
Amazing! I just bought a 1968 Eames Lounge and it needs similar work. The frame is in perfect condition but the leather needs some serious repair. I wish I have the nerve to follow in your footsteps.
Go for it Samira. What have you got to loose. If you’re not happy with the result, get it recovered. It won’t cost a lot to do the repairs yourself.
Paul
@@phoneboxman1968 thank you Paul. You're right nothing to lose. Thank you for your wonderful inspiring video. Be safe
Paul, what glue did you use to glue the leather pieces on the back of the leather.
@@ssoueidan192 Hi Samira. It was a Bostik impact glue. Google glue suitable for leather. It doesn't have to be anything fancy. Good luck. 💚
@@phoneboxman1968 Thank you Paul. All the best. Stay safe. I swear I watch your videos on a daily basis, working up the courage to start my restoration as material arrive :) Love the puppy. He's adorable. I have two jacks, black and white.
Looks amazing, your decor/flooring looks great with it too. How much did you get the chair for pre restoration? ive got a "homage" version which is fine, but definitely doesn't look anywhere near as comfy as yours! Really nice piece of history you've restored they are timeless
Thanks Liam. I bought it at SAS Auctions in the UK, so a lot of add ons.
Hey great job with restoration! I know Herman Miller started in 1980 producing a lacquered finish instead of the gun stock oil finish. Nowadays you can still purchase an oiled version. Not sure if it’s the same oiling technique but if you were to look at the latest versions would you bypass the extra work of the oiled for a less rich looking lacquered style knowing what you know? I also am having a hard time deciding between walnut and oiled walnut. Does lacquered last longer or have any benefits? Thanks a lot from any help as most people are not too experienced in this realm or don’t care for oiled.
Hi Ryan, to be honest , I am an oil man. I find it more forgiving than lacquer and easier to repair and maintain. I’ve never used that cocktail of oils before, but it us very rewarding.. it’s a bit slow drying, but worth the extra time. Easy to repair scratches etc.
What an excellent and helpful video, we have 2 Ottomans which we love. Can you tell me how the cushions are removed from the wooden base? Many thanks
Thanks Robin. There is a push fastener on the top and bottom of each cushion. They just pull apart. Then there is a hook on each side. The cushion just lifts off these.
@@phoneboxman1968 many thanks, one appears to have velcro rather than a stud, was this normal or an alternative fixings?
Is that on your chair?
@@phoneboxman1968 no on the ottoman, I don't have a chair
@@robinwelch1000 The cushion on the ottoman is held on the same as the seat
Great restoration! Do you recommend a leather conditioner for my vintage plycraft replica eames? The leather is cracking and all dried out from the previous owner. Im thinking about using Skidmore's Original Leather cream.
That sounds fine. I’d say Skidmores Original will be fine..
Hello gentleman, first of all nice restoration. I also have a similar chair which has a broken mechanism under the armrest. I tried to glue it without success, is it possible to contact you to have some advice and understand what the problem is? There is no much material regarding my problem here and on the internet. Thank you.
Absolutely, I would be delighted to help . If you look me up on Instagram, we cam Dm me or you can get my phone number. Talk soon
@@phoneboxman1968 thank you very much, unfortunately I don't have Instagram, but I think I found you on Facebook, I am going to dm you there as it's the only social I have 😅
@@giovannisins Thzt works for me
@@phoneboxman1968 Thanks, I sent you a message on FB
BTW, I really like your accent. Is that a London accent? It reminds me of the accent of Collin Farrel in my favourite movie, In Bruges :D
Nice one Cyril. I am from the same city as Colin Farrell. Dublin in the Republic of Ireland. Well spotted on the accent. 👍
You would have to be American to insult an Irishman like that LOL!
@@luiscannon8808 :D
hello i need a leg of this chair. where can I find it ? thanks
Hi parts are available on eBay, or you can purchase parts from Herman Miller or Vitra. They have agents around the world. Where are you based? Is it the 5 pronged base you are looking for?
@@phoneboxman1968 yes I'm looking for a 5-pin base I'm trying to find a second hand. Thenkyou so mach
eBay can be expensive, but you could be lucky.
i would have put new Italian leather
It’s always still an option 👍
but good job though!