For some years now, I've kept an old LAR-base, which once belonged to a cracked 2nd generation Zenith shell; hoping one day I would find another Zenith chair with a trashed base to replace with my base. I know I could've used it on any Eames shell, but since it once belonged to a Zenith shell, I thought it deserved a Zenith shell again...
Well, that day has finally come. I recently bought a nice Zenith shell, with the red "Shipped from Venice" label. The seat was attached to a horrible chrome repro RAR-base, so I figured I would save this chair from it's unfortunate destiny and at the same time finally get to use the saved LAR-base.
Today I was going to put the two together and it worked out great, except one of the 4 screws (which I had saved from the cracked Zenith shell) doesn't fit anymore. All the other 3 screws fit nicely in any of the shock mounts, so at least the mounts are ok.
So now I'm looking for one single vintage screw, which will fit with a 2nd generation Zenith shock mount. I know I can probably get new screws on Ebay, but I like how the other screws and washers are all black and matches the black LAR-base.
Does anyone here happen to have one old screw left over? Maybe someone is about to replace the shock mounts on a chair, or for some other reason saved some old screws?
I should add that I'm not doing this in order to fool anyone into thinking the chair is an untouched original. It's clearly a marriage of vintage parts and this is easily recognizable by wear on the screws and deep indentions to the mounts, from not one, but two earlier bases, an X-base and the repro RAR-base...
Can anyone help me out?
Please forgive the crappy iPhone photos... Despite collecting lamps, I never seem to have enough lighting... 
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"Doesn't fit" ?
Three screws fit but not the fourth. Odd.
There's uneven wear on the screw shown. Did you try another screw in that hole ? It may be the tapped hole, not the screw, which has been damaged ?
No one's suggesting one hole has a different-sized or -pitched thread, are they . . .
Why not just buy a tap and di...
Why not just buy a tap and die set? It will serve you well for the rest of time and will be able to solve your problem without needing anything else. I'm thinking that you could likely just go into the hole and re-establish the threads, then do the same with your screw.
Thanks a lot anyway Woody!...
Thanks a lot anyway Woody! 🙂
You might be correct about the size of the screw head. I only have one later shell (still 1950's) and I can't access it right now. I'm pretty sure the threading is different between early and later shocks. Not sure when that changed, I've had shells from Zenith to 1970's HM.
-Pegboard, if you do manage to find a screw for me, that would be great.
-Nico, you might be right about the color being painted. The problem is that I'm in Sweden, so no chance to buy even a normal zinc screw with American threading...
And to clarify: All the other three screws fit in the fourth shock mount, so it is only the screw which is damaged, bot the mount.
Thread
I believe the Zenith large shock mounts have the same thread pitch as the early smaller mounts (28 tpi or narrow/fine thread). At some point (probably 1960s or 1970s), HM switched to 20 tpi (or standard thread).
Also, lots of vintage screws have messed up threads, especially flattened on some areas or gaps in the threads, making them quite difficult to screw in or out. I'm not sure if they originally came like that, though it appears that way in many cases that I have seen. If so, that is some poor quality control.
Examples of wonky quality...
Examples of wonky quality control could make for an interesting new thread. I've definitely noticed the flat spots on bolts, as well as complete messes of staples on the undersides of old HM wood pieces, Strangely hanging DCW backs and peculiar veneer layout choices, incomplete paint jobs...
I kind of like seeing handmade-type irregularities or variances in industrial styles sometimes though, as a demonstration of humanity...
Now things are made by ROBOTS.
Hand Made
You could always paint a zinc one black! Still original HM part. No robots necessary. I did that with the armrest screws for a 670 and I felt good about it (though maybe not good enough for purists out there).
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