Hi all, quick question about the Eames plywood chairs with wooden legs. I noticed that quite a few of my older pieces (a DCW from the 50's and 2 LCW's from the 90's) tend to squeak when one sits in it whereas the new ones (post 2000) are very quiet. I believe the noise comes from the friction between the screws and the wood, so I tried tightening them but to no avail. I've inspected the chairs and seen no structural problem. Btw, it's not coming from the legs rubbing on the floor if you suspect that. Any input? Thanks.
Flexing
laminated wood could produce sound if there are any delaminations, even very minimal ones -- I believe.
If there is movement between pieces which are screwed together, waxing the surfaces which touch each other could reduce or eliminate the squeaks. If the squeaking is annoying, it might be worth a try.
I would suspect delamination...
I would suspect delamination inside the plywood, which is serious as it can't be fixed. But that might just be an alarmist point of view. Could be lots of things.
I bet the old car mechanic's trick of holding a broom handle to your ear to find the source of engine noise would let you find the source of the squeak. Just get someone else to get in and out of the chair while you touch the opposite end to suspected squeak sources.
Or use a stethoscope. That would look more professional.
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