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Plycraft Mr. Chair cushion repair  

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Ebehne
(@ebehne)
Active Member
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 9
15/06/2020 9:43 pm  

Hello,

I recently picked up two first edition Mulhauser Mr. Chairs. They had been previously recovered, poorly. I’m tearing them apart and trying to start fresh. 

From the looks of things, the back cushion supports that hold on the cushion were replaced with newer pieces of plywood and modified somewhat. I’m trying to get an idea as to how the original cushions were held on so that I can replicate it. These plywood supports were stuffed into the original cushion and everything was covered with newer vinyl. 

Any help with what this whole mess should look like would be much appreciated. Thanks!

1592250219-5E4D1486-5412-42E7-9927-3DFDFA3B87DE.jpeg

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jbrajo
(@jbrajo)
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Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 14
26/08/2020 7:01 am  

Did you take any other photos of the teardown?  I need more info please. 


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Ebehne
(@ebehne)
Active Member
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 9
26/08/2020 7:45 am  

What exactly are you looking for? I’d be happy to take some more photos. Here is one I got from someone else.

I figured out that there are actually two ways that Plycraft manufactured the rear cushion/frame. Mine are an early type, it has five screws around the perimeter of the back and one screw in the middle. Most of them have seven screws, omitting the one in the middle of the back but adding two more very low on the back. I suspect that this corresponded to a change in the back cushion design as well. Mine were originally a formed cushion. The back of the cushion is completely finished in vinyl just like the front with the frame built inside the cushion. Plycraft seems to have changed to a more traditional cushion with a plywood frame, burlap back and traditional prong buttons sometime during the 1st generation chairs. 

More photos here: https://imgur.com/gallery/VvgvCad

1598420705-111333B3-86A6-4B6B-8D5B-92401FEE5F83.jpeg

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jbrajo
(@jbrajo)
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Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 14
27/08/2020 2:37 am  

It appears to me that the plywood upholstering frame you show in the original post is what the cushion was built on. Especially comparing to the new photos you just attached. Do I understand correctly that it’s an example taken from another chair as original manufacture?

 

looking some more and it appears the bottom piece of ply framing is missing and might actually be two mirrored segments.  But you should be able to make a reasonable go by patterning the interior of the frame with something like poster board. I see a ghost image of that section. I think that the “frame” is likely done in attached segments that anchor to the back with the screw holes you point out and the button tufted upholstery softly fills in to create the concave contour. Also the seat cushion would push up to the bottom  framing edge and capture the shaping of that bottom edge against the bent plywood shell. 

the fact that it was manufactured with heat fused edges shouldn’t prevent you from redoing. You’ll just machine stitch. 


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Ebehne
(@ebehne)
Active Member
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 9
27/08/2020 2:53 am  

That’s correct, but that style frame is only for the very early chairs, as described in the previous post. Most of the chairs have a complete “loop” for lack of a better term.  See attached for what the bottom of the frame looks like on the majority of cushions. 

If you send me a picture of the back of your chair, highlighting the screw hole positions I can tell you what version you have. Either way you’re probably going to want to make a complete “loop” frame so that you have something to stretch the vinyl over and secure it to.

1598489630-592C39BC-90EF-4C6F-A20E-04F572A4D95A.jpeg

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jbrajo
(@jbrajo)
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Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 14
27/08/2020 3:02 am  

Oh. I don’t have one. I’m an upholsterer and work on these kinds of things all the time. You have a challenge ahead of you since you don’t have an intact example to work from, but it can be done. If you have more specific questions, let me know. 


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Ebehne
(@ebehne)
Active Member
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 9
27/08/2020 6:07 am  

Sorry, misunderstood. Thought you needed help with yours. I made a complete frame like shown in the first picture. I plan to cover that exactly as Plycraft did. Haven’t got to the actual upholstery yet but I’ll make sure to ask if I have any questions at that point. Thanks!


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jbrajo
(@jbrajo)
Active Member
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 14
27/08/2020 1:48 pm  

No worries. That’s super!  Please post pics of your frame. I’d love to see and I’m sure down the line they will help someone else out immensely. I love these kind of challenges. I wish I could work on it with you directly. 


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