Hello all - I have a Saarinen side table with a 51cm (20 inch) Carrara marble top. The table was manufactured in 1996. Recently it was improperly moved by a colleague and the marble top separated from the base, breaking off fragments of marble in the area where the base was attached to the top.
I would appreciate thoughts on how the table might be repaired, preferably without purchasing a new top. Thank you!
The brass cap nut will need to be cleaned off and reset with a structural adhesive (such as a thickened 2-part epoxy) making sure that the axes are square to the top. This will require removal of the central threaded rod, the right adhesive, and some basic tools and skills. I'd probably want to add a reinforcing flange, as well, to increase bearing/adhesive surface and better distribute future load forces.
Interesting to see a fiber/resin matrix applied to the underside. Appears to be fiberglass sprayed with a "chopper gun", likely by the quarry that sliced the marble. This type of failure is predictable and some blame belongs with Knoll, IMO. Fortunately for you, though, the top didn't split entirely into 2 or more pieces!
Thanks for the tips. I agree that the design seems prone to failure and it didn't help that the table was handled incorrectly. Fortunately the top fell only a short distance to a carpeted floor and didn't break. I saw it happen and was expecting a mess!
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