I had the same problem with the Eames LCM (the rubber mount separated from the wooden back). I tried to epoxy the two parts back together, but failed to clean and sand them first, so they came apart again. I called Room&Board (where we ordered the chairs from) and they sent someone out for a service call to repair the chair, but all they did was take off the rubber piece, sand both it and the wooden back, and epoxy it together. Now it's holding up, and it just survived the weight of some slightly heavy visiting family members this past weekend.

So, long story short, I would recommend saving yourself a few bucks and trying to repair it yourself if your problem is the same as mine.

I've had those rubber pieces remounted on my chairs several times. Finally, a restorer told me to buy some epoxy and glue them together myself.

This has worked (for a while, just like the pros' job), but if you have gunk or the rubber has disintegrated at all you probably do want to have them professionally restored. I found my restorer by calling a local mid-century purveyor and asking them where they bring their stuff. $250 does sound high, I'd see if anyone else will give you a price quote.

Talk about "shocks", this is an alarming post, to me at least. I just purchased four of these chairs (from DWR) in cherry and assumed they were built to last. Given the individual price of each chair the $250 replacement price is high. When I finally have to do this repair I'll either do it myself or jettison the chairs (sorry Eames) and spring for a set of Cherner chairs.

Now you understand why one sees so many vintage Eames Chairs with screws through the backs...

had you checked here? :

http://www.swivel-chair-parts.com/Eames.html

and

http://www.mancha.demon.co.uk/index.html

they sell Parts for repairing Mid-Century Furniture.

I've re-attached the Delrin mounts twice on my LCW with epoxy. Two must do's: chisel away as much of the hardened old epoxy as possible, and clamp the pieces tightly for at least 48 hours before removing the clamps.

Because of the shape of the chair back, it's an akward clamp job. I found it best to sandwich the chair back and Delrin mount between two long 2 by 2 scrap pieces of wood, and then clamp both ends of the 2 by 2's so that the chairback and mount were squeezed tightly between the pieces of wood.

Here is a possibility: 10 years ago i had the rubber mounts of 4 chairs replaced at Herman Miller. I thought it was $70 a chair. That would be the main Herman Miller in MI. I don't know what the situation is now.

Hi all,
I am the one asking the questions (jason). I guess my concern is that the epoxy used is specially formulated to apply to wood AND the rubber shock mounts... and thats the hard part to find... Also, the person I got the chair from had already tried to do this themselves and messed up the chair w/ glops of epoxy and then tied to remove the shock mounts and try again... and in the process destroyed the shock mounts, so I am dealing with having to scrape epoxy and degraded rubber shock mounts as well! I was also thinking about going direct to Herman Miller and asking them for repair shop suggestions!
Jason.

Disclaimer: I don't know these chairs. But attaching rubber to something hard is probably best done done with a rubbery adhesive that is about as stiff at the rubber.

To mind comes a polyurethane or other tough construction adhesive. Comes in the same packaging as silicone caulking, but is a lot stronger.

However, not all rubber is alike. And if rubber is crumbling there is not much gained in sticking somethng to it.

Bostik or Sika probably have suitable products in their industrial or building ranges.

I posted this same q on designaddict.com, and was advised to use PC-7, available from your Home Depot or similar. Sadly, mine lasted about 3 months and just broke again last night :-( You can search the forum for the full thread.

However I didn't sand them down the first time, so I'm going to do that and try again. I'll have to look at a way to clamp this as well.....

If you contact Herman Miller In Illinois, the place that originally made it by the way, they have a service to re-glue the bumpers. I have done this. and it works, as opposed to gluing it yourself , where it doesn't...good luck

CAUTION WITH EPOXY! The biggest problem with expoxy is that most harden to a very brittle fix - where the rubber will be constantly flexing. You need an adhesive that will adhere to both surfaces. I would contact Graham Mancha, as he sells the glue. Hume is fantastic at restoration, but a little skimpy on service and charm.

And Marco - I've got one of these chairs from 1946 and the shock-mounts are just fine. Once in a while somone BIG will lean WAY back and the mounts will deglue. Otherwise they hold up well. I sit in my lounge chair with my legs up on the window sill every day, and its fine.

Herman Miller has a customer care office where you can discuss the repair of your chairs. 800-646-4400 is the phone number, and http://www.hermanmiller.com/CDA/SSA/Contact_Us_Email/0,,a8-c490,00.html
is the URL

Here is the direct contact at Herman Miller to get your mounts repaired:
Ashley De Boer
800-646-4400

so i acquired a dcm rose finish and it doesn't have a back. it seems to be circa 60's. other than just ebay..any advice where to pick one up?

thanks

woops, i meant cherry finish

Here is a little DIY

http://plastolux.com/refinish-modern-chair-eames.html

Eames had a brilliant marketing idea with Shock Mounts and thin plywood shells 70 years or so ago. It doesn't look so brilliant now, with all the maintenance issues. Herman Miller only warranteed the DCM, LCM, DCW, LCW and Lounge 670 chairs for 3 years, everything else was 15 years. Even when they started making them, they knew the problems. They make money selling new chairs when owners tire of repairing them. Unless buyers demand real warranty service, or better shock mounts, it won't happen!
Olek warrants all its shocks for 15 years, including consequential damages to the chair when one of its repairs fails. No one else does this.