Tales from the repair guy

[kmealy]

I'm going through a stack of backup files on CD.   99% are documenting third party repair work orders (warranty, protection plans, moving claims), so I needed to submit photos.    I was a bit shocked at the number of pieces I've repaired over the last 20 years.   I'm figuring a couple of thousand a year.   On a one piece per stop day, I'd do 4 or five,   When visiting a warehouse or a moving claim, it might be a couple of dozen,    The repairs fell into broad categories -- cleaning upholstery (generally food or "body fluids"); fixing upholstery fabric -- popped buttons, open seams, tears; broken frames in upholstery, casegoods, tables and chairs; fixing manual and electric relining mechanisms and sectional connectors; marks on wood finishes - ink, markers, water and chemical blushes, scuffs, scratches and dog chews; remove and replace parts - drawer glides, upholstery panels, legs, recliner mechanisms, hardware.

I'll post some of the interesting stuff here as I find it.

#1.   If a few staples are good, more is more gooder, whether or not they actually hit the pieces they are trying to connect.

[kmealy]

Don't spill fingernail polish remover on your place mat.   Before and after

[kmealy]

Couldn't you have put the threaded insert in a little deeper where there was some support?  A common problem.

[kmealy]

And some better foam and springs?  These went bad in less than a year, and rather that put in a good replacement, they sent me the same thing.

[kmealy]

4 minutes ago, kmealy said:

 

 

 

Never know what you are going to find when you unpack a new piece of furniture?  Glad it has a 9 digit part #.

Edited May 12, 2020 by kmealy

[Gunny]

We have this as well. Aftermarket parts fails in short time. We just replace with same junk.

[Gene Howe]

Shoddy manufacturing practices, poor engineering and, junk parts keeps you guys busy, though. 

[kmealy]

1 minute ago, Gene Howe said:

Shoddy manufacturing practices, poor engineering and, junk parts keeps you guys busy, though. 

Yep.   Made a lot of money from Asian junk.  The one that would get me is they'd use the cheapest screws possible, maybe saving a dime on a piece of furniture.  One of them would snap off and it'd take me an hour to repair it.

 

Also, most had no idea of wood movement from a swampy Indonesian factory to an air conditioned  and heated home.  One customer said, "We heard what sounded like a gunshot in the middle of the night.   When we investigated, we found this 1/4" through crack running the length of our dining table."

[kmealy]

Don't know why the leg support didn't hold on this sofa, it was stapled on real good.

[Fred W. Hargis Jr]

Did you ever tell anyone: "Sometimes, the patient dies."

[Gunny]

22 minutes ago, Fred W. Hargis Jr said:

Did you ever tell anyone: "Sometimes, the patient dies."

Many times. Once I went out and prayed over it for them.

[kmealy]

23 minutes ago, Fred W. Hargis Jr said:

Did you ever tell anyone: "Sometimes, the patient dies."

A few tines.   Damage beyond repair.  Though I usually tried as we were scored on our success rate.

 

[kmealy]

What, roofing nails won't hold the spring straps in place? One of several brands.  One was "squeaking" while still on the showroom floor.  1/3 of nails fallen out, 1/3 loose, 1/3 still holding for the time being.   What do you expect from a $10,000 sofa???

 

[Gunny]

This thread is great.keep em coming.

[kmealy]

Really?   This was right out of the box.  Left side facing arm falling off.

[FlGatorwood]

Thanks, Keith for this thread.  Yes, furniture is very expensive but most of it is junk.  Sadly, some American furniture is junk.  I grew up near Cleveland, TN and they had chair factories there.  They stapled all frameworks together in the 1960's,  It got worse in the 1970's and 1980's as they tried to cut corners and expenses to fatten their wallets.  I think they would have done better had they built better furniture.  Jackson Furniture Factories are still operating and employee about 1000 workers with minimum wage and no benefits.  But, the employees can pay their rent, buy some food and pay their utilities by using the local charities.  And, yes, even the expensive furniture has cheap assemble under the beautiful exterior.  This is a great thread.

 

@Gunny, yes, those remanufactured parts keep you busy and employed, but it also helps those people through the humps.  I hate rebuilt parts, but that is exactly what we did for military aircraft.  Some in the squadrons complained about paint and return, but I saw workers completely go over every element before the plane was reassembled.  

[kmealy]

This was a total *#(&$   The whole back collapsed, seat fell through, springs popped, frame separations, fabric tears.   The guy was a fireman so muscular, but not obese.

[FlGatorwood]

Looks like pallet wood and assembly by first and second graders.  Wow!

[Larry Buskirk]

...And people wonder why I "Curb Shop".

...I find better quality stuff thrown away! 

[Gerald]

Yep, Butt joints (and maybe that other one too) , sorry wood and staples. And what was left out?????   GLUE.