Don't try to replace your patio furniture slings

[spidey07]

Such a brilliant idea and device. Patio furniture that hold a sling, held only in place by two rails on the left and right side as you are sitting in it. This sling has a bead captured by the rails. Just 2 screws on each side attach this to the chair base.

It's a brilliant idea. But wait! There are two rods between the rails that help stretch the fabric. You take out the seemingly oh so simple 4 bolts of the entire chair and these depths of hell bars as I have now named them fall out without effort. No problem, right?

OH! You want to actually put those bars back in? Not so fast there buddy. Every ounce of strength you can muster cannot over come the last quarter inch needed to re-insert them. You can put a single one in just fine, but that second one...your bloody knuckles and urge to kill something will start to set in.

Now I consider myself reasonably mechanically inclined and being defeated by a simple rod brings out the frustration. I have a good set of tools, pliers, clamps, you name it. But nothing prepared me for this kind of frustration. Google now tells me I need a special "bar spreader" tool specifically designed for this once in a decade task.

PSA - don't try to replace your patio furniture slings unless you can put the depth of hell bars back in easily.

generic pic of kind of furniture

 

[xSauronx]

Originally posted by: spidey07
But nothing prepared me for this kind of frustration. Google now tells me I need a special "bar spreader" tool specifically designed for this once in a decade task.

PSA - don't try to replace your patio furniture slings unless you can put the depth of hell bars back in easily.

generic pic of kind of furniture

thatll teach you to google everything first, google knows all

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: xSauronx

Originally posted by: spidey07
But nothing prepared me for this kind of frustration. Google now tells me I need a special "bar spreader" tool specifically designed for this once in a decade task.

PSA - don't try to replace your patio furniture slings unless you can put the depth of hell bars back in easily.

generic pic of kind of furniture

thatll teach you to google everything first, google knows all

I know. But I figured I had this really awesome set of tools and could fix anything.
<fast times references>

Friends even told me "hey there! not so fast! getting those bars back in won't happen." Did I listen? No. Had to learn it the hard way.

3 pairs of channel locks, 4 wood clamps, 3 pairs of vice grips, various hammers. All used. But no...

http://www.patioslings.com/how-to-install.aspx

"Try to install the spreader bar. If it is to long you can try to bend it on your knee just enough to allow it to fit into place. If the spreader bar cannot be bent you will need to use a spreader tool to spread the sling rails apart enough to allow you to slide the spreader bar into position."

 

[BoomerD]

I reslung our patio chairs last spring. Piece of cake. The first trick is to use a bit of vaseline when you first slip the edge into the chair frame. Makes a HUGE difference.
Next, you shouldn't need a special tool to put the spreader in at the top. Just a bit of muscle...and maybe a 2x4 an inch longer than the chair is wide. Wedge the 2x4 in and spread the chair frame gently apart, insert the rod, remove 2x4. I found that putting the spreader in place before tightening the frame screws helped quite a bit.

Here's a nice video on how to properly install slings:


http://tropitone.com/downloads..._Sling_Replacement.swf

 

[spidey07]

These chairs have two spreader bars, getting one in is easy, getting the other in seems impossible. Thanks for the vid - the 2x4 might work. That way I could put it in diagonally and then hammer it to perpendicular to spread the rails.