Foo - Are you mechanically inclined?

This past weekend I had to fix my recliner. It is both a recliner & a rocking chair when it is not in the reclined postition. The design of the frame underneath at best is piss-poor. The bracket that fastens the main frame to the rocking frame keeps coming loose from both frames. Each of the 2 brackets have 6 screws holding it to the frames. This time I ended up using much larger screws & thankfully did not split the wood. This was the second time I fixed it & hopefully the last with the heavier duty screws. I have the tools & the know how to do this. Other people do not, nothing against them for not knowing how to do simple repairs such as this.

So the question is are you mechanically inclined? Could you have fixed the chair? How far does your knowledge go? The poll is only going to have a Yes or a No, so you'll have to explain how mechanically inclined you are if you wish.

yes. but i have to have time to investigate the problem. most simple things i can just look at and know what's wrong. the more complicated have to be tinkered with.

Nothing personnel, but what does this have to do in a cycling forum ????

Nothing personnel, but what does this have to do in a cycling forum ????

Note that it's in the off-topic section. Deal with it.

(Also, I think you mean 'personal'.)

Yes, I'm a pretty good bike mechanic - not fast, but accurate, so I must be somewhat mechanically inclined. However, I hate working on anything around the house (such as recliners :D ) that is not a bike.

My wife can vouch for that. :p

I've re-roofed my house, added additional circuits to the breaker box, replaced the leach field, repaired the furnace, fridge, stove, and washer, tune-up my lawnmowers, including sharpening the blade, repaired my snowthrower, perform 90% of all the maintenence and repairs on my cars, installed a back-up generator, hung and taped drywall, put down linoleum, assemble my own computers, keep my bikes in excellent condition, and repaired my sofa.



Specialization is for the birds.

Nothing personnel, but what does this have to do in a cycling forum ????
A n00b with a 'tude? Clearly doesn't realize the situation.

back to the topic

If it gets broken around my house I get the honor of fixing it for the most part

I'm a licensed General Contractor (inactive) and have remodeled numerous homes. I have too many tools and have been taking stuff apart since I was able to hold a screwdriver. I've been a bike mechanic (working in shops) for close to 20 years. So, yes! I probably would've pre-drilled the holes in the wood frame to avoid splitting, and probably poured some wood glue into the holes to prevent the wood screws from backing out in the future. Or, I would've drilled the holes all the way through, replaced the wood screws with a machine screw, and through bolted the metal frame to the wood.

L8R

Without actually seeing photos of the chair, it's hard to say, but if the problem was repetitive, I might have drilled the mounting holes out and bolted it through w/ carraige or hex boltz, nutz 'n' washers...If I went to larger screws I prob would have enlarged the holes as necessary to prevent splitting...

I've always maintained that if something goes together w/ nutz, bolts, screws, etc., it can be dissassembled and repaired. I've dabbled in electronics too, but I've always felt more successful w/ mechanical apparati.

I am great at identifying problems and determining fixes, but the implementation of the fix is where I fall short. I suck with tools... I usually attempt to fix what needs it, but by the time it is done, I have usually broken something and/ or stabbed myself with my tools or injured myself in some other way.

I wouldn't say especially "inclined," but rather a gentle slope. It takes me longer than most, two sets of parts, and several sets of choice words I learned in the Navy, but I usually get it done.

The last time I replaced the garbage disposal, I told my wife "Don't ever let me "do it yourself" ever again!

I needed a new side door. At Home Depot, I found the perfect one for $285. I am paying someone $300 to install it because I want it done in a timely manner and done right the first time! It needs J-channel, new trim, and the siding must be cut back to accomodate the J-channel. I am not about to tackle that!

With my bike, however, I can fix most things, from broken spokes, truing wheels, and, given enough time, I can now even tune a front derailleur. Cantilever brakes, however, still stump me. Luckily, I have side pulls!

yeah i fix things.. almost anything minor except for the stuff you need a license for ;)
last weekend i fixed my vacuum, took me a while and i improvised with some filing so i wouldn't have to go buy a part.. i always fix my pc, anykind of handywork, door hinges, plastering, etc. i taught myself..lol even wired a light last year with the help of lowes.com...lol Home depot people were useless in advice.
only problem with fixing things- you have to make sure you have the time to FINISH it..lol

This past weekend I had to fix my recliner. It is both a recliner & a rocking chair when it is not in the reclined postition. The design of the frame underneath at best is piss-poor. The bracket that fastens the main frame to the rocking frame keeps coming loose from both frames.....

I recommend disassembling the chair and using the wood and mechanism to build a repair stand for your bike. There's got to be some good metal linkage and springs that could be used to form a clamping mechanism for some jaws to hold bike tubing. You could use some of the fabric to line the jaws and the wood for the basic structure. Then you would have something useful instead of a device that only contributes to obesity and declining health.

It's called a Laz-E-Boy for a reason.

HMM i guess so. I was in the building trades for 13 years, did whatever except for electric. Was in Bermuda for 6 months as a trouble shooter for the U.S.Navy on a hanger they built. Although I did fix the A.C. I do bikes now although we shut down the store so I can finish the house. However this is my exprience, bikes, and houses that is pretty much it.

I recommend disassembling the chair and using the wood and mechanism to build a repair stand for your bike. There's got to be some good metal linkage and springs that could be used to form a clamping mechanism for some jaws to hold bike tubing. You could use some of the fabric to line the jaws and the wood for the basic structure. Then you would have something useful instead of a device that only contributes to obesity and declining health.

It's called a Laz-E-Boy for a reason.

First of all it's not a Laz-E-Boy. If it was I would not have the problems with it. If the problem occurs again, this is the second time I repaired it, I'll either drill larger holes to accomidate carriage bolts & use washers, lock washers & nuts. Or I'll build a differant non-rocking bottom frame & it will just be a recliner. The screws I used this second time are flat pan head self starting roofing screws I had left over then I re-did the flat roof above my back porch a few years ago. I didn't use them the first time I repaired the chair for fear of splitting the wood. Luckily that didn't happen the second time either & hopefully this is the last time I have to repair it.

I'm a mechanical Engineer...

Does this mean I'm mechanically inclined? I hope so...

I have built several frames(bicycle).... Hobby ;)

I used to designed components, etc. when I worked as a Process Engineer in one of the plants here. Although I don't literally do the work(when at work), (such as fastening bolts, etc), I supervise. But I haven't done so for a while since I started my own company, since I deal w/ computers now...

But with bikes and computers, I do it myself, if posiible -- I enjoy doing so..

were the frames of a fairly 'high quality' (did you like them enough to ride them)?

Nothing personnel, but what does this have to do in a cycling forum ????


Yeah WTF!! Lets sick the FCMS (Forum Correct Mod Squad) on him.

:rolleyes:

I'm a mechanical Engineer...

Does this mean I'm mechanically inclined? I hope so...

I have built several frames(bicycle).... Hobby ;)

I used to designed components, etc. when I worked as a Process Engineer in one of the plants here. Although I don't literally do the work(when at work), (such as fastening bolts, etc), I supervise. But I haven't done so for a while since I started my own company, since I deal w/ computers now...

But with bikes and computers, I do it myself, if posiible -- I enjoy doing so..

dexmax, did you build your own jig too?