Restoring an Antique Barber Chair

O rings can me made in any size from neopene cord ...that's what superglue was originally made for (I believe). Google O ring suppilers, neporene cord etc. (I had a quick look...loads of sites) You may even be able to blag a sample length free of charge

Good luck
Del

Something like this: http://www.mytoolstore.com/kd/kdengi08.html

The groove in the rod(cylinder) for the snap ring needs to be dress up. Years of use may have flared the edge out around the snap ring groove. Use some very very fine emery cloth to out side of the ring area to insure there are no edges sticking up. Then take 1/4 inch honing stone and relieve the edge of the groove. When assembling coat all the packings with a light grease also the end of the rod.

Thank you, everyone for your assistance. Allow me to add some additional comments and clarify some information.

Among other operations, I have cleaned and serviced this column/cylinder; it has been sanded/honed both inside and out. Edges relieved, burrs removed. With the fact that I am not dealing with a cylinder with a single inside dimension, but a stepped and annular grooved cylinder that I must pass an o-ring through, I am of the opinion that I need a thin installation sleeve to allow the o-ring to pass the step and groove to seat in its final installed position. I have obtained o-rings correctly dimensioned; I am now resolving the installation technique.

Thanks again.

TFE impregnated glass cloth?

polyimide?

shim stock?

Shim stock is what I was thinking. Some brass shim stock a couple of tho thick should do the job if you carefully de-burr the edges, lubricate and overlap the ends a little (inch or two). You could hold it in place with a strap or a giant zip tie.

After you get the "O" ring past the lip, you can remove the strap and gently work the shim stock out of the joint.

I've gone to a stationary store, like Staples, that does photo copying and assembly of reports, and gotten sheets of clear plastic that was thin enough to feed a power steering slave piston into its bore. I was amazed how easy it made it. Lube it with a little silicone spray.

I hope you can give me some advice now that you have barber chair experience!

I assume any automotive hydraulic oil will work. But where do you put it in? How much do you put in? I see no ports. Maybe you just pour it in at the top of the base? There's a ring there that is loose.

I apologize for not responding earlier.

The chair I'm working on does have a fill port about halfway up on the housing.

If possible, post a picture of what you are dealing with and perhaps we can assist with a solution.

Thanks for the reply.

I discovered how to refill the oil. The seat is removable. Underneath the seat is where the oil is refilled.

On the bottom of the seat I found instructions, date, and serial number of the chair! A great find.

what were the instructions you found. Please share. Reeldom@aol.com

OK, good idea -- I will try to insert pictures of the instructions. I hope you can read them, if not, let me know.

If you have to pass the O ring past a groove, you will need a lot of patience. There is a product that the automatic transmission shops use to help assemble them. It is a thick paste-like grease, dark green in color. It is very good at allowing an O ring to slide past an obstruction. Don't force it. That will cut the O ring. I have used clear "scotch" tape to cause the O ring deeper into the groove till it was set. Then slide it down the cylinder. Don't force it. Try rotating it back and forth while gently pushing on it. I think a better choice than brass shim is thin mylar. It is hard to get to take a set if bent. A lot will depend on the clearances. You might be able to make a funnel like device that would allow you to pass the groove. Another trick, is to go down a size in length on the O ring. That will assure the O ring is seated in it's groove. It will also reduce the thickness of it by a very small amount. Did I mention don't force it. I have used a narrow .015 feeler gauge attached to a wooden dowel at a right angle to help guide the O ring into a cylinder.

I have had to do many O ring installs in my career. If you can send pictures, or drawings, I should be able to help more.

Can the piston be installed from the bottom, and moved up to where you need it to be? Try to think how it could have been manufactured the first time. There should have been a way to assemble it that was easier for the manufacturer to do.

If anyone knows where to find the hydraulic piston, let me know. It is a Kochs model 29 wooden chair.

What is wrong with your piston? Unless it is missing, you should be able to repair whatever is wrong with it with some metal filled epoxy. At worst you should be able to bring it to a machine shop for a replacement.

Yes, the problem is it is missing. I guess I would guess this is a special piece, probably not to readily available? jerry

You have me at a distinct disadvantage. You have the remainder of the parts in front of you. Can you show a picture of the cylinder that you need the piston for. What is the length and diameter of it? What is attached to the end of it? Are any other parts missing? Have you Googled the chair manufacturer?

Well, I just sold the chair to a guy in pieces. He just tried to put it together, and called and said the piston is missing. I haven't seen the part for several years. So, I do not have it in front of me, but he described it as probably around 2 1/2 inches in diameter and maybe a couple of feet long?? He just posted it to ebay, type in, "antique barber chair" in "all catagories", and it should pop up. There are a couple of pictures of it there.

A section of steel that has a pair of grooves cut into it for O rings on the bottom, and provisions for attaching the cross shaped piece to it should work. He would probably want to finish it the way the original was, so it looks correct. It does not look like it would be hard to fabricate.

Thanks Bob. I'll look into a machine shop to see if I can get a someone to make something like that. Or, maybe with enough searching, I might luck out and find someone with a junker. jerry

A followup on the status of this project; having finally gotten some time, I have returned to the barber chair. The main problem was installing a piston with an o-ring as noted in my previous posts.

Since I did not have success, I decided to start over and take this an additional step. The hydraulic ram has an interior shaft which I had not removed earlier. It was necessary to have a flat blade style (similar to a flat blade screwdriver) socket modified to remove a recessed screw. Having this tool modified, I was able to finally remove it using a hand impact driver. Removing this screw (a very unique screw; hollow, tapered, beveled and countersunk) finally allowed me to access the column in such a way that I can install the piston from the bottom. There is a radiused annular groove on the bottom end, but the radii are generous enough that I can install the piston without damaging the o-ring.

After one more very fine hone and cleanup, I will reassemble the unit and test for leakage. If all works out, I will finish the trim installation and return it to its place of honor.

I will post updates as warranted. Thanks, everyone.

Updates? Pictures please!

I think this guy standarded has quit this website, like a lot of people have. I reckon he got tired of getting attacked by some of the nasty people here.