Help removing back cushion from chair

[wildiris]

Total newb here. In an effort to dip a toe into the shark-infested waters of furniture restoration, I bought a Stow & Davis side chair for ten bucks to refinish and reupholster. You know, the sort of thing that was probably in a doctor's waiting room with a couple tattered Life magazines on the table next to it -- potentially a fun chair, but nothing it would kill me to mess up.

But I immediately hit a snag: I cannot for the life of me figure out how to get the back cushion off! It's attached via rubber-covered... somethings. It's built like these chairs; the last 2 pics show the structure of the back: https://new.liveauctioneers.com/item/13505444_pr-stow-davis-american-modern-walnut-arm-chairs

There were screws in little metal tabs attached to the back of the chair; I removed them to no effect. What am I missing? A million thanks in advance!!!

[SteveA]

Hello
Don't worry we'll stop the chum line for a few suggestions.  I'm not sure what's holding the back on for your chair but you can cut away the fabric and look for clues -

SA

[wildiris]

HA! Thanks, SteveA. I didn't mean the people -- just that everyone I know who's tried their hand at reupholstering anything other than a dining chair has wanted to get stabby with their project piece at some point! :)

I thought maybe there was some simple trick I just didn't know about. I can try going through the front of the cushion, certainly. Maybe there's a clue on the other side of the wood...

[gene]

I do no know for sure. If you took out some screws, instead of getting stabby with the chair, try getting clubby. Get a rubber mallot, or regular hammer if that is all you have, and gently tap upward on the bottom of the back rest and see if it lifts up and pops off.

gene

[wildiris]

Hm, no luck with the tapping. On the plus side, I do feel better! Maybe I should take a rubber mallet to something at the end of every workday!  :D

[gene]

Since I have no idea how it works, I am qualified to make absolute claims.

There are screws on the sides or the bottoms of the rubber somethings. Take these screws out and the back upholstered panel  will pull off going forward, not up nor down. You will find the rubber somethings are then screwed to the back wooden rail. You may need to tap, tap, tap like a raven.

Or, there are screws on the bottom of the back wooden rail and take those screws out and the rubber somethings attached to the back upholstered panel will pull off going forward, not up nor down. You will then find the rubber somethings are screwed to the back upholstered panel. You may need to tap, tap, tap like a raven.

That's it. It cannot be anything else. I say this with the utmost of total ignorance.

gene

[MinUph]

One possibility although I'm not too confident here is the front (IB) is attached to the back (OB) with christmas trees. Try prying them apart at the welting.

[kodydog]

I'm thinking those "rubber-covered... somethings" are some kind of sleeved clips that lock into place like some recliner backs. Look real close and see if there is some kind of release lever that can be pried open with a screwdriver to release the clip and slide the back off.

The fun part of upholstery is you see something new every day. Sometimes you really have to stand back and scratch your head.

[Darren Henry]

What I  have seen on similar chairs is the back attached with two screws or bolts and the holes filled with wooden plugs. Stand behind the chair and look for two little circles on the board that goes across the chair. If this is the case they will be just bigger than a pencil and logically located. By that I mean they will be in the centre of the board  top to bottom and equal distances from the ends left and right.

The easiest way to remove flush cut plugs is with a wood screw. Just run it in in the centre of the plug and when it hits the screw/bolt behind the plug it works like a little auger to pull the plug out.

Another way to find out where fasteners are located is to slip a hacksaw blade (or what ever is thin and handy) between the back and the wood and slide it across until you hit something.

[wildiris]

So much generous advice! You folks are everything that is awesome about the internet.

I bit the bullet and cut open the back cushion. I found screws on the inside back on a horizontal metal bar that runs partway across the middle before going through the wood on both sides (yay!), but the screws were apparently only there to help hold the bar on or stabilize it, since they were shallow, and removing them had no effect (boo!).

No visible screws anywhere, but there are holes in the right and left sides of the rubber somethings, which might support the clip/lever theory. I wish I could get in there and take pictures for you, but the space is just too tight. I shall locate a small screwdriver and see if I can find a lever.

Thank you all so much!!!

[gene]

Use the allen wrench Luke. Use the allen wrench. Not a screw driver. The allen wrench. Let go. Trust me. I have no idea what will work.

gene

PS: My best of all time Star Wars scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lu9gaK7Tl4o