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Samsonite STEEL Frame Glove Style Furniture Sling Installation Procedure Instructions
Please read carefully before viewing installation VIDEO
The resin-coated material, or SLINGS, as they are referred, is the material that you sit upon. Should you replace your slings on your Samsonite Furniture or go buy new furniture ? A legitimate question that needs review - Consider these things to make an educated decision: Your Samsonite Furniture has lasted a long time. There is nothing comparable to it on the market place. We often see customers still replacing their Samsonite Slings even 30 to 50+ years after purchase. The Samsonite sling is very strong and its two-ply or body-glove sling is much stronger and more durable than those single-ply Aluminum slings found in the big box stores. Aluminum furniture slings will last on average 2 to 15 years and they also will have to be replaced. The Samsonite sling last on average 10 to 45 years. You have also enjoyed your Samsonite Furniture for many years and you have really not found chairs or chaises you like as much or that are as comfortable. Additionally, when the storms blow, you do not have to pick up your Steel Framed furniture from your neighbors yard as you would the lighter-weight aluminum substrate product. The value in replacing your Samsonite Steel slings is easy to find. You can literally have a "new-look" on your Samsonite Furniture that you are very comfortable with for less costs than lower quality furniture made these days overseas. In the event that you decide not to get new replacement slings, whatever you do, please do not discard the furniture into a landfill. Give to someone else who may desire to re-sling and enjoy the furniture for years to come. Additionally, in some small circles, the original line of Samsonite Steel framed furniture has become a collectors item now. Obviously, it is in circles where the individuals know the quality and longevity of the product, but in late 2012, three vintage 1970 , mint condition slat pieces (two small dining chairs and a small settee loveseat, sold for just south of $ 2,000 on Ebay. This is just one example of the enduring quality and the price it can warrant. End-of-day - Do not throw away !
Replacing your Samsonite Slings can be facilitated by reading and adhering very closely to these instructions. Is it a task to put them on ? It can be considering most people do not do this every day and therefore they are unfamiliar with the procedure.
Keep in mind that you want the material to be tight. If it is not tight, then from both an aesthetic and functional standpoint, you are not going to be pleased with the product or the end result. Therefore, to this end - instructions must be followed.
Because you want the material to be tight, you do not pull the sling on like you do a shirt or blouse but rather you must muscle the new sling over the bucket frame, and occasionally "bump" the sling on (do not worry - we explain below). Before you say, oh no.... I could never possibly do that ... we assure you that you can by following closely with these instructions. Now, this does require a small amount of physical strength, therefore if one is quite aged or with physical limitations (e.g. artrhitus), we do suggest you acquiring some assistance. On a rare occasion someone will contact us and say their replacement slings they ordered are too small or too large (remember we mentioned they must be tight). If they ordered the correct model, which is our first order of elimination, this is extremely unlikely.
Our plant personnel and equipment are defined by patterns and limits. What we manufacture today will be the same - dimensionally - as what we manufactured last year and what we manufacture next year. For your measure of confidence, we guarantee Samsonite Replacement Slings to fit or we will install for you at no charge. Requirements are these: You must ship by UPS the "bucket" frame to our plant; and also ship the bucket frames back to your home. Please note that it is not inexpensive to ship these products to and from our facility. They can transit ground - but this is generally an Oversized ground rating !
Is there any difference in the material or sling manufacture process today from 40 years ago ?
The materials are the same. Still the same resin coated milled yarn material from years ago. There have been some tech advances in some materials that allow for less resin on the coated yarns. But, for the most part, the materials are the same time-tested and weather-tested resin coated yarn fabric materials. The plant jig patterns are the same and the manufacturing equipment is the same.
There are two differences in the manufactured slings today: 1) The binding material is different. In the past, the same material as the sling material was cut and used as the perimeter binding. In some binding options, we have converted to a more weather resistant resin material. In other binding options, we use a woven binding that is outsourced. The choice we make on each material is considered the best option from a match and a manufacture option. The main reason for the modification is cost savings and streamlining of manufacture which both contribute to lower cost for the consumer; 2) We now do a single-fold binding VS a double-fold binding of years gone by. The reason for this is two fold (pardon the pun) - First, the binding material used today does not necessitate a double fold step, and secondly, the single fold bind process is kinder and gentler to our equipment. Please note: This equates to the binding material on the perimeter possibly NOT being an identical match or color of the sling material itself. Often times, the complimenting binding material offers an attractive contrast to the sling material when we do not have a very close alternative. At the end of the day - we place a lot of thought and importance on this binding material.
What is the Warranty or Guarantee
The Warranty today is the same on the SLING Material that it has been for the last 60 years - ONE Year on materials and workmanship. The replacement slings are being manufactured on the same equipment with some of the same people (believe it or not). At the end of the day, we want happy customers and we will do whatever it takes to arrive to that conclusion. If you are not satisfied, we will work with you to ensure that you are a satisfied customer. Let us reason together to find common ground.
Detailed Installation Instructions BEGIN HERE
Please be sure as you take your frames apart that you keep the same bucket frame (portion of frame sling goes on) with the same base frame. If you have to number the frames and the buckets or if you need to just keep them together you just want to make sure the bucket you take off one base goes back on the very same base frame.
Some items that will help facilitate installation: Nitrile or Flex-Tuff gloves ( See Example HERE) (or any glove that has a grip-tite hand area); water-based lubricant or petroleum jelly (vasaline), a screwdriver that is wrapped in a terry cloth kitchen towel, or a small plastic crowbar that is 10” or so in length (does that exists) ?. Remember science class ? Things expand in heat. Let’s get the sling material warm. If sunny outside, you can just place unfolded slings in your vehicle with windows rolled up and parked in the sun. Make sure they are opened or unfolded. Now, lets be real here, if it is 80+ degrees, that air temp is more than sufficient to complete this task. But you need, just lay the sling seating (opened up) out on the drive or on top of your vehicle. The car interior is best used for cooler weather days (below 60 degrees) so that we can build the heat quick and sufficient. Leave each one there until you are working with THAT sling - otherwise, they will cool off and your efforts are in vain. If you are in a climate cooler or in a season of year that will not permit above, lay them out unfolded in your home on the central air duct. There is one NO-NO relative to heating the material - NEVER, NEVER place the slings in a dryer or oven. You will get the resin coated yarn so hot that the slings will be sticky or tacky and never go on. Do not lay them near a fireplace or expose them to intense heat as you may melt the components or risk a fire that could endanger your life - and there ain’t nothing worth that !
While the slings are warming, go to your furniture and remove the bucket frame from the base frame. The bucket frame is that portion of the frame that houses the sling seating material (i.e. the part of the frame the sling goes on). Generally, four screws will allow you to do this procedure. Lay your hardware to the side in a safe place as you will use these again to re-install bucket frames. The next step ranks high on importance: Mentally note (or even measure) the location of the screw holes on your bucket frames (the holes where the bucket frame or plastic components have screws going thru the material and frame). You will, after sling installation, using your index finger with downward pressure, feel 'blindly' for the indentation (hole) in frame. Having a generally idea of where this hole placement is will be good knowledge. After the sling is on the bucket frame, and feeling for indentation in the frame, punch thru the material with a 'hole punch'. And, no.... you will not damage the material and the material will not be flawed or thread-run from this punched hole. Punching this hole thru the material will facilitate the install of the bucket frame (with new sling installed) back onto your base frame. Relative to chaise lounges, with the bucket off the base, turn over the bucket so that top is on ground or workbench and remove the chaise glides. Two screws on each side hold these critters. Lay the plastic components in a safe place for install later.
Cut the old sling off of your chairs / chaises. Do not try to pull off or save. The old sling will not be of any value to you once removed. At this point, you need to clean your frames. DO NOT use H2O ! DO NOT use WATER ! H2O can get inside your frames leading to premature corrosion in addition to making installation a bit messy. Suggest using a cleaner such as 409 or Fantastic and a small clean towel. After cleaning, best advised to polish the frames with any type chrome polish (e.g. Turtle Wax Automotive Chrome Polish) (See it HERE). This polish has a light grade pumice which can lift embedded dirt from solid substrates. For your Bucket Frame - DITTO - clean with 409 or Fantastic Cleaner and polish. After installation is complete, suggest you spray wax the frames with a high-tech liquid spray wax (e.g. Meguire's Quick Wax) (See HERE). This wax will do an excellent job of protecting the frames from UV light (the one that that slowly destroys all things, including us), and making that water bead like a champ. Actually, you really do not need to “buff” off these liquid waxes. Just spray on frame, rub entire circumference of frame with clean towel and leave it be.
Side Note: Every spring / fall you should clean and wax your furniture. You DO NOT remove installed slings. Once slings are installed they are never to be removed unless being replaced. However, you may clean everything and then wax only (with the liquid waxes referenced above) the frames exposed to the sun. This will extend the function and life of your furniture just as wax will extend the finish of your vehicle. Your steel frames are coated with PVC or Poly Vinyl Chloride. It is 20X thicker than any powder coated surface. The UV rays of the sun will break down this coating over time and thus shorten the frame life. Wax will protect against these UV rays. If you have not been doing this..... it is never too late to start. Additionally, if you are not going to sitting in the units for a few hours - take that saturated towel that you just used to coat the frames and gently rub into and one the sling TOP and BACK. The same UV inhibitors will also help block those fibers on the slings from the UV rays.
My Frames are very dirty (i.e. mildew, ground in soil over the years) - What to do ?
If your frames have long-term dirt that seems to be ground into the surface, you can generally remove this with any liquid polish that has a little pumice (grittiness) in it. (e.g. Turtle Wax Automotive Chrome Polish). (See HERE). This product has pumice (a sandy grit substance that can lift embedded particles deep in surface). Clean the frames well, then apply the Automotive Chrome Polish, then wax with the same high tech liquid wax (e.g. Meguire's Quick Wax) (See HERE). This wax will do an excellent job of protecting the frames from UV light (the one thing that slowly destroys all things, including us), and making that water bead like a champ. You are good to go !
For Care and Maintenance Guide of the Frames - Click HERE
For Chairs with single L-Shaped Bucket Frames
Take a couple beach-size towels and fold them up (for padded thickness) on the ground (or counter-height work bench is better yet). You will be using these for cushioning or padding. You now need to apply a thin coating of a lubricant to your bucket frame. Vaseline is a tried and true lubricant that will suffice. You can also use any H2O based lubricant. It does not take a lot of lube and you do not want to create a messy finished product, so go light on the lubricant. Whatever used, apply to hands and then around the SIDE frames of the bucket frame. Please note that it is not necessary to put any lube on the TOP or the bottom of the bucket frame because any friction or resistance is only going to be on the sides. Clean that gunk off of your hands and then put on the grip-style gloves. Go get one of the slings that has been warming. Start the pocket opening at the top and back. Hold the frame and fabric at the top and (with your grip-tight gloves on) and start attempting to muscle the sling down over the bucket frame. You may use the folded towels as a stop to work or press against (or even POUND occasionally). If you find that the going is tough, you may gently 'pop' the bucket frame down onto the folded towels to get the new sling moving in the right direction. In essence, what you are doing by this procedure is forcing the bucket frame up and into the sling material. Continue this process until you have worked the sling on as far down as you can (please note: the top of the bucket frame (you cannot see it at this point) will be all the way to the top of the interior of the sling. Now, take a screwdriver WRAPPED IN A TERRY CLOTH TOWEL, and (in a crow-bar style fashion) carefully pry over one corner of the pocket at a time. If you find you cannot get the second corner on, remove the first corner and then try the corner pockets in reverse (i.e. - put the second corner on first). Still not working the pocket flap over - Set the frame - upright - on the workbenech and confirm that the bucket frame is all the way up to the top of the sling interior. If not, then hold the sling on the frame and pop the front bottom onto the padded towels. Still a bit tricky for you - set the seat upright on the floor and gently step onto the fabric in the seating portion of the chair. This will allow you to stretch the fabric a little and should give you enough stretch to go back and try the corner pockets in reverse order. Once installed, place bucket back on the base frame and enjoy your new look chairs.
For Chaise Lounges
Warm slings as above. Go to chaise and remove bucket frame from base frame by first popping glides from glider holders under bottom at front. This is easy. Stand on base frame and place hand onto front end portion of bucket (where your feet would lay) and pull upward quickly. The glides will pop right out of glide holders. (You will reinstall by putting glides on top of glide holders and popping the bucket downward into the glide holders). Remove any plastic components and lay aside for later. Clean and wax frame as described above. Fold frame at hinge area and rest the hinges on the towels described above. Put a thin coat of petroleum jelly or H2O based lubricant on frame as described above. Clean your hands from lube and go get those grip-tight gloves on and get one of the slings that has been warming. Start on the foot or seat portion of frame (this portion will be extending taller than back portion) by putting pocket on frame. Start by trying to pull the sling down onto the bucket frame and using the towels on the ground as a stop to force the pressure against. If needed, gently 'pop' the hinges down onto the folded towels to get the sling moving. Continue this procedure until you get down equal with the back and then start the back simultaneously with the seat. Do a little on the back and a little on the seat. Once the material is over the curved bar on the seat portion you can gently open frame ONLY about 4 inches and gently press your foot down into the middle of the material until the sling is down onto the frame fully and completely on the back and fully and completely on the seat. (Now, you will be thinking to yourself at this point "ain't no way that sling be going over the curved bar" - But trust us - it does and that curved bar will be your friend when complete because it will make the sling perfect). DO NOT OPEN THE CHAISE BUCKET FURTHER than the four inches UNTIL YOU HAVE THE SLING CLOSE ALL THE WAY ON and all the way down as you will TEAR the sling open at the hems near the riveted pivot of the chaise. Place back on bucket frame and grab the lemonade.
Please Note: For chaise lounges, especially Chesapeake models, it will help tremendously if you have someone to hold the material up (in the air straight) while you are starting the envelope pocket openings on the frame. (We did not say this….. but ) - If needed, get the BOSS out there - after all, she is the one that wanted you to do this to begin with. She will be laying on the chaises for the next 20 years, all the while directing where you need to eradicate weeds, so we are OK with her having a little skin in the game too (LOL - dont say we said). With Chesapeake models having square corners, the material will get bound up and not slide over the top of the frame if it is hanging down the side of the frame. Therefore, please understand that it helps to have the material above the frame and positioned to go down on (and not over the frame) as you do this.
For Chairs with Tension Rods
The process is essentially the same as above relative to the warming and lubricant, except you have three sections of frame instead of one. One KEY element prior to beginning this process is to carefully examine / look at the back of the tension rod chairs. The relationship of the tension rod and the U-Shaped frames is critical (i.e. the U-Shaped frames have a unique relationship with how they fit on each end of the tension rod. One is generally on the outside on one end and on the inside on the other end of the tension rod. There are exceptions to this so the rule to follow is make sure the U-Shaped Seat and Back Frames go back together just like there were before you started the process. They MUST be assembled in the same manner that they were before installation commenced. Also very important aspect is the screws that are on each end of the tension rod. The stainless steel screws go into plastic inserts that are threaded inside the tension rod on each end. You are likely saying, “I do not have those plastic inserts” - we promise that you do and they are still inside each end of the tension rod otherwise your screws would not have been on each end. You will likely see a plastic top to the inserts that are on the outside of each end of the rod. This “top” is analogous to the solid box head top of a bolt screw. If one or more sides of this box head break off (after all, they have been there for 40+ years now) that is OK. If one or more of the four sides break off, you are still great - the threaded plastic insert is STILL inside the inside diameter of the tension rod on each end. Just make sure that you do not “damage or booger-up” the opening of the plastic insert on the rod end. You still need the opening so that the screw can thread into the insert. Additionally, when aligning the U-Shaped seat and back frames holes with the tension rod, be careful not to push or force the insert down into the rod. Again, the screw must thread into the insert and if you push it deep into the rod - that will not be possible. Let us say that does happen - dont fret, very softly insert the screw into the rod end and rotate it clockwise, while inserting, until the screw picks up the threads on the insert and slowly pull the insert to the flush end of the rod and you are good. And, one last thing - this picture may help you in the install - reversible clamp ! See HERE - Scroll down BELOW the gloves image.
You have heard that a picture is worth a thousand words ? If so, a video is worth a million. The videos will put the pieces of the above text puzzle together for you. AFTER CAREFULLY READING the above instructions, now watch the video that is applicable to your specific model of furniture. Three vids - chaise on top, one piece chair in middle and a cliff-notes version of the tension rod model bringing up the bottom. Call us with any questions. You may reach us at 615 893 8683 during standard business hours OR, since COVID, might be better to drop us an email and let us follow circle back to you asap.
See Installation Video HERE after reading text above
For ALUMINUM SLING installation instructions and information, click HERE
Samsonite Furniture and Samsonite Patio Furniture are registered trademarks of the Samsonite Corporation. All credit is given to Samsonite Corporation for all drawings, images, and training that made Samsonite Patio Furniture the Premier Furniture Line in the World for over 50 years.