How to Disassemble an Office Chair?
The thoughts of heavy tools, complicated mechanisms, pinched fingers, stained clothes, injuries, or worse chair explosions immediately rush to our mind whenever we think of dismantling the chair. However, these are only our fears and the actual process is fairly easy.
To answer your queries on “how to disassemble an office chair”, we have repeated the process several times ourselves, so we can ensure you a simple and hassle-free set-by-step guide. Our shortlisted tools for disassembling an office chair include a screwdriver, rubber mallet, pry bar, protective gloves, and the user manual of the chair.
Once you have them all, turn your chair upside down and remove its casters by unscrewing the bolts that hold them tight. Now, remove the base of the chair by placing a wooden piece over the gas lift and striking it with a mallet so that the base gets disintegrated from the rest of the chair.
Next comes the gas lift, which can be dismantled by unscrewing the bolts that hold it in its place followed by a few gentle taps with a mallet. In the same way, you can remove the armrests, and seats of your office chair. For a more detailed guide, follow the steps below.
Tools Required for Disassembling an Office Chair
Before moving on to the process of dismantling the office chair, let’s take a look at the tools we used for disassembling our office chair easily and quickly.
1-Screwdriver
Needed for tightening or losing the bolts.
2-Rubber Mallet or Hammer
A rubber mallet is required for tapping certain parts that are difficult to be removed otherwise. A hammer can also be used for this purpose but it is comparatively harder than a mallet and there are risks that it may damage the sensitive parts of the chair upholstery.
3-Pry bar
Prybar helps to force two objects apart so that they can be easily removed. It is specifically helpful for removing the casters of your office chair.
4-Protective Gloves
While gloves are not necessary but it is advisable to wear them to protect your hands from potential injuries or mishaps.
5-User handout of your office chair for specific guidelines
A user manual would guide you about any specific guidelines, precautions, or tools necessary to remove the specific chair you have.
6-Good Quality Lubricant
A good quality lubricant such as WD-40 helps in loosening the stubborn parts that are tightly stuck and are difficult to remove.
Most of these tools must be available at your home, however, if you cannot find any of them, visit your nearest hardware store or order online from a reputable store.
Step-by-Step Guide for How to Disassemble an Office Chair
Learning to disassemble an office chair is an important skill as we might need it while repairing the chair, lubricating its metallic parts, replacing a piece, or moving it from one spot to another. If you have also been reluctant to disassemble your office chair for all these tasks, now is the right time to learn it. Below is a step-by-step guide to dismantling different parts of your chair. Follow each step in the correct order so that the process remains smooth.
Turn the Chair Upside Down
First of all, flip the chair upside down as it makes the rest of the job easier for you. When the chair is in the upside position, its base is exposed to you and you can easily work on its different components. Be cautious while inverting the chair to prevent it from potential scratches or damage. Also, it is recommended to spread a rug on the floor or surface you want to invert the chair on so that it also remains protected.
Remove the Casters
The casters or wheels of the office chair need to be removed first. It is because the presence of wheels makes a chair mobile and it can be moved even with the slightest of your body movement. This not only disrupts the process but it may also annoy you and make you give up.
Dismantling wheels rather than directly removing the starbase, therefore, simplifies the rest of the process for you. The wheels of most office chairs can be easily removed just by pulling them with a little force. Still, if you are having any inconvenience while manually pulling them, a pry bar can facilitate the process for you.
Alternate Method:
If the casters of your office chair have been fastened with screws, you have to use a screwdriver to unscrew them. Repeat the same process with all wheels to remove them.
Remove the Base
For removing the starbase, keep your chair in the inverted position and place a piece of wood right over the gas cylinder. Next, tap the wood with the hammer but avoid hitting any component of the gas lift directly as it may damage it. A few strikes would be enough to release the pressure inside the base and disintegrate it from the rest of the chair. However, if it is not being removed this way, gently increase the pressure of your strikes.
Remove the Gas Cylinder
The most difficult part of the entire disassembling process is removing the gas cylinder of the office chair is often considered However, it just involves unfastening the screws that hold the cylinder in its place and tapping it gently with a mallet until it becomes loosened. Next, carefully take out the gas lift from its place. If the cylinder is stuck tightly, spray it with a good lubricant such as WD-40 so that it gets loose and easily removable.
Be cautious while removing the gas cylinder as it is filled with compressed gas. It is advisable to wear gloves to protect your hands in case of a mishap. Also, protect the floor or surface with cardboard or thick fabric so that it does not get damaged if the gas lift suddenly falls on it.
Unfasten the Armrest
The majority of office chairs have built-in armrests that cant be removed from the main construction. Some models, however, have removable armrests which can be easily identified by the screws present underside them.
If you have a chair with detachable armrests, you can easily remove it by placing the screwdriver directly on the screws and rotating it counterclockwise. Turning the screwdriver in counterclockwise or left direction would loosen the armrests and you can easily take them out of their place. If you are also among people who are always confused about the right direction for tightening or loosening the screws, remember the phrase “Righty Tighty, Lefty Loosey” to get the hang of it.
Detach the Seat
In the final step, you have to detach the seat of the office chair by unscrewing the bolts that hold them in their place. Next, give a few jerks until the seat is finally removed from the base and comes to your hands.
In this way, the disassembling process of your office chair comes to an end. Really? Yes, this is how simple it is to dismantle different parts of your chair that you have been avoiding for so long. So, hopefully, next time when you need to clean or replace certain components of your chair or you have to transport it somewhere, you wouldn’t hesitate it.
Wrapping Up!
In a nutshell, the process of disassembling an office chair is not as difficult as it sounds. With the right tools and techniques, you can dismantle your chair within a few minutes. Most of the tools required for the task such as a screwdriver, hammer, and pry bar are already available in your home. Just be a little cautious and follow the steps mentioned above rightly and your chair is dismantled.
FAQs
Can the office chair be dismantled?
Yes, an office chair can be easily dismantled in a matter of a few minutes if you have the right tools and know the right tricks to remove its parts. For dismantling an office chair, you have to follow a certain pattern so that things get easier for you. First, disassemble the casters to make the chair stable followed by removings its base, gas cylinder, armrests, and seat respectively.
What tools do I need to disassemble the office chair?
To disassemble the office chair, you need to have the following tools: a screwdriver, prybar, rubber mallet or hammer, safety gloves, and lubricant. These tools will allow you to easily disassemble the office chair.
How do you move an office chair down?
To move the seat of an office chair up or down, you have to rotate the lever it’s the gas cylinder. The pressure of compressed gas filled in the gas cylinder enables the office chair’s seat to move up or down.
Are office chair wheels removable?
The wheels of office chairs can be easily removed by following these steps: Turn the chair upside down, Unfasten the screws if it has any, and Pull the casters out using your hands or prybar.
How do you separate office chair cylinders?
To separate the office chair cylinder, unfasten the screws that hold the cylinder in its place and tap it gently with a mallet until it becomes loosened. Next, carefully take out the gas cylinder and it’s done.
