DIY accordion repair

In detail: DIY repair of the accordion mechanism from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.

Today we are going to repair the folding / unfolding mechanism of the sofa. This breakdown occurred because the movable joints of this mechanism were out of order. This connection is a bushing with an ordinary washer, here it is riveted, tensioned by a spring.

In the second part, as you can see, he is no longer there.

That is why the sofa has stopped folding / unfolding with us. Well, this is all we are going to change now. To begin with, we will analyze this as you can see. It is quite easy to understand, because it is worn out.

Remove the tensioned spring and move on to a new set.

So, here we have an old set: bushing, spring, washer. As you can see, the washer is already worn out. The second washer was lost, when the mechanism flew out, it was lost.

And we will use these springs in a new set.

Now let's get down to assembly. So, we put this tensioner in the form of a spring and a washer on the bolt. And we put it all into the mechanism. Where it was originally.

Insert, don't forget about the washer. Tighten slightly with a nut. And we will definitely use a locknut. So that in the process of using it all this again does not start to fall apart.

It is advisable to tighten all this up. So that the locknut plays its role with us.

It drags on rather quickly.

On the right side, I installed everything a long time ago. You see, the spring is pulling and pulling this moving part.

And let's test it now. This is how the sofa folds up. And let's decompose it again. And our sofa can be easily expanded. So, we have repaired the mechanism. Everything works for us.

Video (click to play).

A sudden breakdown of the sofa transformation mechanisms can cause a lot of trouble for the owner. Squeaks, distortions, the inability to unfold and fold the sofa, sleep disturbances constantly remind us of the urgency of urgent repairs. You can, of course, contact the master and call a professional to fix everything, but often these breakdowns of the transformation of sofas can be corrected with your own hands. We will consider the main types of breakdowns and options for their solution in this article.

Today, furniture production has a large number of types and types of mechanisms. Below in the photo are only some of them (the most common):

The click-gag mechanism has three positions, one reclining and two for sitting. It is usually installed on modern lamella-type models.

Meralax is one of the reliable French clamshell layout mechanisms. Has an orthopedic effect in two versions - lamellar and metal weaving.

The dolphin mechanism is exactly the option that combines compactness and convenience. A seat is attached to the side parts of the frame, pulling the mechanism out of the niche "towards itself" to the upper horizontal position for the transverse bar and we get a full-fledged berth.

This is the simplest of all existing mechanisms. In high-quality performance, it is stable and durable, but, as a rule, the metal from which it is made leaves much to be desired.

Image - DIY accordion repair

Mechanism "accordion" - one of the most popular mechanisms for transforming sofas, has three positions of the layout.

One part is motionless, the other two have movable parts fixed with locks.

Now it is installed mainly on modern models of upholstered furniture.

Image - DIY accordion repair

The most common mechanism is installed on a sofa bed. It is quite simple to lay out and has a number of advantages over other models.The whole structure is made of thick metal and quality rivets.

You can also familiarize yourself with other types of sofa transformation mechanisms in the article Overview of sofa transformation mechanisms.

The models shown in the photo have their own individual characteristics. Here, not only the angle of inclination plays a role, affecting the lowering and lifting of the weight, but also the material from which they are made.

Many manufacturers use thin-walled metal and very low quality rivets for these mechanisms, because of this, furniture becomes unusable in a very short time.

If it is not possible to replace the broken mechanisms with new ones, you can make repairs at home. Of course, it is not always possible to do everything as it should, but it is quite possible to extend and give a "second" life to furniture.

So, what in these mechanisms can be repaired at home:

  • Replace battens, nets and lamellas.
  • Replace springs, rivets.
  • Strengthen the frame by welding.
  • Replace rollers.

Before proceeding with the repair, you need to determine the extent and cause of the breakdown. As a rule, it is mainly the rivets of the guide bar that are bolted to the frame of the sofa that break here. They fly out completely or a depletion appears, leading to an increase in the gaps.

For work we need tools:

  1. Drill or screwdriver
  2. Rivets
  3. Hammer
  4. Anvil or any other massive stand

It is necessary to rigidly fix the mechanism on the surface of the table, for example, with the help of clamps. We drill a broken rivet with a drill, starting with a small drill and gradually moving to the desired size.

To select the required drill diameter, measure the riveting size and thickness with a vernier caliper. We insert into the hole, with the hat down, and the part that will be riveted should look up.

If it is not possible to repair the mechanism with rivets, the bar can be fixed with a bolt and nut.

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Here it is very important to choose the right length so that the bolt does not rest on the frame from the inside, because it will not be very convenient to cut it after installation!

This design has a number of small details that affect the correct layout of the sofa. Naturally, the repair will have its own difficulties, but with the right approach, this issue can also be resolved.

The figure shows the main elements of the "accordion" (its most vulnerable parts), since they are the ones that carry the main load.

After the expiration of the operating time, some of them require, at best, repair, and at worst - replacement.

The rollers must be replaced... At home, you can change the polyurethane base of the wheel by choosing the desired size (height). Having drilled out the mounting axle, it can be replaced with a regular bolt with two nuts for better wheel fixation.

Due to their rigidity and strength, beech lamellas are almost impossible to break, although there are exceptions to the rule. Basically, the fasteners that "hold" the lamella break.

The photo shows that the lamella insert is attached to the metal frame with rivets.

In specialized stores, almost all furniture fittings are sold, including the "pockets" we need.

To replace them, we need a drill, with which we need to drill out the rivets. We check their width and thickness so that there are no unnecessary gaps.

Riveting can be done with smaller and larger hammers or with a riveting tool.

But the best option for installing the lamella holder is a regular bolt and nut.

Today the mechanisms "Click Klyak" in terms of the quality of operation leave much to be desired. Manufacturers do not pay much attention to strength, relying on a large area of ​​the frame (the larger the area, the more stable the product).

The body bends in places of localization of weight, since it is made of sheet iron, from this the transformation lock itself breaks.

Making repairs at home can be very problematic; only a complete replacement is possible.

In order for the mechanism to serve for a long time, it is necessary to lubricate the rubbing joints in time.

They are shown with arrows in the figure below.

A common cause of breakdown and rapid failure of the mechanism is the fastening bolts tightened at the wrong time between the wooden frame and the mechanism.

During operation, large gaps appear, which lead to distortions and depletion.

The pull-out mechanism of the sofa is one of the most durable and reliable structures, but, as it turned out, it can become unusable in a very short time.

The reason for this fragility is in poor-quality layout elements, in particular, in the rollers. For reliable disassembly and assembly of the mechanism, the rollers must rotate easily and slide freely over the surface.

Watch a video of how a home craftsman changes the guide roller of a sofa with Dolphin mechanism: