Hallmark Restoration

[Essie]

I spent about ten hours hand polishing my new Hallmark using Mothers. See pics below. As soon as I get this beauty properly adjusted it will become my everyday chair.

I am blown away at how perfectly spec'ed it is to me. The only measurement that is slightly off is the back of the seat and back cane width. These are at 15" (I would prefer 14"). However, the seat tapers to 12.75" within a 14" depth so only the very back of the seat is 15".

The upholstery is in great shape FOR ITS AGE. The chair number is #269 so I suspect it is 10+ years old therefore, the upholstery is not really usable. As mentioned the seat is tapered so an "off the shelf" CF solid seat is not going to work. I have never personally worked with CF so I am not sure how easy/safe it is to cut to size. My prosthetist might help me out if I provide him the materials. I have a tension adjustable by strap seat which I can use for now. Any thoughts greatly appreciated.

I am going to use my 559 white spoked Spinergys with Marathon Plus tires (thank you rcechser). Here is where the problems begin: The wheels were 559 wire wheels with TIOGA (by Mitsuboshi) 26" x 1.85" tires. The Marathons are 26" x 1". This means the back is now 0.85" lower.

The front caster fork only has one whole so there is no adjusting there. The casters are 5" x 1" (with spacers on both sides) so I could buy a set of 4" x 1.4" casters and get closer to where I need and want to be. See pic.

Does anyone know how to adjust these caster forks (Stephen212, you are needed)? I am trying not to spend any more money BUT do I need to replace the forks to get everything to work properly? How do I do it (I, obviously, have no manual for this chair)? Anyone have casters and/or forks they would like to sell?

Next, back upholstery. I have 14" cloth upholstery that I could put on my ZR IF my 14" Jetstream Pro (with adj. mounts) will fit the 15" back canes of the Hallmark but I don't think it will. I know what the literature says but does anyone have any practical, real life experience? Anyone have a low back that will fit that they would like to sell SUPER inexpensively?

Lastly, the chair came with a Stimulite Classic that is cut to fit the chair's taper. This cushion looks almost brand new so I will not replace it (yes, it received a good cleaning). I prefer my ROHO but it takes away some of the aesthetics created by the seat taper. When I am rich (everyone has dreams) I will ask Tom Borcherding to make me a custom fit one.


Very Best,
E

[stephen212]

Does anyone know how to adjust these caster forks (Stephen212, you are needed)? I am trying not to spend any more money BUT do I need to replace the forks to get everything to work properly? How do I do it (I, obviously, have no manual for this chair)?

Essie, if you are asking how to remove the forks, here's the deal: You need to screw off the dome caps. This accomplished by holding the forks stationary and a strong grip on the caps, which may require a wrench to pry loose. Caution: depending on your tools and/or level of skill this may result in some gouging of the metal.

I had Surelock make me replacement OEM-style dome caps with a set screw for easy removal rather than relying on loctite. (These TiLite caps locks will also substitute for the originals.)

I replaced the original forks with Frog Leg Unitines and went from the original 3" roller blades to a 4" FLAHSR.

[baldfatdad]

Take the caps off with strap wrench. Or take to a local mechanic an he will have one to remove them. Going from the 1.85 to 1 should only make the chair .425 lower. Depends on the thread of the tire. If you are going to a smooth tread tire from those knobbies it might be more. Not that bad. You could have some one drill a hole that much higher on the fork if you get flutter.

[chasmengr]

Wonderful polishing job, E

[stephen212]

Take the caps off with strap wrench. Or take to a local mechanic an he will have one to remove them. Going from the 1.85 to 1 should only make the chair .425 lower. Depends on the thread of the tire. If you are going to a smooth tread tire from those knobbies it might be more. Not that bad. You could have some one drill a hole that much higher on the fork if you get flutter.

I'm sure some strap wrenches are better than other. I couldn't budge my Halls caster caps pff with the one I had. It took an intervention by Mark Chelgrin, owner of Frogs Legs, at an Abilties Expo and even that took some ingenuity, as I remember.

Bob Hall should have used the set screw style that Surelock custom made for me. Makes life much simpler.

[Essie]

Take the caps off with strap wrench. Or take to a local mechanic an he will have one to remove them. Going from the 1.85 to 1 should only make the chair .425 lower. Depends on the thread of the tire. If you are going to a smooth tread tire from those knobbies it might be more. Not that bad. You could have some one drill a hole that much higher on the fork if you get flutter.

For a 26" by 1" tire the overall diameter is changed by 2". For a 26" x 1.85" tire the diameter is changed by 3.70". Therefore, the change is 0.85". Please correct me if this is wrong.

I like your idea of drilling a hole at least until I can justify dumping more money into the chair.

E

[amyk]

That second number is the tire width not the profile or diameter. In fact, go for ETRTO or ISO if you can, inches will screw you over. 26" wheelchair wheels are 590, so the "1 inch" MP tires will be 25x590, 25 being the width of the tire and nothing to do with the outside diameter or height. Be careful to match up the ETRTO sizes - 559 wheels are commonly known as 25" wheelchair wheels but 26" bicycle wheels. "26 inch" MP tires will NOT fit a 559 rim, so check before you commit to anything. Sci-Otr estimated that MP tires have an extra 1/4 inch height, due to the puncture protection belt, over others with the same ETRTO. The only way to check for a height difference is to install and properly inflate each tire, and take a measurement. It's possible any height difference will be negligible.

[Oddity]

For a 26" by 1" tire the overall diameter is changed by 2". For a 26" x 1.85" tire the diameter is changed by 3.70". Therefore, the change is 0.85". Please correct me if this is wrong.

I like your idea of drilling a hole at least until I can justify dumping more money into the chair.

E

No, that is not quite right. The 2nd number is tire width, not height. Even the erto rim size won't tell you, precisely, because that's the outer edge of the rim, where the bead is, not the outer edge of the tire. Knobbies tend to be taller as well as wider, on account of being roundish . e.g. my 24x504 rims with Maxxis Holy Roller tires have nearly identical diameter as my 25x559 rims with Marathon Evo Pro tires. If you don't have both sets onhand to just install and measure, the important measurement for comparison would be the outer diameters. A simple string around the tire, then measure its length, would be easy and precise. Half the difference is your rear seat height change.

[Essie]

Thanks for clarifying my mistake. So after switching back and forth and measuring the difference in rear seat height it is just under 3/4 of an inch lower.

This does not sound like a big difference but it makes the chair too tippy for me. I have not tried anything high speed enough to check caster flutter but I am doubting they are perpendicular.

E

[Essie]

Wonderful polishing job, E

I so want to make a crude, immature joke here but I'll just say "thanks".
E

[stephen212]

I so want to make a crude, immature joke here but I'll just say "thanks".
E

I think you just did.

[Essie]

I recognize I would have to remove the dome caps (with marring them!) to do this but, if I could manage that, would it be possible to remove the nut between the caster housing and fork? This would lower the front end by 1/2".

I would need a new 1/2" shorter fork stem but these must be used for something other than wheelchairs, right? IE, could I find something at the hardware store? Or, do the threads go far enough that I could cut the bottom off the existing one?



E

[Essie]

Please do not laugh too hard at the irony posed by my signature.

[nonoise]

I recognize I would have to remove the dome caps (with marring them!) to do this but, if I could manage that, would it be possible to remove the nut between the caster housing and fork? This would lower the front end by 1/2".

I would need a new 1/2" shorter fork stem but these must be used for something other than wheelchairs, right? IE, could I find something at the hardware store? Or, do the threads go far enough that I could cut the bottom off the existing one?



E

I've not taken a Halls fork apart, but have many others and I think you need that nut. But you can replace it with a thinner one and drop the shaft a little lower. However is that picture accurate? I mean it looks like your caster is no where vertical. Play with putting some books of different sizes under the rear wheels until the casters look correct. Then I think you will know how much correction is needed.

[Essie]

However is that picture accurate? I mean it looks like your caster is no where vertical. Play with putting some books of different sizes under the rear wheels until the casters look correct. Then I think you will know how much correction is needed.

LOL... no, it is not but THANK YOU as that type of observation is exactly what I need. That picture is taken with no rear wheels. I am using an "L" square to determine perpendicularity. Even with the rear wheels the housing is not perpendicular.

The book idea is excellent!

E