First Row

by

First Row – 107 volunteer hours – February 4, 2022 – May 20, 2022

First, we removed the backrest of the seats, this is held on by 4 bolts and 4 nuts and set them on our stage.

Next, we removed the seats that are attached the the metal arms, these are attached by 2 large bolts, washers, lock washers, and nuts, and set them on the stage.

Then, the metal arms that attach to the floor. There are bolts in the concrete floor, and the arms are attached to those in four places.

After the seats are taken apart, they must then be disassembled. The metal parts and the upholstery parts must be separated, because they will be going to different places. The metal parts are transported to Maguire Products in Aston to be shot blasted, and after that, they are transported to A.W. Mercer to be powder coated. The upholstery parts go to a local upholsterer to be torn down and new foam and fabric to be installed.

We had to make jigs in order to put the seats back together, find specific hardware in order to replace the old, and figure out the whole process and how to actually get it done.

The first row is gone! This was a long and enduring process to get to this point, but here we are. Can’t stop now!

The wooden box on the floor is to cover the bolts sticking out of the concrete floor. We wanted to paint this in the same color as the floor so it would not look like we were “under construction”. We do try to make the theatre look presentable at all times, no matter what projects we have.

Below are a few pictures of the process of dismantling the seats, the metal from the fabric. The parts are taken to a warehouse and lined up. They need to be numbered so that they are installed in the same place when they get back to the theatre.

The seats and backs all look the same, but they are all very different measurements (only be a few milimeters) but it makes a big difference when they are re-asssembled, and especially because they have a new layer of paint on them.

The seat cusions are taken off the metal seat pans and numbered
The metal backs are removed from the fabric backs and numbered
The metal arms are drilled in a very specific place in order for the cupholder to fit.
This is what the metal parts look like after they have been shot blasted. They are now ready for powder coating and will be transported to A.W. Mercer.
This is what the cupholders will look like once manufactured. The hole that is drilled in the arms is how the cupholder will be attached. The metal arm will slide in and out.
The wooden arms are sanded with 60 grit, 150 grit, and finally 320 grit. We screwed a metal arm to the floor so that sanding could be easier and the wooden arms would stay in place.
The arms are then placed on a wooden board with screws that hold them in place. They are then stained and get 3 coats of polyurathane.
The wood grain is enhanced and when complete, they look absolutely stunning!
Before and after metal arms
Before and after backs – the new backs and seats have brand new foam, which is very comfortable!
The wooden arms before and after. Much different and beautiful!
Row 1 – installed and complete. When we install a new row, we take out the next row and start the process all over again.

The updated seats now have all new bolts, screws, washers, locking washers, etc, along with a new fabric pattern and paint.

Happy to get the first row behind us. Only 16 more to do!