TOS Burke chair mod - who's done it?

[Ziz]

I won a set of Burke chairs on Ebay.

I'm going to convert them to TOS chairs with the back extensions, the triangle details and a full repainting. So, has anyone here done this? I got the pics of it from Cloudster.com with the photographer's scale, so I have a basic idea of what's involved, but I was just curious how you did the back extension - materials, measurements, problem solving?

 

[Redfern]

You got 4 genuine Burkes for just 51 bucks??!!! The Fates must have been smiling upon you that day! I was wondering what you'd have to pay for shipping, but I see the seller has stated "local pick-up only". I hope you're within reasonable traveling distance.

Regardless, good luck on your conversion project.

Sincerely,

Bill

 

[Ziz]

Yeah, I've been watching Burke chair auctions for years. Recently, all the sets that are starting at (or BIN) $200, $300, $400 and more are going unsold. I'm in NY and the seller was in NJ, so that made it easy for me to pick them up in person, which I did a few days ago.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Best I ever managed was four for 100 dollars, and that was years before the prices started to go up. Good going!

 

[Ziz]

Thanks.

So, my question still stands - who's done the chair mods and how did it go? I'm guessing the hardest part will be the back extension. Any tips or tricks to getting it right?

 

[Cary L. Brown]

I don't know if the guy posting here is right or not, but he makes some interesting claims... and seems, at least, to know what he's talking about:

http://antiquerestorers.com/cgi-bin/bbs/furn/config.pl?read=8560

 

[TrekkieMonster]

You might be able to get some guidance by contacting the folks at Star Trek: Phase II (f/k/a "New Voyages), as well.

http://www.startreknewvoyages.com/index.html

They've obviously done the conversion for their sets, though I don't know first hand if they had actual Burkes.

Just a thought.

Nice purchase, btw.

 

[Ziz]

I don't know if the guy posting here is right or not, but he makes some interesting claims... and seems, at least, to know what he's talking about:

http://antiquerestorers.com/cgi-bin/bbs/furn/config.pl?read=8560

The chairs I got are Burke 115, which is the exact chair used on TOS. The main differences between them and the 103 are the seat style. 115 back angles (when viewed from the front) are a straight line where 103 has a slight curve. 103 seat is also more square at the front, as well as being a touch smaller overall. 116 is the 115 with arms.

Here's a 103 for comparison

 

[EmperorKalan]

When this thread came up Cloudster.com was down so I couldn't check (it's back now), but threre's a page there about the Burke chairs and the TOS conversion:

http://www.cloudster.com/Sets&Vehicles/STEnterprise/Burke_Chair/BurkeChairsTop.htm

 

[Ziz]

Yeah, I have those pics but it doesn't show anything about how to build a back extension, just what it looks like separated from the chair.

Is it two solid pieces that are screwed together at the top and sandwich the chair between them?
Is it one piece on the top and then two smaller pieces that grab the chair?
Are there side pieces to keep the edges square?
Is the padding cut and shaped foam or just simple batting?

I can work out how to build one thru trial and error but I'd like to see how someone else did it first as a basis for comparison.

 

[Captain Robert April]

I don't think there's anything more complicated than a couple of pieces of foam rubber wrapped in some black upholstery material. Maybe some cardboard for added stiffness. And since they weren't exactly consistent from chair to chair, best guess should be good enough.

 

[Ziz]

Yeah, it's not complicated to figure out, I'm just trying to avoid a lot of false starts.

 

[Ziz]

Well, I've whipped up a few cardboard prototypes of how to do the extension. I'll work on a wood version over the next week or so. Once I've got something that works, I'll post how-to pics for all to enjoy. The few people I've found in searches that have done this are very tight lipped about it. Apparently they're trying to corner a market that barely exists in the first place.

 

[DestinyCaptain]

You can also try contacting the kids over at Starship Farragut. Their resident prop guy really knows his stuff.

 

[22 Stars]

Hi Ziz, I sent a PM to you today with a question about your chairs, but also may be interested in modding one of my Burke's and would be more than happy to lend a hand and share info if that helps.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

You can also try contacting the kids over at Starship Farragut. Their resident prop guy really knows his stuff.

Yep, John would be glad to help.