Bugger! Also Ow!!

[davidgillon]

I leant back in my desk chair last night, there was a sudden crack,  and I kept on going backwards and to the right -  which probably wouldn't have stopped until my head hit the bookcase. I managed to stop myself with a frantic grab onto the left arm of the chair, but had to lunge so hard I hurt my neck/left shoulder and wrist. Weirdly the neck and shoulder felt like I compressed something, but the wrist like I'd over-extended it.

Climbing out without going over backwards again was somewhat of an adventure, I basically had to climb out of the left corner of the chair, which necessitated a death-grip on the edge of my desk to get sufficient leverage.

On looking at the chair it's tilted about 15 degrees right and 20+ back. And on getting under it, it's obvious why. The stamped plate that links the hydraulic cylinder to the base was stamped into a dome around the hole the cylinder fits into, and it's fatigue-cracked around about 180 degrees of the base of the dome and would undoubtedly have gone further if I hadn't stopped myself.

I felt pretty sore and shaky afterwards and ended up going to bed and sleeping for the better part of six hours, waking up for about three hours, then sleeping for six more. And I feel okay this morning, my hips and low back aren't happy, but that's probably because I was due to change my butec patch last night and it didn't happen.

I have another chair base lying around and I suppose there's an off-chance the bolt holes might be compatible, but realistically it's probably for the tip.

Bugger!

Comments

[hilarita]

Ow! Glad there doesn't seem to be lasting damage to you, only to the chair! Hopefully you can get a replacement without too much hassle beyond the annoyance of extra expenditure.

[davidgillon]

Yeah, it's a pain but it could have been worse. First option is to try the other chair base to see if it fits or I can bodge it, otherwise I have to buy another one, and it's possible I might even end up buying the same model if it's the only one I can find to try as I find a lot of desk/gamer chairs quite uncomfortable.

[sovay]

The stamped plate that links the hydraulic cylinder to the base was stamped into a dome around the hole the cylinder fits into, and it's fatigue-cracked around about 180 degrees of the base of the dome and would undoubtedly have gone further if I hadn't stopped myself.

I am glad you did not smash into the bookcase, but how unnecessary! Ow!

*hugs carefully*

[davidgillon]

It does come down to how I use the chair. While most chairs have a hinge so you can adjust the angle of the seat, they presume you'll adjust it and lock it. I leave it unlocked as that lets me constantly vary how I'm sitting - effectively turning a desk chair into a rocker, but it does put more strain on the base plate.

So, lots of pain averted, but some pain right at the end.