Don't throw away that broken-down seat. You may be able to reinforce the cushioning and salvage it. Remove the staples holding the dust cover to the bottom of the seat (figure A). You may need to remove the legs first. Examine the underside of the cushioning to determine the cause of the damage. In many cases the repair will be simple. For instance, if the seat-spring coils have weakened, you can stuff cloth between the loops of the coils to prevent the springs from compressing as far. If your seat has lost its cushioning because of broken reinforcing materials, you can install a plywood base to shore up the broken areas. Start by measuring the opening, then cut a piece of plywood to fit. Attach wooden rails along the sides of the plywood so that you'll have something to attach to the inside of the chair (figure B). Insert the plywood support piece into the seat, and press it until the support is flush with the tops of the wooden frame of the seat (figure C). Use screws to secure the piece to the seat, and reattach the dust cover underneath the seat.
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