A Very Unique Folding Chair

26
http://www.instructables.com/id/A-Very-Unique-Folding-Chair/ Food Living Outside Play Technology Workshop A Very Unique Folding Chair by GRitter on May 23, 2012 Table of Contents A Very Unique Folding Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Intro: A Very Unique Folding Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Step 1: Materials and tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Step 2: Ripping the Lengths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Step 3: Cutting the pieces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Step 4: Drilling the Holes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Step 5: Sanding and Finishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Step 6: Assembly and Final Touches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Step 7: The Finished Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

description

diy

Transcript of A Very Unique Folding Chair

Page 1: A Very Unique Folding Chair

http://www.instructables.com/id/A-Very-Unique-Folding-Chair/

Food      Living       Outside        Play        Technology       Workshop

A Very Unique Folding Chairby GRitter on May 23, 2012

Table of Contents

A Very Unique Folding Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Intro:   A Very Unique Folding Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Step 1:   Materials and tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Step 2:   Ripping the Lengths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Step 3:   Cutting the pieces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Step 4:   Drilling the Holes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Step 5:   Sanding and Finishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Step 6:   Assembly and Final Touches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Step 7:   The Finished Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Page 2: A Very Unique Folding Chair

http://www.instructables.com/id/A-Very-Unique-Folding-Chair/

Intro:  A Very Unique Folding ChairThis chair design came to me after a failed attempt at re-creating a chair I had seen by Architectural Designer Robert van Embricqs. It was a very beautiful and stunningpiece, but seemed to expensive to do it just the way he had. So I set out to make a less expensive version of his chair and it looked amazing, however it couldn't evenhold my 95lb daughter. I was then left with about 70 pieces of 3/4" x 3/4 " wood in varying lengths. What was I going to do with all that wood?

A couple of days later, I remembered having seen a sketch of a chair in a book titled "Nomadic Furniture" by James Hennessey and Victor Papanek called a "SavonarolaFolding Throne". After a quick search on the internet for better pictures of it, I thought I figured out how it was put together. Although I have only seen them in the openchair position and never folded, I could only imagine that the following is a pretty close (albeit very simplified) approximation of how it is done.

Page 3: A Very Unique Folding Chair

http://www.instructables.com/id/A-Very-Unique-Folding-Chair/

Step 1: Materials and toolsIt has been my experience with woodworking that there is never just one tool that can be used or just one way to put something together. The first couple of these chairsthat I made I did with just a table saw, miter saw, tape measure, drill with a few bits and some sand paper, so most hobbyists will have the right tools for this project. Onceyou read through this, you will have a good idea what tools you have in your arsenal that will work for this job. Here is a list of the supplies I have come to use for makingthese. (The chair in this instructable is number 10 including the first two prototypes)

Tools

-Table saw - for ripping lengths of pieces-Miter saw with attached jig - the jig makes sure that every piece is exactly the same (and all without measuring)-Router with 5/16" bit and attached jig - the router makes sure the holes are nice and straight and the jig makes sure the spacing on the holes are exactly the same oneach piece (again, no measuring needed once you make the jig)-Drill with varying bit sizes and a 3/8" boring bit for counter sinking screws-Sander - this keeps the slivers out of our tender bits-Philips head screwdriver-Tape Measure-Rack for applying stain and polyurethane, and also for drying-Foam brushes for apply stain and poly-Safety goggles and hearing protection-Square for making sure things are squarish-Vinyl paper for spacers - I'll explain these later-Hacksaw - for cutting dowels to length in the finishing stages of the build

Materials

-Three 1"x4"x8' boards (actual dimensions 3/4"x3 1/2"x8') - These should be as knot free as possible because we are using such small pieces and if the knots span thewidth of the piece it will be very weak there (I am using pine for this build, but other woods work very well too, as you will see in later pictures)-Two 5/16"x3' wooden dowels-Thirty-four 1" screws (something reasonably appropriate for use with wood)-Wood glue-Wood stain - optional depending on type of wood used-Polyurethane - again, optional depending on type of wood used

Page 4: A Very Unique Folding Chair

http://www.instructables.com/id/A-Very-Unique-Folding-Chair/

Image Notes1. Hole for mounting router to jig (bolt come through the bottom)2. Hole for mounting router to jig (bolt come through the bottom)3. Hole for mounting router to jig (bolt come through the bottom)4. Hole for mounting router to jig (bolt come through the bottom)

Page 5: A Very Unique Folding Chair

http://www.instructables.com/id/A-Very-Unique-Folding-Chair/

Image Notes1. Movable stop for uniform hole spacing.

Image Notes1. Push stick

Page 6: A Very Unique Folding Chair

http://www.instructables.com/id/A-Very-Unique-Folding-Chair/

Image Notes1. 1/4" steel rods can be moved to different holes for staining / finishingdifferent parts2. beer holder }:-)

Page 7: A Very Unique Folding Chair

http://www.instructables.com/id/A-Very-Unique-Folding-Chair/

Image Notes1. Jig attached to miter saw for cutting lengths exactly the same.

Image Notes1. vinyl paper spacers

Image Notes1. don't worry about the dowels being a little warped, this will straighten out whenwe put the chair together

Step 2: Ripping the LengthsThe first step is to cleanly cut the ends off your boards using the miter saw. These ends are never quite square, will sometimes have grade markings on them and theyare also pretty rough. You shouldn't be making a very big cut, just enough to tidy things up.

Now set up the fence to cut all the boards into 3/4" strips. If you get it at just 3/4" and not a hair over (assuming you have a standard blade that gives you a 1/8" kerf) youwill be able to get 4 strips from each board without any waste. When you set your blade height, you want the teeth to just clear the top of the board as it comes through.This will give you a nice clean cut as well as keeping the saw from throwing a bunch of sawdust in your face as you cut.

If you've done everything right so far, you should have twelve 3/4"x3/4"x8' lengths of wood. This will actually be more than you need, but some pieces may not bedesirable for this project, so you want to have a little extra. If you only ended up with nine of these and three thinner ones, do like the Hitchhiker's Guide says and DON'TPANIC because the nine pieces will be enough if you chose very carefully when you bought your wood. If you don't have any knots or there are only very small oneseverything should be fine.

Page 8: A Very Unique Folding Chair

http://www.instructables.com/id/A-Very-Unique-Folding-Chair/

Image Notes1. This is how it was purchased

Image Notes1. This is how we want it to look.

Image Notes1. The blade teeth just above the surface of the wood.

Page 9: A Very Unique Folding Chair

http://www.instructables.com/id/A-Very-Unique-Folding-Chair/

Step 3: Cutting the piecesThis chair is, for the most part, just two pieces of wood repeated 17 times. There are the longer pieces that make up the sides that are 27" long and square on both ends.Then there are the seat pieces, which are square on one end and cut at a 40° angle on the other end. The short side of this piece is 15" and the long side of this piece is15 11/16".

The most efficient way of cutting these pieces is to cut two side pieces and two seat pieces from each length. When you're cutting these you want to be aware of a coupleof things. First of all, you don't want any potential structural failures due to weaknesses in the wood, so watch out for splits and large knots. Cut your pieces from eitherside of these types of imperfections. If you cut two long pieces and two short pieces from each length, you will have about 10" or so of scrap left over, so if you have tocut a knot or split out of the middle of your length, you will still have enough to get your four pieces. Don't forget that you also have a few extra lengths to use too, so don'tbe too stingy and use inadequate pieces.

The second thing you will want to consider is the grain of the wood. I don't think so much about the grain with the long pieces, but you will want to have the mostinteresting grain showing on the top side of the seat section. With the way I am going to cut these pieces on the miter saw, that means I will be picking my favorite side ofthe wood and putting that down ( the longer side of the seat pieces is the top side of the seat).

Another thing you will need to be aware of when cutting these pieces is the straightness of all the pieces. Your pieces have to be very close to perfectly straight stock inorder for this chair to work well. I have made these out of pine, black walnut and red oak so far. The oak was by far the easiest wood to work for this project. It cuts easily,stays true and finishes easily. The pine usually works well, but can sometimes look good when I buy it and as soon as I rip the 3/4" pieces, the wood starts to warp prettynoticeably. The pine will also tear out on the bottom side of drilled holes and the back side of miter cuts more easily than the other two woods, so a very light touch isneeded when drilling and cutting pine.The black walnut was the easiest to cut and is by far the most beautiful wood of all three, but what a pain in the backside it wasgetting the pieces to remain straight.

With that said, you're ready to start cutting. First cut 17 pieces that are 27" long. I do this by cutting two pieces from each length until I have cut them all. That means youwill have cut about 54" from each 8' length leaving you about 42". These long pieces are easy because they are just a nice straight 27" with no angles or anything.

With your miter still set for 90° angles, cut 4 pieces roughly 16" to 18" long. These will be used for the braces on the sides of the chair and will be trimmed up later to theexact length needed.

Next you will want to cut all 17 of your seat pieces from the leftover 42" lengths. First set your miter at 40°. Then you'll want to measure and mark a line 15" from eachend of the 42" piece. Then, just go ahead and make all your cuts. What you will have left over will be the middle of the 42" length that is now a trapezoidal shape. Again,once cut, the seat pieces should be 15" on one side and 15 11/16" on the opposite side.

Next you will want to cut the dowels in half. This doesn't have to be exactly in half and most of the time I don't even measure this cut. These get trimmed up later to amore exact length so for now, close enough is close enough.

Page 10: A Very Unique Folding Chair

http://www.instructables.com/id/A-Very-Unique-Folding-Chair/

Image Notes1. What kind of goon would pick a piece of wood like this? Oh, wait......

Image Notes1. You will want to make sure that none of your finished pieces have a knotlike this..

Image Notes1. In a hard wood, this might not be too bad, but in a wood like pine, I'm not goingto take any chances. This will get cut out.

Image Notes1. These two holes are where I attach the miter jig.

Image Notes1. Dowels lined up against holes.

Image Notes1. Miter jig in place. It's a pretty easy on / easy off jig. Nothing fancy.

Page 11: A Very Unique Folding Chair

http://www.instructables.com/id/A-Very-Unique-Folding-Chair/

Image Notes1. These posts go in preset holes on the miter jig arm.

Image Notes1. Miter jig set to cut long pieces.

Image Notes1. All set to start cutting. This jig gives me the exact same length every timewithout having to mark and measure. What a time saver!

Image Notes1. Four pieces cut for bracing on the sides of the chair on the "arms" and"feet".

Image Notes1. Miter set to 40 degrees to cut the seat pieces.

Image Notes1. The stopper has been moved from the side piece length to the seat piecelength.

Page 12: A Very Unique Folding Chair

http://www.instructables.com/id/A-Very-Unique-Folding-Chair/

2. Miter set to 40 degrees.

Image Notes1. You will have about 8" to 10" of extra wood per length when all four pieces havebeen cut.

Image Notes1. Dowels cut roughly in half.

Step 4: Drilling the HolesThe next step is to drill all of the holes. Each piece (side pieces as well as seat pieces) gets two holes drilled in them. All holes are 5/16" holes and measurements are oncenter. I use a jig attached to my router for this step as well so that I don't have to do any measuring or marking. This greatly speeds up the process as well as ensuringthat all holes are uniform from piece to piece. Uniformity is very key during every cut and/or drill section of this build. If you don't have every piece just the same as thelast one, the chair will not end up working well. The chair seat may not sit flat or the chair itself might not sit level on the ground.

The seat pieces get holes drilled at 7/16" and 8 3/16" from the square end. The jig I use has a moveable stop so that I can drill all 17of the first holes, move the stop, anddrill all 17 of the last holes.

Next, drill holes in the long pieces at 5 1/16" and 17 1/16". These measurements are from the same end, so you end up having a hole 5 1/16" down and one a foot awayfrom it.

Page 13: A Very Unique Folding Chair

http://www.instructables.com/id/A-Very-Unique-Folding-Chair/

Image Notes1. Router jig with stop in place to drill seat ends.

Image Notes1. Seat piece in place and all set to drill the first hole.

Image Notes1. All first holes drilled in seat pieces.

Image Notes1. Jig stop moved to drill middle seat holes.

Page 14: A Very Unique Folding Chair

http://www.instructables.com/id/A-Very-Unique-Folding-Chair/

Image Notes1. Middle holes all drilled. Now we're ready to drill our side pieces.

Image Notes1. Jig stop placed for the 5 1/16" hole. (Top hole)

Page 15: A Very Unique Folding Chair

http://www.instructables.com/id/A-Very-Unique-Folding-Chair/

Image Notes1. Top holes drilled

Image Notes1. Jig stop removed so I can push the side piece all the way in to drill the second(center) hole.

Page 16: A Very Unique Folding Chair

http://www.instructables.com/id/A-Very-Unique-Folding-Chair/

Image Notes1. Second (center) holes drilled. Let's move on to the next step.

Step 5: Sanding and FinishingAt this point the wood is ready for sanding and finishing. There isn't a whole lot of sanding to do, just clean up your saw marks a bit (I cut my pieces so that the saw marksdon't face out on the chair, but will face another piece of wood, so they don't have to look perfect) and make sure all your edges are neat.

As far as the finishing, I'll keep that part kind of short. There are sooooo many options for this that I couldn't even begin to talk about them in a single instructable. What Ido is choose a stain (some chairs get no stain) and stain it using a foam brush and a rack I built to do the staining. This rack allows me to stain all sides and all pieces atthe same time without having to wait for a side to dry so I can lay it on something. Then, once the stain is dry (usually two to three days later) I put a polyurethane on it toprotect the wood from weather or coffee spills or oil stains from the skin of people handling the chairs (trust me - people are going to want to play with this chair when youshow it to them!). If it's a hard wood, I will usually just put one or two coats of poly on, but with the pine, I will do at least three coats because it is such a soft wood. If youdon't know if you're using a hard or soft wood, the easiest way to tell is to scratch it with your thumbnail. If it makes a sizable imprint, it's soft wood. If it leaves a very lightor no impression, it's a hard wood.

All seat and side pieces get stained on all sides and ends. The four brace pieces that are cut get stained on just three long sides and you'll see why in the next step. Polythe three stained sides once the stain has dried.

Page 17: A Very Unique Folding Chair

http://www.instructables.com/id/A-Very-Unique-Folding-Chair/

Image Notes1. Little bits like this need to be cleaned up.

Image Notes1. Run the sander or sandpaper along all edges to give them a nice tidy look

Image Notes1. This isn't too bad, but a nice clean end is better.

Image Notes1. See? Much better!

Image Notes1. All pieces on rack ready to be stained.

Image Notes Image Notes

Page 18: A Very Unique Folding Chair

http://www.instructables.com/id/A-Very-Unique-Folding-Chair/

1. Side pieces stained 1. Seat pieces stained

Image Notes1. I put this 1/4" dowel in the free hole of each piece while I am staining it to hold itsteady

Image Notes1. Brace pieces have only been stained on three long sides with one side leftunstained

Image Notes1. All seat and side pieces get completely covered in polyurethane. Brace piecesget poly on only the stained sides.

Step 6: Assembly and Final TouchesI hope you're getting excited, because we're really getting close now. We're just a little ways away from getting to see one of the most amazing chairs ever!

The first part of the assembly is to attach the dowels to the two outermost pieces of the chair. You do this by choosing one seat piece and one side piece. You will thenspread some glue evenly around in the holes drilled in both pieces and stick your four dowels in the four holes. You want them to be nice and flush with the outside edgeof the piece. I do this and then slide another corresponding piece on the other end of the dowel without any glue to hold it level while it dries. Use a square to make sureyour dowels are coming out of the holes at right angles.

Once the glue has dried, begin assembly by removing the unglued pieces from the dowels and lay the two doweled pieces on your work surface with the dowels pointingup. Orient them so that the seat end hole and the top hole on the long piece are right next to each other with the short side of the seat piece touching the longer piece.This explanation might be a little awkward, so refer to the pictures for a clearer representation. I use spacers in between layers of wood so that I don't get the pieces tootightly packed together. This also gives the wood a little room to shrink and swell (as wood tends to do) without doing damage to the chair. If you push the pieces tootightly together, the chair will either be very hard or impossible to open and close because of all the friction between the pieces. I use spacers made of vinyl printingpaper. The thickness is about the thickness of two regular sheets of paper, but because they are made of vinyl, they are very durable and can be used over and overagain.

For the next layer you will stack it the opposite of the first layer. The middle seat hole always goes on the same dowel, but the end hole will alternate from left to rightdowel. Always put the next seat piece on so that the angled ends form a point with the layer beneath when looked at from above. If it looks like /||\ you are doing it right, ifit looks like |\/|, your are doing it wrong. See picture for clarity on this step. Keep doing this - layer - spacer - opposite layer - spacer - layer......etc until you have all 34pieces stacked up together. Once you have them all on, the two outermost layers should be oriented in the same way. If they are opposite, you either have two layerstogether facing the same way or you need to look for your lost pieces.

The next thing to do is mark the dowel so that it can be cut flush with the top layer. Just use a pencil or blade to make this mark. Then remove the top layer so the markyou just made is sticking out about 3/4" from the second to the top layer and cut the dowel at this mark using a hacksaw or some other small hand saw. If it's not perfectly

Page 19: A Very Unique Folding Chair

http://www.instructables.com/id/A-Very-Unique-Folding-Chair/

flush, don't worry, because we can sand it once the top layer has been glued in place. Now spread glue in all the holes of the top layer pieces and place it back on thedowels and let the glue dry.

Once the glue has had sufficient amount of time to dry, cut the brace pieces to length. We haven't cut them yet, because the width of the chair can vary slightly based onactual width of individual pieces and how tightly we have pressed the pieces together. Lay the chair down with the spacers kept in place as much as possible so that it isresting flat on the work surface and measure across the outermost top and bottom of the side pieces. Again, the picture will probably help make this much more clear. Ilike to cut and screw on two pieces and then flip the whole thing over and cut and screw the final pieces. (That's right! I said FINAL PIECES! We're so close now....) Thisstep is done with a scrap flat piece of wood under the side pieces I will be screwing the brace to. This makes gaps between the brace and side pieces much less likelyand keeps the pieces from moving around while you are drilling and screwing. Start by drilling holes of appropriate size for the screws your are using (slightly smaller thanthe screw diameter) through the unstained side of the brace into the outermost side pieces keeping the brace flush with the ends of the side pieces. So, just two holes atthis point. Then put a screw in each hole to hold the brace in place for the rest of your drilling and screwing. I then go across and first drill countersink holes in the braceat the center point of each side piece (I always just eyeball this instead of doing precise measurements and have always been happy with the outcome). Once all of thoseare made, I will drill the pilot holes for the screws in the center of the countersink hole, being careful not to go so deep that I come right out the other side of the sidepieces. Then I will screw the screws into the holes I made for them, remove the two outer screws, drill countersink holes for the outer screws and put the screws in place.Do this at the top and bottom of both sides and the chair is now a chair.

Go ahead and open it up, you know you want to! Awesome!!

Now we just have to put the finishing touches on. That would be sanding and staining the sides of the braces that were not yet stained and putting polyurethane on tomatch the rest of the chair. You will also need to do a little sanding on the ends of the dowels so they are flush with the outside of the chair. I like to put a little maskingtape on the seat and side pieces before I do this so that I don't ruin the finish with the sanding. Use a fine grain sand paper (150 grit or so) and work very carefully evenwith the tape in place.

And there you have it.

Image Notes1. The dowels are glued into this piece2. Dowels are NOT glued into this piece

Image Notes1. Dowels glued into this piece2. Dowels not glued into this piece

Image Notes1. First layer

Page 20: A Very Unique Folding Chair

http://www.instructables.com/id/A-Very-Unique-Folding-Chair/

Image Notes1. First layer seen from above

Image Notes1. Spacers in place on first layer

Image Notes1. Second layer in place

Image Notes1. Just keep stacking the alternating layers

Image Notes1. From above, the seat pieces will look like this if you're alternating themproperly.

Page 21: A Very Unique Folding Chair

http://www.instructables.com/id/A-Very-Unique-Folding-Chair/

Image Notes1. Keep going until all 34 pieces are stacked up.

Image Notes1. Mark dowel for cutting. Don't try to cut it with this piece of wood in place.Remove it, make your cut, and then put it back in place with glue inside theholes.

Image Notes1. Just sand these off after the glue dries

Image Notes1. With the opposite end of this brace flush with the other side of the chair, markthis for cutting.

Image Notes1. Two end screws in place to hold the brace in place for the next step. Take

Page 22: A Very Unique Folding Chair

http://www.instructables.com/id/A-Very-Unique-Folding-Chair/

note of the flat piece laying across to keep things from wiggling around toomuch.

Image Notes1. Bottom or "feet" of the chair with brace cut to length but not yet attached.

Image Notes1. Little gaps like this where you can see the screw need to be fixed or the chaircan be a little off.

Image Notes1. Almost there.

Step 7: The Finished ChairI like these chairs because they look neat and most people have never seen anything like them. Although the basic design for the chair has been around for hundreds ofyears, modern materials and manufacturing techniques have turned this chair design into aluminum or steel poles with a canvas seat. I really love the warmth and beautyof wood though.

The final dimensions of this seat are fairly standard and make it comfortable for a very wide range of body sizes and shapes. The seat height is about 17 1/2", width is 15"and depth is about 13". Depending on the wood this is made from it can support a tremendous amount of weight. I had a gentleman sit one of the pine chairs (theweakest of the three woods I have made this out of) who weighs about 260lbs and it was able to hold him just fine.I am 200lbs and 6' tall and can sit in these for longperiods of time and still be comfortable. One of the red oak chairs I made was tested by another gentleman that is about 6'2" and weighs 370lbs and it was a comfortablesize for him in all dimensions. It folds to about 3 1/2" thick at it's thickest point and is about 37" tall.

It's such a fun chair to make and show off to people that I would strongly encourage anyone reading this to make one if you have the time and the means. You reallywon't regret it.

Page 23: A Very Unique Folding Chair

http://www.instructables.com/id/A-Very-Unique-Folding-Chair/

Image Notes1. To fold up, pull upwards on the two outside seat pieces right here2. To fold up, pull upwards on the two outside seat pieces right here

Image Notes1. <---- To unfold, pull out on these two braces ------>

Page 24: A Very Unique Folding Chair

http://www.instructables.com/id/A-Very-Unique-Folding-Chair/

Image Notes1. This is the black walnut version

Image Notes1. The black walnut has the most amazing grain of any of these chairs I have built.

Page 25: A Very Unique Folding Chair

http://www.instructables.com/id/A-Very-Unique-Folding-Chair/

Image Notes1. A "his and hers" set made of red oak. My favorite build so far.

Page 26: A Very Unique Folding Chair

http://www.instructables.com/id/A-Very-Unique-Folding-Chair/

Related Instructables

ResourcefulChair and Shlefby r17

Deck chair /Rocking chair(Photos) by AlexLoftie

Open chair byJames Tooze(Photos) byJamestooze

Log and CedarChairs (Photos)by floppyty

Small FoldableChair (Photos)by weswert

Our FavoriteFoldingCamping Chair& Table bytriumphman

Comments

2 comments Add Comment

 l8nite says:  May 24, 2012. 9:51 PM  REPLYthat is really cool !

 GRitter says:  May 24, 2012. 9:56 PM  REPLYThanks so much. It was really fun coming up with the plans to make this and I even got to rediscover some of that "fancy book learnin' " math to get theangles and lengths right. They're a really fun project.