As most people have stated this project is going to be a very interesting one.
Unlike the Winter Awards and my very secretive Project X . . . with this project I will be an open book. What I plan to make is a chair (as DW claimed my other one) to use at my computer.
Here is my inspiration. We have had this office chair kicking around for years. It is still very comfortable and the proportions are great even though it is in very rough shape.
And here is the junk . . . the bottom off a modern office chair that I salvaged from someone’s garbage about two years ago.
The plan . . . to replicate to the best of my abilities my inspiration and mate it to the junk. I plan to use poplar and no adhesives. I will not be staining the chair, however I may paint it if I can find a zero VOC paint.
As I work through the project I invite suggestions to “tweak” the chair just ever so slightly . . . just keep in mind that I will not be using any adhesives or stains.
Let the journey begin.
-- The significant problems we face cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them
8 comments so far
Russel
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1214 posts in 389 days
posted 66 days ago
Will you be refinishing your inspiration as well? It looks as if a little attention and your inspiration could quickly become a really nice piece of furniture. It’ll be interesting to see what you transform the junk into as well.
-- When you give someone a chance it may well be their last.
Zuki
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821 posts in 527 days
posted 66 days ago
The inspiration is quite fixable, however it is not on any immediate lists to be refinished. It is just sitting patiently in the upstairs of my shop.
-- The significant problems we face cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them
Roper
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331 posts in 163 days
posted 66 days ago
chairs are really fun projects,good luck. did you ever think about using a tung or teak oil for a finish, looks good and no voc’s.
-- Roper - master of sawdust-
Betsy
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1760 posts in 346 days
posted 66 days ago
Grand chair that is. I had one just like it for a long time. It was a teacher’s chair from the school I went to. It was the most comfortable chair to sit in. I was said when the mechanism finally broke and I could not get it fixed.
Look forward to your progress.
-- Betsy - GO BUCKS!
lew
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952 posts in 206 days
posted 66 days ago
So that’s what happened to that old government surplus chair I put out for the trash! <g>
Looking forward to the completed project!
Lew
Zuki
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821 posts in 527 days
posted 63 days ago
Roper . . . I have thought about Tung oil, but never thought about Teak. I know that the Tung I have seen has chemical driers. I will have to take a peek at Teak. :-)
-- The significant problems we face cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them
scottb
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2870 posts in 777 days
posted 53 days ago
Milk paint should be low if not zero VOC, not to mention durable and able to be a wash coat, with the lovely grain showing, or nice and opaque.
-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Vincent Van Gogh
Zuki
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821 posts in 527 days
posted 49 days ago
Thanks Scott. Unfortunately where I live I cannot get milk paint. I called a couple of places today and some of the responses I got were just weird. There is a place in Toronto . . . however I don’t think I can get any before the contest is over. :-(
-- The significant problems we face cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them