# Reverse engineering furniture designs



## DanYo (Jun 30, 2007)

Chair I'd like to make someday . Found it on the web in a english gothic furniture website..

Not sure where this might go, but thought it might be fun to start a blog on reverse engineering.

Chair photo:


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## Max (Sep 13, 2006)

Dan,

I will bet you dollars to donuts that this chair is made from a whine or whiskey barrel You can see where the head of the barrel fit on the top and bottom of the legs. You also can see where the inside has been charred.


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## Chardt (Jul 16, 2008)

Cool looking chair.

Most of my projects are just based off a pic of something that I saw, and trying to figure out how to pull it off.

Of course, some have failed dismally. But it usually takes on a life of its own, and if nothing else I learned a valuable lesson.

I love this type of project.


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## Karson (May 9, 2006)

I first looked at it I thought it might be a folder. Of course it could be a break apart chair for you to put in your carriage and take it to where you might need a chair.


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## ShannonRogers (Jan 11, 2008)

I love your reverse engineering idea. This is a lot of fun and I find myself looking at furniture everywhere and examining the joinery or curves. Could be an exhaustive topic!

By they way, I agree with the wine barrel suggestion. I actually saw a chair like this in a Tuscan winery and that is how they made it.


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## LeeJ (Jul 4, 2007)

I'll have to agree Dan, it has all the signs of having been made from a barrel.

Neat Chair.

Lee


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## DanYo (Jun 30, 2007)

I never saw the barrel idea, but have to agree. .... Big curved boards

I'm visualizing another one in quartersawn white oak, shellac, maybe some turquiose pendants or something. Big steel rivets. Perhaps less or differently curved. Fringe ? I already have some big antique tacks. Wouldn't take much leather. My son might like it …. hhhmmmmm.


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## SawDustnSplinters (Jan 18, 2008)

Oak would be a good choice because of it's strength, if you can not find a nice old oak barrel to use. There was another vendor who use to wholesale to NapaStyle.com about the same time I did and all his line was created from reclaimed wine barrels. You could steam bend the parts to that curve or any curve you wish. Since Oak is rich in tannins, and if you wanted to replicate the charred look… you could soak some rusty iron in vinegar and make "Liguid Nightmare" and then paint the oak (do not get none on you, I did…  ), which will react with the tannins and turn the oak to a grey to black shade kind of like old weathered wood. I use to take a wire wheel brush on a drill and remove some of the soft grain between the annual rings before I painted it with the mixture, made it look like real old weathered wood. I was running out of barnwood and needed a backup. Also a matching curved arm rest (with a goblet holder) would be cool…lots of cool ideas are coming to mind…. Perhaps extending the back posts higher and criss-crossing them to the centerline to match the crossing on the legs and put in a comfortable back rest with hides or leather.

Be Well


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## DanYo (Jun 30, 2007)

wonder what would be a good seat height ? My son is about 5' 6" .... His wife is 6' ...


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## hObOmOnk (Feb 6, 2007)

Dan:

It's a barrel stave chair.

Here's a source for used Kentucky bourbon barrel staves: http://www.kentuckybarrels.com/barrelstaves.html


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## SawDustnSplinters (Jan 18, 2008)

Hey Dan….18 inches is a good standard height for a chair, might could go 17 inches….also I have a whole lot of scrap pieces of good cowhides if you need a piece….

Be well…


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## DanYo (Jun 30, 2007)

Thanks Frank and Randall !

The website for the oak looks awesome. I'm sure I'll order the wood from there.

Will take you up on the offer. What size does it look like to you ?

Regards

DAN

bet the wood will really pop with seedlac and dark wax


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## SawDustnSplinters (Jan 18, 2008)

Hey Dan….the seat actually looks to be around the size of a small cowhide pillow, around 14". If you want to increase the size of the seat then place your X-brace joinery on the legs a little lower, a comfortable seat IMHO is around 18"x18"....

http://www.allthingsrustix.com/images/scrap-hides.jpg


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## hObOmOnk (Feb 6, 2007)

Darn you Dan:

Every time I look at my stash of barrel staves in my shop, I see the ghost of that chair.
When I get caught up on orders, I'll make one just to get it out of my system.

Seriously though, I think it would make for a compelling design.


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## jeanmarc (Mar 23, 2008)

*Cool looking chair.*


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## DanYo (Jun 30, 2007)

got a shipping quote for some wine barrel staves

shipping on 30 staves is 20.00, and 10 is $14.00

really not too bad.

Kentucky bourbon barrel staves: http://www.kentuckybarrels.com/barrelstaves.html

I debating on ordering 30 staves for 90 bucks. That way I can pick out the best boards with the most quartersawn white oak figure.

Frank is shipping a cool cow hide my way, should get it any day.

Hide is the black and white one.


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## DanYo (Jun 30, 2007)

Frame design inspired by another artist. It is not a direct copy, but a frame inspired by his design idea. I got his permission before borrowing it for my work.



This is my Autocad 14 design for the haunted forest series tiles. Quartersawn bookmatched white oak … hmmm

Below is my inspiration


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## trifern (Feb 1, 2008)

Cool stuff Dan. I look forward to following your project in reverse, although it looks like forward thinking to me.


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## DanYo (Jun 30, 2007)

finally getting back to the this project ! allot of things have happened since this original blog and project was put off but not forgotten. ,,, almost three years. Still have the leather and my son,wife and two boys have moved to Ohio and only live a few minutes away. They are in need of a chair. Maybe I could use some of my iron clavos hmmmm. 5/1/2011


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