# Conoid Rocking Chair



## Simeond (Oct 26, 2011)

Okay - so I have a client who wants a "unique rocking chair." Something she can't find elsewhere. She gave me a budget and "the rest" she says "is up to me." So, a few things I know:

1) She's a big fan of Nakashima;
2) I'm a big fan of Nakashima's "Conoid Chair," as well as Maloof

So, I set out to design something that borrows from both, putting my own spin on it. The pictures are a ROUGH idea of what I'm looking to do - a "Conoid" chair with "Maloof" rocker-influence, adding a "spine back" of my own….



















Here's my questions:

1) Overall design input;
2) Attaching the back support to the seat
3) Arm rests?

Regarding attaching the back support - my thought was this: the support will be made by bent lamination, and so I would do a tapered lamination to give at least 3" at the base of the support to attach to the seat and then attach the same was Maloof uses to attach his legs to the seat.

Thoughts? Anything would help.


----------



## RetiredCoastie (Sep 7, 2009)

That's pretty unique. I like the lines. Will the seat have any padding? I would have arm rests but coming up from the seat. Perhaps something with a flowing "T" shape to match the curvature of the back support.


----------



## GaryC (Dec 31, 2008)

Is there a way you could incorporate support for the spine by having arm rests that circle the chair?


----------



## RetiredCoastie (Sep 7, 2009)

I think if you cold molded gentle curves into the back lamination's with a 90 degree turn that extended under the seat halfway would give you the support and keep it clean and low profile. I think you would have to steam the area at the 90 degree turn but the rest wouldn't need it as long as the lamination's were thin enough.


----------



## LeeBarker (Aug 6, 2010)

Visually exquisite. The ultimate strength of the joinery concerns me though.

Think about a chair, four feet on the ground, and the stresses that it bears.

Now add in rockers, and your weight is shifted from one angle to another multiple times a minute. I think the joinery on a rocker requires multiples of the strength necessary in a simple side chair.

Kindly,

Lee


----------



## RetiredCoastie (Sep 7, 2009)

Good counsel Lee! I hadn't thought about that, the way you put it.


----------



## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

I like unique designs but I remember someone quoiting Sam Maloof saying"if it's not comfortable then the design doesn't matter. "


----------



## renners (Apr 9, 2010)

The conoid chair and a rocking conoid chair are two totally different beasts in my opinion.

You may be able to make that and have it balanced beautifully but when someone sits in it, the CoG is going to change.

The CoG changes in the Conoid chair when a user sits in it, it is prevented from tipping forward by the position of the feet rails which are in contact with the ground - forward of the weight. That's something you simply don't have with the rocker.

If you can pull it off it will be stunning - and I'll eat my hat, but I can't see it somehow.

Step 1 would be to make a prototype or model and check it for balance. It's what I'd do anyway.


----------



## Everett1 (Jun 18, 2011)

Looks awesome. I would personally work arms onto it though. Place to rest your arms and. Luke give it a stro get frame. Maybe have bent lamination arms that wrap around the back and. On ect to the seat or front legs?


----------



## Simeond (Oct 26, 2011)

Great suggestions (and words of caution). I'm still holding off on adding arms (though I agree that wrapped arms could be an added source of support for the "spine"). Below is a somewhat exploded view of how I see the joints. Everything was a bit "beefed up" and i added a stretcher. The "spine" then curves down into the stretcher for added support.










Let me know what you think!


----------



## Simeond (Oct 26, 2011)

Well, it is finished!




























What a ride this project has been! I did a full scale mock-up in MDF (which was helpful conceptually, but not to get precise angles, since the actual weight of the whole piece matters to how the legs and seat were angled).

First, I discovered that BECAUSE it is a rocker the stress on the joinery is LESS than a stationary chair. With a stationary chair, there is a lot of torque on the joints. With a rocker, when you torque a joint, it ROCKS.  That said, this chair is VERY stable. All the joints are 8/4 wood at the joint and at least 3" wide. I then sculpted away from the joint for a more delicate flowing look.

Also, knowing that the CoG changes once someone sits in it, I made it accordingly. Thus, when it is empty, it leans back further than normal rockers would.

The customer it is for didn't want arms. However, I had the piece in a furniture show last night (at least 200 people - of all sizes - sat in this chair) and a number of people asked if there could be arms. I got another order for one, this time with arms. I think I will continue the "legs" up to arm height and then wrap the arms around back to the spine. This will also add side-to-side stability to the spine.

The spine has great strength in the direction of typical pressure. However, it does have a side-to-side wobble. That isn't the direction of typical pressure, but that's the one issue.

There are a few other considerations, but I'll turn it over to you folks for comment, Thanks everyone for your thoughtful input!!!


----------



## renners (Apr 9, 2010)

Well done, you made it. I didn't think it would be possible. Looks great. I'll go and get my hat.


----------

