Contemporary Chair Design - from idea to product
Being able to design and create your own range of furniture is something that every DIY enthusiast and woodworker dreams about.
20/04/2019
Most people that are interested in making their own furniture dream of the day when they can take an idea and turn it into a profitable concept idea. I am one of those, and I'm constantly looking for ideas not necessarily to sell, but definitely for pieces that I can add to my own home - made by me!
Being able to watch a concept being turned into a real piece, such as this wooden lounger chair by Lignum, inspires me towards being creative with my DIY projects, especially those that are not too complex and that don't require any special tools.
Lignum have put together a video that shows them taking a concept and then making their wooden lounger chair. Having been planning this design for some time, they wanted to make a chair that was structurally strong enough to support an 100 kg adult and managed to achieve that result.
The Process
The design process starts out using 3mm thick plywood panels bent to shape on a mould. The thin panels are heated up using a heat gun that softens the panels and makes them easier to bend to shape. After heating, the boards are left to cool before being covered in a thin layer of glue and then clamped to the mould and left overnight.
Once removed from the mould, the pressed shape is planed to achieve the correct thickness of around 10mm and the edges rounded over.
The cross slats for the seat are made using 18mm plywood. Each slat is sanded perfectly smooth and then two 15mm holes are drilled to depth of 10mm. These holes will be filled with wood plugs once the assembly is finished.
Watch the video to see how the contemporary wooden lounger is assembled and finished.