Independent manufacture of a chair is an opportunity to make a piece of furniture convenient for you. To do this, you need to do a lot of preliminary measurements and calculations. You can give any shape to the back, seat, make an exclusive model for the interior.
Summary of the article:
Wood selection
In the manufacture of the chair used materials:
- boards
- solid wood
- logs
- bars.
When choosing materials, the compliance of wood and other characteristics are taken into account. It is necessary to process material with a stain. It shows the structure of wood, making products very aesthetic. It is worth considering all the factors that can affect its strength and durability.
Anticorrosion treatment helps protect and extend the life of the product. The material must be of high quality: without knots, cracks and fungi.
Material Parameters:
- lack of distortions and cracks,
- material strength
- durability,
- practicality.
When purchasing the initial material, it is necessary to take a little more than the intended amount.
Home chairs
A massive chair made of wood is considered comfortable and durable. Thanks to the design, it is stable and reliable. The product is suitable for both adults and children. Kids can not be afraid, and the chair can withstand any load.
There are standard types of products:
- chair with padded seat
- chair-chair
- folding chair,
- transforming chair.
The aesthetics and comfort of these models is quite high. The choice of workmanship, material depends on your desire. If you need to make a strong, but lightweight chair, use plywood or boards.
The elegance of the design is determined by the carved legs and backs. Each of the above types have their own special application, create coziness provide maximum comfort for home, work or leisure.
How to make a chair with your own hands
First you need to decide on the model, and then proceed to manufacture. The sketch can be made both by hand, and with the help of special programs. Detailed drawing and the presence of dimension is required. For a visual presentation, you just need to depict everything in advance.
Accurate drawings and dimensions of the chairs are necessary for the correct drawing, and after that the model itself. All elements should be clearly presented and drawn with the designations of all dimensions.
When manufacturing furniture, it is important to pre-purchase or rent the necessary equipment:
- jigsaw
- manual frezer,
- grinding machine
- screwdriver
- clamps.
It is important to highlight the place where the entire manufacturing process will be carried out.
Chair with backrest
After selecting the material, an independent assembly is done, which partially resembles the assembly of a stool, but differs by the presence of a back. Tools must be used:
- screws
- glue,
- milling cutter
- a chisel
- hammer.
The whole point of the work is that chairs with a backrest are assembled in several stages. In the absence of drawings, the product may turn out to be uneven and distorted.
All parts must be polished, and after the manufacturing process is completed, it is necessary to pass stain and varnish. This will allow the chair to preserve the beauty of the product and strength for a long time.
The seat can be covered with dermantine, leather or any other material. To prevent the product from spoiling the floor, you need to attach special pads on the legs made of rubber or felt. This will give the chair stability, and the floor will save from damage.
Chair finish
The made chair is brought in order with the help of varnish and stain. If you need to give personality, you can paint with acrylic or chalk paint in even colors or add unusual patterns. If inadvertently formed scratches, cover with furniture putty.
The primer should be used to increase the durability and strength of the chairs. Between the layers must be carefully sanded. Finishing is the final stage of woodwork. There are several types of finishes:
- varnish
- veneer finish
- the use of melamine paper,
- lining with PVC or other materials.
Finishing is the final step in the independent production of chairs. The choice of coverage depends on the nature of the room and its features.
Independent manufacture of chairs provides a clear and thoughtful preliminary work, the preparation of material, tools and drawings, which can be performed both on paper and using computer simulation programs.
The final touch is decorating the product to your liking. To assess the quality of work from the side, you can take a photo of the chair. Having professional equipment in the arsenal, you can make a masterpiece for any type of room.
Action plan
Before starting work, it is worthwhile to carefully prepare and study the mass of samples, this will help with a photo with the image of chairs made by yourself with various modifications, using different types of wood. You need to take care of the availability of tools, prepare lumber in sufficient quantities, and preferably with a certain margin. Such prudence will save valuable time and nerves if something goes wrong in the process.
The ability to draw and create drawings will be invaluable in the project, although it is possible to do with ready-made instructions and photographs of ready-made models. You will also have to take care of the presence of fasteners, screws, accessories, glue and other important trifles for the production, so that the design is durable and reliable in operation.
Manufacturing Features
The independent manufacture of any home furnishings item is not only a complicated process, but also an interesting and fascinating one. The process of creating a particular chair depends on its specific design. It is important to make a rigid, strong frame that can withstand the weight of a person’s body, be stable enough, not to tip over spontaneously. The standard design has four legs, a back, armrests. Self-made furniture will not only come out several times cheaper than store counterparts, but will also make you feel like a real designer.
Materials for the manufacture
The most common material for making a home-made chair is wood - oak, beech, birch, spruce, larch, ash, acacia, walnut, etc. It is easiest to make chairs from lining, plywood, chipboard, chipboard. Also sometimes used:
- the vine
- corrugated cardboard,
- profile pipes
- parts of euro pallets,
- tires,
- metal buckets, shovels,
- surfboards
- forest driftwood,
- leather belts
- twine,
- various plastic waste
- "Remnants" of the bike,
- seat from the car seat.
In the presence of blacksmithing skills, individual details can be forged independently. Glass products look luxurious, as well as combinations of several materials in one piece of furniture - beams with MDF, thick plywood with plastic, etc. Wood cuts, hemp will serve as an excellent option for garden furniture, which will be very difficult to break.
To make a soft chair, you will need a pad - foam rubber, synthetic winterizer, holofiber, as well as thick fabric. If desired, you can make a chair bag - it does not have a rigid frame, it is made only of textiles and printed. Sometimes the soft part is woven using the macrame technique, crocheted or knitted.
Purpose, application
Bath, garden furniture is created from pine, which is not afraid of high humidity, frequent temperature changes, but is easily processed and painted. Oak chairs come out relatively bulky, it is better to put them in spacious rooms, for children - it is difficult to break such a product. Birch is also perfectly cut, cut, with proper painting, the material can be passed off as a more expensive breed, but you should only place the finished chair in rooms with low humidity. If it is planned to make bent parts to create a chair, it is better to take a beech - the wood bends easily, but does not tolerate contacts with water.
There are special designs that can also be made at home. A computer chair, as well as intended for playing the piano, is widely adjustable in height, due to special gas lifts. High bar stools can also be equipped with a similar mechanism, being used simultaneously with the bar counter, as one of the options for the design of the dining area. A rocking chair is usually placed in the living room by the fireplace or on the veranda. For the bedroom, living room, a compact bedside, attached chair is performed.
Children’s often become “growing with the child” - their legs are made of metal pipes, and the length is adjusted using a short iron rod inserted into the holes at different heights. In other embodiments, the construction is made of plywood - here the seat, footrest are rearranged.
Popular designs, types
There are many varieties of furniture for seating:
- massive with a back,
- folding chairs
- children's (including "high"),
- hanging
- transformers
- office (with wheels, gas lifts),
- stools
- soft
- chair-chairs
- saddle chair.
If desired, the chairs are selected for any interior style: standard, but upholstered in leather are suitable for classics, hemp with handrails made of snags - for eco-style. Minimalism will be decorated with a simple light design, completely devoid of decor, modern furniture will have an intricate, including asymmetric, shape.
Massive chairs with backrest
A “classic” chair is usually made of wood. It is strong, durable, stable, but heavy enough. The product is suitable for both adults and children - it is difficult to fall from it, such furniture will not fall apart, even if a person with a large weight sits on it. In the manufacture of it is important to carefully grind the surface, to process all the corners. To reduce the weight of the structure, the lightest tree is taken, such as linden, aspen, poplar, if desired, it can be gently toned with a stain, creating an imitation of stained oak, walnut, wenge.
With padded seat
Most often at home they use soft chairs - they are comfortable to sit on even for a long time. The product is made from various materials, it can be very simple, have elegant carved, turned legs, two or three or more crossbars on the back, and the seat is often decorated with a removable cover that is easy to wash in the machine, which is very convenient when used in the kitchen, dining area , children's room, living room, where guests often come.
Upholstered chair
The chair is made entirely of wood or made out of soft fabric made of thick fabric, leather, leatherette. The design is placed in the living room or office, bedroom, veranda - it is most convenient to relax in the chair, it has armrests, sometimes it is equipped with a removable cover-cloak. The product for the home office, office can spin, easily move on four or six small wheels, change the height.
If it is planned to operate the product in the open, its wooden parts are covered with special compounds that prevent rot, warping, mold, damage by insects, rodents. The soft part is best made waterproof, easy to wash. The option with gaps between the seat and the back is welcome - so rainwater will not linger, freely flow down.
“Clamshell” - folding chair
Such a product is used both at home and when going outdoors, it is easy to fold it, removing it on the mezzanine when a chair is not needed, putting a car in the trunk, if you plan to go to the cottage or a forest picnic. When the house, apartment is very cramped, but the owners like to receive guests - this is generally an ideal option. Even four or six of these chairs will take up little space. To make such a thing is quite difficult: you need to clearly think over the design, which will easily be brought into the “working” position, pick up the most durable material that can withstand many folding-unfolding cycles.
Folding options are often made from thick plywood. The finished product has a thickness of about 2.5 cm, it is easy to hang on the wall, shove it under the cabinet.
Baby Feeding Chair
A "high" highchair is used both separately, with a removable tabletop, and as an addition to an "adult" dining table, it is usually made of wood, but equipped with a removable backrest and a "seat", which are easy to remove and wash in the typewriter. You can do an even more interesting thing: when the child is very small, it will be a high chair with a dining surface, but when the baby turns two or three years old, the structure is disconnected, getting a small chair with a table of the appropriate height.
Transformer chair made of plywood
The transformed product is both a highchair and a step-ladder having two, three or more steps. It is especially convenient when used in rooms with high ceilings, where many things are stored on the upper shelves, which cannot be reached simply by standing on the floor. There may be several options, but the chair is most popular, where part of the seat is attached with butterfly loops, which allows you to turn the chair into a ladder with just a few light movements. The design has relatively many parts, so it has a solid weight.
When designing, manufacturing a frame, it is important to make it as stable as possible in any of two positions.
Stool
A stool is a chair without a back, the most simple design to manufacture. The stool is made standard, children's, bar - of the appropriate height, decorated with a soft seat with a cover, which is easily replaced for washing. The product is made folding, used for a bath, with a storage box, and in the presence of certain carpentry skills, you can make a step-stool.
Seating a stool used in the open air is not made whole, but from several plates so that the water does not stagnate during rain.
Master class: self-made chair
Before you create full-fledged chairs yourself, it is better to draw a diagram, think through the drawing of each part separately, make a small layout. Joiner tools, all the necessary materials, it is advisable to purchase in advance - in the future they will be needed to create other furniture, interior items, decor. In professional workshops, work is carried out on high-quality equipment that allows you to give the perfect shape to any part, but at home you can work with simple tools.
Materials, tools
To work, you will need the following tools, materials:
- electric jigsaw - with it it is easy to cut a part of any, even the most complex shape,
- clamps - it is better to have several pieces of different lengths, they greatly simplify the process of gluing together any parts,
- grinding machine - designed for finishing various surfaces, angles. To it, sandpaper of various degrees of granularity is acquired in advance,
- manual milling cutter - used for high-quality processing of product edges, cutting grooves, holes for fasteners,
- screwdriver - will replace a whole set of screwdrivers, a drill, an additional set of drills of various diameters is purchased,
- ruler, protractor, tape measure, square, curve, carpentry pencil - will be needed for marking, drawing up drawings,
- hammer, pliers,
- for the convenience of work, it is better to have a strong workbench,
- carpentry glue, bolts, screws, screws, nails.
These tools are necessary when wood, fiberboard, and MDF are used as material. If you plan to manufacture a soft construction, you also need scissors for cutting fabric, a sewing machine, a sharp knife for cutting foam rubber, other stuffing, threads, needles, and a furniture stapler. When the product is decided to partially or completely perform iron, glass, devices for cutting metal, glass will be required. For a folding chair you will need a metal rod.
It is advisable to buy any materials with a margin of about 10-15%.
The device of the chair - drawings, calculations
The most important point here is to accurately calculate all the sizes so that you do not have to redo them in the future. First you need to decide which product you plan to create:
- with backrest or stool,
- folding or stationary
- regular or turning
- flat or "saddle"
- with armrests or footrest,
- floor or hanging.
The design of a full-fledged chair-chair sometimes consists of parts of 15-20. This is a lot of bars, boards, all kinds of planks that will have to be assembled together, customized to each other.
A sample list of parts on the diagram looks like this:
- seat frame
- lateral abutments of the back,
- armrests
- front, rear legs,
- back, front, side, transverse sacs,
- "Crackers."
The back, including the soft back, is attached to the side abutments, the legs and the seat are connected to the frame drawers. Drivers are needed for structural rigidity, as are crackers installed in the inner, lower part of the frame. Armrests do not have to be made - this is a standard, integral element only for armchairs.
With a chair height of 45-60 cm, the armrests are made about 20 cm, the width of the seat is 40-55 cm, the height of the back is 35-55 cm. The bar stool is taller - 95-105 cm, its back is 15-30 cm, the seat is 30 -40 cm
When drawing up drawings, it is important to note the places for fasteners, to provide for its dimensions.
Manufacturing process
The creation process itself looks like this:
- legs are first cut out - in the standard design there are four of them, while the two back ones are often a continuation of the back. They are made of bars about four cm thick,
- the seat is made of three to six boards located at a short distance, the back is made similarly. Both elements are later supplemented with soft parts or left as is,
- all parts are carefully adjusted to each other, grooves for fasteners are cut out in them,
- Now the structure needs to be assembled, but so far without glue,
- then arched lintels, various inserts, supports for arms, legs,
- if everything matches, the product sticks together, for strength it is connected with self-tapping screws.
The most beautiful look is the curly parts sawed with a jigsaw, turned legs, back parts, lower crossbars.
Assembly, decoration
When assembling, it is important that the fasteners do not protrude too much above the surface, are not traumatic. The product should be carefully sanded, removing any irregularities, burrs, cover with a protective compound. This is most significant when the furniture is intended for children whose probability of injury is much higher due to their high mobility during the game. All angles between perpendicularly arranged parts are made strictly 90 degrees - this is easy to check with a protractor, a square. The soft seat, the back is pulled over the finished frame or simply attached to the ties.
Decoration Methods
The decor of chairs, stools depends only on the imagination of their creator. The design can be painted in any color or even several at the same time, varnished, upholstered with fabric, painted with fantasy patterns, decorated with textured carvings. All work with strongly smelling compounds is carried out outdoors, in a well-ventilated area. To decorate the stool with carvings, you will need a set of special knives - oblique, semicircular, spoon-shaped, various diameters, etc. The decoration of the seat using decoupage technique looks great.
Creative, original ideas.
There are a huge number of options for creating original, one-of-a-kind chairs, for example:
- old chairs, from which only the frames remained intact, can be pulled by different fabrics, weaving their seats from ropes, belts, narrow strips of leather, rubber,
- from the usual wide hemp, in which a semicircular recess is cut, the strongest chair for the garden will come out,
- if you attach legs, soft seats to iron buckets, you can also put them around the garden table,
- from pieces of old skis, boards from a skateboard, if you correctly fasten them, comfortable furniture for seating will also come out,
- the back, the seat of a makeshift wooden chair is performed in the form of a funny or scary face,
- a product made of carefully fitted, polished, varnished snags will decorate the premises of an ecological style,
- furniture coloring looks interesting in the form of a two-three-color gradient overflow,
- from several pallets, old hardback books you’ll also be able to build a chair-armchair,
- a kind of soft swing-hammock is fixed on the ceiling beam, weaves out of durable, thick twine,
- comfortable stools come out of car tires, ropes and pieces of wood.
Conclusion
Creating beautiful chairs at home allows you to significantly save on such furniture, to fully demonstrate your design abilities. With the simplest tools and materials, everyone can do it. Schemes, drawings, detailed workshops on the manufacture of this piece of furniture are available in many "paper" magazines related to hand-made, as well as Internet sites.
Material selection
Most often, do-it-yourself chairs are made of wood. This material is environmentally friendly, easy to process. When choosing the appropriate option, pay attention to the breed:
- Hard grades. This category includes oak, maple, beech, birch, cherry, walnut. Pros: characterized by increased strength, resistance to deformation, durability. Cons: high cost, processing the material is more difficult due to the dense structure.
- Soft breeds. This group includes alder, pine, aspen, linden, spruce. Pros: they have a straight-layered loose structure, so it is convenient to saw, cut, glue the material, and the finished products are lightweight, attractive in appearance. Cons: less practical than hard rocks, more prone to mechanical damage.
There is another group of varieties of wood - especially durable. It includes boxwood, acacia, yew, the processing of which will require special equipment.
Wooden chairs are usually made from boards with a thickness of 10-15 mm or a beam with a section of 60 x 40 mm or 40 x 40 mm. Logs are less commonly used, but they must first be cut using a circular saw or grinder. An array is also suitable for work, but it is expensive, so beginners are not recommended to use this material.
When choosing the right lumber, you need to carefully check their quality. The first is very pay attention to several important signs:
- boards, straight bars, without distortions, bends, knots,
- lack of chips, cracks,
- the material should be dry, without wormholes, fungi.
Do-it-yourself chairs are recommended to be made only from quality materials. Visually, you can identify a violation of the rules of drying. This is noticeable in cracks, warpage of the surface, various irregularities, protruding resin. Lumber, which for a long time was stored in a damp place, is not suitable for furniture production.
Boards without distortions, bends, knots 
The absence of chips, cracks 
Dry material, without wormholes, fungi
Tool and hardware
So that the manufacture of chairs does not require extra costs, you must immediately decide which model to make. For a simple form option you will need:
- saw or electric jigsaw - to give the details the right size,
- a planer and sandpaper - for polishing wood,
- screwdriver or drill - for making holes and screwing in screws,
- mallet (carpentry hammer) - they ditch the dowels,
- a small chisel - needed to make connections,
- furniture glue - they stick together all the joints to give structural strength,
- self-tapping screws - are necessary for additional strengthening of all glued areas, as well as for fixing the seat,
- right angle tape measure and ruler,
- putty,
- stain, wood varnish or paint.
The presence of a conductor for furniture will greatly facilitate the work - this simple device helps to make the necessary marking of joints quickly and accurately. Clamps will also be useful, which firmly fix the wooden parts at the time of processing or fitting, which eliminates distortions. Quickly and efficiently round the corners of the workpieces with a hand milling cutter (if not, then use a plane).
Putty can be replaced with a homemade mixture. For this, the sawdust must be mixed with PVA glue, and then the resulting mass should be coated with a self-tapping screw cap or an erroneous hole.
Design features
It is better for a beginner in the carpentry not to take up models of chairs with thin carvings, curly elements or curved backs. Often, beginning craftsmen train to make stools to gain experience. If they are not required on the farm, you should not transfer materials and time to them. Having carefully studied the manufacturing instructions, you can immediately make a wooden chair with a simple design. This is a universal piece of furniture, which due to its design will serve a long service. It will perfectly fit into the interior of a country house, and can also be used as a kitchen chair. A regular model with right angles will require the following details:
- 2 rear legs,
- 2 front legs
- 4 drawers, as well as horizontal slats that strengthen the seat, the entire structure as a whole,
- 3-4 stitches - connect the legs below, which gives the chair additional stability,
- seat,
- back.
It’s possible to install the prologs and czars in a larger quantity - it depends on the imagination of the master. The backs are also made in different ways. For example, you can make several narrow strips and arrange them vertically, fastening the top and bottom transverse parts. Or make one wide bar and connect it to the rear legs. The advantage of this model is ease of implementation. Among the shortcomings, only too primitive design can be distinguished, which will lose against the rest of the furniture.
The sketch and drawing of the future exclusive must exactly match its purpose. For this reason, it is initially worth determining if it will be just a chair for sitting or with additional functions.
Folding
Great solution for small rooms. Thanks to the folding legs, it can be quickly assembled and disassembled. There are also disadvantages - lack of back, fragility. Experienced craftsmen recommend performing a folding chair from hardwood boards - oak, maple, birch, elm, then the model will be strong and stable. Pine planks are less durable. As a basis, you need to take 2 long slats, which will serve as front legs and backrest, when a transverse board connects them from above. The rear legs are attached to the seat. They, unlike a regular chair, are shorter than the front ones.
In the folding version, it is important to position the central axis correctly so that the seat is not very high. To assemble a chair of such a model, additional fasteners will be required: furniture bolts and nuts with washers suitable for them. Such furniture is usually made according to the sketch, so it is very important that the master knows how to work with drawings.
Transformer
Outwardly, it looks like a massive chair with a back, and if you expand it, you get a ladder of 2-3 steps. The main advantage is height. With it, you can get to the top shelves of cabinets, remove curtains, and in general such a chair is very useful, especially during repairs. Among the shortcomings, one can single out that it is heavy and takes up a lot of space. If you are doing this model for the first time, it is better to choose a drawing of a chair without intricate shapes of legs and additional elements (for example, there is a design in which steps protrude in a spiral). In addition to other materials and tools for such a chair, you will need a piano loop and 2 sets of guides - with their help steps will be advanced.
It is not easy to make such a wooden chair with your own hands. This will require skills in working with a jigsaw, drill, plane.
How to determine the optimal height and dimensions
Thanks to the science of ergonomics, optimal chair sizes have been developed so that a person feels comfortable while sitting. These standards are designed for men with a height of 170-175 cm, and women 160-165 cm. The optimal parameters are as follows:
- chair height from floor to seat - 400-450 mm,
- seat width - 400-450 mm and depth - 500 mm,
- the distance from the floor to the end of the upper edge of the back is 850-900 mm,
- back width - 300-400 mm,
- the back is straight or under a slight slope of 8-12 degrees.
Designed chairs according to GOST for people weighing up to 100 kg. Drawings and sizes with standard parameters can be used by those whose height and weight correspond to average data. The rest, in order to learn how to make a chair on which it will be comfortable to sit and not spoil the posture, you need to take your measurements. To do this, you need to sit down, keeping your legs at a right angle and measure the distance from the floor to the inner bend of the knee - this will be the height to the seat. Then measure the length from the knee to the hip - this is the depth of the chair. The distance from the thigh to the neck will help determine the height from the seat to the upper edge of the back.
There are other regulations that will help you make the right choice. Correspondence of human growth to stool height in cm:
- 146-177 - 43 cm
- 159-188 - 46 cm,
- 174-207 - 51 cm.
In this case, the angle of the bent legs should be equal to 90 degrees. The most convenient is the position of the body, in which the seat depth is 2/3 of the length of the hips. With this position, the correct deflection of the lower back is maintained.
Drawing adaptation
The easiest way to make a drawing of a chair with its dimensions is to recycle it already ready. To do this, replace the inappropriate parameters (the length of the legs from the floor to the seat and others) with the necessary numbers, and then draw the diagram according to the new introductory. To do this correctly and avoid distortions, it is important to take into account the proportions of each element and know exactly which details should be identical and which should not. Another important nuance - when replacing dimensions, you must observe the scale. There is a second option to get a drawing of chairs with a backrest - to enter their parameters into a computer program, which itself will draw a diagram.
Procedure
When the main drawing is ready with all the calculations of the conceived model, it is advisable to make a diagram of each part, especially if there are connecting grooves or holes. Making a wooden chair begins with cutting. On the board you need to put the pattern, circle it along the contour with a pencil and cut the blanks according to the drawing.
All components must be done without errors, with an accuracy of 1 mm. The slightest deviation will give an imbalance, and you will have to "fit" the part or saw another.
Parts preparation
When the drawing is ready, you can start processing the bars to make them suitable components. To do this, it is necessary to cut out the necessary grooves for the joints on each part, indicated on the diagram. They are drilled with a milling cutter.If it is not, you can use a drill, which is first drilled several holes nearby, and then they are combined with a chisel. Then you should carefully grind all surfaces, removing bumps and possible wood defects. Round corners. Details for a makeshift chair are ready.
Grinding is done with medium-sized sandpaper.
Create a soft seat
First, put the plywood blank on the foam and use a sharp knife to cut a part out of it with an allowance of 1-1.5 cm around the edge. Then cut out the fabric, cut it to the shape of the seat, adding 5-6 cm from all sides. After that, glue the plywood to the foam so that the parts do not slip when hauling.
Put the workpiece with foam rubber down on the wrong side of the material, and then start hauling using a stapler. To drive brackets nearby, at a distance of 0.5-1 cm, so that the fabric does not puff. First you need to make 4 fixations in the center on each side - this will not happen distortions. Then the fabric must be pulled at the corners, after which the remaining sections are already secured with brackets. At the end, cut off the excess tissue.
Kitchen chairs have to be washed often, so it’s better to pull them with materials such as jacquard or dermatin.
Product assembly
A simple chair with a backrest must be assembled as follows:
- Lubricate the joints on the front drawer with glue, then insert it into the grooves of the front legs (all fastened places must be pulled together with clamps to tightly press and fix the parts),
- in the same way to glue the back of the tsar and the back of the chair into the hind legs,
- wait for complete drying, after which you can connect these 2 workpieces,
- carry out a test assembly of the chair frame and make sure that the structure is not skewed,
- disassemble the frame, glue all the joints, reassemble the chair.
After the glue has dried, you can attach the inner trims for the seat and install the seat itself. If there are grooves in the drawing, they are attached at the end of the assembly. The finished chair must be turned upside down until it finally dries.
Product decoration
You can transform an orderly boring chair using various decorating techniques. The simplest and most popular methods:
- Pasting with a color film. The range of colors is so large that it will satisfy even the most capricious buyer. The decoration process itself does not require any special skills. In addition to the film, scissors, a metal spatula and a degreaser will be needed.
- The use of ready-made stickers for decor - they are attached to the surface of the furniture and smoothed. However, over time, products lose their attractiveness, and they will need to be replaced with others.
- Dyeing through a layer of tulle. Acrylic paint and a piece of unnecessary fabric with beautiful lace will be required. The tulle is fixed with adhesive tape, paint is applied over it (it is better to use a spray can), after drying, the material is carefully removed.
Besides staining, there are other ways to decorate furniture. A familiar and win-win decor for a chair - beautiful pillows, covers and wraps. They come in a wide variety of shapes and colors. To turn a regular chair into an exclusive interior item, you can use old curtains and tablecloths, things that have gone out of fashion, lace, ribbons, bows and much more. For example, pillows can be sewn, taking as a basis the old padding jacket. It is important to remember that all decor elements must be made removable so that they can be washed or cleaned.
Using comic books, you can make an unusual, beautiful chair for a child. You need to cut out bright pictures, and then gently glue them on the product details at your discretion. When the glue dries, cover the surface with clear varnish. This technique is called decoupage.
Master class on making a chair from solid wood
To understand the principle of work and in the future, boldly take on curly, complex designs, you need to start making chairs with your own hands with simple models. For the manufacture of rectangular furniture with a soft seat you will need:
- 15 mm thick board,
- timber with parameters 40 to 40 mm,
- piece of plywood 45 by 45 cm,
- foam rubber 45 by 45 cm, thickness 40-60 mm,
- upholstery fabric 55 by 55 cm.
From the beam you will need to make legs, drawers, rails for the seat and sleeves, and for the back to take a trimmed board. Carry out the work in accordance with the procedure:
- Cut the tree. To do this, you need to lay out the patterns on the wood according to the share, circle the contours, and then cut out all the details according to the drawing. Identical parts immediately aligned in size. It should turn out 2 front and rear legs, 4 drawers, 2 armlets, 2 transverse rails.
- Saw out the plywood seat.
- Mark the joints for the back, legs, drawer exactly according to the drawing, using a furniture conductor.
- Make the necessary holes with a mill, clean them with a chisel. It is important that their inner edge recedes from the edge of the leg by at least 10 mm.
- Mark the sizes for the spikes on the stitches and slats (10-12 mm), and then carefully cut them.
- Glue the connecting edges of the back, then insert them into the grooves of the rear legs, fasten with clamps. In the grooves near the seat also secure the rear drawer.
- Lubricate the edges with glue, then connect the front drawer with legs, allow to dry.
- Assemble the frame without glue - if there are no distortions, it is possible to carry out sizing and final assembly of the workpiece.
- While the chair dries, make a soft seat.
- After complete drying, fasten the sleeves, fix the rails for the seat, put the seat, fix it with screws.
- Cut off the stud heads, putty the holes from the self-tapping screws, polish the surface at the end. The corners at the ends of the legs should be rounded, the bases should be smooth so that they do not scratch the floor.
To make a worthy first do-it-yourself wooden chair, the drawings must be simple and clear, and the materials high-quality. If desired, the basics of carpentry can be mastered by any craftsman. You should start with the simplest furniture models.
Necessary tools and fasteners
To create a chair with your own hands, you need to prepare the tools. It is better not to save on them, since high-quality equipment is the most efficient and safe to use. To make simple models, you will need:
- jigsaw - allows you to adjust the size of the elements of the chair,
- Planer, grinder - necessary to give a smooth surface,
- screwdriver, drill - useful for twisting screws, making holes,
- mallet serving for dowels,
- chisel - helps to make connections quickly,
- wood glue that increases the strength of the fasteners and the entire structure of the chair as a whole,
- putty,
- stain, paints and varnishes.
A wooden chair cannot be made without quality fasteners. It will require screws, dowels, self-tapping screws, which strengthen all glued joints, fix the backrest, seat. If the putty is not at hand, you can replace it with a mixture of sawdust with PVA glue. Homemade composition helps to cover up holes made by mistake, disguises the caps of the bolts.
Drawing up a drawing
The easiest option for the wizard is to choose a ready-made drawing with a detailed description of each element of the chair. The optimal furniture sizes are designed for the average height of men (170-175 cm) and women (160-165 cm). In accordance with these parameters, the ideal indicators of each element are calculated:
- height of the structure to the seat - 40–45 cm,
- seat depth - 50 cm, width - 40–45 cm,
- back width - 30–40 cm,
- the distance from the floor surface to the upper edge of the back of the chair is 85–90 cm.
The back of the chair is made straight or with a slight slope of 8-12º. Typically, the maximum loads that furniture can withstand do not exceed 100 kg. Drawings with standard dimensions can be used by people with average growth and weight. In all other cases, it is necessary to select models that correspond to individual parameters. To do this, sit on the seat and keep your knees at a right angle. Then measure the distance from the knee to the hip, from the hip to the neck, which allows you to clarify the optimal depth and height of the product.
The manufacture of chairs is only possible with accurate parameters. There are other recommendations that allow you to choose the right size. A certain height of a person corresponds to a specified height of furniture:
- 146–177 cm - 43 cm
- 159–188 cm - 46 cm,
- 174–207 cm - 51 cm.
The most comfortable is a chair with a back, in which the depth is 2/3 of the length of the thigh. It is in this position that correct posture is maintained. Based on individual parameters, the finished scheme is adjusted. To do this, it is enough to change sizes that are not suitable: the length of the legs, the height of the chair, the parameters of the seat. When changing dimensions, be sure to observe the scale. An excellent option would be to use special programs that, based on the entered data, independently create drawings.
The most comfortable are chairs with armrests. Models reduce the load on the spine, can be used in any room.
The order of work taking into account the type of model
When the drawings with dimensions are completely ready, you can start cutting parts. A pattern is placed on the boards or boards, the contours are drawn in pencil, then the workpiece is sawn out. Experts recommend treating wood with antiseptics to protect against water, fungi and other negative factors.
Options
Drawings of chairs that can be found in the public domain offer a choice of several of the most common and popular models. Folding and with a backrest, rocking chairs and castors are more likely to have additional elements, but at the same time they are united by a common scheme.
Therefore, having trained on light modifications, which include a stool, it is subsequently easy to move on to more complex and original options.
This does not mean that everything will be simple, it will take patience, art and mastery of the main tool of any home master - with your skillful hands.
The skills of handling tools are useful in any case, since without them it is impossible to create wooden furniture. Having given a certain time and attention to creativity, you can count on the excellent result, which will delight the household and become the object of pride of the master.
Option with back
A chair with a back has a wide range of possibilities for use in everyday life. This model is most often found in the finished drawings and has a lot of modifications. Among the general details, one can distinguish features that are characteristic of all types of chairs without exception.
The front legs must be precisely measured in length to ensure maximum comfort when sitting. They can be straight or curved, decorated with various details of the external decor - it all depends on the needs and imagination of the master.
The rear legs are the supporting part, and therefore often have a greater thickness compared to the front, especially for variations with folding and inclined backs. Moreover, in some cases it is possible to create a chair with legs of equal length and a right angle with respect to the seat, that is, technically it will be a stool design, additionally equipped with a back as an element that increases ease of use.
The drawbars, which are located under the seat, provide support for the horizontal part. They also strengthen the structure and help maintain the stability of the finished product.
Jumpers serve to strengthen the position of the front and rear legs, while in some models they are used in the amount of two pieces, and sometimes four are needed.
The back is just a hallmark and can be made in a variety of variations. An integral part or a team of several parts, decorated with carved decorative elements or upholstered in fabric - here also everything will depend on the purpose of the subject and on how skillfulness will allow to realize the ideas that have arisen.
The chair seat is usually made from a single piece of plywood, but sometimes a padded base can be used.
It is better to have fasteners and decorative parts that may be required in production with a margin, as sometimes additional fasteners are required that strengthen the structure or serve other purposes
Possible ways to refresh old furniture
In addition to the independent production of new objects of a country or apartment interior, sometimes you can apply the tricks of designers to give a new look to familiar things. Flight of fancy in the process can lead to stunning and completely unique items.
For the restoration of chairs, you can use inexpensive paints and varnishes, old fabrics and woolen threads, plastic. A preliminary sketch will be a very good assistant, which will help to better present the final result of the creative process.
It is also important to take into account that the new organically fits into the general atmosphere of the room, serves as a decoration and retains its functional features.
In some cases, you should first repair the old furniture, restore strength. Repair work can be carried out using knowledge in the field of carpentry. You may need to purchase wood lumber to restore a squeezed seat or slanting supports.
Any chair will take on a new look and become an interesting detail of the interior if equipped with a soft upholstery or a cover. For upholstery, it is important to choose a fabric and match the color with the overall gamut of decoration in the room.
Do-it-yourself chair covers, in addition to the decorative function, carry a number of practical and functional advantages. For example, if there is a desire, then it is worth making several options for winter and summer conditions, and if necessary, the cover is easy to remove and wash or dry clean.
