Outdoor Chair?

This chair, or rather half a chair, is a testament to the importance of prototyping within a larger project. I originally planned to make a wood-framed chair that had a woven seat and back. The seat would have to be ergonomic and the chair itself compact enough to be an outdoor dining chair. A mixture of time constraints and execution led to this chair being labelled as a prototype. But I've learned a lot from the process and intend to share the experience.

Supplies

I used poplar rough-sawn wood for the frame.

4 2.5 inch long quarter inch carriage bolts

Corresponding nuts and washers

1.75 inch screws

Para-cord

Step 1: Step One: Initial Designing

My goal was to create an outdoor chair with an ergonomic design. I had never made such a chair before, so I decided to start by sketching up some proportions and angles to make sure it would look like a chair. I borrowed a template from an old Adirondack chair plan for the seat. I then picked some rough cut poplar that my school wood shop had available.

Step 2: Step 2: Lumber Processing

Because the wood was rough cut, I had to plane them to a 1 inch thickness. I then cut them into as many 2 inch wide by 20 inched long boards as I could, because I did not exactly know how much wood it would take. In hindsight, the back of the chair could have been longer to make it look less like a child's chair. Unfortunately, the pictures for this process were lost.

Step 3: Step 3: Assembly

To assemble this chair, I used carriage bolts to secure the back, legs, and seat together. I screwed on the front legs. I then use some small rails to secure the two sides together. The final dimensions of the chair were 19 inches wide by 20 inches deep by 40 inches tall. Because this was a prototype, I did not finish the wood or install the parachute cord seat. It was a successful proof of concept.