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I made a chair
- wonger_ 1y agoThe instructions, I think: https://www.instructables.com/One-Board-Minimalist-Chair/ https://www.instructables.com/One-Board-Minimalist-Chair/
- hcarvalhoalves 1y agoThis is the first chair one can make, it's a common pre-industrial chair design. Search for "tribal chair" or "2-piece chair" for examples. It gets even better with wood carving (rather than building out of straight planks): https://www.1stdibs.com/furniture/seating/chairs/african-solid-wood-folding-chair-design-ethnic-carved-circa-1970/id-f_22512782/ https://www.1stdibs.com/furniture/seating/chairs/african-sol...
- cgio 1y agoAnd gets pricier too. The prices are absolutely eye watering!
- deleted 1y ago[deleted]
- aziaziazi 1y agoHow do you carve solid wood board ? I've done ten's of carving by gluing thin layers in a mold to create carved plywood. Those are extra strong but required to use quite a lot of glue and get the right thickness wood veneers. Would love to learn the solid board way. edit: fined tuned my English today: seems carving means sculpting and not bending.
- Someone 1y agoBending solid wood is something you do while it grows. See for example https://fullgrown.co.uk/ https://fullgrown.co.uk/, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Espalier https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Espalier or https://www.core77.com/posts/27263/Polands-Forgotten-Crooked-Forest-What-Were-They-Going-to-Build-With-These-Strange-Trees https://www.core77.com/posts/27263/Polands-Forgotten-Crooked...
- phito 1y agoI've seen people doing it with steam
- shaftway 1y agoAnd you can bend surprisingly thick wood with steam. I attended a demonstration where someone bent a maple 2 by 4 (1.5" x 3.5"). It took about 6 people and two tries (the first one splintered, probably not steamed enough).
- bradly 1y agoIn my chairs I just sculpt the back out of eight quarter with an angle grinder. More production focused wood workers are using multi-axis routers/cncs. The english term for what you are referring to in bent lamination which is done by taking a piece of wood, slicing it to sections with a thin kerf blade, soaking in water, and then clamping to a form and gluing back together. This is how Russ Filbeck creates his classic presidential rocker.
- hcarvalhoalves 1y agoThe traditional methods of "carving" I know about are using an adze [1] and controlled burning [2]. [1] https://engineeringlearn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Adze-1.jpg.webp https://engineeringlearn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Adze... [2] https://www.youtube.com/shorts/dwAu6RIQURo https://www.youtube.com/shorts/dwAu6RIQURo
- ortusdux 1y agoHere is an ultralight carbon fiber backpacking version: https://youtu.be/-GEwwMbqU2o https://youtu.be/-GEwwMbqU2o
- xnx 1y agoClear example of why people like TikTok. There's no reason that video should be 10 minutes.
- woleium 1y agoThere is a “ten minute rule” for youtube video to maximize reach / clout / whatever the kids are looking for.
- spencerflem 1y agoIts ad revenue, I think. Yt pays out more for that length since it has midroll ads.
- jader201 1y agoI just watched the whole thing, and I didn’t mind. I feel like people have just gotten so used to 10-second videos, and anything longer now feels like an eternity. I really hope people don’t stop making longer form videos in favor of TikTok-sized videos.
- neilv 1y agoBut, clicking around randomly, it seems that this video has been dragged out in length for no reason other than to be longer, presumably for YouTube financial (perverse) incentives.
- jader201 1y agoFor sure, I’m not advocating intentionally lengthening videos for financial incentives, either. I guess I didn’t immediately get that impression when I watched it, but I wasn’t watching it with that in mind. My point is I don’t mind filler in videos, if it’s true to what’s naturally happening. But intentionally adding filler is, indeed, poor form.
- yboris 1y agoSoon I'll be making a 2-piece footrest (imagine a T shape up-side-down leaning towards you - giving lower leg and foot sole complete support). A friend said it was a very comfortable (and instantly customizable due to tilt angle) design. I've been a web dev for 8 years but my heart is in woodworking for the next many years :)
- marzetti 1y agoSome ideas here! https://www.martinogamper.com/project/a-100-chairs-in-a-100-days/ https://www.martinogamper.com/project/a-100-chairs-in-a-100-...
- an_aparallel 1y ago[flagged]
- staticshock 1y agoBecause it got voted up by people who found it interesting
- cypherpunks01 1y ago[flagged]
- tdeck 1y agohttp://www.catb.org/jargon/html/H/hacker.html http://www.catb.org/jargon/html/H/hacker.html
- california-og 1y agoI can also highly recommend Enzio Mari's Autoprogettazione furniture. Although slightly more involved in construction, all you need is standard planks, hand saw, a hammer and some nails. The instruction PDF can be found online (chairs in the latter half): https://syllabus.pirate.care/library/Enzo%20Mari/Autoprogettazione_%20(221)/Autoprogettazione_%20-%20Enzo%20Mari.pdf https://syllabus.pirate.care/library/Enzo%20Mari/Autoprogett...
- globalnode 1y agoVery nice! thanks for that. I really like basic agricultural do it yourself furniture. We should reclaim our furniture and be less dependent on IKEA et al. I'm defo going to try the adjustable table at the top of the pdf, thats a work of art.
- Cthulhu_ 1y agoIronically, companies like Ikea have started selling products aimed at people making their own furniture; the "outdoor bench made from pallets" is pretty popular, and ikea & co sell cushions just for those. I never understood those tbh, used pallets are splintery. I wouldn't be surprised if you can buy pallets specifically made for use in upcycle projects. fake edit after a quick search: yup, you can buy readymade pallet benches or benches "inspired by" pallet projects. https://www.online-pallets.nl/products/pallet-bank-2-hoog-met-nieuwe-europallets?variant=39365932482754 https://www.online-pallets.nl/products/pallet-bank-2-hoog-me... https://www.karwei.nl/assortiment/wakefield-palletbank-lina-light-teak-acaciahout-120-cm/p/B278683 https://www.karwei.nl/assortiment/wakefield-palletbank-lina-...
- datadrivenangel 1y agoLike Amazon continuing the DIY door desk long after it became more expensive than just buying desks. For some reason, people will pay a premium for the refurbished industrial look.
- grogenaut 1y ago
- peter422 1y agoThis chair is made from pressure treated wood. Technically speaking, it is safe to sit on, but personally I'd like to avoid those chemicals against my skin if I could. Regular lumber probably would be preferable, especially when it would take $10 and 20 minutes to replace it after 5 years when it has rotted (or you could spring for redwood or cedar for an extra $10 and double or triple the life of your chair).
- asdefghyk 1y agoRE ...pressure treated wood.... In my country such timber is banned in certain situations - for example children's playgrounds ...
- mbrock 1y agoI'd rather have my kids play on pressure treated timber than rotting timber...
- adrianN 1y agoFortunately those are not the only two options.
- foobarian 1y agoRight, just look at our local playgrounds: no more wood anywhere in sight, just faux-wood plastic that never rots but just slowly sheds microplastics into the environment
- dingdingdang 1y agoSo true.. plus all the "plush" plastic pellet "landings" rather than simply dirt cause oh no: someone may get into contact with some microbes.. gotta keep those allergy numbers rolling. /s
- 0_____0 1y agoI'd be less concerned about that than the fact that every car that drives by the playground is shedding pounds of tyre plastic into the air/water as a matter of course. At least the playground materials aren't designed to turn into particulates.
- cynicalsecurity 1y ago[flagged]
- mehulashah 1y agoThe best part about this chair is that its design is timeless.
- vojtechrichter 1y agoI have one of these, the only issue is that you can't lean too much forward, otherwise you're going to fall :D
- akoboldfrying 1y ago[flagged]
- tomhow 1y agoPlease don’t do this.
- 01HNNWZ0MV43FF 1y ago> I sealed up the ends using end cut sealer Oh. Just realized I have a lot of unsealed end cuts on my latest projet
- hereonout2 1y agoBeen making things with wood for a while now, never used or heard of cut sealer! I usually put some type of finish on, maybe more on the ends as they absorb it better, but not just specifically on cuts.
- regularfry 1y agoI usually put an extra couple of coats of whatever the finish is on end grain. It does soak right in.
- seblon 1y agoI had never seen this type of chair before moving to Senegal as an expat. For several months, I didn’t try them because I assumed they must be incredibly uncomfortable. To be honest, most are made from thinner wood (people here are really poor!), so they didn’t look very sturdy either. But a few weeks ago, I visited a local woodworker and ordered one of these chairs. I had to let go of all my previous prejudices - this type of chair is surprisingly comfortable and stable. And it's even useful for certain "other" activities :-D
- world2vec 1y agoOK, I'll bite: what "other" activities? Am I being too dense? :O
- quickthrowman 1y agoYes, you’re being too dense ;) They’re talking about the chair being useful during sex.
- bloppe 1y agoThat chair is way too large to use for sex
- tasuki 1y agoI'd hazard a guess the other activities involve more than one person...
- Suppafly 1y ago
- brador 1y agoYou’re already there with the cutter, I would cut more holes to allow different sizing.
- denzil 1y agoWhen it comes to woodworking, I quite enjoyed watching some of the videos of Granpa Amu on youtube. When I seen him make table from one piece of wood, it felt like magic. Link for those interested: https://www.youtube.com/@GrandpaAmu https://www.youtube.com/@GrandpaAmu
- skeptrune 1y agoEquivalent of vibe coding a mini tool to replace some SaaS product you might have paid for
- patapong 1y agoNeat! I am jealous of people who make physical stuff with their hands, seems so satisfying. I grow some plants, which brings a feeling of joy compared to buying from the store, even though the latter is much easier. If anyone is interested in chairmaking, I can recommend the book "The Use of Weapons", by Iain M. Banks. (/s)
- silversmith 1y agoI have the good fortune of working in an office, with easy access to never-ending physical labour options courtesy of relatives living in the countryside. Every now and then the issues of IT projects make me say "screw it all, I'm going to be a lumberjack". And then I go work the chainsaw for a weekend, and come back thankful for the office chair in a climate controlled room. Working with your hands is great meditation in small doses, but brutal when you need to do it enough to make a living.
- regularfry 1y agoThe FORTH of chairs.
- jmkd 1y agoFun little project but there's no way a circular saw is an incorrect tool, see for example https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3R856PUt1c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3R856PUt1c
- regularfry 1y agoAnother "next step" to follow on from this is the Anarchist's Design Book: https://lostartpress.com/products/the-anarchists-design-book https://lostartpress.com/products/the-anarchists-design-book It starts out not much more complicated than this and builds to a surprising array of furniture projects with a very small number of techniques. Although the actual materials are a bit annoying: it leans heavily on cut nails and specifically not the more easy to buy wire nails you usually see in DIY shops. But also, the book is a physically gorgeous artefact in its own right. The illustrations are delicious.
- Aziell 1y agoThis chair looks really interesting. It's extremely simple, but also full of character. When you build something yourself, even if it's not perfect, it somehow feels more real than something you just buy.
- AlecSwanky 1y agoThis guy is the best for basic woodworking: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vO6lATthAmE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vO6lATthAmE
- Semaphor 1y agoCool to see that, those are very common for medieval groups at German medieval markets and music festivals.
- ansgri 1y agoIt's deceptively simple. I have a lot of lumber from previous construction projects, and all the basic woodworking tools. I also have some relevant skills. Would I be able to build it right now? No, need a wide and sturdy board, widest I have is 150x30mm pinewood. Would I make one if I had a proper piece of wood? Also no, I just don't want to accept the structural weakness here. And this joint actually requires some precision, which is not trivial (at least for me) with handheld circular saw! Haven't built a chair yet, but my go-to design would be something like Adirondack.
- alistairSH 1y agoDuring peak COVID boredom, I made a pair of wine barrel chairs, using this design[1]. Old wine barrels can be found reasonably cheap and the pattern is easy - only a few cuts, a drill, and some screws. 1 - https://hungarianworkshop.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/EZ-Chair-4.jpg https://hungarianworkshop.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/EZ-...
- krunck 1y agoAnybody wanting to get started making regular chairs using traditional methods I highly recommend Make a Chair from a Tree by Jennie Alexander: https://lostartpress.com/products/make-a-chair-from-a-tree https://lostartpress.com/products/make-a-chair-from-a-tree In the book she starts with the basics and works up to assembly including woven seats. These are beautiful lightweight chairs. Even if you don't build the chair, it's a great lesson in wooworking.
- MaDeuce 1y agoThanks for reminding me that I haven't been to the Lost Art Press site in a while. I have a few of their books; they are fantastic. If you are interested in quality woodworking tools and high-quality woodworking books (both in terms of content as well as binding and paper), check them out. I hadn't seen their "Build a Chair from Bullshit" book before. I've always been a little intimidated at the thought of building a chair, but this one looks like it's easy to build and has nice lines. Definitely more involved than the OP's chair, but it still looks still approachable with basic tools and skills. https://blog.lostartpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/BACFBS_book.pdf https://blog.lostartpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/BAC... Edit: As mentioned in dlbucci's comment below, I forgot to mention that it's available for free as a downloadable PDF book as well as for purchase as high quality bound book on their site. If you have any interest in an easy to build chair with an attractive design, it's worth a look.
- dlbucci 1y agoIt's a new book (and free!). There's also a YouTube series where they build it, so I'm very tempted to make my first chair now.
- parham 1y agoLooks like a minimalist Rietveld chair! Nice job
- stronglikedan 1y agoEven the most mundane posts are a learning opportunity. While I already knew about this style of chair, I didn't know "end cut sealer" existed. TIL!
- imetatroll 1y agoWith the long tail, maybe repeat the same slotted pattern forming a triangle (of sorts) so that the tail can be shorter (and will be elevated from the ground). Just be careful not to make it too narrow.
- deleted 1y ago[deleted]
- bsoles 1y agoThis excellent and free (pdf) book "The Stick Chair Book" might be of interest: https://lostartpress.com/products/the-stick-chair-book https://lostartpress.com/products/the-stick-chair-book Also there is the "Anarchist" wood working books that are also excellent and free on the same site.
- mhb 1y agoGrandpa Amu also makes a chair: https://youtu.be/XWnC22NSk50?si=TSdYkqf1PZLLIkc3 https://youtu.be/XWnC22NSk50?si=TSdYkqf1PZLLIkc3
- Eduard 1y agoreverse image search shows this construction named "viking chair"
- odysseus 1y agoWith a lot of patience, you can also grow a chair. Check out the header image on https://www.pooktre.com https://www.pooktre.com
- spiralcoaster 1y ago[flagged]
- Greta4Gaza 1y ago[flagged]
- ReflectedImage 1y agoMinimal Viable Product obtained!
- deleted 1y ago[deleted]
- jmhobbs 1y agoI built some Leopold benches a few years ago, great bench and nearly as simple to build as this chair. Maybe simpler as there is no cutouts or narrowing like OP. https://store.extension.iastate.edu/product/Woodworking-for-Wildlife-Aldo-Leopold-Bench https://store.extension.iastate.edu/product/Woodworking-for-...
- 0xbadcafebee 1y agoNice! However some humans can be quite heavy. Depending on the wood species, the board may break, especially if they drop down into it. To strengthen it you can glue+screw a board on-edge to the middle of the bottom of both boards (running front-to-back, not side-to-side). This will significantly increase its bending strength but hardly be noticeable.