Can anyone help me with making an armchair?

Question

i am looking for sites that show you how to make a chair. i have made tables before, but this looks harder, but not impossible. i mean why pay $300 and up for a decent brand new chair when i can make one out wood, foam, and fabric right? anyways, can someone help me out if they have any pointers or know any websites with some?

thanks

Answer 1

Chairs are one of the toughest things to make, well.   Usually none of the angles are square and the joints have to be very good to keep the chair from falling apart.  I'd suggest getting a kit / unassembled / unfinished chair and working on them.  Worst case is, get one and use it as a full-sized pattern for the rest of the set.

I ordered a set from here, http://www.popsfurniture.com/ , and while not heirloom class, they've been working fine in daily use for 10 years without any problems.

Answer 2

I did this with two sofas saving about 90 per cent of the purchase price. I measured the originals up in a showroom (they were a chesterfield design) and then kept refining the design until it was easy to construct. The base frame is chipboard - and the seat base is made of timber slats like a bed. I then covered the whole thing in wadding and close covered with washed calico, and then made cushions that draped over the arms and the back, like pillows. The seat squabs were just blocks of foam (make sure you get fire resisitant) which I covered with calico. I thn made loose but tailored covers for everything with about 30 yards of fabric from an end of range sale and all the covers (unlike the original design) just come off to go in the washer.

I only had an old sewing machine and my arm was dropping off after the first hem - you definitely need a motor.