Cardboard Ball Chair

Step 9 Finish rounded edge

To finish the exposed edge of the chair I used 4 inch cardboard disks cut with a hole saw. Each disk was cut in half and wrapped with paper-mache'd newspaper to make a gluing surface. The flat edge of each half-disk was then glued to the paper-covered edge of the ring piece.

Since the circumference of the inside cut is smaller (125 inches vs. 150 inches) there will be a gap between the outside edge of each piece. Small pieces of 1/8 inch cardboard used as shims fill those gaps.

In retrospect I wish I'd made a jig or saw guide for cutting the disks in half. I eyeballed each cut but didn't realize that even a slight variation in height is glaring when the pieces are arranged side by side.

To level out the pieces I made a thick batch of wheat paste to use like putty. I'd assumed it would fill in the gaps. The paste was thick but shrank and cracked as it dried. It did level out the gaps a bit but not as well as I'd have liked.

My wife made a concoction called paper-mache mush for another project that would've worked much better. It's wheat paste that has shredded and saturated newspaper mixed into it. Mix wiht a hand mixer. Add some white glue and this gray oatmeal like mush makes a great filler material. However, this shouldn't be necessary if the disks are cut carefully.

An upholstered chair is less likely to show these imperfections. A painted chair more so.

Comments

[drahcus]

if you wet egg cartons and put them in a blender with some glue you can make a really nice filler material-putty.