Cardboard Cantilever Chair

Step 4 Surfacing

To clean up and finish off the surface, I covered it in five layers of paper-mache, the final two being kraft paper that is recycled packing material. My paper-mache recipe is a little different then most: three parts hot, hot water; one-and-a-half parts white glue; and half-to-one part flour. Stir very thoroughly. It should be the consistency of watery syrup, with no visible chunks of flour.

Once dry, I sanded down the surface, first with 100 grit, then 120, wiped it with a clean, damp rag, and put three coats of semi-gloss polyurethane on it. The material is very thirsty, and will soak up a lot on the first coat. Sand with 220 grit in between coats. I gave a final rub down with 0000-grade steel wool, then again with a clean damp cloth, dried it, and put on a coat of paste wax. The final surface is very hard, with a nice sheen to it; I would compare it to burnished leather.

Then I trimmed the threaded rods and tightened all the bolts again. The two threaded rods on the floor have bolts on the interior, which serve to space the legs and keep the thing square and un-twisted. Adjust those bolts to even the space between the legs.

The final product is very comfortable, but this chair was also very time-consuming, and the layers did not register as precisely as I would have liked, giving the final piece an uneven texture that serves to remind you of its handmade origins.

Comments

[mc_artist]

For a cleaner look, you could assemble the chair completely and then trim the all-thread rods before putting the paper mache on. After the mache is on, it'll look like just one big solid piece.

[jeff-o]

Instead of paper-mache, could you just glue a flat sheet of cardboard to the seat and back? This is a fantastic idea, thatnks for posting. :)