Nearly every job site or good-sized shop has rubber air hose for running nail guns or a multitude of other tubes. The hose in this project is 3/4" in diameter, about 45 feet long, and is made from tough, flexible rubber. In a former life it was used to run a spray gun for lacquering cabinets. After developing leaks at both ends, it was retired. The rubber is in decent shape, but it shows its age with hairline cracks and thick coating of grime. It was easy to clean with some denatured alcohol and rags. Once clean, cut off the brass or steel fittings at each end.
The resulting chair is really comfortable. It feels like sitting on rubber bands. The trick is to have narrow enough spacing and a tight-enough weave so that your weight is evenly distributing across as many lengths of hose as possible, which will in turn evenly distribute the stress on the hose, preventing sagging and long-term decay.
The overall form is quite reclined, with an interior width of about 22". Assuming the hose is recycled (garden hose would work as well, though it typically is made from thinner rubber), the only other materials are one 2'x 2' piece of 3/4" plywood and four 2' x 1/2" dia. threaded rods with nuts and washers. There is almost no waste from the process, making it quite efficient for both the environment and your wallet. Out-of-pocket costs are about fifteen-twenty bucks, depending.
The resulting chair is really comfortable. It feels like sitting on rubber bands. The trick is to have narrow enough spacing and a tight-enough weave so that your weight is evenly distributing across as many lengths of hose as possible, which will in turn evenly distribute the stress on the hose, preventing sagging and long-term decay.
The overall form is quite reclined, with an interior width of about 22". Assuming the hose is recycled (garden hose would work as well, though it typically is made from thinner rubber), the only other materials are one 2'x 2' piece of 3/4" plywood and four 2' x 1/2" dia. threaded rods with nuts and washers. There is almost no waste from the process, making it quite efficient for both the environment and your wallet. Out-of-pocket costs are about fifteen-twenty bucks, depending.
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Signing UpStep 1: Framin'
The two L-shaped pieces that comprise the sides of the chair are made out of single pieces of 3/4" plywood, cut form a 2' x 2' sheet. That material shouldn't cost more than five bucks or so at the hardware store. Those "Ls" come out of the four sides, creating a rhomboid center leftover pieces, which was cut up to use as the legs. The specific dimensions are not important, as they can be changed to fit your tastes. The angle is obtuse, maybe roughly 100 degrees, and each leg of the "L" is about eighteen inches long. Make sure the pieces are at least four inches at their narrowest point, to provide for strength.
Lay out your pieces, and cut with a circular saw, jigsaw, or bandsaw. Cut the leftover center piece into four roughly equal pieces, or two pairs of matching pieces. I made the back legs a little wider than the front.
Lay the legs on top of the "Ls" and play around with them until you have both an angle of recline that you feel comfortable with as well as a decent height off the ground. My version is only about a foot from the ground to the seating surface at its lowest point. Run a straightedge over the feet to derive the angle at which they will meet the ground and cut off.
Glue and screw the legs to the inside of the "Ls."
Lay out your pieces, and cut with a circular saw, jigsaw, or bandsaw. Cut the leftover center piece into four roughly equal pieces, or two pairs of matching pieces. I made the back legs a little wider than the front.
Lay the legs on top of the "Ls" and play around with them until you have both an angle of recline that you feel comfortable with as well as a decent height off the ground. My version is only about a foot from the ground to the seating surface at its lowest point. Run a straightedge over the feet to derive the angle at which they will meet the ground and cut off.
Glue and screw the legs to the inside of the "Ls."
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One design improvement I want to suggest...rather than spending a large amount of time making the hose very tight, you could make the chair's tension adjustable. Basically, since you are using all-thread, thread 2 nuts and a fender washer washers onto the cross bars, then add the legs, then put washers and nuts on the outside. Weave the hose to an even tension and secure it with screws (I will probably use grommets to prevent tear-out). Once secured, loosen the outer nuts and adjust the inner nuts to stretch the hose. With this design, the chair can be adjusted over time to compensate for creep that will naturally occur....you can also adjust the tension to suit your desired level of comfort. Great project though.
-Jon
Pretty fun project. It was tough to get the proper angle on the setup but I just guessed and went for reclined position. Thanks for the directions
Its made from 2x4's and a 50ft hose.
The joints were inspired by timber framing joints.
and Thank You for the initial inspiration!
This is one comfy chair.
(i'm sorry for my terrible english, I hope you understand)
I had made chair similar you but i chang from rubber to rope.
It's very strong but not complete .I will modify somthing, add arm , change kind of rope and so on. I will appreciat if you comment.
Thank you again.
Thanks,
DJ
(http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=75153-177-LOTAP34075&lpage=none)...
A tad bit 'spensive for my taste, but that's just me...
Might want to maybe hang out at your local Habitat Re-Store for a few weeks to see if one comes in...