Background:

The Chair Storage Tray (for lack of a better name) is a storage solution for school chairs. It is a platform that rests under a chair and can be used to place items such as backpacks, books, or other items, saving space. The inspiration behind this product was from my middle school. In my middle school, we used to have chairs which had trays underneath the seats where we could store items such as our lunchboxes. I noticed that with our current seats, there is no such thing, and I also noticed that the space underneath the seat isn’t being utilized. This product consists of a main platform, where the items are placed on. It then has four horizontal legs which prevents the platform from going down to a certain extent because it takes advantage of the fact that each of the front and back pair of chair legs are slanted outwards and away from each other.

Important Things to Note Before Building:

There is a specific reason why each of the materials need to be of a certain size. This is because of the specific size of the school chair that this product is going to fit. A standard school chair, which is similar to the ones in the Stem room, measures 16 inches from the bottom of the legs to the top of the legs. From either of the two sides, the distance between the two legs ranges from 12 inches at the top to 20 inches at the bottom. From either the front or back, the distance between the two legs is 18 inches from top to bottom. The thickness, or diameter of the chair legs is roughly one inch, so technically speaking, these measurements were made when measuring from the center of the legs. So to find the inner distance, you minus an inch, and to find the outer distance, you add an inch. Extra clearance and distance is required so that the platform can rest easily and so that the platform can be lifted up. Because of these four horizontal wooden legs, The platform can only be pushed down to a certain extent and be lifted up to a certain extent; the force of gravity keeps the platform resting down. In order to take the platform out, the platform needs to be raised slightly in between its minimum and maximum altitude and then twisted, then pulled out. The pictures below should give further clarification on this process.

In order to make the platform so that it can lift and come out, you need to give at least four inches of clearance for each of the front and back pair of legs, or at least eight inches of clearance in total. The distance between the closest sides of the outer legs should be 18 inches, and the distance between the closest side of each of the outer legs and each of the inner legs respectively should be four inches, hence the four inch clearance. The distance between the closest sides of the inner legs will vary depending on the thickness of the wood legs being used, but regardless, both should be the same exact distance away from each of the respective outer legs.

Supplies

What is Required:

-4 18in wood legs

-1 wood board measuring no more than 16in wide and 24in long

-heavy duty work glue

*What I Used:

-4 18in wood legs

-2 wood boards each measuring 7.25in wide and 24in long

-gorilla glue

Step 1: Step 1:

Take both of the wooden tiles. Place them congruent to each other on their longer sides, and make sure that the length of the tiles combined don’t exceed 24 inches. Also make sure the width of the tiles combined don’t exceed 16 inches; the combined width of the two wood boards used equal 14.5 inches. This should be fairly easy given the requirements in the materials. These two congruent boards will be referred to as the platform.

Step 2: Step 2:

Now, it is time to place the legs. Place the outer legs so that they are 18 inches away from each other from their closest sides, and make then centered and symmetrical. Make sure that each of the outer legs are the same distance away from the shorter outer sides of the platform. Because each of the legs I used are one inch wide, I placed each of the legs two inches from the sides of the platform. And because the legs are 18 inches long and the platform is 14.5 inches wide, I placed each end of the legs 1.75 inches from the longer outer side of the platform. I highly recommend using a pen or pencil to make markings on the wood for keeping track of the measurements. Use glue to attach the legs, and be sure to apply glue to the legs and not the platform when placing them.

Step 3: Step 3:

Place the two inner legs so that they are each three inches away from each of the outer legs, and again, make then centered and symmetrical. Make sure that each of the outer legs are the same distance away from the outer sides of the platform. Make sure to use glue to place the legs.

Step 4: Step 4:

Now, wait for the glue to dry. This should take about a full day, give or take. After the glue is done drying, you will have a fully functioning Chair Storage Tray!