Introduction: StumpChair
StumpChair is a street art/ furniture design project that has been going on in Providence RI and Philadelphia PA for about two years. Examples of the existing chair scan be seen at Facebook.com/StumpChair.
The process for creating StumpChairs is easy and requires only a few simple tools.
A short documentary about the project can be viewed at https://vimeo.com/52310940.
If you would rather repair the chairs then turn them into public art installations instructions for doing so can be seen here: https://www.instructables.com/id/Chair-Repairathon/
You will need the following tools and materials:
A chair, a stump glue, wood screws, a drill, a set of spade or forstnerr bits a driver bit, a chisel, and a hammer.
Step 1: Find
Broken chairs are all around us. There may be some in your house and if there are not they can probably be found on the street on the night before garbage pickup. The best chairs for StumpChiar are wooden and have rounds spindles. This makes for easy installation. The best time to look for them is the night before your trash pickup day.
Stumps are also very common in many cities due to widespread tree removal.
Step 2: Break
Sometimes chair backs can be simply unscrewed from the base. Other times they must be more forcibly removed. A chisel and hammer work well to split the seat and release the spindles. Be careful not to break any spindles or you will have to replace them with something else (which is sometimes fun).
Step 3: Drill
After you have found your desired stump it's time to install the StumpChair. I usually do this under the cover of darkness but it doesn't really matter. Nobody has ever given me trouble for it.
Start off by positioning the chair back in the desired orientation and mark off the locations of each spindle with a Sharpie.
Next match up the spindle size with a spade bit. Usually you can get really close because chairs are made with standard size spindles.
Drill one hole for each spindle at the appropriate size starting with the two largest holes. Make sure the holes are at a bit of an angle backwards so that the chair has a bit of a recline. I usually drill farther than necessary just for good measure.
Step 4: Glue
Once the holes are drilled squeeze some wood glue into each of the holes and spread some on the ends of the spindles.
Next align the spindles in the holes. This may take more than one person because they tend to move out of place when the others are being lined up.
In order to ensure that the chair back is sturdy it is often a good idea to tap it in with a rubber mallet. Hitting it with your hand will probably suffice.
Step 5: Screw
Finally in order to give the chair yet more stability screw long wood screws at an angle through the base of the spindles and into the stump. I usually screw the two largest spindles and one or two in the back.
Step 6: Sit (and Share)
Your StumpChair is now finished.
Sit on it and enjoy.
Also please photograph it and post the photo to the StumpChair facebook page (facebook.com/stumpchair) or email it to StumpChair@gmail.com
Happy Stumping!
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25 Comments
1 year ago
what a great idea
2 years ago
I love this! I wish I had your fabulous imagination.
9 years ago on Introduction
SO COOL!! are you at RISD? I was.. ID '73
9 years ago on Introduction
I like this idea, great job.
10 years ago on Step 6
That's actually pretty cool.
10 years ago on Introduction
That is hilarious!!
10 years ago on Introduction
I viewed that video! I don't know how you got away with all that, but it's definitely a cool idea! And I absolutely loved the soundtrack. How can I get some of that music?!
Reply 10 years ago on Introduction
Contact Alan Mendelsohn for more music.
https://www.facebook.com/alan.mendelsohn.5?fref=ts
10 years ago on Introduction
Very cool project! I love the urban art projects...
Wanted to point out, however, that you have a typo in the facebook url, which will prevent some users from finding the page. You have "Facebook.com/StumpChiar" and I suppose that you can pick out the typo, but to be thorough, I will tell you that "chair" is misspelled.
Hey, I do QA for a living... I can't help it! And I'd love to know that everyone can see your project if they head that way. :-)
Reply 10 years ago on Introduction
Thanks for pointing that out. Glad you like the project.
10 years ago on Step 6
Good job artists! Doing something so cool,( re)purposeful and friendly. We need more art that makes people smile, look, relax and appreciate each other. Well done. Excellent video too!
10 years ago on Introduction
This is sooooooo cool! I wish I had a stump in my yard!
10 years ago on Introduction
Thanks for sharing this!
I've got several stumps in my backyard this will be perfect for! Plus it's a great way to recycle (at least some of) chairs that would otherwise be tossed into land fill.
10 years ago on Introduction
Love this concept. We have two very large trees that have unfortunately died. This idea will be perfect. That's for sharing.
10 years ago on Introduction
How very Droog of you!
10 years ago on Introduction
omg, i had one of these!!!! it was *perfect* for lazy summer days reading a book (another, higher and thinner, stump next to it was a perfect side table to hold drinks and books and whatnot). then in january, i got a dog. in april, the snow started to melt and the chair started to show from underneath - dog took an instant hatred to it and proceeded to eat it. took him all summer but by september, my stump-chair was a hole in the ground a foot and a half deep.
10 years ago on Introduction
OMG how awesome is this!!! I had this visual of places all around a city where stumps were turned into stump-chairs and people were just sitting for a moment enjoying the goodness :) Voted!
10 years ago on Introduction
Really nice, I like it!
10 years ago on Introduction
Love it - big smile :)
10 years ago on Introduction
great idea