Folding chairs and chairs with their own hands. How to make a folding chair with your own hands

Folding chairs are objects without which it is difficult to imagine an ideal life. Camping, hiking, fishing or hunting, including quiet, sudden "hordes" of guests who suddenly appeared require furniture. However, it should not be bulky, but at the same time must provide comfort and reliability. It is not always easy to purchase such a useful item in a store: for example, you are not satisfied with the price, material or model. To make a folding chair with your own hands, a drawing at hand is the main condition. After choosing the scheme you like and buying everything you need, you can get down to business.

Chair requirements and options

Regardless of the material chosen for the construction of the structure, such furniture should have the following qualities:

  1. Sufficient stability so as not to be afraid of any terrain.
  2. High strength, otherwise the legs "from fatigue" can buckle at the most crucial moment.
  3. Light weight and compact dimensions, because bulky chairs, even folding ones, are difficult to place in the trunk. If the lesson involves long walks, the lightness of the design comes to the fore.

The most common folding seats are stools. They, having no back, are light and easier to manufacture. However, sitting on such a design is not very comfortable. Chairs with a back are already more like typical furniture that cannot be transformed. To ensure a lighter weight, the seats and backs are often made of fabric. A hit material for homemade chairs, folding and regular, is wood, but these camping structures are often made of metal or plastic.

Elementary tripod stool

This furniture, which has 3 legs, can be useful for fishing or hunting. Its advantages are low weight, low cost, speed and ease of assembly. Minus - a high probability of going to "free flight", especially for people with a decent weight. To make a stool, you need the following materials:

  • 3 wooden bars about 600 mm long, it is better to take elements of a round section;
  • triangular piece of fabric, thick skin is optimal;
  • 2 bolts: long and with a loop;
  • 6 washers: fixing, decorative (3 pieces of both);
  • 2 nuts.

In accordance with the drawing, holes are drilled in the middle and on top of the future legs. They are also made in the cut out fabric in the corners. The two legs are connected with a long bolt. A screw with a loop is put on it to fasten the third support. Finally, fabric is attached to the legs with decorative washers. For convenience, you can sew a strip that will simplify the transportation of the chair.

Plastic fishing stool

Since the tree is extremely afraid of water, some prefer to use another material - an almost weightless plastic, which, moreover, does not care about any moisture. For the construction of a light structure, it is necessary to prepare:

  • pieces of plastic pipes - 4 by 350 mm, the same number by 500 mm;
  • plastic corners;
  • dense fabric;
  • fasteners: bolts with nuts.

Long elements are connected in pairs in the middle crosswise with bolts. They are not tightened tightly, otherwise the structure will be difficult to fold. Corners are attached to the ends of the tubes, into which short elements are then inserted.

After receiving the frame, a piece of suitable size is cut out of the material for the seat. It is sewn on a typewriter, the seat is put on the upper elements, having disassembled one of the sides. To fix the legs, a narrow strip of the same fabric is sewn below. Those who wish can provide it with a back, making it in the same way. It is rigidly mounted to the top of the stool - to the frame of the front legs. In the same way, a chair is made of their metal pipes.

Chair-stool with a round seat

Unlike the previous “almost furniture”, this sample is already a full-fledged, but mobile piece of furniture. To build a structure, you need a whole set of tools:

  • clamps;
  • miter box;
  • Sander;
  • screwdriver;
  • milling cutter;
  • jigsaw.

Required materials - basic and improvised:

  • furniture board (preferably beech), dimensions 24x400x1120;
  • furniture hinges - 4 pieces;
  • threaded stud (8x250 mm) with nuts;
  • self-tapping screws (3.5x16 mm);
  • tinting varnish;
  • dowels (8x50 mm);
  • glue - PVA for wood or carpentry.

Part preparation

A circle is cut out, its diameter is 350 mm. To make a seat handle in the future, use a feather drill (22 mm). At an equal distance from the edges of the circle, 2 holes are made, 120 mm apart from each other. They are connected with cuts.

Having prepared the rest of the structural elements, a long groove is cut out on the supports using a straight cutter (8.5 mm). If it is absent, holes are drilled, their depth and groove are the same. Then, with a thin chisel, they get rid of the jumpers between them. Another option: drill two holes along the edges, and cut the channel with a jigsaw using a rip saw. The upper ends of the supports are sawn at an angle that is exactly 30 °. If you do not comply with it, the stool will not work. The bottom parts are rounded off.

Assembly, processing

Jumpers (prongs) are fastened with dowels, pre-lubricating them with glue, holes and adjacent parts. The excess is removed, the elements are fixed with clamps until dry. The hinges are attached to the seat with self-tapping screws. For camouflage of the hairpin connecting the legs, a tube is cut out: if there is no lathe, it is made multifaceted with a planer.

The semi-finished stool is sanded with sandpaper, at least two layers of tinted varnish are applied. To give a special texture to the tree, it is recommended to wet it several times before sanding, then dry it completely.

Real folding chair

The drawings of folding chairs with a back have differences, but they are small, since the principle of all designs is similar, and the manufacture of such furniture cannot be called super complicated.

If we consider all the elements, then the chair consists of:

  1. Pairs of rear short legs 20x40x475 mm. Often, the schemes provide for the upper crossbar and the proleg - the lower jumper for greater strength, but they are absent in this model in the picture (1).
  2. Two front legs (2), the upper part of which plays the role of a back (20x40x837 mm).
  3. Two details - crossbeams of a back and the lower proleg (3). All three are 20x70x403.
  4. Two side drawers for the seat (5) - 20x40x470 mm.
  5. Seat details (6) - 6 elements 20x50x440 or a solid plywood sheet (15x440x470 mm).

In addition to the main details, you will need dowels (15x30 mm), glue, bolts with nuts and washers (diameter 8-10 mm, length - 50 mm), self-tapping screws. You can not do without a tool, you need:

  • electric jigsaw or circular saw;
  • milling cutter for rounding corners;
  • Sander;
  • miter box.

"Preparation of blanks"

All the elements are cut out, they are ground, the corners are rounded with a milling cutter. The lower parts of the front legs are cut off, the angle is the same as the previous "recipe" - 30 °, so here the miter box is also necessary. The next step is marking the grooves of the long legs. There are three of them for each part - 2 for the back and one for the proleg. The grooves are cut out with a milling cutter or a drill (drill - 9 mm), then the holes are combined using the same chisel, and polished.

Holes for dowels are made on the bars rounded from below for the tsarg, their depth and diameter are -15 mm. These fasteners, intended for the grooves of the rear legs, are put on glue. In the middle of the tsarg, a through hole is drilled for the screws. They will attach the front legs. Finished parts are polished.

Then prepare 5 identical parts. Two of them will be the back, one will be the leg of the front supporting elements, 2 more additional ones that are not shown in the figure are the leg of the rear legs and the crossbar, which gives them rigidity. Spikes are formed in these parts, their dimensions are 9x15x50 mm. They are cut out with a milling cutter or a jigsaw, the flaws are corrected with a knife, leveled with sandpaper.

Prepare the back legs. They are rounded from above and markings are made for three grooves: the middle one for dowels in the sides, the upper and lower ones for the jumper and the proleg, respectively. Before cutting grooves, check the symmetry of the markings of both elements.

Assembly sequence

This stage, of course, always starts with a seat. The boards intended for him are distributed evenly over the sides, do not forget about their parallelism and perpendicularity to the side parts. Having made the markup, they are fixed with glue, placed in clamps. After it dries, 2 holes are made at the edges of the boards for fastening to the tsargs, screws are screwed into the pot.

Assemble the back frame. Having installed it in the dowels protruding from the tsargs, they simultaneously glue the proleg and the upper jumper. The structure is tightened in clamps, waiting for the joints to dry. Glue the upper crossbar and the proleg to one front leg. After it is fastened with a screw. Then the second leg is glued to it, which is also connected with a screw to the side of the seat. The glued and screwed chair is again fixed in clamps until completely dry.

Despite the fact that it is not difficult to build a folding chair with your own hands, a drawing is a necessary condition. It is better to find it, and not "invent" it yourself, since the ready-made circuits are tested, reliable and accurate.

How to build a solid folding chair, see this video:

Record dated: 5-29-2016

Folding chair assembled and folded

The figure shows that the folded chair is very convenient to store and transport, for example, on the roof of a car. Suitable for summer cottages and for trips to a picnic in nature. Much cheaper than store-bought options. The cost of the chair will be only fasteners and wood.

To create a folding chair, you will need wooden blocks and slats for the seat.

You will also need:

Progress

First, we collect the following parts, according to the description.

Schematic drawing of a wooden folding chair

How to make a folding chair

In fact, the main thing for the master is to have a drawing of the product at hand, and the description most often plunges into a state of stupor. However, in addition to the diagram, I also decided to attach a text guide to assembling the chair. I hope it will be clear...

Video on creating a folding chair

For those who are just starting their research in carpentry, the best thing is to watch how professionals make products. This video shows how to make a folding chair - a stool without a back. Very functional and practical option for both home and garden. This chair can be taken with you on a fishing trip or a picnic. When folded, it takes up little space.

Folding chairs are a handy piece of furniture for fishing enthusiasts or outdoor enthusiasts due to their ease of transportation from place to place. In addition, their use allows you to save precious meters in small apartments.

Making a folding chair with your own hands is easy. This does not even require special carpentry skills. The main thing is to prepare bars of different lengths, fasteners, the simplest tool. It is necessary to strictly follow the drawings and adhere to the action plan.

The finished product can be decorated or equipped with soft upholstery, thanks to which it will acquire a noble appearance that can decorate any interior.

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Varieties of folding chairs

Exists a large number of various models of folding chairs, from simple fishing stools to elite ones designed for use in the most sophisticated apartment interiors.

The main qualification characteristic of the product is the frame material, which can be wood or metal. A folding fishing chair is easiest to make from bars and planks. For use in the house, metal products with soft elements are more suitable.

According to its design, there is a folding chair with or without a back. The second option is much easier to do with your own hands, but the first is more comfortable to use. The back in folding products is attached to the supports, which are a continuation of the legs. When folded, such a chair will be much higher than a stool.

The back can be different:

  1. made of wood or plastic screwed to a wooden frame;
  2. in the form of a fabric stretched like a hammock on a metal frame (the most common example is a folding picnic chair);
  3. have soft padding.

In addition, transforming pieces of furniture are divided according to the type of legs, which can be:

  • straight - attached only to the seat using a swivel mechanism;
  • cross - interconnected by a pin method, and the seat is attached to the front or rear pair;
  • solid - make up a single part with a support cross member.

The most common are cross and straight models. They can be made from wood, metal and plastic.

With solid legs make folding. It consists of a backrest smoothly turning into legs, individual supports and a fabric seat. When folding, the wooden elements fit into each other, becoming very thin.

For self-manufacturing the most suitable material is wood. With the right approach, it is easy to make chairs out of plywood. The main thing is to choose a material of sufficient thickness that can withstand the weight of a person.

Drawings and diagrams

They begin to create folding chairs with their own hands from a preliminary drawing. It will display the appearance of the future product, its components, dimensions, unfolded, which are the most convenient for the person who will use it.

Then a detailed diagram of a folding chair is drawn: the dimensions of each part, the places where the frame elements are fixed, and the location of the transformation mechanisms.

Already at this stage, it is necessary to consider how the product will unfold, how to fix the seat in order to ensure the greatest stability. It is recommended that you first familiarize yourself with the ready-made drawings and diagrams, use one of them, or create your own using the example presented.

The easiest way to make it is with cross legs, a seat fixed in the back and equipped with grooves in the support bars.

The slats will be fixed on the crossbar of the front legs. At the same time, there is practically no difference in creating a product with or without a back.

Materials and tools for making a chair

Before starting work, you need to prepare in advance necessary materials and tools provided for by the drawing of the future product.

When choosing a tree species, one should be guided by the properties of the array. To make the product last longer, it is better to take a pear or birch. Pine is the softest and most pliable in processing, but the stool from it will turn out to be less durable.

To make a folding wooden chair, you will need:

  1. bars 40x15x20 mm for the frame;
  2. slats, plywood or fabric for the seat and back;
  3. a set of bolts and screws with nuts and washers;
  4. self-tapping screws;
  5. sandpaper;
  6. stain or paint, varnish.

To create and assemble blanks from solid wood, you need the following tool:

  • hand saw or electric jigsaw;
  • screwdriver or drill with a nozzle for self-tapping screws and a set of drills;
  • Grinder;
  • Screwdriver Set;
  • tape measure and pencil.

If you plan to make a folding chair with a back and seat, equipping them with a soft component, you need to stock up on a piece of suitable material and foam rubber 4-5 cm thick.

Manufacturing process: step by step instructions

Regardless of the model and design of the chair, which is planned to be made of wood with your own hands, the creation process begins with cutting blanks. This is followed by careful grinding of all parts until a flat and smooth surface is formed.

Based on the drawing, all necessary holes should be drilled. Given that the caps of the fasteners need to be recessed, the holes are expanded along the edges, according to the diameter of the self-tapping screw or bolt.

First, let's look at how to make a folding chair with your own hands, which does not have a back and consists of 2 pairs of legs and a seat made of rails:

  1. First, 2 pairs of legs are interconnected by axial bolts so that they can easily move relative to each other.
  2. Then you need to install the lower crossbars. To do this, paired workpieces already bolted together are placed parallel to each other. First, the bar is installed on 2 outer legs. Then the frame is turned over and another element is attached to the internal supports. So that they do not interfere with the product to fold to the end, the bars are fixed not between the legs, but on top of them. They should move freely on the principle of scissors, while one pair should enter the other, creating a single line.
  3. Now proceed to install the support bar at the top of the inner front legs, which will hold the removable side of the slotted seat. To do this, a bar is placed vertically between the parts, at an angle of 45 ° relative to the length line. It is firmly screwed with self-tapping screws through the method. The angle is needed so that after laying out the bar becomes perpendicular to the floor.
  4. The next step will be the manufacture of the seat, which will consist of 2 supporting parts and a slatted cover. Since the inner bars of the seat serve as a stop for the entire product, holes are made in advance for the axle bolts on one side, and a 2x2 cm groove is cut out on the other. The fasteners must be positioned so that the cutout is at the bottom, and when connected to the legs, they are placed inside the structure. All prepared slats are laid out on top. All parts are fastened with self-tapping screws butt-to-butt or at a short distance from each other.
  5. At the end, the seat support bars are bolted to the outer leg bars, not forgetting to install the washers.
  6. Fixation of the stool in the unfolded form will be ensured by a tight entry of the groove on the seat into the transverse beam between the front legs.

To make a do-it-yourself folding chair with a back, lengthen the outer pair of legs so that the height of the chair provides a comfortable back position. Then both frames, rear and front, connect with bolts. Unlike a stool, in such a product, the seat, when folded, will be placed in the space under the back, and not on top of the folded legs.

Making a chair with a plywood back is one of the easiest. In this case, the product will turn out beautiful and strong.

First you need to draw 3 parts on a sheet of material that are located inside each other:

  • back, turning into legs;
  • inside, with a slight indent, a detail similar to a slingshot is drawn, including 1 lower support and 2 connecting strips at the top;
  • the remaining space will make up the seat.

Then, using simple loops, the outer crossbar is connected to the “slingshot” at the top of the slats, and the seat is connected to its central part. After joining, all 3 parts should form one plane.

To fix the seat, holes are made in it, which will mirror the special spikes on the largest external part. So that during the transformation the parts do not become loose, double slots are made at the bottom of the legs and along the edge of the seat and a belt is threaded through them.

What do you do with old furniture?

A do-it-yourself folding chair is an indispensable portable piece of furniture that will be appreciated not only by hunters, fishermen, outdoor enthusiasts, but also by owners of summer cottages, small apartments, as well as everyone who is used to comfort anywhere. Folded, it is very convenient in storage and transportation, as it practically does not take up space. Making a folding chair is quite simple, even for those who do not have the appropriate education and experience with wood. Step-by-step instruction and drawings will be a good help for beginners.

Preparation of tools and selection of materials

In order to make a folding chair with your own hands, you will need a minimum set of carpentry tools and fixtures, which for the most part are available in any household. The list includes:

  • saws for wood (set);
  • clamps;
  • building corner;
  • screwdriver (screwdrivers);
  • grinding machine;
  • chisel;
  • office pencil.


After selecting the right tool, you should decide on the type of wood from which a home-made folding chair will be built. When choosing, pay attention to some nuances. Pine is a fairly soft wood, the easiest to process, and also has a relatively small weight. However, the product made from it is less durable, as it loosens up the fastest, and it has to be constantly tightened. Birch is undoubtedly stronger, but the chair will turn out to be much heavier. The cheapest option, but at the same time quite acceptable, is to make a chair using plywood instead of boards.

Having chosen wood, proceed to the procurement of components, focusing on the drawing.

Making a chair in this master class will be made from birch. For the construction of the structure you will need:

  • bars for legs measuring 47x4x2 cm (4 pieces);
  • crossbars under the seat measuring 32x4x2 cm (4 pieces);
  • two false legs measuring 32x4x2 cm;
  • bars for making the seat (4 pieces) 35 cm long and 2 cm wide. Moreover, one pair of them should be 9 cm wide, and the other 6 cm.

To assemble a homemade chair, you will need fasteners:

  • 6 bolts with a diameter of 0.6 cm and a total length with a cap of not more than 4 cm;
  • self-tapping screws up to 5 cm.

As a result, we should get a compact and comfortable folding chair-stool.

Construction assembly

Before assembly, carefully consider the drawings and study the assembly technology. The direct manufacture of the chair should begin with the placement of axial bolts on its legs. Moreover, this axis should not be located strictly in the center, but shifted slightly upwards. Otherwise, the chair will be tall and have questionable stability. It is important not to forget that when the parts are connected, the fastener caps must be flush.

Next, bolt the upper ends of the legs and the corresponding crossbars under the seat. This must be done as the drawing shows: fix the first pair from the outside to the outer legs, the second to the inner ones.

The resulting hinged parts now need to be connected using external wide bars for the seat, while leaving overhangs of 1.5-2 cm. Next, wide bars are fixed in a certain way on the ends of the crossbars: one to the outer and the other to the ends of the inner rails. As the drawing shows, at a distance of 10 cm from the floor, it is necessary to fix overhead prolegs with self-tapping screws.

Next, place two bars in the middle. This step will require additional effort. After all, the accuracy of their installation depends on how easy and convenient it will be to unfold and fold the chair. The middle bars are attached similarly to the outer, wide ones. One for the inside rails and one for the outside.

A convenient height of the chair can be chosen by simply changing the junction of the inner bars. As a standard, they are mounted at a distance of 1.5 -2 cm from the wide bars of the seat.

The final stage

Making a folding stool using a drawing is much easier than it might seem at first glance. Besides, it's still very fast. After all, all the elements of such a portable piece of furniture are assembled using only fasteners.

For the convenience of carrying a mobile homemade seat for the seat, it can be made with a handle. To do this, you need 6-7 cm bolts, which will connect the inner crossbars with the upper end of the inner legs. And the handle itself with pre-drilled holes is installed directly during the assembly itself.

When the structure is completely ready, carefully inspect it again, if necessary, eliminate all burrs, as well as irregularities that may have appeared during work with wood. To give the chair a more aesthetic appearance and certain protective properties, it can be painted or opened several times with varnish, stain, treated with drying oil, previously sanded before that. If you want to leave it in its original form, make sure that it is not exposed to various negative factors: moisture, sudden temperature changes. If desired, on the seat of such a chair, you can make a removable pad made of soft material.

There are a lot of instructions on the Internet on how to make a folding chair with your own hands. Quite often, interesting designs come across, but for amateur craftsmen inexperienced in carpentry, their manufacture can present certain difficulties. Italian designer Leo Salom has created a folding chair that even a child can make. His creation can be seen in Figure 1.

Despite the simplicity of the design, the folding chair is very stable and durable.

designer chair

True, the Italian used for the manufacture of plywood from veneer, exotic for the northern latitudes, but it will be perfectly replaced by 20 mm birch, coniferous or combined domestic material. When making this chair with your own hands, the drawings shown in Figure No. 2 will be a good help. The list of tools required to create it is minimal. You will need:

  • jigsaw;
  • drill;
  • tape measure, ruler, pencil.

Figure 1. A folding chair from the Italian designer Leo Salom can be made independently if you use the drawings.

The most difficult thing in the process is the exact marking of all the details of the chair, so it should be approached with all seriousness. You can make paper templates and transfer the contours to plywood using them. There is another option - to apply a grid of square cells on the veneer with a pencil and draw the configuration of the blanks on them. After this operation, all the details are cut with a jigsaw.

The folding chair is equipped with two pairs of swivel joints. As their quality, you can use butterfly loops of the appropriate size, but best solution there will be hinges that will be embedded in the thickness of the plywood. They are somewhat more difficult to make, but the design with them will look more aesthetic. M10 threaded studs are best suited for hinges.

In the places of their installation in the part No. 2 marked on the drawing, 8 mm holes must be drilled. They are threaded for studs. On the rods, the thread is removed on one side. At the opposite end, a slot is made for a screwdriver. The studs are screwed into the plywood, and all structural elements are assembled together on some plane. In parts No. 1 and No. 3 of the folding chair, holes for the hinges are marked. After that, shallow holes are drilled in them, into which the studs are screwed.

The chair unfolds at the desired angle, and holes with a diameter of 30 mm are marked and drilled on part No. 3 for the fixing fangs. All surfaces are sanded, processed with drying oil, covered with stain, varnish or paint. If desired, a pad made of soft material can be attached to the seat.

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Regular variant

Figure 2. Drawing for the manufacture of a designer chair

After creating a work of design art, you will be able to make a regular chair that can be installed in the house. Despite its simplicity, this design is characterized by increased strength, although no tongue and groove joints were used in its manufacture. Her drawings are shown in Figure No. 3.

For the manufacture of the chair go:

  • bars 50 by 25 mm;
  • self-tapping screws;
  • plywood or similar boards for the back and seat;
  • glue.

If you want to upholster a chair, then stock up on foam rubber and upholstery.

From planed bars are cut:

  • 2 rear legs (A) 1150 mm each;
  • 2 front legs (B) 550 mm each;
  • 2 crossbars (B) 650 mm each;
  • 2 crossbars (G) 500 mm each;
  • the crossbar blank for the back (D) is cut to a length of 400 mm.

Before installing self-tapping screws, holes are made in the bars corresponding to the cross section of the fastener. In addition, countersinking is performed under the caps of the self-tapping screws. Glue is applied at the points of contact of the bars with each other. It will provide greater bond strength. The surfaces to be assembled are pressed tightly and tightened with fasteners. First of all, the side parts (A, B, C) are glued and pulled together. After that, the transverse elements (G and D) are mounted.

Figure 3. Scheme-drawing of the manufacture and assembly of a conventional chair

For the back of plywood, a square of 450 x 450 mm is cut out. The seat is made from a 700 x 500 mm rectangle. From the side of the rear legs, grooves are cut in the seat corresponding to their cross section. Both the back and the seat are screwed to the chair with self-tapping screws. Before that, glue is applied to the contact surfaces. To fix the backrest, you need 9 screws, and for the seat - 12.

If desired, you can upholster the chair with some material. The upholstery on the back of the back can be masked with an overlay made of thin plywood or fiberboard. Well, if you have a milling machine, then all the edges of the chair can be given a more presentable rounded look.

The wood of the structure is best treated with antiseptics and moisture-resistant impregnations, and then coated with varnish or enamel.