The other day while browsing one of my favourite websites (Apartment Therapy), a particular post got my attention, a post on an unusual “garbage find”.
Someone found an Eames chair left out on the curb on garbage day! I can’t believe it, imagine. Alright, I admit, the idea of collecting other people’s “trash” isn’t too appealing but to be fair, it’s an awesome chair and it’s not like it’s actual smelly garbage or anything… just a chair that was probably considered excess (and in poor shape).
Ok, back to the point.
While looking at a picture of this “mess” (the chair was in bad shape and in pieces) it suddenly struck my how simple the construction of this thing really was. I got to thinking: “I bet I could build one… if only I could bend the plywood”… well bending plywood is not exactly a daily thing for me (neither is building furniture) but I’m gonna give it a shot anyway.
I went to the local lumber yard and bought a very thin 6mm (1/4 inch) thickness plywood sheet which I will attempt to turn into a quasi Eames chair for my little girl (she will be 1 year old on Nov 30th!). If it succeeds I’m pretty sure she’ll be the only one with a mini-Eames.
Bending plywood (as far as I could figure out) is done in 1 of 3 ways:
- steam the plywood and squash it in a mold once it becomes plyable
- soak the plywood overnight and squash it… blah blah blah
- build it up layer by layer using veneer sheets, in a mold, to the desired shape
I don’t have a workshop or patience to hunt down adequate (cheap, soft) veneer sheets to build it up layer by layer… I also don’t want to build a steam chamber for a single (or few) projects… because I don’t have a workshop. MY WORKSHOP is my attic. I’m lucky enough to have a bit of attic space above my apartment (which I hope to renovate into a 2nd floor some day) where I can make a mess!
Anyway, to keep this post to a reasonable length… I’ll stop now. I’m going to take pictures regardless of the outcome, I hope you will see a beautiful little chair but I have a feeling you will see a lot of soggy plywood instead. Keep your fingers crossed.
PS: If this actually works, maybe we can think of other plywood furniture to do in mini-specs.
PPS: I hope to start on this soon but it might be a little while since we have to organize Petra’s first birthday
Good idea. I hope it works. By the way, Corian is easily bent with heat! Just a thought…:)
A good thought!
I’m going to check it out. I plan on giving the plywood a shot anyway since I paid for it (about $10) but if that fails miserably, I’ll look into Corian.
Have you worked with it much? I see on your site that you do kitchen design, I imagine you’ve seen all kinds of materials.
I specify it regularly but haven’t worked with it. I am surrounded by it all the time e.g counters, lights, works of art etc. It is pricey though…
I’ve been trying to do this for about a year with the same chair and this be what I found out
1) you are gonna suffer
2) your gonna need 1/8 sheets and later them
3) plywood is cross patterned
4) lots of glue
5) foam about $100.00
6) leather. That’s one full hide about $140.00
7) steam box ( use foamboard sheet and nails $30.00
8) steamer $45.00
9) parts from old chair
10) staple gun
11) and lots of time
I love the ingenuity however, I found out that a version of the eames chair is available for kids. And it’s affordable. I’m no DIY mom so it’s perfect for me!