Knock down kids chair prototype #1

[Ajcoholic]

I made this chair for my son, who is nearly 1. I want to make a similar chair sized in three varying sizes for infants, toddlers and little kids.

12mm Baltic Birch. No hardware, the back and seat press through the sides, and then with a light tap slide back and down (seat and back respectively).

Very secure, sturdy and should be relatively cheap.

I am trying to design and line of kids tables, chairs, etc for a local store.

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j307/ajcoholic/IMG_0849.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j307/ajcoholic/IMG_0850.jpg

[mtylerfl]

Thanks for showing us that. Very nice project!

[Ajcoholic]

Thanks!

Here is my son, Joseph, enjoying his new seat. :)

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j307/ajcoholic/Josephsnewchair.jpg

I actually hand cut the first prototype, just from scrap 1/2" ply on the band saw. Sat Joe in the chair, and then changed some measurements to better suit him. Then drew it up in Aspire. Pretty quick to do... God I love having this new CNC capability in my woodworking shop!

AJC

And me and Joseph :)

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j307/ajcoholic/meandJoe2-1.jpg

[B. Pile]

Nice chair AJ.looks like a project that will get lots of use.
And a fine looking young man and future shopbotter i'm
sure. Enjoy every moment with him they grow up fast.

Best Buster

[Brady Watson]

AJ - Looks great! I can see a rocker variant with a few clicks of the mouse...

-B

[Ajcoholic]

AJ - Looks great! I can see a rocker variant with a few clicks of the mouse...

-B

I took a couple of the chairs today, to the local childrens store (private, higher end kids stuff). The owner was pretty cool with the chair, and the first thing she asked was can I do a rocker :)

I will be making a little larger chair, and a rocker to match. I dont think making a rocker for a 1 yr old is too good of an idea.. more for a 2 to 3 yr old.

AJC

[bleeth]

Not in any way wanting to rain on a parade (very cool design) but look out when vending kids furniture. Liability is heck. Kids rockers in particular have spawned tons of lawsuits.

[Ajcoholic]

Not in any way wanting to rain on a parade (very cool design) but look out when vending kids furniture. Liability is heck. Kids rockers in particular have spawned tons of lawsuits.

According to my business liability insurance, I should be OK with childrens furniture... but will check my policy & talk to my insurance agent. I carry a pretty higher end policy, due to the variety of work I do in residential and some commercial furniture, cabinets and millwork. But I know certain things, like cribs, are not covered under my present policy.

AJC

PS today I spoke to my insurance broker (who owns the company I have dealt with for my business insurance for over 20 yrs) who assured me, unless I start making high chairs, cribs or similar - I am OK. Children size tables, regular height chairs and rocking chairs are no prob. I dont plan to do these on more than an informal basis - but there does seem to be a demand here for better made stuff other than the MDF made in China stuff that's flooded the marketplace.

[Ajcoholic]

Last evening I did up the files for a second chair - for toddlers. The seat is one inch deeper than the infant chair, and the legs one inch taller (so the seat is 1" taller). Also did up a rocker based on the toddler size chair, for 2 to 3 yr olds.

Also some samples of lacquer over red, green, yellow, blue and orange NGR stain.

Now I need a table!

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j307/ajcoholic/IMG_0328.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j307/ajcoholic/IMG_0329.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j307/ajcoholic/IMG_0330.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j307/ajcoholic/IMG_0331.jpg

AJC

[gundog]

Those are cool can I ask how the seat is locked in place so it does not slide forward? It looks like if you built another tenon like the others you used for the back to slide into the seat it would lock in place and be held together by gravity. Maybe it is built that way and I just can't tell.

I like making stuff like this by using tenon type joinery and not using fasteners.

Mike

[nat_wheatley]

AJ,

Looks great, thanks for posting. I particularly like the rocker.

[steve_g]

Andrew

Here's a table that sees constant use around here... as do several dozen I sold before the USA laws to protect us from harmful Chinese imports put all mom and pop manufacturers out of business! It' not KD except that the legs are bolted on with connector bolts

Steve

[Ajcoholic]

Those are cool can I ask how the seat is locked in place so it does not slide forward? It looks like if you built another tenon like the others you used for the back to slide into the seat it would lock in place and be held together by gravity. Maybe it is built that way and I just can't tell.

I like making stuff like this by using tenon type joinery and not using fasteners.

Mike

Mike,
The Baltic Birch I get is slightly oversize (12mm nominal). My cut outs are exactly 12mm on the drawing, and measured with vernier calipers, the Bot' cuts them exactly 12mm. After I cut out the parts (I am using a down spiral 1/4" bit in two passes currently) I pass them through my wide belt sander one pass each side. It is very accurate, you can sand easily to within a few thousands of an inch. I sand to where the plywood is a very snug fit. When you assemble the chair, you have to give the parts a light tap to get them to slide home.

I do have a 1/4" dowel pin in the rear of the seat, which engauges into a 5/16" hole in the back. That way, when you repeatedly grab the back by the handle hole, it cannot over time climb up in the slots. I cant see the seat sliding forward unless you intentialy grab it and pull it ahead.

However, these are just the first prototypes... subject to change. Some of our friends will be getting them shortly, and their kids will give them the "rough and tumble" test :)

Although my primary business is furniture, cabinets etc - I have always enjoyed making things such as this for gifts, and just to bring ideas I have in my head to real life.

This is where this new CNC machine is really allowing me to bring ideas I have to reality QUICKLY. Before, it might take me months or even years to sit down, and draw up patterns, make templates, etc... Now I can draw something up in an evening and within minutes cut it out. Awesome!

AJC

[Ajcoholic]

Andrew

Here's a table that sees constant use around here... as do several dozen I sold before the USA laws to protect us from harmful Chinese imports put all mom and pop manufacturers out of business! It' not KD except that the legs are bolted on with connector bolts

Steve

Steve,
That looks fantastic! It is too bad you cannot make a quality piece of child size furniture and be able to sell it in the US... that is a shame. What I do see here in the stores (like from Sears, Wallmart, etc) is basically junk. There are some better quality stuff sold in private name stores - but the kids furniture is either very pricey for the really good stuff, or still not what I would consider "great", ie, made from MDF and using the typical KD screws and inserts, etc.

AJC

[dan_nelson]

check out greg smiths version of the kd rocker its one of the best designs Ive seem for ease of cutting for a long time

[Ajcoholic]

I cant find anything on "Greg Smith" when I do a search...

AJC

edit: never mind, I found the post on the rocking chair.. 3/4MDF one.

[dan_nelson]

AJC look under the (project ideas) listing on the main page of the forum .half way down the page is his post

[genek]

Supper nice... Would you share the pattern.. Would love to cut those for my two nephews, and my sisters grand baby if you do send it to me in a dxf file.. My e-mail address is eking1953@yahoo.com

[Ajcoholic]

Here is today's project... a kids bench - based on the chair of course.

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j307/ajcoholic/IMG_0869.jpg

[Ajcoholic]

Supper nice... Would you share the pattern.. Would love to cut those for my two nephews, and my sisters grand baby if you do send it to me in a dxf file.. My e-mail address is eking1953@yahoo.com

Eugene,
Are you referring to my chairs, or to the rocker of Greg Smith's?

Id share with you if you want my file. :)

[Ajcoholic]

Infant size

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j307/ajcoholic/IMG_0870.jpg

[Ajcoholic]

Here is a chair I made up today, for friends that just had their first baby today (a boy).

My wife called me at work, and asked me to make up a chair to give them. Less than 1/2 hour later...

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j307/ajcoholic/IMG_0873.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j307/ajcoholic/IMG_0872.jpg

I just used some of my artists acrylic to highlight the letters and block outlines.

A much nicer gift than some plastic toy from Walmart... :)

AJC

[Ajcoholic]

Got the child size (3 to 4 yrs old) chair cut.

Here are the three sizes... for infants, toddlers and children.

If any teenagers want one I'll scale it up some more and go to 3/4" material ;)

AJC

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j307/ajcoholic/IMG_0875.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j307/ajcoholic/IMG_0876.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j307/ajcoholic/IMG_0874.jpg

[danhamm]

Daddy bear, Mama bear and Baby bear...sorry thats what popped into mind seeing them lined up..
Its hard to believe your only into it for a month or so..I usually spend the evenings designing "whatever" then in a few days end up with ...many...
variations "cause thats the way the mind works...anyhow..Nice stuff
enjoy your posts..

[steve_g]

Andrew

I made my grand kids a computer desk that will grow with them... you could make a chair with different slots to assemble at different heights.

Steve

[genek]

One suggestion on the rocker.. If you design the rocker with an anti roll over on the rocker part.. Would make it safer. How you do that is at the end put a ball on end of rocker. This limits how far the can rock back and forth...
Look at some of the old rocking horses.. They had arrows, ball etc on end.

[Ajcoholic]

One suggestion on the rocker.. If you design the rocker with an anti roll over on the rocker part.. Would make it safer. How you do that is at the end put a ball on end of rocker. This limits how far the can rock back and forth...
Look at some of the old rocking horses.. They had arrows, ball etc on end.

The recurve in the rocker does the same thing.

[Ajcoholic]

Here is Jude, in his new chair ;)

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j307/ajcoholic/JudesChair.jpg

[myxpykalix]

Well i guess like his shoes and socks....he'll grow into the chair!:D

[khalid]

Great work.. I really love to make one for my newly born baby "Princess Samawia"..

[Ajcoholic]

If anyone wants to cut one of the infant chairs (the small one) here is the DXF file. To make the toddler and child size just size up the depth of the seat and the height of the seat off the ground.

AJC

[Klaas]

I downloaded your chair DXF and thanks
I might try one. I enjoy your posts.
Klaas

[myxpykalix]

Andrew, You're making this way too easy for us! :D thanks

[Ajcoholic]

Andrew, You're making this way too easy for us! :D thanks

No problem Jack... If I see them in Walmart in a few months, though, I want a percentage ;)

Ive made a number of these for our friends in the past weeks and everyone we know who has kids really like them.

The DXF I posted should be the last version I did, with 12mm material dont forget. If you use different thickness material youll have to adjust the tabs and slots.

AJC

[khalid]

Hi Andrew,
Thank you for sharing the chair with us:)... Also thank you for mentioning the thickness of the material.. Not asking more but i have 3-year old son too..if i made a chair for the new born princess, he will fight with her:D is it possible:)

[gc3]

thx for the file!

[Ajcoholic]

Hi Andrew,
Thank you for sharing the chair with us:)... Also thank you for mentioning the thickness of the material.. Not asking more but i have 3-year old son too..if i made a chair for the new born princess, he will fight with her:D is it possible:)

You should be able to easily scale up the drawing to whatever size you want...

For a 3 yr old I would deepen the seat about 1 1/2", raise the seat height about 2" and widen up the seat and back 2".

AJC

[khalid]

Thank You Andrew for all your great work and suggestion for modification.
Please keep posting the udates and new work:)

[ironsides]

Andrew,
How are you adding your large pictures to your posts without them being "Thumbnail Attachments"?

George

[Ajcoholic]

Andrew,
How are you adding your large pictures to your posts without them being "Thumbnail Attachments"?

George

George, I use "photo bucket" - a free website where you can host pictures. I have been using it since 2005 to host photos. Works great, easy to use and free. Once you load a photo to the site you get a link that you cut and paste into any "forum reply" and it automatically links to the photo.

AJC

[ironsides]

Thanks Andrew. I shall try that next time.

George

[Ajcoholic]

Well, since I had a number of requests, and I am a nice guy (debatable! ;) ) here are the DXF file for the two sizes up kid's chairs... the toddler (medium) and the childs (largest) for kids ages 2-3 and 3 on up respectively.

Again, the files are made for 12mm Baltic Birch plywood.

Enjoy!

AJC

[myxpykalix]

Well, since I had a number of requests, and I am a nice guy (debatable! )

Well i think you're a nice guy...regardless of what they all say about you:rolleyes:

Thanks, that's just more projects that i'll probably never get around to cutting! But when i do, i'll know where they are...:D

[khalid]

Well, since I had a number of requests, and I am a nice guy (debatable! ;) )

Thanks and you are a nice guy no debate....:) Can you share the twin chair in POST19

[Ajcoholic]

Thanks and you are a nice guy no debate....:) Can you share the twin chair in POST19

OK you twisted my arm enough... ;) I just have to copy it off my work computer and onto this one. I use my macbook for internet, my pc for the shopbot and drawings...

should have it for you tomorrow...

AJC

[khalid]

Andrew, I ask because i am not creative and innovative like you.. Pardon me if i said something wrong:(

I wish and hope you will share your creativity in future too:rolleyes:

[Ajcoholic]

Andrew, I ask because i am not creative and innovative like you.. Pardon me if i said something wrong:(

I wish and hope you will share your creativity in future too:rolleyes:

No you didnt say anything wrong.. :) I was trying to be funny - something got lost in translation.

Will post the file later on tonight.. I have my work computer home and will do it after supper.

AJC

[Ajcoholic]

Here are both the infant size, and the toddler size. I never did (yet) a kids size...

Now you have all my files except the rocker. You guys can handle that one :)

AJC

[khalid]

Here are both the infant size, and the toddler size. I never did (yet) a kids size...

Andrew, thank you very much for the generosity:)



Now you have all my files except the rocker. You guys can handle that one :)

AJC
This is again debatable:D;)

[Ajcoholic]

I got an idea to improve the design... hope I can find time to work on it this week and I will post some updated pics.

AJC

[khalid]

I got an idea to improve the design... hope I can find time to work on it this week and I will post some updated pics.

AJC
Thank you Andrew for updates on this thread