Lynnette
Lockwood
Frank Lloyd Wright Robbie Chair
Tech
Writing Assignment 2
10-27-14
Frank Lloyd Wright was
considered one of the most important architects of the 20th century.
He designed multiple complicated architectural wonders believing that living
quarters and the contents within should flow with nature. He designed furniture
too. One of his creations was the Robie Chair. It was stained or had a natural
cherry structure with simple straight lines; the texture and the natural grains
of the wood were enhanced, and were not ornate. Each chair was specially
designed per customer and limited in production and generally the seat was
upholstered in red The measurements of the chair in inches is 15 ¾’’seat depth,
18” seat width, 52” chair back height and 18” front leg height (Bueno, P,
2003).
The
tools you need for this project are:
Pencil
Circular
saw or table saw
Hammer
Measuring
tape
Level
Sand
paper (120 lbs grit)
Jig
saw
Staple
gun
Sewing
shears
Wood
glue
Square
Wood
clamps
Wood
chisel
Drill
Plane
sander
1/8”
drill bit
Hand
saw
Safety
glasses
The
materials you need for this project are:
·
Stain
with applicator (optional)
·
Eight
3/8 screws
Cherry
wood
·
Seven
6’x 6’’
Plywood ¾’’
·
One
piece 15 ¾’’x 18’’(chair seat)
Red
upholstery fabric
·
One
piece 32’’x ¾ yd. (chair seat cover). This is the measurement that the fabric
will come on the bolt but will need to be cut later to size.
Foam
padding
·
One
-15.75’’x 18’’(chair seat padding)
·
Two
-12’’x ¼” dowels
·
Four
-3/8’’x 1” screws (attach seat to frame)
·
One
package of 3/8”staples or upholstery tacks
Prepare:
(All from cherry wood)
Two
– 52’’x 1.8’’(outside slats of back rest)
·
Nine
- 46 ¾’’x 1.8’’(middle back slats)
·
One
- 16.2’’ x 3 ¾’’(back top board)
·
Four
- 15 ¾’’x 1.8”(seat frame)
·
Two
– 15 ¾’’x 3 ¾’’(side seat trim)
·
One
– 18’’x 3 ¾’’(front seat trim)
·
Two
– 18’’x 1.8’’(front legs)
·
One
- 16.2’’x 1.8’’(low rear back brace)
·
Two
- 12.15’’x 1.8’’ (side leg braces)
1 
Measure two cherry wood board’s
52’’x 1.8’’. Using your square mark it with a pencil. Use a circular or table saw
and cut. This will be the two outside slats of the chair back. You will have
20” left of these boards unused. Save the end piece of these boards for other
parts of the chair.
52’’
1.8’’
2.
Measure
nine cherry board’s 46 ¾ x 1.8’’. Use your square mark with a pencil. Use a
circular saw and cut. If available, you will find it easier to use a table saw
preset at 1.8”. Use sandpaper to sand edges until smooth. These will be the
middle back slats.
46
¾’’
1.8’’
3.
Using the 20’’cherry board, left from
cutting the slats, measure and cut one, 16.2’’x 3 ¾ ’’. Use your square mark
with a pencil. Use a circular or table saw and cut. Use sandpaper to sand edges
until smooth. This will be the back rest top board.
3 ¾ ’’
16.2’’
4.
Using the 20” cherry board, left from
cutting the slats, measure and cut four, 15 ¾’’x 3 ¾’’. Use your square mark
with a pencil. Use a circular or table saw and cut. Use sandpaper to sand edges
until smooth. These pieces are the seat trim.
15 ¾ ’’
5.
Using the 20” cherry wood board, left from
cutting the slats, measure and cut two, 18’’ x 1.8’’. Use your square mark with
a pencil. Use a circular or table saw and cut. Use sandpaper to sand edges
until smooth. These pieces will be your two front legs.
18’’
1.8’’
6.
Using the 20” cherry wood board, left from
cutting the slats, measure and cut one, 16.2’’
x 1.8’’. Use your square mark with a pencil. Use a circular or table saw and
cut. Use sandpaper to sand edges until smooth. This will be your rear back
brace.
1.8’’
16.2’’
7.
Using the 20” cherry wood board, left from
cutting the slats, measure and cut two, 12.15’’x 1.8’’. Use your square mark
with a pencil. Use a circular or table saw and cut. Use sandpaper to sand edges
until smooth. This will be your two side leg braces.
12.15’’
1.8’’
8. Measure
a piece of plywood 15 ¾’’x 18’’. Using your square mark with a pencil. Use a
circular or table saw to cut out the shape. Use sand paper to sand the edges
until smooth. This will be your seat for the chair.
15 ¾’’
18’’
9.
Measure a piece of foam 15
¾ ’’x 18’’. Use your square mark with a pencil. Use sewing scissors to cut the
shape.
15 ¾’’
18’’
10.
Measure the red upholstery fabric 18”x 20”.
You may need to adjust the size of the fabric depending upon the thickness of
the foam you have selected for the seat. Use your square mark with a pencil.
Use sewing scissors to cut out the shape.
18’’
20’’
11.
Place the foam on top of the piece of
pre-cut plywood. Then place the piece of pre-cut fabric over the foam. Pull the
fabric tightly and fold to the underside of the plywood until there are no
wrinkles. Flip the seat over to the underside and using a staple gun or upholstery
tacks to attach the fabric to the plywood board.
12.
Mark on the underside edge of the back
rest top board with a pencil to coordinate where each dowel will go and where
each slat will go. Drill a hole in the center of the 11 slats on each end using
the 1/8” drill bit. Then drill 11 corresponding holes in the bottom of the rear
back brace.
3.
Measure 11 dowel pieces 1’’ long. Cut out
with a circular or table saw. Use sandpaper to sand until edges are smooth.
14.
Place wood glue in the bottom of the
drilled holes on the back top board. Hammer the dowel pieces into the holes
that were drilled into the slats.
15.
Using the wood clamp; clamp the back rest
board to the dowel to hold in place until dry. Repeat process until all slats
are glued, doweled and dry. Wait at least 24 hours before removing the clamp.
Repeat the process on the low rear back brace.
16.
Measure
18’’ from the bottom of the chair. Drill two holes into the plywood that line
up with the two outside slats. Measure two dowel pieces 1’’ long. Cut out with a
circular or table saw. Use sandpaper to sand until smooth.
18’’
17.
Drill two corresponding holes into the
chair seat that line up with the two outside slats. Measure and cut two 1’’
dowels. Hammer the dowel pieces into the holes that were drilled into the chair
seat.
18.
Put
wood glue on the top of the dowel in the seat and put dowel into the holes on the
slats.
19.
Using the wood clamp; clamp the chair to
the slats to hold in place until dry. Wait at least 24 hours before removing
the clamp. Repeat on the other side.
20.
Drill two holes in the middle of low rear
back brace. Measure two dowel pieces 1’’ long. Cut out with a circular or table
saw. Use sandpaper to sand until smooth.
21.
Drill a hole into the center of the side
leg brace. Hammer the dowel piece into the holes that were drilled into the
side leg brace.
22.
Put
wood glue on the top of the dowel in the low rear back brace.
23.
Using the wood clamp; clamp them together
to hold in place until dry. Wait at least 24 hours before removing the clamp. Repeat
to other side.
24.
Drill two holes into the side rear back
brace. Measure two dowel pieces 1’’ long. Cut out with a circular or table saw.
Use sandpaper to sand until smooth.
25.
Drill two holes into the middle of the front leg
of the chair. Hammer the dowel pieces into the holes that were drilled into the
side leg brace.
26.
Put
wood glue on the top of the dowel in the side rear brace and put dowel into the
hole on the front leg.
27.
Using the wood clamp; clamp them together
to hold in place until dry. Repeat process on the other side. Wait at least 24
hours before removing the clamp.
28.
Using the eight 3/8 screws drill the seat trim
to the chair seat.
29.
Set the foam upholstery into the chair.
30.
Sit, Relax, Enjoy.
Frank Lloyd Wright was a
pioneer in the architecture world. He did create beautiful homes such as falling
water. These homes are perfect examples of art. The Robie chair is not a piece
of art in my opinion. The Robie chair is just another chair although the high
back rest is interesting.
The Campana Brothers designed
chairs that are considered pieces of art because the chairs are unique,
interesting to look at, and made out of recycled materials (Bueno, P, 2003).
If I was going to
redesign the Robie chair I would just remove the slats and replace it with a
simpler design. The slats make recreation of the chair tedious and provide an
opportunity for several areas of separation of the wood. I would consider using
modern technology in a factory to mass produce the chair on a much grand scale
if the market was available. I would make these changes because it would take
less time to make and be able to be delivered to each customer much faster.
Works Cited
Bueno, Patrisha. (2003). Just Chairs Over 600 Designs from Around
the World. New York, NY: Author
