On Fri, 1 Oct 2004 20:11:55 -0400, "Sam the Cat"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>anybody got a good book on chair design ? Looking for information on angles
>of legs, heights angles of backs etc. Must be a science to this .....
>
Do you have any in your home? in your neighbours' homes? Why not get
out the tape and bevel?
Bill.
"Bill Rogers" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Fri, 1 Oct 2004 20:11:55 -0400, "Sam the Cat"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >anybody got a good book on chair design ? Looking for information on
angles
> >of legs, heights angles of backs etc. Must be a science to this .....
> >
>
> Do you have any in your home? in your neighbours' homes? Why not get
> out the tape and bevel?
>
> Bill.
>
Nope -- we all stand where in this neighborhood
Really -- wanting to know if there is a science. I have been looking at
chairs and sometimes the back legs flair out, some times in, rarely are they
true vertical -- is any angle better that another ?
Phisherman <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:
> On Fri, 1 Oct 2004 20:11:55 -0400, "Sam the Cat"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>anybody got a good book on chair design ? Looking for information on
>>angles of legs, heights angles of backs etc. Must be a science to
>>this .....
Ergonomics, Human Factors.
"The Woodworkers Guide to Furniture Design" by Garth Graves is an
excellent source for furniture design in general and has a very good
section on customizing furniture (including seating) for folks of all
different sizes. I've got a copy of the hardbound edition, but I see it
is now out in paperback. If you plan on doing a lot of your own designs,
I highly recommend this book.
LD
>>
>
>
> There are all kinds of dimensions. The big advantage about making a
> chair is customization. Here's some guidelines for the average
> adult...
>
> Seat width: 17 to 18"
> Padding: Various
> Seat Angle: 5 to 8 degrees from horizontal
> Seat depth: 13.5 to 15"
> Seat Height: 15.5 to 17"
> Armrest Height: 8 to 10" above seat
> Back rest: 4 to 8" high and 6-7" above seat
> Angle of back rest: 20 to 25 degrees
>
> I made a settee years ago that very few people used because it cut off
> leg circulation. Later, I cut off 1.5" from the legs and now it is
> just right for the average adult.
>
>
"Sam the Cat" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:
>
> "Bill Rogers" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> On Fri, 1 Oct 2004 20:11:55 -0400, "Sam the Cat"
>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>> >anybody got a good book on chair design ? Looking for information
>> >on
> angles
>> >of legs, heights angles of backs etc. Must be a science to this
>> >.....
>> >
>>
>> Do you have any in your home? in your neighbours' homes? Why not get
>> out the tape and bevel?
>>
>> Bill.
>>
>
> Nope -- we all stand where in this neighborhood
>
> Really -- wanting to know if there is a science. I have been looking
> at chairs and sometimes the back legs flair out, some times in, rarely
> are they true vertical -- is any angle better that another ?
>
>
Recent article in Woodwork Magazine (#88, Aug 2004), Peter Presnell, on an
adjustable design in dining chairs. I thought the article was exceptional,
even in the context of a fine magazine generally. The article gave me hope
of making comfortable dining chairs that fit. One day in the future, after
I practice some bent lamination. And the veneer-thickness cutting that is
required.
I think I remember John Grew Sheridan writing a good article on a similar
topic. And Jeff Miller wrote a good project oriented book in a Taunton-
published series.
Good news: I've got all of the proper tools.
Bad news: I've not learned all of the proper skills yet.
Good news: I'm still breathing.
Patriarch
On Fri, 1 Oct 2004 20:11:55 -0400, "Sam the Cat"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>anybody got a good book on chair design ? Looking for information on angles
>of legs, heights angles of backs etc. Must be a science to this .....
>
There are all kinds of dimensions. The big advantage about making a
chair is customization. Here's some guidelines for the average
adult...
Seat width: 17 to 18"
Padding: Various
Seat Angle: 5 to 8 degrees from horizontal
Seat depth: 13.5 to 15"
Seat Height: 15.5 to 17"
Armrest Height: 8 to 10" above seat
Back rest: 4 to 8" high and 6-7" above seat
Angle of back rest: 20 to 25 degrees
I made a settee years ago that very few people used because it cut off
leg circulation. Later, I cut off 1.5" from the legs and now it is
just right for the average adult.
On Fri, 1 Oct 2004 20:11:55 -0400, "Sam the Cat"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>anybody got a good book on chair design ?
Galen Cranz has a very interesting book "The Chair" on seating. Mainly
about how we're doing it all wrong with chairs, and should sit on
almost anything else instead.
Taschen's "1000 Chairs" is well worth having, as a compendium of
styles.
As to the nuts & bolts ergonomist data, these books are commonplace
(any architecture bookshop) and damned expensive. I suggest the S/H
section of a university bookshop, where you can pick one up rather
cheaper from last year's students.
Sam the Cat said:
>Nope -- we all stand where in this neighborhood
>
>Really -- wanting to know if there is a science. I have been looking at
>chairs and sometimes the back legs flair out, some times in, rarely are they
>true vertical -- is any angle better that another ?
Well, as general guideline, I would say that splaying them inwards
towards the center of the chair would be a bad idea. ;-)
Splaying them outwards increases the chairs stability - but go too
far, and the joints to the seat frame would be under too much stress
and break. Beyond that, I think it's an eye of the beholder thing...
FWIW,
Greg G.