Shopsmith Forums

I've seen these around but I had never got around to making one until today.

No fine woodworking required. I guess you could be I didn't get at all fancy just made it out of construction lumber.

I might want to make a curved section at the top and I might want to arc the feet but I'm not sure yet. More then likely I use it for a while then decide what changes from this design I want to make and then do another one.
Ed

So simple, I love it.

I like the look of these and your workmanship is, as usual impeccable. Before I make one for myself, however,I'd be interested in a review of this design after you have had a chance to use it a few times. My concern would be that the feet would tend to sink in the ground.

While some have claimed that these chair have been around for a long time, ie thousands of years to hundreds of years the best guess that this version comes from a scouting book in the 1920's.

I personally came in contact with the design at a hunting and fishing expo where the chairs were used by a group that did reenactment of the early hunting and trapping done here in IL. They claimed that cotton wood would have been used back then for the chairs but who knows for sure.

I have since seen them other places and from what I have read this is a scouting thing. I was not able to find the original scouting plans but there are plenty of ideas on the web under various name like "plank chair" "bog chair", "viking chair" and the likes. Lots of variations including a south and or western African versions.

I'm sure that almost any plan will get you to the basic design. The very basics are a plank that is nominal 2x12x96. Construction lumber is what I used and it feels a bit heavier then I think it needs to be. I don't think nominal 1 x stock would be strong enough but on my next version I think I will plane down the stock to an actual 1-1/4" to see how that feels.

You have the choice of how long the pieces will be and where the slot is cut so the angle can be changed as well as how high you set(with in reason). You might want to go to longer stock if you are taller and want the seat height to be higher. If you want to make it more portable then thinner and shorter might be in order. You can also do cut outs to lighten things or possibly dish out the wood.

My best guess in response to the sinking in question is yes it will sink in and especially when things are wet or on sandy soil. This may how ever stabilize the chair so it might have a plus side. I don't find it that it is all the tipsy but I did read that some thought so....

For me it is pretty much a cheap to do toy at this point in time. I can see making a second one for the fun of it and then maybe make one for the wife. I don't want to get into the business of making these but I was wondering about a child sized version and maybe using 1 x stock for that.

Gardening is still taking up a lot of my time so the future of this is still in the future. Might want to put some sort of finish on it or maybe just leave in natural and keep it indoors except when in use.

If other have made these please share what you have done and any tips that might be of use to other here.

I do have to admit I did not use the shopsmith on this project but I'm sure one could if they wanted to. I went the circular saw, jig saw, belt sander, hand chisel, rasp, and drill with bit tool collection.

Ed

Decades ago a neighbor of my parents made a few chairs like this for the beach at their cabin (very rocky and tilted shore). The chairs would tip especially after a couple cabin strength libations, funny how that happens...

I added some conduit strap connectors to the back of the legs on each side, then slipped some rebar in there and hammered it into the beach (I'm sure spikes would have been just fine but I had the rebar). The chairs became semi permanent (until Fall when they were pulled apart and taken to the storage shed) so I think it defeated part of their purpose as easily movable and portable chairs, but it did solve the stability problem (though maybe less alcohol would have done the same thing - but where's the fun in that>

Be well,
Ben

For camping I have something similar, but it is manufactured in Maine and also cost more $$$. It is the Byer Camp Chair and the seat section pulls out and is stored in the back of the backrest. Linky: https://www.byerofmaine.com/products/pa ... unger.html

S Brian wrote:For camping I have something similar, but it is manufactured in Maine and also cost more $$$. It is the Byer Camp Chair and the seat section pulls out and is stored in the back of the backrest. Linky: https://www.byerofmaine.com/products/pa ... unger.html

When did Maine move to the highlands of Vietnam?

JPG wrote:

S Brian wrote:For camping I have something similar, but it is manufactured in Maine and also cost more $$$. It is the Byer Camp Chair and the seat section pulls out and is stored in the back of the backrest. Linky: https://www.byerofmaine.com/products/pa ... unger.html

When did Maine move to the highlands of Vietnam?

When I bought mine many years ago, it was maid in Maine. I did not read the info at the web site when I copied the link last night.

Got out the trusty jig saw and rounded the very top of the chair today.
I then got out my plane and made some shavings.
While making the shavings I decided to do a little work on the front leg.
Followed by some work on the back leg.
Then I sat back and rested.

Ed

I finished this project a while back but I don't think I ever posted a picture of the finished version. I've been using it so it has some new dents and dings but since this was construction lumber to start with and I did not plane it to remove flaws and this was all because it is after all a chair to be used outdoors. Fine furniture isn't but I like it better now that it was sanded down and smooth with some finish on it.
I'm already planning a version 2 that will be lighter and more portable, not going to be for a while yet but sometime.

Ed