Amanda Kressler: Rocket Chair February 2012

Rocket Chair Progress

I was inspired by faceted objects, and wanted to further progress my fractal bowls and table. I used images like this for my inspiration.

I came up with a few sketches and liked where this idea was headed.

A bit more sketching.

A stronger idea of what I wanted to build.

The next step was to build small models. This was one of the first ones I made

There were too many small angles to work at 1/8 scale so I moved to 1/4 scale.

My 1/8 scale model and 1/4 scale model together.

More progress on figuring out how the chair will look.

Finalized model form.

I covered and painted the model to see how it would potentially look with fabric.

Front.

Side.

Back.

I then had to move to a full scale model.

Testing the seat height and angles.

I cut out shapes and made cardboard panels to create the outer shape of the chair. Here I am working.

Going off the shape and design of the small model to create the larger one.

One side finished! Here I am testing out how it looks and feels with a person in it.

I then took the cardboard panels from my full scale model and used them as templates. I cut, grinded, and welded metal strips together to form the outer lines of the shapes.

I then welded the different panels to each other. Here I am working on the back piece of the chair.

Very excited about the beginning of a very large project!

I used the model that I built as a reference to make sure that the metal panels went to the proper places.

Here is the back side of the chair completed!

I attached it back to the model and began working on the sides.

Here I am welding the pieces together. I tack welded all of the pieces together so that they would stay in place and then I later went back and made stronger welds.

The outer shell is finished! Here I am testing it out with the model still inside.

The shell alone.

Front side.

Back.

Close up of the welds.

Another shot of the welds.

This is the seat frame that I built. I was testing to see if it would fit.

Very happy to see that it did fit!

The next step was to grind, bondo, and sand the outside.

Sanding away the bondo.

Sanded down!

I then webbed the seating frame and attached springs for the base.

Stringing the springs together so they all stay in place. This helps to distribute the weight and makes the springs move together when sat on.

I had to add an angle along the seat for comfort.

The next step was to cut out the panels to be used in the outer shell.

I tested to see that all of the shapes fit into place. I labeled them all to make sure they wouldn't get mixed up.

I had to test how to hold the panels into place inside the chair.

I decided to create clamps that would allow me to screw the panels into place. This meant that I would have to put additional wooden blocks on all of the panels in the right spots!

These are all of the panels in places with drawing as to where the wooden blocks would have to go in order to line up.

I then welded the clamps into place and then I had to figure out how the front panels would be attached.

I drilled holes into strips of metal so the panels would have something to connect to.

Here is one of the many panels. Before upholstering it, I placed screws through it in the same places as the holes in the metal frame of the chair. When putting the chair together, the screws had to line up with the holes for the panels to fall into place.

Testing to make sure the seat still fit with the new inside frame.

The next step was to paint!

Here is the chair primed and ready for its final black coats.

Now that the frame was finished, it was time to get to work on all of the panels!! Here is a photo of the amazing giant grey leather hide that my professor gave to me!