Thursday, October 1, 2009

Curves in Action

I realized that I haven't shown the final results of the curved stretchers. This is the chair that I brought along on my trip to show the class and to discuss with Brian.


















I learned a lot on this one and am looking forward to working more with the curved stretchers. Having the curve between the front legs offers a number of benefits, mainly that the sitter can slide their legs under the seat. In doing so, the center of gravity shift towards the rear which naturally reclines the chair. Also, sitting in this position puts the feet closer to the contact point of the rocker and floor, which allows the sitter to push the rocker with less motion. And finally, if the sitter is shorter, having their legs under the seat allows them to extent their toes to the floor to rock.

























When I make my next chair like this (very soon), I'll detail the measuring and drilling techniques that I use to get it together.



2 comments:

Angostura Bitters said...

A very graceful rocker! Wowsers, I love the idea of "reliefing" the space underneath with the front stretcher curved like you did. I personally have not seen this sort of thing before but I'm no expert. I think it's a great touch, tho, and it is a nice aesthetic line, too. bravo.

adam

Peter Galbert said...

Adam,
Thanks! There is a type of stretcher called crinoline that curves in at the front and is connected to the rear legs by two short stretchers. I decided to forgo this design because the rear legs need more support in a rocker and besides that, it didn't really work with the rest of the design. Thanks for taking the time to comment,
Pete