This week, we decided to put our design and engineering skills to the test by building a wooden live hinge lounge chair. The chair is made from 3/4" plywood and has walnut end caps. We used a technique called live hinge, where you take out material in a uniform pattern, which allows the plywood to compress and then bend.
You will need a 30" x 24" piece of 3/4" plywood.
Step 2: CNC the Live Hinge.
We used the Inventables X-Carve to cut our live hinge. You could use a jig saw if you don't have access to a cnc.
We decided to attach Walnut on either end of our plywood for added interest. The walnut is 3/4" x 5" x 24". We cut a groove in the end of the plywood and a tongue in the walnut. Use clamps and glue to join them together.
At both ends of the chair you need to cut a slot that is 1/8" x 1" all the way through the walnut. You will use this slot to attach the straps later.
Cut the legs out using the build files below. You will need to make two pairs of 3/4" plywood legs. Glue two pieces together to form a thicker leg. Lastly attach the legs to the chair with glue and screws. We plugged the holes to give a seamless look.
We used a product called Waterlox to finish our chair. This is a super durable tung oil and resin infused finish.
We used 1" wide webbing straps for holding the chair up. We used rivets to attach the straps and an adjustable connector to allow you to adjust the back position.
Great project to get stuck into some large scale woodworking. Love the live hinge part!
Interesting, this live hinge concept. I like the adjustable strap idea too. Nice work.