M Chair
The M Chair is an ergonomic chair designed around simplicity. In total, it is made from two parts: a molded plywood seat and a tube-bent welded base.
Evolution of Design
In the beginning, there was form. My design was originally driven by the profile of my chair. It was then guided by material price and manufacturability, and finally ergonomics.
Preliminary profile sketches
Frame progression
“Chariables” Chair Variables
With user feedback, I was able to find the goldilocks ergonomic zone for my chair. To prevent racking, I welded a series of different cross members and experimented with different leg angles. Fish mouth cross members added noticeably more stability than butt-welded flat stock.
Process
Fabricating the chair allowed me to learn several new processes including tube bending, TIG welding, and plywood molding. In total, I formed and welded three separate chair frames to prototype the ergonomics and stability of the chair.
Chair shown: XYLO (Chair-in-a-week). Inspired by a child’s xylophone
Tube bending. “Fish mouth” cutting on the mill. TIG Welding. Bead Blasting. Buck Building. Plywood Molding.
The plywood lamination process is costly and time intensive. The M Chair is made from eight (8) sheets of maple veneer and two (2) sheet of walnut veneer to achieve the necessary strength. The materials to create molded plywood seat cost over $400 and molding required the labor of 4 people.
Thank you to my lamination crew: Frances, Stephen, and Frank.
Course
ME 263: The Chair - March 2020
Processes
Tube Bending, Mill, TIG Welding, Plywood Molding
Materials
Steel Tube, Maple + Walnut Veneer, Marine Epoxy