An Old Chair - The Inspiration
My brother had a kitchen table and four chairs that he no longer wanted, and since I liked the pattern in the backs, I took them home and stored them in my shed. They were very unique, with a flower pattern, but they were also quite worn out. I couldn’t throw them out, but I also had no use for an extra table and chairs until I envisioned them next to my X; My X shaped bar that is, the project that I’ve been busting my tail on all summer long.
After thinking about how I could recycle the design far too much, I finally caved in to my design side and found a use for the decorated backs as part of new bar stools.
Chair Padding Covered with Leather
I started my project by removing the seat portion of the chair and covering it with leather from a long worn out leather coat. The coat had seen better days long ago, but it contained enough good material to cover the seat. I stretched the material tight, and used small tacks to secure it.
Cutting the Legs with a Radial Arm Saw and a Jig
I ran into some trouble when I was cutting the back legs. The first problem was the angle I had chosen. The angle was about 20 Degrees, and my Radial Arm Saw will only cut down to a 45 Degree angle, so I had to use a jig to accommodate the cut. The second problem I had related to the way in which the blade cuts unevenly as the blade is moved through the wood. I worked through this problem by placing the board on an angle to the base, which made the cut even.
The Difficult Parts
After cutting the legs, I used a hack saw to separate the flower design from the rest of the metal chair. A little flat black paint matched the back to the base, at which point the whole project became very easy.
Finished Bar Stool
I made the legs 26″ inches to provide an optimal seating height for my bar, and made the back the same length. I counter-sunk coarse 1/2 inch dry-wall screws to hold the pieces together. The project was finished up with some birch stain to match the bar top.
Now, If I could someday finish the trim on this X shaped bar, I’d be very happy indeed.
