Thread: WIP- Squatters chair-cum-wheelbarrow

I have a stash of silky oak, recycled skirting boards which I saved from a skip during renovations at uni. The profile is pretty odd, like a square S shape, but I cut the sides off on the bandsaw, and have now dressed it all. Some nail holes to contend with, and the finished dimensions are 67 x 31mm. I have some other silky oak as well, some wider and thinner, for armrests, and some much bigger pieces for the wheel rim. I am prepared to make two wheels if the stability is dicey, which will only come from a test sitting. The other unknown at present is the actual construction of the wheel/s, if I go for separate rim segments (felloes) or steam bent rims in two halves. Apparently silky steams OK, but I haven't tried it.
Here I have roughly layed out some of the components to get an idea of angles. I'm not working from a plan, just comparing dimensions between my squatters chair and builders barrow!

Cheers, thanks for looking

Good idea!!

Hope it doesn't handle like Reliant Robin!!

This could be an interesting project to follow.

Andy Mac; Take your time I have plenty to watch.

Yep, I've found a nice comfy spot to sit back and watch this one develop as well.

out of curiosity, what's the deadline?

And the real purpose for the Wheel Barrow Chair?




So Andy can take it to the nearest watering hole have what is considered more than enough and then rely on some body to "wheel him home" after he falls asleep in the chair. The ride home will be a gentle floating sensation to which will aid slumber.

I like the idea


Back to reality....Andy I think that stability won't be a problem. It will essentially have a "tricycle under carriage" and the spread of the legs should give good stability

Hi Andy,
I love the idea of combining the two. I also will watching with the others.
Regards Rod.

We need a smillie image of pulling up a stool

Thanks for the interest folks, I'll try to keep regular updates.

Originally Posted by dr4g0nfly

out of curiosity, what's the deadline?

Relatively comfortable deadline, the piece has to be at the gallery by 26August. Building a new steam bending setup, including an adjustable backing strap could eat into that! It is something I've thought about for a while, as bending timber is fun and adds a whole new dimension.... so this could be the spur.

Just on the topic of bent wheel rims, most of the examples at work are on lighter vehicles like sulkies and buggies, and the timber (probably hickory) is roughly 40mm thick. Last week I was doing a quick scout around all the vehicles for something else, when I discovered that one of the Cobb & Co coaches has wheels made from steam bent rims, and the hardwood timber would be about 90-100mm thick and almost as wide! A real eye opener! I'll take some photos tomorrow if I remember.

Cheers,

'Evening.
Further to the wheel construction, that is felloes vs steam bent rims, I took a few photos today.
The first is a wheel we are making, which uses the usual felloe segment method. The timber is mountain ash I think, which we buy machined from Sovereign Hill. The next one is a complete wheel using the bent rim method, a light weight wheel for a sulkie. I believe the timber is hickory. The one join I have marked has a mating one 180* apart, and are usually secured by a rim plate with two bolts. The next photo is the big wheels I mentioned last night, on a Concord style coach. The rear wheel (always larger than the front) is 1450mm in diameter, and the timber measures 50mm thick by 90mm wide... not quite what I mentioned yesterday, but still an impressive bend! As an aside, note the dark band underneath the coach, stretching front to rear. That is a thorough-brace, a suspension setup made from multiple layers of leather wrapped around two eyes, basically isolating the undercarriage from the coach.

Cheers, off to the shed to cut some joints

Here's a bit of progress from tonight: marked out both leg sets and cut one angled bridle joint for a leg and its handle member, and then (bored with straight lines) I shaped the hand grip portion.
I have a couple of characters keeping an eye on proceedings, and when I stabbed my palm with the rasp and started bleeding on the timber, they sent me off, back to the house

Cheers,

Hello,
the frame is starting to take shape, and all is going reasonably smoothly. I continued with the three piece bridle joints, then tenoned the top ends of the front legs- as they are in two halves I cut double tenons to go through the arm rests. Then I layed out the back support and located it to with an almost half-lap at the bottom and a bridle joint where it meets with the rear of the arm rest.
I have been cutting the mortices by hand, and the tenons on a radial arm saw I scored some time back, but has been sitting on the floor till this morning. Great for angled laps and tenons!
After the two halves were dry fitted, I started with the cross members, simple m&t's, but I think that the front is too closed in... roughly the size of my squatters chair, but now I'm considering scrapping the two members I've cut so far, and tapering the frame? Front wider than the rear, and tapering towards the wheel.

Cheers,

Looking great so far.
Regards Rod

Pity that you have to scrap the good work done so far!

I had a play with it this afternoon, adding angled cross members to give some taper. Angled tenons, hand cut! At least the mortices are square...
While I don't mind the bigger opening/entry to the chair (and squatters chairs are low, not easy to get in and out of, so the extra space is a bonus) I think I have gone too far. The handles of the wheel barrow part are now well wider than a normal one, which makes it a bit of a reach. The other thing to consider is the canvas sling, that will need to be tapered too!

Cheers