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  1. #1
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    Default Replicating Poang chair and footstool

    Hi All
    I want to make a replica (IKEA) Poang chair and footstool. My reason is that I wish to have the timber match other furniture I have made. I have access to a steamer, and my plan is to steam bend and glue lam. My chosen timber is Silky Oak. I’ll then just transfer the cushions from my existing chairs.

    Just putting out a call to anyone else who may have made replica Poang before, or who may wish to do likewise.
    (These will be one-offs, not made for sale, so there will be no IP concerns.)

    cheers

    Doug
    (Brisbane)
    "Nothing succeeds like a budgie without a beak!" :D

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  3. #2
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    Steam bent and glue lam are two different ways of making . The two aren't done together as one .

    A more simple solution would be to buy a chair and remove the finish back to clean raw wood and veneer a final Silky Oak top veneer to each side . That may save HEAPS, maybe 150 to 200 hours work for a newbie and the only difference is the stuff on the side which you colour match before polish . They are beech which is a favorite timber in traditional chair making and a favorite for doing fake woodgrain and colour jobs on back in the old days. It suits such work .

    Otherwise if making new ones and your glue laminating like the originals are .

    Or attempting to Steam bend for the first time . Put up lots of pictures.

    We like a good show !


  4. #3
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    Hi Auscab
    I have thought this through and, whilst I could add an outer laminate, I’ve made the decision to construct the pieces from scratch. I have the time.
    I have no experience with steam bending and so this project is a learning exercise.
    "Nothing succeeds like a budgie without a beak!" :D

  5. #4
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    May 2003
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    Central Coast, NSW
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    Default

    My concern here is your choice of timber. The Poang chairs are made of birch (not beech). Birch is a springy timber with long grain and ideal for bending. Moreover, it’s able to withstand the forces applied to the corners of the Poang chair which are pretty extreme.

    Silky oak is a short grained, rather brittle timber. I reckon it would break easily if put to this use.
    Apologies for unnoticed autocomplete errors.

  6. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Arron View Post
    My concern here is your choice of timber. The Poang chairs are made of birch (not beech).
    Not according to this Ikea add .
    Beech is a common as muck steam bent and anything else bent or just a chair timber in general .

    poang.png



    https://www.ikea.com/my/en/catalog/products/S99197781/



    .

  7. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by auscab View Post
    Beech is a common as muck steam bent and anything else bent or just a chair timber in general
    Yep, look up 'bentwood chairs', they're all Euro Beech now

  8. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Brisso57 View Post
    Hi Auscab
    I have thought this through and, whilst I could add an outer laminate, I’ve made the decision to construct the pieces from scratch. I have the time.
    I have no experience with steam bending and so this project is a learning exercise.


    Good Brisso57 .
    If your going to steam bend rather than laminate, Silky Oak may be good for it. I was told years ago anything with pronounced medullary ray was good at steam bending . Not sure if Silky oak is good but its got the rays .

    Solid well bent Silky Oak would look very nice. Much nicer than laminated I think . There is a Wheelright guy on Youtube who does big amazing steam bending jobs and teaches me things every time I look . Everything he does applies to all types of steam bending . There will be a lot of info on Youtube worth watching but I wouldn't miss watching this guy for some of his tips .
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9UPihp04xY

  9. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
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    Perth W.A
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    Default

    I am pretty sure the Ikea poang are made from laminations and not steam bent. Cutting timber strips to about 2mm or so and gluing with epoxy is probably the way to go. Pva doesnt have the slip and slide or open time of epoxy. Have performed some bent laminations with jarrah timber about 5mm thick and with pva and found it did have a fair bit of springback.

  10. #9
    rrich Guest

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    I've done a bit of steam bending and lamination. Mine was chair back rails and not the extreme that you are planning.

    Yes, it works but there are issues.
    You have to build forms to hold the steam bent pieces while they cool and there is spring back to contend with. My steam bending and lamination was three pieces and each piece was ¼ inch (6.3 mm) thick. I put all three pieces in the form and closed it up to create the bend. After cooling the three pieces were put aside and later using the same forms laminated into the shape needed. The really, really bad news came when I needed to cut tenons. More forms for the table saw for cutting to length and then more yet cutting the tenons. The conclusion I came to was if I was making more than 6 chairs the forms are not a big deal. However, just a single set of chairs was a nightmare.

    I will throw something at you. Part of it has been suggested already. Go ahead and sand everything down to bare wood. Then stain to match your existing. Although the grain won't match the color will.

    One more thing. And mates, please don't throw rocks.
    Because I am a bloke with absolutely no color sense at all, I would ask SWMBO for the color advice. In that area she knows so much more than I.


    .

  11. #10
    Join Date
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    Brisbane, Qld
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    Quote Originally Posted by mark david View Post
    I am pretty sure the Ikea poang are made from laminations and not steam bent. Cutting timber strips to about 2mm or so and gluing with epoxy is probably the way to go. Pva doesnt have the slip and slide or open time of epoxy. Have performed some bent laminations with jarrah timber about 5mm thick and with pva and found it did have a fair bit of springback.
    Indeed they are laminated. At rough count there are about 15 layers.
    i plan to reduce the number of layers, by using thicker pieces.
    Regarding spring back, I plan to assess the degree of that by first making the Poang footstool - a simpler design.
    "Nothing succeeds like a budgie without a beak!" :D

  12. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by elanjacobs View Post
    Yep, look up 'bentwood chairs', they're all Euro Beech now

    C’mon Elan. Sweeping statements like that are just begging for refutation.

    Check out this add from Ikea parent company

    https://www.ikea.com/au/en/catalog/products/S99197776/
    Apologies for unnoticed autocomplete errors.

  13. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Brisso57 View Post
    Indeed they are laminated. At rough count there are about 15 layers.
    i plan to reduce the number of layers, by using thicker pieces.
    Regarding spring back, I plan to assess the degree of that by first making the Poang footstool - a simpler design.
    I think the thing that needs greatest consideration is not achieving the shape, it’s achieving the resilience on those four 90% corners. Consider a person plonking themselves into the chair, repeatedly, and the stress it puts on those corners.
    Apologies for unnoticed autocomplete errors.

  14. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Arron View Post
    C’mon Elan. Sweeping statements like that are just begging for refutation.

    Check out this add from Ikea parent company

    https://www.ikea.com/au/en/catalog/products/S99197776/
    Bentwood meaning steamed, not laminated.

  15. #14
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    Default

    but it also says "
    Layer-glued bent birch
    "

  16. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by elanjacobs View Post
    Bentwood meaning steamed, not laminated.
    Fair enough.

    I’ll resist the temptation to trawl the internet to find someone, somewhere who is bending chair timber that isn’t beech, as its not really core to the discussion.

    Na, sorry, can’t resist - https://www.glicksfurniture.com.au/b...SABEgKr_fD_BwE

    https://www.schots.com.au/sales-new/...iABEgIWSPD_BwE

    I think there are a lot of rubberwood ones around too.
    Apologies for unnoticed autocomplete errors.

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