In my new workspace, I have a little area by the front door. I was wanting to add a small side table, a tall lamp, and a chair or maybe a small bench. I would love for them all to be made from the CNC but I seem to have designers block or something. The side table and lamp are pretty easy, but have you ever Googled “CNC Chair”…
I have been on a week long rabbit hole. If I could pick a chair or at least a style the other two pieces are easy.
So, any cool chairs at least partially made on the CNC you can share a link to? I kinda feel like it should be mixed media, like, not all CNC?
There’s also openDesk, which supposed to essentially be an open source database of CNC furniture files. They closed up in 2020, but their files are still around:
Perhaps think about the elements that would make a cool CNC’d piece of furniture? Whether that’s a whole pile of 2D cut pieces fastened to make a single block piece, something where it’s more like interlocking puzzle pieces, carving, cutouts for nesting or storage perhaps, that kinda thing.
There was a discussion a while back where someone had created a whole book of maker projects organized by type and with categories for different technologies like leatherworking, CNC, 3D printing, electronics etc.
Edit 2: Layer Chair – Obrary
That’s the thing that immediately jumped out at me from the ‘Furniture’ section of makeityourself.org. I don’t think it’s a particularly ‘good’ design from the perspective of effectively CNC machining a chair but it does somewhat shout from the rooftops that it’s something born out of a digital workflow…
Maybe more “fancy” of a design, but just saw this video posted by Carbide 3D. Not sure I could justify spending $500 on walnut for a chair, but to each their own
To make the pieces there’s an app called 123D Make which isn’t supported anymore but still on some archives. It take solids and convert them to stacked or interlocking slices. Might give you some inspiration.
+1 for EMT, LEDs, grub screws and GT2 belt woven back/base if you’re going for Herman Miller Aeron look. Or, maybe CNC’d urethane foam padding, and CNC’d leather if going for a more plush Eames style . CNC’d live hinge cuts, and multi materials is a nice flex of the CNC’s capabilities. Maybe make packable for shows/events if ends up being interesting showcase?
You guys are so rad. That is just what I needed. A couple of those where on my short list…Matt, I forgot about that one, I really like it and I keep thinking a rocking chair might be cool.
. CNC’d live hinge cuts, and multi materials is a nice flex of the CNC’s capabilities. Maybe make packable for shows/events if ends up being interesting showcase?