Simple Wooden Office Chair

You can use discarded wood to make a simple folding backrest chair as a simple wooden office chair. Here are different methods and steps for making it:

Method 1: Basic Folding Backrest Chair

1. Prepare the main supports and base structure: Select two discarded wooden strips of appropriate length as the main supports, ensuring they are of uniform thickness and free from serious cracks. At the bottom of the two main supports, horizontally fix a rectangular wooden board with nails to form a stable base for the chair. The width of the wooden board should be slightly larger than the distance between the main supports to enhance load-bearing capacity.
2. Install the backrest support frame: About one-third of the way up from the bottom of the main supports, horizontally nail a thinner wooden strip as the backrest support frame. This strip should be perpendicular to the main supports and firmly fixed at both ends to prevent loosening. If folding functionality is required, metal hinges can be installed at the connection points between the main supports and the backrest frame to enable flexible opening and closing.
3. Reinforce and adjust: Check whether all connection points are stable. If necessary, add diagonal wooden strips to enhance the structural stability. Adjust the angle of the backrest according to ergonomics to ensure comfort during use.

Method 2: Square-frame Wooden Chair

1. Build the frame body: Fix four square wooden pieces into a square frame using nails or mortise-and-tenon joints, ensuring that all four corners are right angles and tightly connected. The size of the frame should be adjusted according to the user's body shape, with the seat width generally not less than 40 centimeters.
2. Install the seat and side supports: Lay the frame horizontally and fix a vertical wooden strip on each of the two inner sides of the long wooden board to form side supports. The seat can be a single wooden board or a spliced one, fixed to the frame with screws or nails to ensure a flat surface.
3. Optimize the details: Add anti-slip pads at the four corners of the seat to prevent the chair from scratching the floor when moving. If a backrest is needed, a slanted wooden board can be added at the back of the frame and reinforced with wooden strips at the connection points.

Method 3: Traditional Mortise-and-Tenon Wooden Chair (Sturdy Type)

1. Select materials and cut them: Choose hardwoods (such as elm or oak) as raw materials due to their hard texture and wear resistance. Cut the wood into components such as chair legs, cross-braces, and backrests, with dimensions precisely matching the design drawings.
2. Plane and create mortises and tenons: Use a plane to smooth the surface of the wood, ensuring it is free of burrs. Create mortise holes at the connection points between the chair legs and cross-braces, and make tenons at the ends of the cross-braces. Achieve nail-free connections through mortise-and-tenon joints to enhance overall stability.
3. Assemble and adjust: Install the chair legs, cross-braces, seat, and backrest in sequence. Gently tap with a wooden mallet to make the mortise-and-tenon joints fit tightly. Check whether the four feet of the chair are level, and if necessary, adjust the height differences by sanding.

Precautions: Wear safety goggles and gloves during the production process to prevent wood chips from flying or tools from scratching. If you are not familiar with mortise-and-tenon joints, you can simplify the design and prioritize using nails or screws for fixation to ensure safety.