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Rubber Hose Chairby wholman on July 30, 2009

Table of Contents

Rubber Hose Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Intro:   Rubber Hose Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Step 1:   Framin' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Step 2:   Holes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Step 3:   Finishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Step 4:   Hosin' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

http://www.instructables.com/id/Rubber-Hose-Chair/

Author:wholman    author's websiteI am an artist and writer who graduated with a degree in architecture in 2007. I currently live and work in Greensboro, AL.

Intro:  Rubber Hose ChairNearly every job site or good-sized shop has rubber air hose for running nail guns or a multitude of other tubes. The hose in this project is 3/4" in diameter, about 45 feetlong, and is made from tough, flexible rubber. In a former life it was used to run a spray gun for lacquering cabinets. After developing leaks at both ends, it was retired.The rubber is in decent shape, but it shows its age with hairline cracks and thick coating of grime. It was easy to clean with some denatured alcohol and rags. Onceclean, cut off the brass or steel fittings at each end.

The resulting chair is really comfortable. It feels like sitting on rubber bands. The trick is to have narrow enough spacing and a tight-enough weave so that your weight isevenly distributing across as many lengths of hose as possible, which will in turn evenly distribute the stress on the hose, preventing sagging and long-term decay.

The overall form is quite reclined, with an interior width of about 22". Assuming the hose is recycled (garden hose would work as well, though it typically is made fromthinner rubber), the only other materials are one 2'x 2' piece of 3/4" plywood and four 2' x 1/2" dia. threaded rods with nuts and washers. There is almost no waste fromthe process, making it quite efficient for both the environment and your wallet. Out-of-pocket costs are about fifteen-twenty bucks, depending.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Rubber-Hose-Chair/

http://www.instructables.com/id/Rubber-Hose-Chair/

Step 1: Framin'The two L-shaped pieces that comprise the sides of the chair are made out of single pieces of 3/4" plywood, cut form a 2' x 2' sheet. That material shouldn't cost morethan five bucks or so at the hardware store. Those "Ls" come out of the four sides, creating a rhomboid center leftover pieces, which was cut up to use as the legs. Thespecific dimensions are not important, as they can be changed to fit your tastes. The angle is obtuse, maybe roughly 100 degrees, and each leg of the "L" is abouteighteen inches long. Make sure the pieces are at least four inches at their narrowest point, to provide for strength.

Lay out your pieces, and cut with a circular saw, jigsaw, or bandsaw. Cut the leftover center piece into four roughly equal pieces, or two pairs of matching pieces. I madethe back legs a little wider than the front.

Lay the legs on top of the "Ls" and play around with them until you have both an angle of recline that you feel comfortable with as well as a decent height off the ground.My version is only about a foot from the ground to the seating surface at its lowest point. Run a straightedge over the feet to derive the angle at which they will meet theground and cut off.

Glue and screw the legs to the inside of the "Ls."

http://www.instructables.com/id/Rubber-Hose-Chair/

http://www.instructables.com/id/Rubber-Hose-Chair/

Step 2: HolesMeasure the diameter of the hose and its length. Calculate the spacing of the holes for the hose based on how long the hose is, i.e. how many back-and-forths the hosecan make before you run out. Lay out the centers so that the edge of each hole is at least 3/8" below the edge of the plywood. Make the diameter of each hole 1/16" to1/8" bigger than the hose to allow for movement. When drilling, go partway through the wood from one side, then flip it over and get the rest drilled out from the backside.This prevents the wood from chipping out and make ragged holes.

Lay out four holes for the threaded rods as well; one at each end of the "L", one at the crook of the "L", and one connecting the back legs near the bottom. Countersinkthe washers and nuts for a finished appearance. Try to keep the rods as far from the seating surface as possible so they do not interfere with the hose as it sags.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Rubber-Hose-Chair/

Step 3: FinishingSince I used construction-grade plywood, the material was quite rough, with sharp edges. Also, the cuts, done freehand with a circular saw, were not as straight as theycould be.

To clean up the edges, even out the appearance of straightness, and make the chair smoother to the touch, run a roundover bit in a router all the way around each piece,then sand thoroughly, first with 100 grit, then 120. You could also use a chamfer; I would just recommend that any edge treatment be on the heavier side, say 1/4"-1/2", tomake the chair inviting to the touch.

Assemble with the threaded rods. use a ratchet and wrench to tighten the threaded rods and rigidify the chair.

Apply 2-3 coats of polyurethane or similar with a soft rag. Sand with 220 or 320 grit between coats. Do not worry about getting in all the hose holes, as they will be hiddenfrom view. Once the finish is dry and hard, buff in a coat of furniture wax for maximum smoothness.

The last picture shows the total waste from the project; eight small scraps of wood and a small pile of sawdust.

Step 4: Hosin'Pin the hose at one end with a screw and a washer. Then "sew" up the sides.

At each hole, brace your feet against the frame and pull the hose through with both arms as hard as you can, to stretch the hose tight. Being rubber, it will inevitably sagover time, so it's best to get it as tight as possible now.

These hoses can handle a tremendous amount of force. Not shown here is my first attempt at this chair, using reclaimed pallet wood. I stretched the hose so tight itsnapped part of the frame off, which flew up and almost busted me in the jaw. The plywood in this version is a much stronger material.

That said, you can see in the first photographs in the introduction that sides of the frame curve inward and the legs belly out from the tension of the hose. The threadedrods are also bent into slight "smiles" from the same force; this isn't such a bad thing, as it bends away from the surface of the seat, accommodating the sag of the hosewhen someone is sitting there.

Sit down and enjoy!

http://www.instructables.com/id/Rubber-Hose-Chair/

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http://www.instructables.com/id/Rubber-Hose-Chair/

Comments

50 comments Add Comment view all 70 comments

 topkun says:  Oct 12, 2010. 9:46 AM  REPLYThank you Mr. Wholman. You are my inspiration.I had made chair similar you but i chang from rubber to rope.It's very strong but not complete .I will modify somthing, add arm , change kind of rope and so on. I will appreciat if you comment.Thank you again.

 dombeef says:  Aug 8, 2009. 11:05 AM  REPLYYou should make it so that you run water through it to make it water cooled

 felipriscilla says:  Aug 17, 2009. 8:56 PM  REPLYWasteful, but awesome.

 M4industries says:  Jun 13, 2010. 9:00 AM  REPLYCould be a closed loop.

 dombeef says:  Jun 13, 2010. 10:51 AM  REPLYYeah with a solar panel to power the pump

 M4industries says:  Jun 13, 2010. 6:04 PM  REPLY0.o Two hours for a response! That is lightning on this site! Good job.

 dombeef says:  Jun 14, 2010. 6:51 AM  REPLYOnce someone replied to me in a half minute

 Yerboogieman says:  Aug 17, 2009. 9:34 PM  REPLYNot if you water the....Good Point!

http://www.instructables.com/id/Rubber-Hose-Chair/

 M4industries says:  Jun 13, 2010. 8:59 AM  REPLYThat looks very comfy to sit in for an afternoon. It would be even better with latex surgical tubing pulled taught. Home Depot sells it for around $3 per foot.

 djswan says:  May 23, 2010. 7:01 PM  REPLYHey I know that you said that the dimensions were not important but I was hoping that you would share the dimensions that you used on the chair because Idon't want to screw up.Thanks,DJ

 wholman says:  May 23, 2010. 7:17 PM  REPLY can't say i remember off the top of my head, as i don't have the chair anymore, but it's something around two feet wide (the wider, the more the sag inthe hose, so be careful there), the front edge of the seat (where your knee hits) is about fourteen inches off the ground, the seat is probably eighteeninches deep, and the back eighteen inches tall.  

 djswan says:  May 24, 2010. 7:00 PM  REPLYThanks for the help.

 KoolAidDisaster says:  Dec 28, 2009. 7:27 AM  REPLYYou know what would be great, if you put another hose through vertically! It would sort of be like a hardcore lawn chair. Great work man!

 yusufamir says:  Dec 14, 2009. 2:42 AM  REPLYthis is a very nice idea indeed, much satisfies my hunger for curry. :)

 moo of the cow says:  Sep 4, 2009. 6:50 PM  REPLYcool this must be expensive to buy those hoses

 tbird45039 says:  Oct 14, 2009. 4:59 AM  REPLYna you can find air compressor hose pretty cheap at most hardware stores

 hassi says:  Nov 18, 2009. 3:11 PM  REPLYLowe's has 3/4" x 50' rubber air hose for $45.00

(http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=75153-177-LOTAP34075&lpage=none)...

A tad bit 'spensive for my taste, but that's just me...

Might want to maybe hang out at your local Habitat Re-Store for a few weeks to see if one comes in...

 Lance Mt. says:  Sep 5, 2009. 9:17 PM  REPLYReally?

 realgenius65 says:  Aug 21, 2009. 11:46 AM  REPLYWow, am I ever impressed!!! As a wood worker and recycler I find this to be an awesome project and the cost is "Perfect"!!!!!

 CatDoc says:  Aug 6, 2009. 11:00 AM  REPLYWhat kid/toddler wouldn't want to crawl through these? They put their head through the top couple of them, then do a forward somersault, winding theirtrachea into it nice and tight and hanging by their necks.

 macrumpton says:  Aug 12, 2009. 8:55 PM  REPLYI have seen office chairs using a similar suspension system (like bungees), as well as any number of outdoor beach lounges. I suspect if they weredeathtraps the design would not be so popular.

 Silentwolf2004 says:  Aug 9, 2009. 12:07 PM  REPLYIm sorry CatDoc but I just cant agree with your comments. The design for this bench is simplistic, economical, and spot on. If one added vertical bracingto the hose to minimize head insertion by a child, I think it would take away from the elastic feel. The world of 'What If's' encompasses everything andanything that isent in our immediate line of sight. What if a child had a loose sock and slipped down the stairs?, What if I I tripped over a rock in the lawnand landed in the pool? What if someone didn't realize a BBQ was running and burnt there hand on it ? The world of 'What If's' is endless. I believe toanswer your question, a parent who has concerns about a child's safety, simply needs to be vigilant. I cant see the world ever becoming 'ChildProof'....and if it did, wow would it be a boring place...lol Great job on that bench, I think I'm going to 'try' and build me one. Thumbs Up. !!!

http://www.instructables.com/id/Rubber-Hose-Chair/

 KamakaziHero says:  Oct 14, 2009. 3:58 AM  REPLYwell i built one, and the tubes are tight enough and that closetogether that the hypothetical infant would have to have the neck ofchuck norris to forceits head in between them...

 son ja says:  Aug 7, 2009. 12:27 AM  REPLYlooks perfect as it is to me. I would rather sit on a pile of rubber bands than a pile of wood any day. Also excellent job on minimizing waste - though you didn'tput those metal connecty things at the end of the hose in the pic :) Really great and inspiring project!

 Kilsmer says:  Aug 4, 2009. 6:48 AM  REPLYHow expensive would it be to purchase the same length of hose you used?

 1337_Penguin says:  Aug 7, 2009. 12:19 AM  REPLYI saw a 50 feet of the same air hose at home depot for 18 USD.

 wholman says:  Aug 4, 2009. 7:25 AM  REPLYnew air hose is not cheap, at least a buck a foot. you need ~45 feet.

 btop says:  Aug 4, 2009. 2:15 PM  REPLY£10 on ebay?

 lonejack says:  Aug 6, 2009. 5:16 PM  REPLYGreat Idea!! I am going to,"borrow," it for a cardboard Kayak my grandson and I are building for the Gorilla Glue contest. One suggestion I would make wouldbe to move the front rod down enough to put it inside of a 4 or 6" PVC tube. The tube would afford some lateral support. Just a suggestion to pile on to themany I have read here. You know the story, the last lier doesn't have a chance.

 gilsnax says:  Aug 6, 2009. 12:52 PM  REPLYBizarre and cool at the same time! You ARE The Man, man.

 SantaB says:  Aug 6, 2009. 12:09 PM  REPLYWould none threaded rods work better, assuming you could had only the ends threaded?

 baker420e says:  Aug 6, 2009. 11:50 AM  REPLYGreat chair! Don't let people get you down, its a great design and if they think they can do better, well let them try. Ha ha. As a civil engineer your theoriesseem sound, alas the world is meant to decay and eventually everything does. How long do they expect a chair to last that costs so little. Keep up the goodwork!

 cchamlin says:  Aug 2, 2009. 8:21 PM  REPLYvery cool design, but one complaint from a mechanical engineer: circular rod is at its weakest under axial compression, like you have it loaded here. thatbend is going to increase over time, as the tension of the hose and the weight of people sitting in the chair work together to splay out the legs. the best fixwould be to put a piece of wood or square metal tube where the threaded rod is now, (both are strong in compression and less prone to buckling) and movethe threaded rod down below it. that way the bar acts as a fulcrum: the tension in the hose and the tension in the rod are on opposite sides and will opposeeach other, the legs will stay straight and your chair will stay strong throughout its lifetime. good luck!

 WhoTookMudshark says:  Aug 6, 2009. 9:22 AM  REPLYThis is a great idea! Thank you for your input cchamlin! :D

 wholman says:  Aug 3, 2009. 7:28 AM  REPLYi am aware of the relative strengths and weaknesses of threaded rods. it has become apparent to me from many of the comments on this particularinstructable that people have not actually read the article, only looked at the pictures. i address the rods tendency to "smile"; from a design standpoint, itis actually beneficial, because the curve of the rod is parallel to the curve of the hose when loaded, thus keeping your legs and back from resting on therods instead of the hose when sitting. many chairs made from two parallel braced frames with woven seating surfaces use u-shaped stretchers toaddress this very issue. seems like architects and engineers always butt heads . . . .

 3.1415 says:  Aug 7, 2009. 4:24 AM  REPLYI am a former engineer and now a physics teacher and I have to weigh in, though I usually don't... The only thing missing is a babe in a bikiniotherwise this project is perfect! Architects ARE buttheads, engineers are too, and Instructables is awesome! I think a new policy of instructablesshould be for a "project reviewer" to provide a picture of the improvement they suggest....a picture is worth a thousand words as the cliche goes.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Rubber-Hose-Chair/

 WhoTookMudshark says:  Aug 6, 2009. 9:25 AM  REPLYDon't take it personally Wholman! You made a great instructable and the end result is amazing. He's not saying its crappy; he is trying to help!

 cyber.engineer says:  Aug 6, 2009. 9:13 AM  REPLYWe are not all butt heads, however as soon as I looked at your pictures I saw exactly what the other gentleman saw, and I'm an Electrical andControls Engineer. It never hurts to have assistance. My opinion, good job... but improvements can be made..... as they can be made to any design.Good luck Cyber.engineer

 pyroelectro says:  Aug 6, 2009. 9:42 AM  REPLYi dont think he was sayin engineers are butt heads; i think he was saying that engineers 'butt heads' with architects (as in dissagree) cool lookingchair btw. im suprised that the design takes the tension!

 Denger says:  Aug 6, 2009. 7:56 AM  REPLYA beautiful design, but I have to agree with cchamlin: if built as designed, this chair will not gracefully withstand years of repeated usage. From both apractical and an aesthetic design perspective, plywood cross braces make much better sense, and are probably more economical, too (depending onthe type and grade of plywood used).

 wholman says:  Aug 6, 2009. 10:31 AM  REPLYgentlemen:

please see two pictures i added at the end of the first step.

these are of the first attempt at making this chair. i used the engineer's approach: i built a very rigid frame out of dimensional lumber braced withplywood. and you're absolutely right; it didn't flex an inch while i was stretching the hose through it. instead of flexing, it failed suddenly andcatastrophically. the failure was caused by, amongst other things, splitting along the grain of the dimensional lumber.

the first solution that comes to mind is to make a more rigid, more massive frame to contain alll the stored energy in that stretched hose. however,i quickly realized that to do that, i would have use massive pieces of wood or weld the frame from steel or alumnium.

the other solution is to work with rather than against the tension. i made the frame out of plywood, which is very strong yet flexible. it also has nograin, so holes made for the hose or by fasteners couldn't be a starting point for a split along the grain.

now, essentially the whole chair is in tension: the rubber is stretched; the plywood is bowed; and, as the legs splay out, they actaully attempt tostretch the rod between the back feet, as well as lever on the rods above, evening out some of the compression. as the rubber slackens overtime, i can just pop one of the two screws that pin the hose in place, re-tension, and screw back in.

this solution responds to all the tensile forces actively, instead of passively. it also allows the whole chair to act as one "web of tension" instead ofpitting rigidity against flexibility -- because, sooner or later, one of those forces has to win.

 cchamlin says:  Aug 3, 2009. 8:52 AM  REPLYI read the text, thank you. I realize that the bending of the threaded rod makes the chair more comfortable now. This does not change the fact that thechair, as you have designed it, is tearing itself apart. It will break. It seemed like you put a fair amount of work into designing/building this chair, so Iassumed that you would want to make it last. If you're not interested in constructive criticism, perhaps you should consider disabling comments onyour instructables.

 awal says:  Aug 6, 2009. 8:48 AM  REPLYDefinately will try this, great work, fun idea! I will use wook to prevent splaying and maybe try to ammend for an old garden hose I have. Good challenge,thanks!

 ohbejoyful says:  Jul 31, 2009. 3:52 PM  REPLYLove the chair, adoooore the fact that you used the word "comprise" correctly!

 hickarus says:  Aug 6, 2009. 6:31 AM  REPLYYes, very sexy grammar.

 1337_Penguin says:  Aug 5, 2009. 9:37 PM  REPLYSo you think that a garden hose would also work fine for this project?

 ANTQNUT says:  Aug 1, 2009. 2:09 PM  REPLYThats really koo!

 ! xD ! says:  Jul 31, 2009. 6:31 PM  REPLYCool-beans!

http://www.instructables.com/id/Rubber-Hose-Chair/

 ANTQNUT says:  Aug 1, 2009. 2:08 PM  REPLYAwesome user name!

 scoochmaroo says:  Aug 1, 2009. 10:12 AM  REPLYLove it!

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