Thrift store Al folding chair, Mod project.

[jdempsey]

Here we go.. I found this cracktastic folding Al beach chair at the Salvation Army, for the high high price of like $2.

It's no sling-light yet. Hell, it probably never will be. My gram scale only goes up to 1000g, so I can't get an exact exact weight on it, but after taking off the canvas seat and back, the frame looks like around 900g. The fabric for the seat/back was around 250g combined.. canvas.

Here's some photos:



After taking off the canvas:



Obviously, firing up the sewer tonight for the ripstop-age.

Any suggestions on which I can cut/bore this sucker out to lighten the frame? I'm thinking I can take the top bar off the seat back section without it squeezing together too much..

Obviously the lower frame sections can't be cut without replacing the section with something else, so I'm thinking about turning those tubes into colanders!


stripping paint gotta be worth a gram or two.

[realityguy]

I guess you've never heard of nada-chairs?

I would think the only drilling could be the center portion on the bottom rails that are supported by the ground.That's about the only point that isn't really structural..wouldn't you think?

[jdempsey]

Something about the nada-chairs is just f'in wrong mate. Strapping your legs to your back is just, somehow, fundamentally more lazy than lazy.. Yeh.

[realityguy]

Well..doesn't seem like anybody wants to tell you where to drill on the thing.Don't take my advise as gospel,just what I might do if I needed the same thing done....I think you might be okay drilling on the top bar,the two verticals for the back some(not a lot)as long as the top bar stays functional so they don't collapse inward when you sit on it.Also the two bars that are on the ground should be okay.
"Direction of drilling" might make a difference also.I'd keep the strength side intact..say on the two back side bars drill probably in line with the "direction of pull" as an idea...Drilling front to back would probably make some weak points and collapse the thing sitting down in it.
Size of holes..definitely wouldn't drill anything bigger than a 1/4"..that's pushing it but if it is the right direction and not too many should be okay.
Your weight...?????..that would determine a lot as to what you can get away with...Only you know that.Rambuncticity and drunkeness would be another important factor.Are you gonna sit down light or fall into it?
Ripstop nylon for seat and back..good luck.I think your weak points will be the stitched lines around the bars...Can you get the chair under your sewing needle?That should be a challenge ..should be able to do it..I definitely wouldn't use straight stitches there,zig zags or something and double the edges first.The front and back edges of the seat doubled a couple times will help carry the massive load. Hammocks work because there is lots of material layers at the ends to support the over all weight of the person on the ends while the center spreads that load across the material.
When you're done and using the chair..I think I'd stick to drinking only light beer!

[irrationalsolutions]

good luck man. i dont have any ideas for you.

[zelph]

Get rid of the back altogether. Lean your pack up against a tree and push your seat up against your pack. Lean your back on the pack.

[realityguy]

I was thinking the same thing..use the pack for a backrest.Colin Fletcher used to do that,written in the hike in the Grand Canyon...Also the chair base could be slung around the outside back of your pack without too much difficulty...
Camp chairs..lots of options,but do people really want to pack "hard items" to use for those?Thermarest makes a "chair adapter cover" that folds the pad up, with 45 degree straps with clips on the side to hold the back rest so you can lean against it.Unclip it and it folds flat for sleeping.The weight factor is minimal,say a couple backpack type straps and a little material that helps keep your pad clean also..not a bad deal!
I make "gear hammocks",a smaller one for slinging my gear underneath my hammock.

Right now the ends are just a sleeve the strapping goes through to tighten the ends around the backpack or whatever else is slung in them(boots,hike poles,6 pack,etc..) but if I gathered the ends like a regular hammock,they should be strong enough(hung elsewhere) to support a person as a chair when they don't have gear in them..kinda dual purpose.Put your junk in the hammock and use the gear one as a chair until you need it for gear,then move the gear out of your sleeping hammock to the covered gear one under your sleeper at night.
The one problem of course is you need a support system or tree branch over head to use it as a chair,limiting the possibilities of sitting by the fire or camping where the trees are large enough for hanging a chair from a branch..or a line between two trees that would let you move the chair anywhere along that line..Yeah,I've thought about it..
Another option is a hammock chair suspended between two trekking poles,but if I'm using a tent,my poles are usually used for suport for that.Hammock camping would work okay with that idea.
My gear hammocks are usually about 7' long(33" doubled up sides and about 18" for the seat area as a chair...)and about 30" wide which would provide a seat and back rest.I could make them up to about 44 wide..with a weight of about 10-16oz(made with 2-2.5oz per square yard taffeta)I figure with straps,hardware and that.
Just an idea...

[jdempsey]

Yeah, I'll probably never use this thing except for in-and-outs where I'm camping for a few days, but in those situations, I like to a "real" chair.


I already sawed this top back bar off, I've got an idea to keep it from squeezing too far together, if that doesn't work out I'm going to re-attach it much lower. I've also got an idea of using the arms as anchor points for a ripstop back that has no other frame support..

We'll see.. What my sewing machine can't stitch over, my fingers can. Handsewing is easy peasy.

[realityguy]

If you had to,you could sew something into the nylon back piece top end for a rail..say a fibreglass or aluminum tent pole..That could roll up on that and slide down over the uprights when used..That way you could sew it up separate...