Making a sofa

[jfc]

Anyone ever done this ? I've made alot of seating for nightclubs but never for the home. I've also pulled a few sofas apart and they are a load of rubbish , just covered carcass timber soooooo i'm thinking of putting the Wenge blanks i have to use and making my own ...... Or maybe painted MDF to match my TV unit Any tips ?

[dom]

Was it you that made the ones in Annabel's, 'cos they're bloody uncomfortable ;D

[paulchapman]

Although the commercially available fully upholstered seats appear to be a load of rubbish (ie soft wood held together with nuts and bolts), I reckon that's a sensible way to build them. If conventional joints were used and they failed, it would be a major expense to repair because you would have to remove all the upholstery. Joints using nuts and bolts are unlikely to fail.

Of course, if they are not fully upholstered, it's a different matter.....

Cheers

Paul

[houtslager]

made a few copies of GII and older styles, and restored 100's over the years - best one that stuck in my memory was an erarly GII that had both ends on a bronze yes BRONZE ! ratchets that allowed the ends to be held at different angles.
Joinery was good, but the dreaded worm had eaten a lot of the joints away.
If you want a sofa to last and be comfy, try looking at the V&A collection, failing thsat go to some auctions.

HS

[pj]

I modified the American Morris chair design into a 2 seater for a sun room. Made out of oak, curved arms and adjustable back. A local guy upholstered the complete suite of 2 chairs, sofa and foot stool.
With a couple of cushions, it very comfy and the wide arms give you somewhere to put the wine glass ;D

Philip