DIY Portable Camping Chair
This portable camping chair is a great DIY project if you enjoy camping out or for when you need extra seating in the garden - and you can make 4 chairs from a single sheet of shutterply or pine plywood.
21/01/2020
YOU WILL NEED:
1 of 12 x 1200 x 2400mm sheet of shutterply or pine plywood cut to the following:
- 4 of 69 x 400mm - seat slats
- 4 of 69 x 345mm - back slats
- 8 of 50 x 660mm - leg section
- 2 of 69 x 400mm - cross braces
4 x 30mm cut screws
Exterior wood glue
Wood filler
Exterior wood sealer to finish
TOOLS:
Clamps, 2
Tape measure and pencil
HERE'S HOW:
Preparation
To make the legs for the leg section, [2] pieces are laminated (glued) together, clamped and left overnight. You will repeat this for all 4 legs.
1. Mark and draw a line down both sides of the [4] slats. You can use one of the slats as a ruler to do this - see above. Use a 3mm drill bit and countersink to drill [2] pilot holes at each end of four slats all 12mm in from the ends.
GOOD TO KNOW: When drilling the holes, place a scrap piece of wood underneath to reduce chips and splintering.
2. Place a bead wood glue along the edge of the slats before screwing these onto the uprights for the leg section. Make sure the slats are aligned with the edges of the uprights. Allow a 5mm gap between all the slats.
TOP TIP: Use 5mm dowels as spacers between the slats.
3. The top section is assembled in the same way as the leg section, with a few extra additions. After attaching all the seat slats, attach the cross braces.
To do this, measure 85mm from the bottom of the leg and attach the first brace, on the same side as the seat slats and then flip over - measure 230mm from the bottom of the leg and screw the final brace into place.
4. Fill all holes with wood filler, let dry and then sand both leg and top assembly. Make sure all edges are smooth and that there are no splinters. You can also use your sander to round-off the corners on the legs.
5. Apply exterior wood sealer according to the manufacturers recommended instructions and leave to dry before assembling. See the video below for details on how to assemble the portable camp chair.
If you need more information on assembling your portable camping chair, watch the video below.