Main project inspirations – Ski Chair

To continue my life as a true ski bum, for the main class project, I would like to continue the up-cycle theme. For years my father and I have talked about turning all of our old skis into a bench. I see benches like this all over the place in ski towns, and I want one for myself. This will allow me to create a mountain home/ski bum aesthetic on the front porch of my parents house in Winter Park! I am thinking of a chair like the one shown below, but I will need to do some modifications to the design to fulfill the project requirement of being dynamic.

I am thinking that I will hang the chair from the roof joist that covers the front porch, allowing it to swing freely in only one direction. I may also utilize a couple of ball bearings that I have leftover from a project in the past to ease the movement. The details that need to be ironed out still are the size of the chair/bench I want to create, as well as the materials I want to use. Metal would make for a manufacturing process that I would enjoy more, but wood may do a better job at achieving the aesthetic I desire.

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4 Comments. Leave new

  • Jimmy Speedy
    May 10, 2017 12:17 pm

    As a skier I really like the idea of this project. I have sat in these chairs/ benches before and not only are they comfortable, but they also remind you of something you enjoy. Sounds like a good challenge, trying to turn it into a rocking chair. Hope you can figure it out!

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  • Dean Alibrandi
    March 6, 2017 1:02 pm

    I have always wanted to try this as I too have seen some incredible looking furniture made almost entirely out of old skis!Do you already have a bunch of old skis? If not Goodwill on Baseline almost always has a pair or too lying around. What other type of wood will be using along with skis? Cant wait to see how this turns out!

    Reply
  • This is a great fun project and one that I have actually done before. The hardest part is going to be cutting through the edges of the skis with a hacksaw! Do you plan to use random skis or have them all be the same like in the images you posted? Personally I like the random skis better especially if they are skis that you’ve skied on. Best of luck on your project!

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  • Scott Lowenstein
    March 6, 2017 12:08 pm

    This sounds like a fun project, and fitting with your interests. The chairs that I have seen like this one generally used recycled skis, and therefore whatever the skis are made out of. That may save some time over cutting out the ski patterns. If you plan on hanging the chair, do you have an idea of what its final weight will be? I really like the way that the second chair is painted, where the background is continuous between skis. Do you plan to use that same idea?

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