Atlantic City Boardwalk Chair

Ohio University - 2019

Based off of a research image of an antique Atlantic City Boardwalk chair, I drew up a full-scale draft of the side and plan views of the piece. It needed to be ridden in and rolled around a narrow walkway easily, so the entire frame was welded out of 1” box tube and fitted with a modified wicker chair from stock. The frame was built at odd angles to match the legs of the wicker chair, and to echo the curve of the seat. The handle I turned out of poplar, and then created box tube sleeves with steel rod “pins”. This gave me the ability to weld the handle to the curved handlebars that I created out of steel pipe. I cut the steel every 1/2” and then clamped it to a jig to weld it back together for a smooth, custom bent shape. I also built a custom “foot cover,” whose tight curve necessitated a stretched canvas cover because bendy ply could not accommodate the radius without cracking. I then decorated with an application of found objects and scavenged wicker pieces reactivated with warm water.