Seat and back angles for prairie settle
chuckh
| Posted in Project Plans/CAD Software on
I’m about to begin building a prairie settle. I love the design but I wonder how comfortable the finished product it is because the plans I’ve been looking at (Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture, p.44) don’t seem to incorporate any angle to the seat or back. Don’t seats usually drop ~5 degrees from front edge to back edge? Don’t seat backs usually have some backward lean to them? It seems easy enough to set the seat support on the back rail down by 5 degrees, but I don’t know how to give the back some lean without changing the design. This project will be too much work if in the end no one uses it because it isn’t nice to sit in. Any suggestions for building seat angles in, or is fine without?
Thanks
Replies
I haven't built them in finished hardwood but in deck design I probably built 300 foot of benches. I'm dead sure 5 degrees is a good start. As the tired guy working outside I was closer to 15 degrees. That is what felt better to my bones. Now the angle to the back has to be 90 degrees or plus that a bit. That is as quantitative as I can be on the subject.
Qualitatively you can go to the car in the garage and if you have a power seat spend a couple of minutes getting that set to a comfort level. Or hit a furniture store and see what fits your dupa and aging bones.
One more thought. you don't want to be too far off of plumb on the back as you'll get neck aches. That ought to range it in a bit.
>>>> One more thought. you don't want to be too far off of plumb on the back as you'll get neck aches.
I guess everyone's bodies are different, but I can't imagine anything more uncomfortable than a plumb back, unless it's a perfectly flat seat with a back leaning a bit forward.
For me, and I've studied this a bit:
The seat angled downward to the back 5 degrees is very comfortable. 6 may be better. 7 is approaching my limit. The back angled 11 to 13 degrees backward at the top from plumb is comfortable.
jdg
Might be a different application that is unrelated, but I can't sit in a car seat with the seat tilted back too far without getting a stiff neck. I owned a grand prix that i couldn't sit upright in. I figured it would be ok if I tilted the seat back but it turned out to mbe my happiest day ever when I sold that undersized car.Jack of all trades and master of none - you got a problem with that?
Seating comfort in this piece will be dependant on the cushions, and type of support for the seat itself. I left the details in the book a little fuzzy because there are so many options available. The elevation drawing in the book shows an appropriate angle for the cushions on the sides. If you use the same angle for the back cushions you should be OK. It also wouldn't hurt to set the back of the seat cushion slightly lower than the front. This is something you can adjust after the frame is assembled, and again, it depends on how you decide to support the seat. The original used a "drop in" spring unit, similar to that used in automobile seats. I'd recommend using hand tied springs, or zig-zag springs to support the seat cushions. Feel free to e-mail me if you have any further questions.
Also, my second book "More Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture" has a chapter detailing your options for upholstery, and supporting the cushions.
Bob Lang
http://www.craftsmanplans.com
What is the source for springs for the settle, morris chair, etc? Thanks.
Van Dyke's Restorer's is a pretty good resource, or you might check to see if your local community college has an upholstery class.Bob Lang
http://www.craftsmanplans.com
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