Stage 3: Design Review

1:5 Scale Model

Reduced the taper of the legs and increased seat size.

Mock Ups

 Explored the possibility of cross frames and tested the strength. Did not do very well.

 Bottom curves simulate veeners to strengthen the joint. Top solid pieces to help strength top joint as well as serve as a seat.

Found that the legs tapering outward will create an awkward sitting position. The angle at which it tapers out will also cause users to trip or kick the base.

Stage 2: Concepts

Stage 2: Thumbnails

Stage 1: Research Part B

Material Research

Soft woods -  from "Urban Salvage". Red Baltic and Oregan timbers. Light weight for timber however each piece weighed approximately 200g. Timbers also started to warp. While strong against the grain they were very brittle when force was applied with the grain. 

Aluminium sheets - 0.9mm aluminium sheet was really light weight. However it was extremely weak. Bent piece above was done by hand with very little force . 3mm sheet was really tough and almost impossible to bend by hand. Although much lighter then steel sheets, it would be considered a pretty heavy material for a stool under 2kg. The 3mm sheets are also not desirable as bending with the machinery in the workshop would be challenging and many relief points need to be added for a complex design. 

 Perforated sheet - Strong and lightweight. Holes allow for screws and rivets to sit easily.

Xanita board -  Environmentally smart range of upcycled, low-density fibreboard. Although it looks like your standard cardboard it is much stronger. This is because of the honey comb looking structure between the two sheets of cardboard. Extremely light weight and sustainable material.

 Balsa wood - Lightweight and strong if cross laminated. Do not like the way the wood can easily be marked with a sharp object or even your fingernail.

 Seat belt and nylon strips - Extremely strong and good for designs that rely on tension for strength. Comes in all sorts of funky colours.

 Wood Veneer - Weak by itself. However if many layers are laminated cross grained, it will prove to be a very strong and light material with the option to create a curved surface.