# How to Build Modern Furniture



## SketchUp Guru (3 Sep 2009)

On one of the design blogs I look at there was an entry about this old book by Mario Dal Fabbro called How to build Modern Furniture 53. From what I could find, it looks like a very interesting and useful book even if the style of furniture isn't your cup of tea. Looks like it is OOP but there seem to be used copies available. I found a cloth-bound version and ordered it this morning.

A Google search for the author or the title will turn up some scans from the book.

I banged out a quick drawing of an easy chair based on the dimensions in the one of the scans.


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## planetWayne (3 Sep 2009)

Real basic question here and going WAY off topic (at least with woodworking!),
What's actually involved in the upholstery side of things here. I've never really looked into it to much detail other than the occasional youtube vids - nothing really informative!
In this example would it be something as simple as square foam covered in a square ish material stapled to the base?

Cheers
Wayne.


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## SketchUp Guru (3 Sep 2009)

Wayne, I'm certainly no expert on upholstery so I might be wrong but I would imagine with the sorts of foams that are available today, you could use them for this chair. This specific chair was designed with wooden frames for the seat and the back. The back has some sort of wide webbing woven and nailed to the frame. The seat appears to have those zig-zag springs like you find in automobile seats. there is mention of 1" thick foam rubber which I gather goes over the webbing and springs and under a layer of cloth of some sort.


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## wizer (3 Sep 2009)

Dave I like that chair and would be interested in seeing the book one day. What was the blog you was looking at?


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## SketchUp Guru (3 Sep 2009)

The blog is called PrairieMod and currently, the post about the book is three or four down from the top.


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## BigShot (4 Sep 2009)

Here's a direct link to the blog pose Dave mentioned
http://www.prairiemod.com/prairiemod/20 ... iture.html


Dave, if you want to directly link to an entry on a changing page like a weblog, look for a "permalink". You can point directly to the post and your directions then don't come obsolete over time (unless the blog closes down altogether, of course).

Might have to get a copy of that myself.
Cheers.


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## SketchUp Guru (10 Sep 2009)

The book arrived yesterday. I haven't had a chance to look through all of it but it does seem to be a very useful reference. The first 124 pages are dedicated to things such as choosing wood, various types of joints and fasteners, installation of all sorts of hinges, upholstery, and even chair angles. The rest of the book contains simple plans for 53 different pieces of furniture. There are loads of illustrations.

Even if the style of furniture isn't to your liking, the information is worth having. If you can find a copy of it, buy it.

By the way, if you are familiar with a book called Woodwork Joints by Hayward, the illustrations in this book are very similar to the illustrations in that book.


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