The process of manufacturing a wooden chair

17:42 | Fri | 16 April 2021

The production and manufacturing of wood chairs is a complicated task which takes time and requires ingenuity. Whether it concerns the everyday dining chairs in your kitchen or the elegant restaurant chairs in your commercial venue, the production process is long and includes many steps from the selection of wood material to actually assembling the piece. The main aim is to ensure that the finished product looks amazing, is comfortable and able to withstand use for many years. Beautiful designs are very subjective and come down to personal opinion, however, regarding the standard of quality and durability, most people would agree they’d prefer a chair which can stand the test of time. Today we’ll take you through the process of manufacturing a wood chair and the strenuous efforts it demands.

Wood Selection
What is the best material for production of restaurant chairs? The first step is the selection of the material. It all begins with a tree. There are different types of trees which are used for the manufacturing of wood chairs. They are separated into 2 categories hardwoods and softwoods. Hardwoods include woods such as oak, beechwood, birch, elm and mahogany, while softwoods are pine, fir, ash, larch etc. Hardwoods are usually more expensive as they are considered of a higher quality compared to softwoods. Furthermore, in chair manufacturing, hardwoods are more common, as their use, results in products which last longer. Hardwoods are able to withstand heavy use on a daily basis and also are easy to wax and polish in order to sustain their beautiful finish for years. In the end, the wood selection fully depends on the type of chair you require.
Best raw material for manufacturing restaurant chairs 
Wood Modification
During this process, the chosen tree is cut down into smaller pieces (timber or lumber) so it’s easier to handle and transform. These untreated pieces are later moved on the sawmilling and kiln drying process.
Sawmilling is the first process of transforming the wood. During it, the logs are divided by size. In the sawmill, area split panels are disjointed according to thickness and type of wood in order to facilitate the kiln drying process. The panel wood blocks are placed outside before the kiln dry, because the moisture needs to evaporate as a result of outdoor temperature. The wood must be dried at least a week after sawmilling, in order not to damage the quality of the wood. Kiln Drying is a drying process which involves a special heating system which reduces moisture content on the wood to somewhere between 6-8%. Every wood needs to be dried after milling, however softwoods and hardwoods take different times to dry because they require different temperatures and conditions. For instance, oak has to be dried slowly otherwise it degrades. Pine, on the other hand, needs to be dried fast because it will stain and mold. These examples don’t necessarily mean all softwoods should be dried quickly and vice versa. It varies from type to type. The Kiln drying process usually lasts between 2-4 weeks. The required time relies on factors such as the type of wood and the size of the drying room. Using high-quality equipment is recommended as it will minimize the risks of damaging the wood.
Wood Splitting and Cutting
The dried wood is then moved on for sawing, molding and cutting. The separated parts are attached together and put in front of a high-speed rotating knife which cuts each piece down to its proper size.  
Planning and drilling

The small blocks are then planned. Planning is a manufacturing process which involves pressing and rotating pieces of wood against a fixed stationary cutting machine. The cutting machine removes material from the wood thus resulting in a piece with a smooth surface. After that, the wooden parts are moved onto a drilling machine where the processes of tenoning and doweling occur.
Tenoning is the process in which cutters and blades are used to from projections or tenons on pieces of wood, after that each tenon can be inserted into a cavity or mortise, thus forming a mortise and tenon joint. This is done to join two pieces of wood together.

Doweling - A dowel is a short thin piece of wood or metal which is used for joining larger pieces of wood or metal together, therefore doweling is the joining of two pieces of wood using dowels.
The components are then moved to sanding. Sanding is abrading wood fibers so that they are rendered uniformly rough. An abrasive is used to cut, shape, and finish raw wood either to completion or to the point where the material is ready to be finished.
Assembly
This is the step where all the components are assembled, glued and put together. When to assemble the wooden chair before or after the finishing? Well, sometimes, depending on the type of wooden chair you require, the components might have to be assembled before finishing, and sometimes they have to be finished before being assembled. Usually, however the assembling is done prior to finishing in order to ensure the product does not suffer any damage such as scratches. This process requires attention and patience because patch quality can only be fixed during assembling.

Finishing
Finishing is the last step of manufacturing a wooden chair. It is a process of layering wood surfaces with the intention to ensure:
  • Protection against moisture air and gunk, as well as other oils and dirt particles.
  • Great Appearance - Finishes such as staining will only highlight and add some colour to the wood, livening it up.

Manufacturing chairs is a difficult, yet amazing process. It requires hard work and attention to detail, considering all the different shapes and processes the wood has to go through. The production of chairs is a little more complicated than the production of other furniture because the focus is not only on design but on comfort as well. Manufacturing wooden chairs is considered as an art in some cultures, with rather long-standing traditions in certain communities. From selecting the wood to joining it together the entire process requires planning and careful execution. Understanding the process of manufacturing wooden chairs is beneficial to people, as they learn something helpful while familiarizing with the maintenance demands of chairs. BESeating has incredible restaurant furniture including wooden chairs and metal chairs to offer, which are manufactured from commercial grade material using to aforementioned processes. 
Check out wood bar stools
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