Pirogue Seat: A Proto Model
- Thread starter beekeeper
- Start date
Looks nice, Grandpa Bee. Will there be a reclining vibrator model? :wink:
Actually, it's easy to picture you in it, fishing pole in hand, grandson nearby, and fish on your stringer.
Actually, it's easy to picture you in it, fishing pole in hand, grandson nearby, and fish on your stringer.
Looks a lot like the one I came up with back in Oct 2003.
And gave the plans to Uncle John so it would be on his web site to go along with the pirogues.
http://www.unclejohns.com/boat/seat/default.htm
And gave the plans to Uncle John so it would be on his web site to go along with the pirogues.
http://www.unclejohns.com/boat/seat/default.htm
That looks nice. I bought Chuck's plans from UJ, but can see blending yours and Chucks together in a hybrid. I haven't built Chuck's yet, but like the idea of his curved seat. Looks like yours might be a tad more comfy in the folded over position, with the runners below.
Did you screw the back slats on to prevent pushing the boards out when leaning back?
Did you screw the back slats on to prevent pushing the boards out when leaning back?
Thanks guys.
Chuck's pirogue is a great seat and I have built and modified several. This proto seat's functions and form were derived from a patio folding chair, and adapted to fit my use.
This seat is 8" high, 1.5" deeper, slopes only 1/2" to the rear, and not curved front to rear(future chairs will have curved slats). I like to sit higher, and the straighter seat places less pressure on the back of the legs. The curved seat works better in a normal sitting chair where the legs hang down. The back hinges to the seat base(no need for plywood backing) and it makes for a good strong fit of the back stacked onto the base if you wanted to sit on it in that configuration.
All slats were screwed and glued.
Chuck's pirogue is a great seat and I have built and modified several. This proto seat's functions and form were derived from a patio folding chair, and adapted to fit my use.
This seat is 8" high, 1.5" deeper, slopes only 1/2" to the rear, and not curved front to rear(future chairs will have curved slats). I like to sit higher, and the straighter seat places less pressure on the back of the legs. The curved seat works better in a normal sitting chair where the legs hang down. The back hinges to the seat base(no need for plywood backing) and it makes for a good strong fit of the back stacked onto the base if you wanted to sit on it in that configuration.
All slats were screwed and glued.
beekeeper said:
Beekeeper has made several modifications of the seat and all of them are good ideas ( improvements ) which offer a lot of comfort. That's the simplicity of my design , it can be modified to anyone's ideas of comfort and several other builders have done the same. All it takes is some imagination and even thinking now and then but we try to stay away from to much thinking. :roll:
As with everything we do on here , original ideas work and then modifications come along to make the original's even better , is a continuing learning process to improve what we use. Without improvements and learning we would become very stagnate and never move forward.
More padding is nice. I sit on a flotation cushion to soften the seat and to change the sitting heigth. Curved slats also improve the fit and feel.
Most bought seats recline too much for me. I like to sit up straight so I make mine to fit me. I may have to make some adjustments on the next one, because I forgot to consider the lifevest.
Overall width of the seat is the same as my last UJ one.
It looks larger because the back side pieces are on the outside and the wood is not as refined. I hope to improve the next one.
beekeeper
Most bought seats recline too much for me. I like to sit up straight so I make mine to fit me. I may have to make some adjustments on the next one, because I forgot to consider the lifevest.
Overall width of the seat is the same as my last UJ one.
It looks larger because the back side pieces are on the outside and the wood is not as refined. I hope to improve the next one.
beekeeper
When "testing" chairs for dining room suites, I found that a well formed, bare wooden seat is more comfortable that is a flat seat with a pad on it. Better fit engages more of the rump (a curved seat that fits a curved rump), meaning more skin-covered is area supporting the given weight. That translates into lower pounds per square inch PSI all over. Lower psi means fewer - ideally, no - pressure points that hurt after a short while.
Of course, if that seat has a cold beer nearby, the shape of a seat becomes less important. :wink:
Also, if there is a wild, bagpipe player roaming around to scare unsuspecting folks, the shape of the seat is totally unimportant. (Long story behind that one. Ask Piper San)
Of course, if that seat has a cold beer nearby, the shape of a seat becomes less important. :wink:
Also, if there is a wild, bagpipe player roaming around to scare unsuspecting folks, the shape of the seat is totally unimportant. (Long story behind that one. Ask Piper San)
Evolution is a slow process. I finely made another seat with some minor changes from the first one. Looking at the finished seat I think I may have been to restrained in making the changes. Now I need to put in some fishing time to test it.
beekeeper
beekeeper
I like the contour, JD. An oaken seat, properly contoured, is more comfortable than a padded, flat seat.
"Properly contoured" is what I was trying for. It fells right at the shop, but only time spent in the boat will say for sure.
For me too much contour in the sides of a low boat chair is not comfortable after a few hours. Maybe it is the height of my chairs, but only a little support under the thighs seems to work best. The seat slats are curved side to side the same as my other chairs, so I know they will be fine.
I put some contour in the sides, front to back and the seat is 1/2" lower in the back. You can see some differences in these two pictures.
Original proto chair:
Recent attempt before paint:
"oaken", I like that word, after I looked it up. I have some white oak lumber that would make a nice chair, but this one is pine. I'm not out much if I have to tweek the design. If I can decide on a final design, it will be a "cypressen" seat. :lol:
beekeeper
For me too much contour in the sides of a low boat chair is not comfortable after a few hours. Maybe it is the height of my chairs, but only a little support under the thighs seems to work best. The seat slats are curved side to side the same as my other chairs, so I know they will be fine.
I put some contour in the sides, front to back and the seat is 1/2" lower in the back. You can see some differences in these two pictures.
Original proto chair:
Recent attempt before paint:
"oaken", I like that word, after I looked it up. I have some white oak lumber that would make a nice chair, but this one is pine. I'm not out much if I have to tweek the design. If I can decide on a final design, it will be a "cypressen" seat. :lol:
beekeeper
And, have you thought of adding a deeper contour in the horizontal slats immediately under your "butt bones"? Lowering them, say, a quarter of an inch?
Verlen Krueger had a prototype seat in his shop. It had some kind of formable putty in it that was covered so it wouldn't stick to pants. He had everyone who came in sit down in it to shape it. He called it the "10,000 ass seat".
The idea is to have as much load bearing surface as possible. This gives the lowest psi pressure on sensitive tissue.
It would be trickier than I could do without trying it a few times. Probably, my first try would be convex instead of concave.
Verlen Krueger had a prototype seat in his shop. It had some kind of formable putty in it that was covered so it wouldn't stick to pants. He had everyone who came in sit down in it to shape it. He called it the "10,000 ass seat".
The idea is to have as much load bearing surface as possible. This gives the lowest psi pressure on sensitive tissue.
It would be trickier than I could do without trying it a few times. Probably, my first try would be convex instead of concave.
"And, have you thought of adding a deeper contour in the horizontal slats immediately under your "butt bones"? Lowering them, say, a quarter of an inch?" :?
Sort of a shallow hole/indention to sit in?
I thought about that, and the putty idea to determine the shape needed, but was not sure I was a good enough wood smith to build either. I have seen chairs with seats made with the contour you are talking about, but they were hued from a solid wood bottom. I am not sure I could shape slats abruptly enough.
I also wondered about using a cane bottom and back. I have had no experance with caned boat seats. I have made a regular size/sit up straight wooden chair with a canned seat and back. It sits well, but I don't know how that would translate to a "sit low" boat seat design. Anybody used one?
beekeeper
Sort of a shallow hole/indention to sit in?
I thought about that, and the putty idea to determine the shape needed, but was not sure I was a good enough wood smith to build either. I have seen chairs with seats made with the contour you are talking about, but they were hued from a solid wood bottom. I am not sure I could shape slats abruptly enough.
I also wondered about using a cane bottom and back. I have had no experance with caned boat seats. I have made a regular size/sit up straight wooden chair with a canned seat and back. It sits well, but I don't know how that would translate to a "sit low" boat seat design. Anybody used one?
beekeeper
most of the kayak racers I know use minicell foam block and grind and carve them until they fit there butts.
Ron
Ron
A friend of mine carved out his kayak seat. It is made of alternate layers of blue and white closed-cell foam pads from Wally World. It's easy to see the contour lines, like on a topo map.
JD, I'm pretty sure that I'd have to do a few trials and lots of errors to do it. Matt sells the caned seats. That would be an option I'd try, fitting one into a seat frame like yours. In the meantime, I'll admire your handiwork, and envy your skill.
JD, I'm pretty sure that I'd have to do a few trials and lots of errors to do it. Matt sells the caned seats. That would be an option I'd try, fitting one into a seat frame like yours. In the meantime, I'll admire your handiwork, and envy your skill.