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.
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.https://www.thechieftainchair.com