Recliner chairs are commonly found in family houses worldwide. These chairs look similar to a sofa, but you can adjust and recline them.
If you’ve been home for a long period of time, then there is a good chance you might be feeling stressed and need something to relax.
In this article, we will discuss some steps that will enable you to make a recliner chair at home. While you need skills to construct a recliner, you can easily make it at home if you have all the tools.
Which Material to Choose?
When choosing materials for making a recliner, you should always consider the location. You can keep the recliner at home, in a backyard, beach, summer house, and in many more places. Here are the materials you can choose from:
Plastic
While recliners made of plastic are lighter and easy to maintain, they have a short lifespan.
Wood
Wooden recliners are eco-friendly, sturdy, and comfortable. You can also attach wheels at the end of the recliner to maneuver it easily.
Fabric
Fabric recliners are compact and convenient. However, the chair’s frame is typically made from metal-shaped pipes or boards.
How to Make a Recliner?
We will now discuss how you can make a wooden recliner:
Tools
● Pull Saw
● Measuring Tape
● Pilot Hole Drill Bit of 1/8 inches
● Pilot Hole Drill Bit of 11/64 inches
● Hand Drill
● Countersink Bit
Consumables
● Oak Board: For the Top
● Oak Board: For the base
● Square rods (These act as supports)
● Wooden Screws: 24
Step 1 – Have a Plan
Constructing a recliner at home is not easy; before you do that, you must have a plan or blueprint. The main thing you need to focus on is the mechanics of the recliner.
You’re the best recliners for back pain must have a backrest that you can adjust. You can also add a footrest to the best power lift recliner with heat and massage for more convenience.
There are a few ways you can offer the reclining motion. You can use a single inclination lock, which requires only additional wood and a few screws.
However, if you want something smoother that you can raise to different heights, you can acquire more complex reclining parts.
Before making the recliner, you should draw it first. You will need to draw the recliner in the following views:
● Rear
● Front
● Left
● Right
This will be the blueprint of the recliner, so ensure you add details, proper labels, and dimensions.
Step 2 – Prepare the Wood
Cut the parts of the base into different dimensions according to the drawing. Ensure that each piece is labeled properly so you can easily identify them.
Use a level to create good angles that would fit properly. Once all the wood is cut, please treat them with substances that will keep wood-deteriorating insects such as termites at bay.
Step 3 – Gather all the Materials
Once the wood is prepared and you have a plan, you can start making preparations for the reclining chair.
While you can buy hardware online, we advise visiting the hardware store and buying all the material. Wood and other hardware products come in different dimensions, so you should buy them yourself.
While you make the chair’s wooden frame at home, you can purchase the reclining mechanism from the hardware shop. Ensure that you purchase a reclining mechanism that is sturdy and durable.
Step 4 – Construct the Chair
With the help of a pull saw, cut wood pieces for the armrests and the backrests. Then, drill holes at the end of each wood piece, and attach the pieces with a pair of wood screws (1/4 inch each).
Square every end of the backrest, with the width on each side measuring 3 inches and the length measuring 9 inches.
Then, cut a pair of lumber pieces down into 12-inch lengths, and drill holes at every end of the piece.
Cut two more pieces of lumber into lengths of 18 inches, and they should be large enough to form the base of the reclining chair. At every end of the piece, drill holes.
Drill holes on the ends of each leg that meet at the lower front. Cut a pair of lumber pieces lengthwise. This will ensure the pieces are shorter in height from the lower front edge to the upper back corner of each leg.
Hammer lumber pieces in these holes so you have a proper angle, then drill a pair of holes and hammer everything in. On the other side of the legs, drill a pair of holes; they should be 4 inches in diameter.
Once again, cut a lumber piece lengthwise, but it should be as high as the chair. In the front edge of this lumber piece, drill two holes.
Once all the holes have been made in the wooden frame, take your nails and hammer, and begin putting the reclining chair together.
Ensure you double-check all the parts before hammering them together. After nailing, the gaps left in the wood should be filled with wood putty.
Attach the chair’s base to the reclining part, then cover it with the seat surface. The fixing and fitting of the reclining mechanism will depend on where you purchased the part from. Ensure that the staff thoroughly explains to you the process of installing the mechanism.
Once the reclining mechanism is installed, check if it is working or not. Next, install the seating surface and other parts of the chair. With sandpaper, smoothen all the chair parts, and eliminate all the dust. You can also apply varnish, paint the chair or attach cushions and turn the chair into a sofa.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to Clean a Reclining Chair?
Here is how you can clean a wooden reclining chair:
● Take a damp cloth and wipe down the wooden chair, removing all the grime and dust. You should never let water stay on the wood, so wipe it clean as quickly as possible.
● If the wooden chair has sticky residue, take some dish soap, put it on the cloth, and remove the sticky section from the chair.
● Depending on the wood your chair is made of, sometimes it is better to give the chair a solid wax coating. Please avoid using polish sprays as they can leave spots.
How to Prevent Reclining Chair from Damages?
If you don’t want to invest in a cover for your reclining chair, another way of preventing dirt and scuffs is by using a fabric that can easily clean the chair. This fabric will also enable the chair to have a long lifespan.
Can Reclining Chair have Extra Padding?
Extra padding is good for the reclining chair because it makes it more comfortable. It is also necessary to have protection between the chair and the person sitting on it.
Ensure the recliner’s fabric is protected by some padding. You can also add some cushioning to the chair to make it comfortable.
Conclusion
This article discusses how you could make a recliner at home. While you need a bit of skill to construct a reclining chair, with proper guidance, anything is possible.
This article will guide you through the whole process, and if you follow the steps properly, you should be able to make a reclining chair at home.