How to Make a Jumbo Sized Chair

Preparing the Boards

• 1

  Select two large pieces of wood that fulfill your space requirements. For reference, a standard chair features a seat that is 16 to 20 inches wide, 16 to 18 inches deep and 36 to 38 inches tall. To build your jumbo chair, play with these standard proportions to amplify the seat. Keep in mind that your jumbo plank chair seat will be a 120-degree angle seat versus a standard 90-degree angle seat.

• 2

  Purchase two wood panels that are 1 3/4 inches thick to ensure that the wood will support plenty of weight. The 80-inch panel is your jumbo backrest and front leg. The 70-inch panel creates the seat and back legs of the seat.

• 3

  Measure 15 inches from the bottom of the 70-inch board and mark the place on either side of the board. The 15-by-40-inch section is your seat. The remainder of the panel will slip through the 80-inch panel to form the back plank leg of the chair.

• 4

  Create the back leg of the chair by narrowing the width of the board by 2 inches on both sides. Starting from the 15-by-40-inch seat, use a measuring tape and pencil to mark 2 inches from the width on both sides. Starting 2 inches from the edge of the board, draw a margin down the remaining 55 inches of the board on one side. Make another 55-inch line 2 inches from the other side of your board. Your board is now the 15-by-40-inch seat and two 55-by-2-inch rectangles marked by pencil.

• 5

  Using a table saw, trim the back leg by following the pencil lines of both 55-by- 2-inch rectangles. Your board now has a 15-by-40-inch seat and a 55-by-36-inch sliding section. The 2-inch margins will allow your board to interlock with your 80-by-40-inch board. Set aside your seat board.

• 6

  Prepare the backrest and front plank leg using the 80-inch board. Measure and trace a line across the width of the board located 16 inches from the bottom of the panel. Measure and mark another line across the width of the board located at 18 inches from the bottom of the panel.

• 7

  Beginning at the 16-inch marker, mark two points that make 2-inch margins on your 80-inch board. You now have a line across the 40-inch width of the board divided into a 2-inch margin, a 36-inch line and another 2-inch margin.

• 8

  Repeat the above step with the 18-inch line by marking the line with two 2-inch margins.

• 9

  Use your marks on the 16-inch and the 18-inch lines to draw a 36-by-2-inch box inside the width of the panel.

• 10

  Using a handsaw, cut the 36-by-2-inch box to create a slot for the seat board.

• 11

  Smooth any rough areas of the cutout box with sandpaper.

Assembly

• 12

  Take your prepared boards to the desired location for your jumbo chair.

• 13

  Holding the 80-inch board upright, slide the narrow end of the 70-inch board through the cutout box until your cutout meets the seat of the 70-inch board.

• 14

  Use sandpaper to sand down rough areas where the two boards meet.

• 15

  Decorate with assorted pillows to increase style and comfort.