Aeron Chair- Hand Hewn White Oak

This chair was made in response to a Herman Miller exhibition for a woodworking class at University of Wisconsin-Madison. The chair was part of an exhibit at the Woodson Art Museum in Wausau, WI. The intent was to make a rustic version of the iconic Aeron chair. The wood used was hand hewed barn beams salvaged from when my dad took down our dilapidated barn. The seat and back are hand canned to replicate the mesh used in the original chair. To keep with the rustic look, all the parts were shaped to look draw shaved. The chair was finished with teak oil.

The bridal joint was the main type of joint used. This was done so the parts could be shaped without compromising the strength of the joints. The main hub (the big block in the middle) was notched to provide a strong seat for the main support which is also pegged. The smaller support is connected to the seat with pins connected to wedged through tenon blocks. The seat swivels by a turned post that is connected to the base with a pin that is inserted by a hole in the back of the hub. The legs are attached to the center pentagon with sliding dovetails. The wheels swivel by small turned rods. The wheels are made with four laminated pieces of wood rotated 45 degrees to provide end grain at all locations. 130 different pieces of wood were used to build the chair.