Furniture frames

[Cdg]

Does anyone here build furniture frames? Or have experience in it?

[MinUph]

What do you need to know. I've built a few.

[Cdg]

How do you come up with the plans? Do you have a computer program, or just draw them up?

I want a new sofa and this piece would be for myself. I can't find anything on Craigslist that I like, so I was thinking about having a frame made and I would upholster it. I have an very small upholstery business.
however, I'm not sure how an upholstery shop would respond to that request. Is that in any way insulting to say you build it, but I want to upholster it? Am I overthinking this?

I also thought about having my husband build the frame. He's very knowledgeable and good at building things, but knows little about upholstery related furniture. That's why I was wondering if there was a program that could just tell him what to cut and put together!

thanks for any input!

[gene]

I am so tired. I recently covered a picture frame with fabric for a customer. I'm sitting here thinking of where I've got the photo of it. And then I noticed the topic again. LOL

I don't build furniture frames. There have been some folks here on the forum who do.

One thought, to save your husband a lot of work, is to find an old sofa that is similar to what you want, strip it down, and rebuild it up from the frame. You'll get a hardwood frame if it's old enough and maybe springs that you could reuse.

gene

[baileyuph]

For what it may be worth;  I have bought expensive (higher quality furniture is the point) display furniture (meaning new) and reupholstered it in a fabric of choice with a lot of success.  Turned out to be a good approach to get quality at an attractive price.

Even, given the capability of building frame and doing/buying all needed supplies, the overall cost is more than redoing high quality brand name items like described.

Just another idea if it may apply.

Doyle

[MinUph]

How do you come up with the plans? Do you have a computer program, or just draw them up?

I want a new sofa and this piece would be for myself. I can't find anything on Craigslist that I like, so I was thinking about having a frame made and I would upholster it. I have an very small upholstery business.
however, I'm not sure how an upholstery shop would respond to that request. Is that in any way insulting to say you build it, but I want to upholster it? Am I overthinking this?

I also thought about having my husband build the frame. He's very knowledgeable and good at building things, but knows little about upholstery related furniture. That's why I was wondering if there was a program that could just tell him what to cut and put together!

thanks for any input!

  Knowing frame construction I basicly just need the size, shape and and options the client might want. I go over all this with them and just build it. I am not sure if you went to a local Upholstery shop and asked them to build you a frame what you might end up with. There are frame manufactures out there. You might google that and see what pops up. As for insulting an Upholsterer I doubt that would be the case. It won't be cheap for sure. What kind of sofa frame might you looking for?
  I know of no frame software that a novice could afford.

[forsailbyowner]

I have not the same but similar project ahead. The power cruiser I'm working on is bare like an empty room. The companionway is so small furniture won't fit thru. So it's time to build the interior from scratch. Same thing in the fly bridge except that's being built because furniture isn't appropriate. There the client wants it built similar to a pit group. I'm going to be on this project for some time.. Basically doing everything that requires stitching including 12 panel enclosure structured top, Bimini, curtains, etc I was given a tour of Morgan Outisland 60' hull no 1. It has a pit group built in with dual recliners built in. Are there hardware kits for something like this? This is venturing past where I've been before but what's life without challenges?

[Darren Henry]

The "purists" on here are going to have a cow when they hear how I was shown to make furniture frames, but it does work. My frames are as strong as traditional hardwood frames , faster to upholster and can be assembled on site. The guy who trained me had been using this method for 19 years and had never had to honour his life time warranty on his frames. In the 5 years+ that I was there we had one issue---Some college types were having a party at daddy's cottage and the one young genius did a high diving act off the loft and broke one of the 2X2 on the arm of the sofa where the piece of cardboard would be on today's furniture.

In  a nut shell; my pieces are four component pieces made of over sized construction spruce and plywood. Usually 3/4". The arms, seat deck and back are framed and sprung/webbed separately and upholstered. (No need for cuts,wink) The pieces are then lag bolted and screwed together. Finally the outside trim is applied, dust cover, legs etc...This final step can be done on site with a minimum amount of tools/mess/etc...

Using spruce is less expensive than hardwood even though you are using a 2X4 where you would normally use a 1X3 hardwood,etc... The joinery is more akin to framing carpentry than cabinet making saving time and radically reducing the learning curve. When I was working there the second year man framed the arms and the seat deck after the boss laid out the arm plates and one of the journeyman made the back.

If you're interested I could draw up some prints and explain step by step.

[RiCat]

Darren, I would be interested .. ty

Rick

[Cdg]

Yes, I would like to see plans. Do you have an example?

what kind of price point do you think is average for the frame construction?

[Darren Henry]

I haven't forgotten you. I have a quick sketch of a typical seat deck scribbled out and have gotten my scanner working again, but now I'm having issues getting my scan onto photobucket to post here. I'll email a copy of the sketch (gremlins willing) shortly to Rick and Cdg. Hopefully one of them will have better luck posting it for me.

Without any dimensions or a picture of the style we are after I didn't include any dimensions and I haven't done arms or back yet till I hear from Cdg.

The finished width of the deck is width of the seating area or  overall width minus the width of the two arms.[Which is more important on this piece?] The length of the end pieces and spreaders are finished depth minus 3" as they have to go inside the front and back frame members. The height of the frame ( 2x8? , 2X10? etc...) is the seat height minus the length of the legs, minus the thickness of the seat cushions.

Once you have your dimensions; select clear straight stock, ensure your saw(s) are square, and cut your pieces. Lay them out on a flat level surface to avoid any twisting and glue all joints as you "tack " them in place with your upholstery stapler. Measure corner to corner to make sure you are square (top left to bottom right = top right to bottom left) and secure with an air framing nailer or deck screws.

The cut away on the spreaders (so you don't feel them if you sit between the cushions) should start just in front of the front of the back frame or your spring rail if using one and go to about 1 1/2" of the front frame member. The two front corner blocks at the top should be down about 1-1 1/2" so you don't feel them as well.

The tee nuts for the legs go in the arms....you're done step one.

[SteveA]

Framing nailer now your talking about a rush - better than sex, booze, or money - Kind of !
SA

[RiCat]

Darren, thank you for the plans. I do not do photo bucket to post the plans. What I did do to be able to share is build a web page on my website to view the plans and the tech info you posted. The plans I formatted in a .jpg so it can be easily downloaded. You ended it with "done with step one", so if there is any additional information, I can easily add to the web page if you want. The link to view the plans is:

http://www.CatalinaCustom.com/Shared_Info/Furniture_Frame_Plans_Info.htm

Thanks again...

Rick

ps... the page for your plans is not linked on my website for public viewing

[Darren Henry]

Wow. Talk about overnight service---thanks Rick. I can see where I'm going to have to get more polished with the arm plans if you are going to post on something that classy LOL.

I'll put together a little module on arms once I get a little more feedback.

[RiCat]

Darren, it ain't even a thang to post it. Thank you for the compliment. Just let me know, and we can add to it...

Rick