Alex Peay, The Doberman Chair (WORLD 2024)

Photos:

Justin Peay

Country:

United States

Video tour:

https://www.instagram.com/p/C2DoDjwL3xj/?utm_source=qr

The Doberman Chair is a proof-of-concept chair for a Rotating Dovetail Joint that connects the legs of the chair to the seat. After learning about the Maloof Joint sometime in the middle of 2021 – I wondered if the joint could be completed using dovetails as a mechanical advantage. I contemplated this for the next few years until a moment of clarity on my way home from work. I went out in my garage the next day and cut the joint on November 15th, 2023. My next goal was to put it in application, and The Doberman Chair is the result. The chair’s name comes from the “ears” off the backrest, which reminds me of a Doberman Pinscher. It is constructed from Sapele and Hard Maple. The Rotating Dovetail Joint works by using the leg as the “pins” of the dovetail, while the “tail” is on the seat. A circular rotation of the leg into the seat completes the joint. The joint is very sturdy and does not need fasteners or dowels as the dovetail keeps it from separating. It is glued in place. Cutting it is somewhat complex and is done with both power and hand tools. I built my first chair out of pallet wood in August of 2021. I completed The Doberman Chair on January 12th, 2024.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.