My Sh!t is custom

I have some old herman - miller Eames shell chairs, fiberglass one’s. I want to use a router to cut a pattern into them to give it a custom die-cut look. Think this will be okay with the fiberglass or should I stick to the PETE newer ones? The fiberglass chairs are a dime a dozen so as long as they don’t snap immediately and don’t kill me with poisonous crap then I think it should be fun.

The couple of times I had to do any fiberglass cutting (boat speakers, sub boxes) it was always super nasty and I’m not sure how you would be able to get an edge finish that would be smooth enough to sit on because you’re going to be exposing fibers when you cut into it.

If you have them and want to do it as a science experiment you can try. Just wear some gloves and a face mask. I got one of the fiber ends right in my finger and it hurt for days. Nasty to breathe too.

I would stick with the newer PP shells, remember Angus Rocket “composites are great until they’re not”

When you cut into fiberglass your adding additional areas for potential crack tips to form, you’d also probably end up needing t manually refinish all those edges to some degree and then paint.

With the Polypro shells, you just need to understand how the cutouts will effect the structure and then finishing edges will be less of an issue and no need for painting since they’re homogenous in material and color.

Fiberglass is not great to cut. Plus the chairs are still worth about $300 a piece, not a dime a dozen. The new ones are worth a lot less.

R

depending on how much die cutting, the newer PP shells will get pretty floppy too. I can bend them with my hands. Def wouldn’t try it on the fiberglass.

Maybe what you need to do is a custom cut carbon fiber overlay using the old chair as a mold.

Bling!

5 axis waterjet is the way, cuts hard fiberglass like butter.

Don’t forget the diamond plate!

  1. Don’t mess with a great design unless you’re 100% sure to improve it.
  1. Of course you can cut fiberglass, ask a boat shop for help. (Or a TVR owner.)
  1. The new PP ones suck. But I doubt you can hack them, as the PP will flex if cut in strings.


I find the old shells all the time, but I also am looking for them. I guess I’ll wait and find a PP one and give that a whirl or use a FG one and make a quick two part mold, then lay up something that is more in the shape I want.

Mo-i I do know a TVR owner in the USA.