Digital manufacturing has opened up a new crossroads of craftsmanship and mass production. The Sine chair capitalizes on this evolution by combining the artistry of hand made bespoke objects and CAD / CAM / CNC work-flows.

The finger joint is a sign of a woodworkers skill and are also frequently used in mass produced furniture to butt two pieces of wood together. On an industrial scale, these joints are often hidden and considered unsightly. To merge craft and industry, the finger joint was redesigned as a Sine wave to highlight the construction.

A desire to oversee the complete manufacturing process was important to retain the connection of craftsman to a mass produced good. Exhaustive prototyping and testing on a CNC router was performed to achieve the optimal tooling setup to minimize chipping and tear out, while balancing speed of cut and fidelity.

Work holding is critical in the CNC routing process, and an efficient tool path and design was essential to the production of these chairs. The bridges that hold the chair pieces in place also double as the clamping points for when the chair is glued together.

Creating objects in a digital space often allows for oversight on the nuances of comfort. Two prototypes were produced before the final in order to acutely refine ergonomics. The final design is extremely comfortable, and provides the design detail of negative space mimicking the wave joint between the legs.

The final design is an elegant chair that does not attempt to hide its manufacturing origins, in the same fashion as master woodworkers. The joints stand proud, however it’s these joints that show its creation was that of digital fabrication.