RumbleOtto: A Motivated Portable

RUMBLEOTTO DORIAN JANOWICZ

TABLE OF CONTENTS: DEFINITION AND DESCRIPTION

1

INITIAL STUDIES

2-3

RUMBLE SEAT + OTTOMAN

4-5

RATS! FIRST RUMBLEOTTO ITERATION

6-9

DEAD CAT UPHOLESTRY

10-11

RUSTY UPHOLESTRY

12-13

RUMBLEOTTO FINAL ITERATION COST ANALYSIS FUTURE PERMUTATIONS

14-17 18 19

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

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RUMBLEOTTO 'Rumbleotto' brings together two uncommon furniture forms into an adaptable piece. Bringing the mechanics of the 'rumble seat', an adaption to an automobile's trunk as a third row of seating and an ottoman, a foot rest typically accompanying a couch, 'Rumbleotto' can accompany any existing seat or can transform into its own seat configuration.

Materials: Oak Plywood (5 ply), 1930 Ford Model A Reproduction Rumble seat hinges, Upholestery

1

INITIAL STUDIES

INITIAL STUDIES PRODUCED THE IDEA OF A LOW SEAT WITH NO BACK, COMBINED WITH A POSSIBLE SECONDARY FUNCTION, HERE: A LIGHT. ROCEEDING ITERATIONS EXPLORED THIS FORM.

2

A SECOND ITERATION PRODUCED LOW SEATS (REFERRED AS AN OTTOMAN) WITH A BACK THAT CAN BE DEPLOYED FOR MORE COMFORTABLE SITTING. THIS LED THE SEARCH FOR A MECHANISM THAT WOULD PROVIDE THIS MOVEMENT.

3

RUMBLE SEAT + OTTOMAN

eBay Mac's Autoparts Snyder Antique Auto Mike's A-Ford-able Auto Speedway Motors $33

4

AN EXPLORATION OF MOVABLE SEAT MECHANISMS LED TO THE IDEA OF INTRODUCING THE FUNCTION OF A RUMBLE SEAT. RUMBLE SEATS, A VARIATION OF AN EARLY 1930’s AUTOMOBILE TRUNK HINGE TO PRODUCE A THIRD ROW OF SEATING PROVIDED THE BEST MECHANISM FOR AN OPERABLE SEAT BACK. THE NEXT STEP BECAME ACQUIRING A SET OF RUMBLE SEAT HINGES FOR FURTHER EXPLORATION.

The George Thurgood Experiment (NAMED FOR THE SONG PLAYING WHEN THIS RIG WAS BUILT)

AFTER PURCHASING THE HINGES FROM SPEEDWAY MOTORS I ASSEMBLED A RIG TO OBSERVE THE MECHANISMS/POTENTIAL ISSUES IN USING THESE HINGES.

5

RATS! (’RAT ROD’ BUILT)

THE HINGES PROVED TO BE A GREAT MECHANISM FOR THE SEATS OPERATION AND STARTED OFF AN ADDITIONAL LINE OF DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS: THOSE OF REFERENCING BACK TO A 1930’s FORD MODEL A (FROM WHICH THE HINGES ORIGINATED).

THIS GAVE ME A UNIQUE DESIGN MENTALITY AS WELL AS A JUMPING OFF POINT FOR FURTHER ENHANCEMENTS IN THE DESIGN.

6

31”

9”

18”

FIRST, A MOCKUP OF THE SEATING DIMENSIONS WAS ASSEMBLED USING VARIOUS OBJECTS. ONCE COMFORTABLE DIMENSIONS WERE FOUND A DESIGN WAS DRAWN UP

AND PROJECTED ONTO PLYWOOD SHEETS

7

RATS!

8

CONT.

9

DEAD CAT

UPHOLESTRY

IN ORDER TO MAKE THE SEAT COMFORTABLE IN ANY POSITION, THE SEAT MUST BE UPHOLESTERED WITH CUSHIONS AND FABRIC. THE FIRST ITERATION SOUGHT TO WRAP COTTON BATTING AROUND THE BACK REST TO BEST ACCOMODATE A PERSON’S BACK. THE SECOND ITERATION EXPLORED A METHOD FOR FORMING A FABRIC PATTERN USING RUST TO INTEGRATE AN ANTIQUE (CAR) AESTHETIC.

10

11

RUSTY

UPHOLESTRY

IN THE SEARCH FOR A FABRIC COLOR AND STYLE IN WHICH TO WRAP THE CHAIR, THE OLD CAR AESTHETIC WAS STILL A CONSIDERATION. AFTER LOOKING THROUGH DIFFERENT PATTERNS, I FOUND A DYEING TECHNIQUE WHERE RUST IS USED TO STAIN A PIECE OF FABRIC. THIS PRODUCED SEVERAL ITERATIONS AND EXPERIMENTS IN GETTING A DESIRABLE AESTHETIC FROM THE FABRIC AND RUST.

12

COPPER STAINING

COFFEE STAINING

STEEL STAINING FINAL RESULT

STEEL STAINING

13

RUMBLEOTTO

EACH EXPERIMENT AND ITERATION WAS TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION IN THE FINAL RELIZATION OF THE RUMBLEOTTO SEAT. FIVE PLY OAK PLYWOOD WAS USED FOR THE SEAT’S BODY, THE HINGES WERE REUSED FROM THE RATS ITERATION, AND WHITE FABRIC WAS SUBSITUTED AS A PROXY FOR A FINAL STYLE.

14

15

RUMBLEOTTO

16

17

RUMBLEOTTO FINAL COST ANALYSIS:

18

RUMBLE SEAT HINGES OAK PLYWOOD (ONE 4’X8’) MISC HARDWARE UPHOLESTRY CUSHIONS COTTON BATTING 4 YARDS WHITE VINYL 2 YARDS GREY VINYL UPHOLESTRY HARDWARE LABOR (25HRS)

$33 $45 $5 $30 FREE $87 $16 $15 $425

TOTAL:

$656

FUTURE PERMUTATIONS:

VARYING UPHOLESTRY COLORS/ WOOD COLORS

RUSTED STEEL SIDE PANELS

19

20

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS/THANKS THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT AND HELP: MY COLLEAGUES IN THE ARCH 576 CLASS AND PROFESSOR POSS FOR THE HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS AND DISCUSSION, ROBIN ROMACK FOR THE FREE MATERIALS AND CONTINUED HELP, JORDAN HA, LINDA NG, MARINA KARAMANIS FOR ALL THOSE RIDES TO HOME DEPOT, STEPHANIE KING FOR HELPING ME MAKES HEADS AND TAILS OF FABRIC/UPHOLESTRY, MELISSA LACHAPELLE FOR PUTTING UP WITH ME AND THE SUPPORT.

21