High chairs

[HelenWyatt]

Does anyone know wear I could buy a highchair adult size in northwest UK or build one. Thanks

 

[Halfdan]

back in the day, I got a fold up director's chair and clamped on a large Graco highchair tray I got at a thrift store.
that worked ok, or gave the illusion of an adult highchair. I found on amazon you can order a clamp on feeding tray for a wheelchair that would be easier to work with,
Here is a picture when my X gave me breakfast in it on my birthday before our divorce later that year

 

[Seasonedcitizen]

Look at websites for adaptive accessories for the handicapped. You can get a tray to clamp onto a chair and various types of bibs. The homemade stuff can be quickly disassembled and put away until next time.

 

[BellasMommy]

Stanley Thornton used to have a website that he sold his highchair pattern on, but I can't seem to find the website and I'm not tech savvy enough to search the archives.

Does anyone know how to find it? All the links I find look defunct.

 

[HelenWyatt]

Thank you

 

[Littleabp]

There is a company on Etsy, if you search ‘ABF custom’ they make high chairs and deliver to the UK…I see you are from the north west of the UK as well, nice to chat to a local little

 

[BobbiSueEllen]

High-chairs are one of those weird things: if you find 'em custom-built for adults, they can be anywhere from pricey to cost-prohibitive...and usually there's a wider selection of them in North America, with a couple of cheap options.

There are also purpose-built youth/teen high-chairs which adults can manage to fit in...but being a 'medical device', the prices are astronomical because, for the best part, the government is paying--nay, being scammed--for them.

Some even use real toddlers' high chairs, which are risky...weight = breaks= injuries. Ow.

Then there improvising: as halfdan says & shows above, one can use director's chairs, even certain phlebotomy chairs...and add a tray. Easy-peasy.

Then...there's DIY. Some may want more authenticity and save a few bucks. DIY gives ya both, provided you are a fairly good "in-head, on-the-fly" designer, are patient and/or good with power tools. You don't necessarily have to own a Shopsmith Mark V...just be patient and be keen on detail, you can do a lot. For example, after considering buying & modifying a Winco 2578 phlebotomy chair, like this...

​

...it was clear that $850 and up wasn't gonna work...and even $300 used + shipping was painful. So...after looking at Winco's restaurant high-chairs (they make those, too), I did some twiddling with their design, enlarging it, compromising between scale & fit, buying wood & accessories, plotting, drawing, revising, redrawing, cutting, routing, sanding, drilling, filling, assembling, fitting, disassembling, painting, outfitting...this happened, for $200 in materials:

​

But anyway, these are some of the options out there. Hope this helped a little!

 

[BoundCoder]

I'll second the "make your own" option if its realistic for you.

Making a basic utilitarian high chair is a conceptually very easy project and doesn't really require much in tools or materials. I actually think you could probably buy the basic power tools you'd want + materials for the cost of what most woodworkers charge for niche projects like this. If getting into woodworking in general is something you are interested in, it would actually be a very good first (and probably second, third..) project.

In most woodworking, the difference between "slapped together" and "masterpiece" is in the small details and the amount of care and time you take with each piece. I could probably throw together a basic functioning chair in a few hours with a mitre saw, drill, driver, some pine 1x4s, and a box of wood screws.. but it'll look like crap. On the other hand if I want to make something nice, I'd probably use something nicer than pine, and I'd be spending a lot more time sanding, test-fitting, probably some router work and fancier joinery than just screwing the boards together. Like BobbiSueEllen said, you end up going through multiple re-fits and adjustments, probably taking the thing apart and put it back together multiple times, remaking parts that didn't quite work the way you thought they would.. it's definitely a process but while it takes time and patience and you certainly get better at it over time, it actually isn't really difficult per se.

If you DIY, you are also probably going to get way closer to what you want. I'm more into the BDSM side of things, so my main priority is that it be super sturdy and that you can be strapped in and know you aren't going anywhere. A converted chair or something like that just wasn't going to do it for me.

It's also a stepping stone to other things, like maybe a crib (which I would almost say actually easier than a chair, but involves way more materials and time just due to size).

 

[BellasMommy]

High-chairs are one of those weird things: if you find 'em custom-built for adults, they can be anywhere from pricey to cost-prohibitive...and usually there's a wider selection of them in North America, with a couple of cheap options.

There are also purpose-built youth/teen high-chairs which adults can manage to fit in...but being a 'medical device', the prices are astronomical because, for the best part, the government is paying--nay, being scammed--for them.

Some even use real toddlers' high chairs, which are risky...weight = breaks= injuries. Ow.

Then there improvising: as halfdan says & shows above, one can use director's chairs, even certain phlebotomy chairs...and add a tray. Easy-peasy.

Then...there's DIY. Some may want more authenticity and save a few bucks. DIY gives ya both, provided you are a fairly good "in-head, on-the-fly" designer, are patient and/or good with power tools. You don't necessarily have to own a Shopsmith Mark V...just be patient and be keen on detail, you can do a lot. For example, after considering buying & modifying a Winco 2578 phlebotomy chair, like this...

View attachment 100207​

...it was clear that $850 and up wasn't gonna work...and even $300 used + shipping was painful. So...after looking at Winco's restaurant high-chairs (they make those, too), I did some twiddling with their design, enlarging it, compromising between scale & fit, buying wood & accessories, plotting, drawing, revising, redrawing, cutting, routing, sanding, drilling, filling, assembling, fitting, disassembling, painting, outfitting...this happened, for $200 in materials:

View attachment 100214​

But anyway, these are some of the options out there. Hope this helped a little!

BSE, you did a great job on that!!! Very nice!

 

[BobbiSueEllen]

BSE, you did a great job on that!!! Very nice!

Aw, thank you! It was educational & fun to make, it's also very comfy & secure. Sitting it makes me 2 inches taller than standing up, the 3-point belt is snug...but not too much. The open front lets me kick & swing my legs a bit, like a real toddler...and the seatback's comfy but I'll get pinkish chair pads to make it better.

Next thing, to cap it off: make a decal logo for the chairback...

​

 

[BellasMommy]

Aw, thank you! It was educational & fun to make, it's also very comfy & secure. Sitting it makes me 2 inches taller than standing up, the 3-point belt is snug...but not too much. The open front lets me kick & swing my legs a bit, like a real toddler...and the seatback's comfy but I'll get pinkish chair pads to make it better.

Next thing, to cap it off: make a decal logo for the chairback...

View attachment 100223​

I really like the decal too! It was a good thought using the phlebotomy chair then modifying it with a better tray and , ofcourse pretty pink pillows!!