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Here's some food for thought on the Denver Chair, one of which I constructed last week. Sorry for the essay!
I probably could have made it cheaper if I scrounged around a bit more, however it certainly is not as cheap to build as if living in America etc.
Please bear in mind that I already had the following materials on-hand:
19mm Form-ply in appropriate width/length
8m piece of 2x4 equivalent structural pine
7mm ID efi fuel tube
A tin of Polyurethane Waterproofing wood sealer
Velcro strapping.
Cost of remaining materials from my local Bunnings:
4 x 3/8in flat washers - $0.60
4 x 3/8inx4in bolt/nut - $4.20
2 x 3/8inx2in coach screw - $1.04
1 x 3/8in T-nuts 4pk - $2.80
2 x SS M10 washers - $0.72
1 x M10 150mm Zinc coated Bolt - $3.11
1 x M10 Zinc coated Locknut - $0.35
1 x 1mx32mmx3mm alu strip - $8.16
1 x Satin Stainless Closed Butt Hinge - $6.13
Plus (Unfortunately I did not have suitable screws on-hand):
50Pack of 10-8gx50 Tpine screws - $7.35
25Pack of 8gx30 brass screws - $3.68
Total $38.14
I will also need to sort out some sort of cushioning for it as numb bum sets in very fast with hard plywood for me.. and I refused to pay a futher $13 for a 2 pack of chest handles, which would ultimately stick in my back when leaning back for a rest... the chair can be easily handled without adding a handle in my opinion.
If I had to add buying the wood, fuel tube and sealer/paint, in addition to the cushion I still need and the chest handle I did not buy... then this project would probably be getting close to 50% or more of the cost of the Bintel chair, which is much more sturdy, the one I tried in store felt comfortable and assuring.
As it is, given my larger frame, the Denver chair has a tendency to tip forwards when I lean forward at the lower stool height settings. I did make the seat platform slightly larger so this may be the cause...
Would I build a denver chair again? Yes, provided I could keep the cost down.. it was entertaining and satisfying to build something for once and with a bit more thought I would customize it even more to my liking.
I'm glad I built the chair, as it is more usable than the little folding camping stool I was using beforehand and the stability allows for much improved observation.
If I had to buy everything new then I would seriously consider the Bintel chair, in fact I'll probably end up with one in the future anyhow but would still take the Denver camping with my grab'n'go SW130p.
Best of luck, I hope this helps you with your decision.
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