I've been kicking around ideas on how to fasten the chair shell to the stretchers, and I think I have the front mounting worked out. The shell doesn't provide any structural strength to the chair, so the fastening mechanism just needs to hold the shell in position. I will be incorporating the original jets back into the holes in the seat to declare the chair's roots. The back 2 jets will be "decorative" (because they don't line-up with anything), but the front two will be reworked to be a sort of stepped washer. A machine screw could then be used to hold the shell to the front stretcher (which would have a threaded insert).
Here's the original jet.
Cut down to fit the shallow hole.
A stainless fender washer will be glued to the end.
A countersunk washer will be stacked on top.
This stuff is messy. It's supposed to bond metal to plastic, so hopefully it will hold. If not, I'll try something else.
Finished pair.
The holes will be positioned over the raised supports on the front stretcher.
I'm still thinking about the best way to mount the seat at the back stretcher.
I have always wanted to experiment with bilding a type of shell chair, and this project have inspired med to look into that again. It would be cool to make a shell chair that is not from plastic. I have always been fascinated by the french, who used papier mache to make a kind of shell chairs in victorian time, like these: https://www.1stdibs.com/buy/papier-mache-chair/ Another way to go is water formed leather like Jon Goulder have used to make this fantastic chair: https://www.jongoulder.com/catalogue-settlerschair Straw is also interesting, like used in this work by Gareth Neal: https://www.garethneal.co.uk/craft/brodgar-collection
So many ways to go...
"The good chair is a task one is never completely done with" Hans Wegner
