Many things simply slot together - demountable furniture, pigeon hole shelves, even the wings on gliders.

Generating a great deal of interest at the moment, are the small Japanese seats called Zaishu, which combine the functions of box, seat and small table. Supplied flat and simply slotted together, the panels are decorated with artworks which over a period of time will take on that rich loved-and-used look.

So, why not use the same principles for building and decorating a chair, taking inspiration from both western and Japanese slotted plywood furniture. Just four panels that slot together without glue, nails or screws, and that can be taken apart when necessary. Easy.

Tip: All the parts for your slot chair can be cut from a half sheet of plywood, so you can get two from one whole sheet. Have the sheets pre-cut by the plywood supplier so the difficult long cuts are done for you. This way, you'll be able to fit the parts in the boot of your car. Depending on your likes, finish the chair with a coat protective clear finish or decorate it with interesting lino prints or coloured inks which let the beautiful timber grain show through.

Gather your supplies
4 squares of 595 x 595 x 15mm hoop pine plywood (you can get two chairs out of one 2400 x 1200mm sheet of plywood); utility knife, jigsaw, file, 8mm drill bit and drill, sandpaper, lint-free cloth; router and flush trim bit for making more than one chair quickly; wood putty; grid paper; pencil; graphite paper; lino print tile; lino cutting tool; artist's acrylic paints; sponge roller; paint tray; Jo Sonja's Artist's acrylics in Sap Green, Colony Blue and Titanium White (for alternate colour scheme use Napthol Crimson, Cadmium Yellow Mid and Cadmium Orange); brayer; FW Acrylic Artists Ink Colours in Emerald Green, Sap Green, Light Green, Turquoise, Sepia, Raw Sienna, Burnt Umber, Flame Orange, Scarlet and Process Yellow; ruler; candle; artist's flat paintbrushes; Jo Sonja's Polyurethane Water-Based Satin Vanish; glazing brush

Here's how
Note: Before starting check the thickness of your ply as there may be slight variations in thickness which will affect the width of slots. Adjust as necessary.

Step 1
If not already cut into squares, cut four squares of 16mm plywood to 595 x 595mm. Mark the squares as two legs, one back and one seat, and using the diagrams for the measurements mark in the slots. The measurement for only one side of each slot is given to allow you to work out the width of slots for your particular ply. Note that when using 15mm plywood there are 16 and 15mm slots depending on whether the matching piece enters the slot straight or at an angle. The trick is not to have the fit too tight so that you need a hammer and half a tub of schmaltz to put them together. On the other hand they should also not be so sloppy that the chair feels unsafe to use. Use a 20 cent coin to mark a small radius at all corners of the legs and back and the front corners of the seat.

Step 2
Before cutting out the slots, scour along the set out lines with a sharp utility knife. This severs the grain when cutting across the grain and saves tear out of the grain when you use the jigsaw which cuts in an upward motion. When scouring along the grain be careful that the knife doesn't wander, trying to follow the grain. Also scour around the rounded corners.

Step 3
Fit a new blade and make sure your jigsaw is cutting square on a piece of waste, then start cutting out the slots. Cut to the line, with the edge of the blade on the scour line and the bulk of the blade on the waste side of the cut. You'll see the value of the scour lines.

Step 4
Chisel out the ends with a 15mm chisel with the bevel facing down the slot to clean up the ends. Chisel about half way from one side, then turn over and chisel from the back.

Step 5
Once cut check the width of cut with the offcut on edge. The width from jigsawing should be just right or a fraction small - you can always ease it with a file or sandpaper. If too wide the joint will always be sloppy.

Step 6
For the enclosed slot in the back, drill a hole at one end with an 8mm drill to provide a starting point for the jigsaw blade. Then start the cut with the blade of the jigsaw in the hole. Clean up as necessary.

Step 7
Now for the moment of truth. Fit all the components together. The best order is to fit the two legs to the seat but do not push them fully home. Then fit the back and when it is right down, push the seat fully back. The fit should be firm without being overly tight. If too lose the chair will feel sloppy and uncomfortable.

Step 8
Once everything fits and you are happy with the result, you can make as many of the chairs as you want. The easiest way at this stage is to use a flush trim bit on a router. Simply clamp the new sheet exactly over the cut piece and let the router do the work. The bit has a bottom ball bearing that follows the shape. All you now need to do is chisel the square slot ends.

Step 9
Use putty to fill any chips or holes around the edges made when cutting each of the shapes. When dry, sand smooth. Enlarge the bird design then transfer it onto smooth side of the lino tile. Carve out the pale part of the design, outlining the main motifs then gouge out the background in lines to create a textured effect. When using lino cutting tools, cut away from your body and keep your other hand out of the way in case the tool slips.

Step 10
Sponge roll a thin layer of green paint over the carved lino tile. Decide which panel you wish to print then carefully place the lino face down onto the plywood. Using the brayer and applying even pressure, roll over the back of the lino. Gently lift the lino to reveal the print. Repeat this step, overlapping and layering a total of three colours. To achieve the other two colours used in this project, lighten the paint by adding a little white to the green and to the blue.

Step 11
Using a ruler and pencil, draw stripes of varying widths onto a plywood panel. Draw even-sized triangles (within squares) on another panel. Using the candle, draw a sketchy line within each stripe or circles in the centre of each square. Press hard, so the candle wax is embedded in the timber grain. Using either a cool or warm colour palette, use the flat brush to apply coloured inks within each stripe and triangle.

Step 12
When the ink is dry, gently sand the surface to reveal the waxed lines or circles. Using the technique outlined in step 11 and here, you can create a single colour design on a panel simply by drawing circle, square or spiral shapes repeatedly using the candle. Apply a single colour ink with a wide paintbrush before sanding to reveal the shapes. Finish each of the chair panels with two coats of varnish, sanding lightly between coats. When dry, assemble the chair.

Stockists listing
Slot chairs developed and built by Neil Wing. Hoop pine plywood, Mr Ply & Wood, 1300 138 771 or http://www.misterplywood.com.au/ Power tools by Bosch Australia, 1300 307 044. Jo Sonja's Artist's Acrylics, Chroma Australia (02) 9457 9922 or http://www.chromaonline.com/ Acrylic Artist Inks $12.60 each; lino print carving tools sets from $15.85; square lino print tiles $7.60 each, Eckersley's, 1800 676 155. Brooklyn cushion in Teal $26, kas australia, (02) 9317 5700 or www.kasaustralia.com.au