teak sofa thrown away (new photos)  

Carving..
.. would give you a weak spindle - the grain would be all wrong.

I did not mean to imply a literal carving,
But rather what ever method a professional cabinet maker would have for reproducing such an element. (Lathe, bandsaw, jig saw, chisel, steam) I have no idea, but to suggest a professional might be able to easily produce.

Great to see such reaction,...
Great to see such reaction, thanks for the replies!
Ofcourse it would be nice to replace that one lost-gone (aaargh) spindle, but as some already stated, I'm afraid even a professional will have trouble steaming a piece of teak (as this is the only way, I believe, to get the ergonomic streamlining right, resulting in the right strenght and flexibility).
And as I was planning to do all of the work myself, the obvious choice then will (alas) be to let another spindle go for symetrie, put little pieces of teak in the tapped holes and fill it further up with some teak-paste (gained from the sanding).
I will gladly keep you informed about its progress!
(questions about upholstery will no doubt follow)
ps:I posted a different thread about the teak desk I mentioned before.

Why can't you have
a cabinet maker cut the shape you need out of a solid teak blank? The overall curve from top to bottom and side to side doesn't look greater then more then an inch of deflection on either side of center. This would then make possible the fabrication using a two inch square piece of dimensional teak, a band saw, router, and drum sander. Should be dead bang simple for a pro.
SDR should input on this one.

i'm afraid there's a bit...
i'm afraid there's a bit more swing to it than just one inch each side. if you see it in profile it's rather strongly curved. the only way to do it professionally is by steam, it would be to much work, to skilled a job (woodworkers in my area don't have the tools, researched it) and to costly as it's a one-off.
i would have loved to replace that spindle to, but just not at all costs.
the state of the sofa as is gives me the opportunity to take some liberty, so i'm more interested in a nice and pleasing renovation rather than a perfect restoration.
together with a good friend i've sanded down all the different pieces. when everything goes by plan it will be oiled and together within the day. I'll post a picture tomorrow.

Sounds great
Looking forward to it BJ

are they steamed or...
are they steamed or laminated? Look for very fine glue lines, the curve looks like it would require only 4 laminations...a quick mould and put it in the vacuum press.
I get 3mm x 45mm strips of wood that are rejects (look fine to me) from wooden blind manufacturers and use those. If I could do it I'm sure you can find someone to do it in a big city.
PS teak can be oily, before gluing anything give the area a quick wipe with acetone and much as I don't like it polyurethane glues are good with difficult to glue wood.
And unless its knockdown or you have them already you'll need to borrow a sash (very long adjustable) clamp.

Yes, laminations
would be the sure-fire way to go. Funny that it might be the only laminated stave in the piece ! I'd consider 2mm laminae for zero springback. Make a matched pair of forms traced from a spindle and bandsawn from a single piece of 4/4 stock. Use poly glue or epoxy. Prepare for slippage due to glue lubricity; find a way to clamp the bundle flat while the primary clamping is being done.
Teak is hard on tools only because of the high silica (ie, sand) content of some timbers. It is not otherwise difficult, though the oil content does present adhesive challenges.

.
Unless bj has woodworking skills I'd suggest getting someone else to do it, laminating with male + female formers is not for the amateur.
I'd try a small boatbuilder, they're likley to have teak on hand and curves won't frighten them off.

alas
we proceeded leaving one spindle out. the idea of lamination (lamination?) came tragically to late. after deliberation with my co-worker the idea seemed plausible, but actions were already taken...
the essential construction has now been put back together, using wooden pens and white glue. we drilled some holes back to there original size and did some additional sanding where it was needed.
the spindles caused the greatest concern (and irritation), to put them all back between the two horizontal supports prooved to be a real struggle!
two holes were drilled in the vertical back supports, the old pens (wich were carved directly onto the wood) were broken off. we used some self made wooden plugs to connect them to the back.
as you can see there is not much room in the bottom for supports. we found remains of the old system, consisting of little metal profiles wich hooked in the two horizontal rests (you can see the cuts in the pics), spanning wide pieces of black rubber from one to the other side.
i assume this won't be a standard way of doing things? do you know if they still make those things?
other ways (better ways) on upholstery, relevant to the construction of the sofa would be very appreciated to!
i really like the cunstructions open character so i'm thinking of placing cushions on the bottom (chocolat-brown, grained leather) and just some strategically spread sheepskin over the back, topping it off with some loose cushions of different sizes (but now i'm looking deep and far into the future..).
what would you recommend or have you seen something similar that would help me in any way?
kindest regards!

Very nice!
It does look like it's been a painstaking process! However I commend you for even undertaking it, and turning into something attractive again. Looking great! The flared arm rest, sinuous backrest, tapered legs...nice package that wasn't as evident in your fist photo. It has a nice flow to it.
As for upholstery, I couldn't even begin.

wow, congratulations! Its...
wow, congratulations! Its much bigger + better looking than I thought it would be, good job!

What finish are you going to...
What finish are you going to use?
I think a kvadrat wool fabric like tonus or divina would look good, feather filled not poly foam.

thanks! the tall back makes...
thanks! the tall back makes it look bigger to, more monumental, i think.
just needs some oil, i guess. i like it rough and sanded the way it is, but oiled up it will look far more graphic and sharp wich isn't bad for such a rather large piece.
was thinking the same thing first, heath. a tight cushion-scheme in a neutral color with a nice texture to it.
but as it developped i grew more fond of the construction and the wood itself.
now, instead of going for the classic (scandinavian) look, wich would give it a nice but more subdued feel, i would choose a cover with lots of character.
that's when wegners halyard chair came to mind. i have great appreciation for wegners eye for detail and material, his sculpted wooden chairs, but for me nothing he made compares (literally almost) to that specific chair. it has certain raw quality to it, a primal feel.
when i handled the sofa (apart and together) the skeletal form of it (with its ribs, curved back and tapped legs) made me think back to that chair.
so now i'm thinking of combo of leather, sheepskin and wools...3 leather cushions for bottom, maybe 2 loose sheepskins for the back (attached with a pair of leather bands?) and different smaller wool cushions to finnish it all off.
or am i nuts 🙂 ?
(i like to believe i am, just a little)