Oak, leather and classic design
combine to make this the best seat in the house.
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY NEAL
BARRETT
Of all woodworking's many facets, chair making is
especially demanding. Along with a facility for joinery
and finishing, a good chair maker must combine the
skills of a structural engineer and the sensitivity of
an ergonomics expert. Chairs not only stand on their
own, they support us and fit our bodies, as well.
Following the principles of Arts & Crafts
furniture, our dining chair features straightforward,
yet elegant and functional design. Mortise-and-tenon
joinery and rectilinear components simplify
construction. And, by carefully planning each step in
the building process, you'll find that a complete set of
dining chairs isn't that much more difficult to make
than just one. Once you have a machine or tool set up to
cut a particular part, it's not hard to keep
cutting.
Our chairs feature upholstered slip seats, so you
have the opportunity to coordinate the chairs with your
decor. You might choose a fabric for the seats, or go
with leather as we did. We had an upholsterer supply the
seats for our chairs. The chairs are constructed of 4/4
and 8/4 quartersawn white oak. If you do not have access
to a planer, have your supplier surface the material to
thicknesses of 13/16 in. and 1-3/4
in.
Illustration by Eugene
Thompson
MATERIALS
LIST--DINING CHAIR
Key
No.
Size and description
(use)
A
2
1-3/4 x 1-3/4 x 16-1/4'' oak (front
leg)
B
2
1-3/4 x 3-3/4 x 40-1/2'' oak (rear
leg)
C
1
1-3/4 x 3-3/16 x 15'' oak (top
rail)
D
1
1-3/4 x 2-1/2 x 15'' oak (bottom
rail)
E
1
13/16 x 3 x 17'' oak (top front
rail)
F
1
13/16 x 3 x 15'' oak (top back
rail)
G
1
13/16 x 1-3/4 x 17'' (lower front
rail)
H
1
13/16 x 1-3/4 x 15'' oak (lower
back rail)
I
2
13/16 x 3 x 16-1/4'' oak (top side
rail)
J
2
13/16 x 1-3/4 x 16-1/4'' (lower
side rail)
K
6
3/8 x 1 x 7-3/4'' oak (side
slat)
L
5
3/8 x 1 x 15-3/8'' oak (back
slat)
M
4
13/16 x 1-1/2 x 3-5/8'' (corner
block)
N
8
1-1/2'' No. 8 fh woodscrew
O
4
2-1/4'' No. 8 fh woodscrew
Misc.: Medium Fumed Oak
aniline dye (No. W1190) available from
Woodworker's Supply, 5604 Alameda Place N.E.,
Albuquerque, NM 87113; Waterlox Original
Sealer/Finish (Waterlox Coatings Corp., 9808 Meech
Ave., Cleveland, OH
44105).
Making The Parts Begin construction by
ripping and crosscutting stock to size for the front
legs. Then, cut two 4 x 42-in. blanks for the rear legs.
Make a cardboard template for the rear legs and trace
around it to transfer the shape to each blank. Saw to
the waste side of the line with a band saw or sabre saw,
and use a sharp plane to trim each leg square and to
finished dimension (Photo 1).
Mark the mortise locations on all legs. To make this
job easier, clamp several legs together with the ends
held even and mark across them using a straightedge or
square as a guide. Install a 3/8-in.-dia. spiral
up-cutting bit in your router, and use an edge guide to
rout the mortises in the legs (Photo 2). Square the
rounded mortise ends with a sharp chisel.
Cut blanks of 1-3/4-in.-thick stock for the curved
back rails. Before cutting their curved profiles, use a
table saw and dado blade to cut the tenons at the ends
of the pieces (Photo 3). Note that the tenons are not
centered across the thickness of the blanks. Cut one
side of all the tenons first, then readjust the blade
height to cut the other side. It's best to cut the
tenons about 1/32 in. thicker than indicated, and then
use a sharp chisel to pare the surfaces smooth and bring
the tenons to finished dimension.
Make a cardboard template for the back-rail shape and
use it to transfer the shape to each blank. Use a band
saw to cut the inside curve of each rail (Photo 4).
Then, remove the saw marks and smooth the curved shape
with a spokeshave (Photo 5). Go back to the band saw to
cut the outside curve and smooth that surface with
either a block plane or spokeshave. Don't cut the arched
profile of the top rails at this time.
Cut stock for the lower front and back rails to
finished dimension and use a dado blade in the table saw
to cut the tenons. Readjust the blade height and hold
the rails on edge to cut the top and bottom shoulders at
each rail end.
Next, cut stock to size for the side rails. Study the
drawing to be sure you understand the angled tenons on
these pieces. Label each rail with its location in the
chair to avoid confusion when it comes time to cut the
joints.
We built a jig to cut the angled tenons. To make the
jig, first attach a hardwood fence to a plywood base,
and then screw the assembly to your table saw miter
gauge. Glue up four pieces of 3/4-in.-thick stock and
band saw the stack into a ramp with an angle of 4°.
Screw the ramp to the plywood base. To use the jig, hold
a rail on the ramp and push the jig past the dado blade.
We used a holddown clamp mounted on a tapered hardwood
block to hold the workpiece.
ANGLED-TENON JIG, Illustration by Eugene
Thompson
After sawing the rear leg shape, use a
sharp plane to remove saw marks and trim the leg
to exact size.
Mark the mortise locations in the chair
legs, and use a plunge router with an edge guide
to cut the mortises.
Use a table saw and dado blade to cut
the tenons in the blanks for the curved back
rails. These tenons are not
centered.
Lay out the back-rail curve onto the
edge of each rail blank. Then, cut the inside
curve on the band saw.
Use a spokeshave to smooth the inside
curve of the back rail, and then cut and smooth
the outer curve.
Cut one surface of each tenon with the ramp angled
down toward the dado blade (Photo 6). Then, secure the
ramp in the opposite direction and readjust the blade
height for the opposite side of each tenon (Photo 7). If
you're using the holddown clamp, you'll need to remount
it. Then, use the miter gauge without the jig to make
the angled cuts for the top and bottom shoulders of the
side rails (Photo 8). Cut strips for the side and back
slats. Crosscut the slats to finished length, and set
them aside.
Lay out the slat mortises in the side rails and in
the curved back rails. Mark the side-rail mortises by
clamping several rails together and marking across the
stack with a square. Mark the curved rails
individually.
Install a 5/16-in.-dia. bit in the drill press and
bore slightly overlapping holes to remove most of the
waste from the mortises in both the curved and straight
rails (Photo 9). Then, use a sharp chisel to pare the
walls and square the ends of the mortises (Photo 10).
Test a slat in each mortise--the fit should be snug.
Make another template for the arched shape of the top
back rail and use the template to trace the shape onto
the workpiece. Use a sabre saw to cut the profile (Photo
11).
To cut the angled tenons on the side
rails, support the stock in a table saw jig that
holds the work at a 4° angle.
When cutting the opposite tenon faces on
the rails, reverse the ramp on the jig and
readjust the dado blade
height.
Finish the rail tenons by cutting the
top and bottom shoulders with the miter gauge and
dado blade.
Use a 5/16-in.-dia. bit to bore slightly
overlapping holes to remove most of the waste from
each slat mortise.
Trim and square the slat-mortise walls
with a sharp chisel. Then, test fit the
slats--they should be quite
snug.
Use a template to lay out the arched
profile of the upper back rail. Then, cut to the
line with a sabre saw and
smooth.
Mark the shoulders on the top and bottom edges of the
curved back rails and use a small backsaw to make the
cuts (Photo 12). First, make the cuts into the endgrain
of the tenon. Then finish the shoulder by cutting across
the grain.
Place guide marks for the 1/4-in. chamfer at the top
end of each rear leg. Clamp a leg in the bench vise and
use a sharp block plane to cut the chamfers.
Assembly First, sand all parts with 120-,
150-, 180- and 220-grit paper, dusting off thoroughly
between grits.
Spread glue on the mating surfaces for the
front-leg/front-rail joints. Use a small shim to spread
glue in the leg mortises and a small brush for the
tenons. Spread the glue sparingly on the tenons to avoid
excessive squeeze-out at the joints.
Join the rails to the front legs, then clamp the
joints and compare opposite diagonal measurements to be
sure the assembly is square (Photo 13). Let the glue set
for about 20 minutes and use an old chisel to pare off
any excess glue.
Next, insert the side slats in the mortises of the
bottom side rails and position the top side rail over
the slat ends. While you don't need glue in the slat
joints, a drop of glue in a loose joint will keep the
slat from rattling. Temporarily clamp the rails and
slats (Photo 14).
Spread glue in the open mortises of the front-leg
assembly and on the front tenons of the side rails, and
join the side rails to the legs (Photo 15).
Join the back slats to the curved rails (Photo 16)
and temporarily clamp the assembly. Again, it's not
necessary to glue these joints unless a slat is loose in
its mortise.
Spread glue on the tenons of the back rails and in
the matching mortises in the back legs. Join the rails
to the legs, clamp and compare opposite diagonal
measurements (Photo 17).
Cut the shoulders of the curved back
rail tenons with a small backsaw. First cut in
from the end, then across the
grain.
Join the front rails to the legs, and
clamp. Compare opposite diagonal measurements to
check for square.
Join the side slats to the rails. It's
not necessary to use glue since the slats are held
captive between the rails.
Spread glue on the rail and leg mating
surfaces. Join the side rails to the front leg
assembly and clamp.
Join the back slats to the curved rails.
If a slat is too loose in its mortise, add a drop
of glue to keep it from
rattling.
Join the back rail and slats to the
legs. Apply the glue sparingly, clamp, and check
that the diagonals are equal.
Once the glue has set on the subassemblies, complete
the chair frame by joining the side rails to the
back-leg assembly. Spread glue on the mating surfaces
and position the joints. Apply clamps to pull the joints
tight. Set the chair upright on a flat worktable to be
sure that all four legs sit evenly (Photo 18). Adjust
the clamps and joints, if necessary, until any rocking
is eliminated.
Cut corner blocks to reinforce the joints and provide
a means for attaching the seat. Note that the angles for
the blocks at the front of the chair are different than
those for the rear blocks. Use a miterbox to cut the
blocks. If your miterbox won't handle the 41° angle for
the rear blocks, make the cuts on a band saw.
Bore and countersink pilot holes through the width of
the blocks for attaching the seats. Use a clamp to hold
each block in place while you bore and countersink pilot
holes for attaching it to the rails (Photo 19). A
combination bit and countersink is the most efficient
tool for the job. Fasten the blocks to the rails with
1-1/2-in. No. 8 screws.
Finishing First inspect each chair for
scratches, and sand if necessary. We used a
water-soluble aniline dye for a beautiful, clear and
lightfast color. To eliminate raised grain problems,
wipe the chairs with a sponge dampened with clean water.
Let the wood dry completely and lightly sand the surface
with 220-grit paper.
Follow the manufacturer's directions for mixing and
applying the dye, and be sure to allow sufficient drying
time before applying a finish.
For our finish, we used Waterlox Original
Sealer/Finish. Brush or wipe on the first coat, which
will soak into the wood readily. Allow the finish to dry
overnight. Lightly sand with 320-grit paper and remove
all dust. For the next and subsequent coats, apply the
finish and let it sit for about 30 minutes before wiping
off any excess. Then, let the finish dry overnight. At
this point, you will sand between coats only if the
finish is rough. After three or four coats, burnish the
surface with 4/0 steel wool to remove any rough spots,
and polish with a soft cloth.
Finally, attach the finished slip seats to the frames
with screws installed through the corner blocks into the
underside of each seat.
Join the back subassembly to the
front-leg/side-rail assembly. Work on a flat
surface so the legs remain
even.
Use a clamp to hold the corner blocks in
position as you bore and countersink pilot holes
for fastening to the rails.
