Looking for plans for a Morris chair

[JSpill]

I've been doing a little research on building a Morris chair. Numerous plans are available from sources such as Woodsmith, Popular Woodworking, Fine Woodworking, Lee Valley and Wood Magazine. I'm bringing this here to find out what folks who have built a Morris chair think about the plans they followed. If you have built a chair and liked the plan you used I'd like to know about it. Thanks.

[Bruce Haugen]

I've been doing a little research on building a Morris chair. Numerous plans are available from sources such as Woodsmith, Popular Woodworking, Fine Woodworking, Lee Valley and Wood Magazine. I'm bringing this here to find out what folks who have built a Morris chair think about the plans they followed. If you have built a chair and liked the plan you used I'd like to know about it. Thanks.

I followed the one in Woodsmith mag 20+ years ago.

[JSpill]

Bruce, I looked at that plan. I made a lot of things using Woodsmith plans. Their plans are always very detailed. I bet your chair is beautiful. My wife wants the chair to have bowed arms. I believe the Woodsmith chair does not have bowed arms. I'll have to take another look at the Woodsmith plan to see if I can change the arms the plan calls for.

[Bruce Haugen]

Bruce, I looked at that plan. I made a lot of things using Woodsmith plans. Their plans are always very detailed. I bet your chair is beautiful. My wife wants the chair to have bowed arms. I believe the Woodsmith chair does not have bowed arms. I'll have to take another look at the Woodsmith plan to see if I can change the arms the plan calls for.

It would be easy to modify.  The spindles fit into a rail at the top, and the rail is mortised into the arm.  It’s just a matter of making the top of the rail curved rather than straight.  The most costly part is going to be the foam for the cushions.  It’s dreadfully expensive but worth it.  If you’re lucky, you might be able to convince the missus that you need a couple new tools to do the job.


Good luck.  It’s a really fun project.

[KC]

It would be easy to modify.  The spindles fit into a rail at the top, and the rail is mortised into the arm.  It’s just a matter of making the top of the rail curved rather than straight.  The most costly part is going to be the foam for the cushions.  It’s dreadfully expensive but worth it.  If you’re lucky, you might be able to convince the missus that you need a couple new tools to do the job.


Good luck.  It’s a really fun project.

I built several from the WOOD magazine bow-arm design.  They also had a sofa plan and a series of Arts & Crafts tables and such.

[cams2705]

You could buy the one in the Woodwhisperer Guild.  Marc Spagnuolo does a pretty nice job building.  Comes with plans and downloadable videos also.  Check it out here!

Once you buy, you're also a lifetime guild member and have access to discounts.  For this project, you can buy a discounted lumber kit through Bell Forest Products.

[JSpill]

I think I'll order the Wood magazine plan. That plan has the bow arms and the chair is a few inches narrower than some of the other designs I have seen.

[Rob Young]

Fine Woodworking has a bow-arm design in their stock. Can't remember who did the design work though.

[Mike Brady]

I've been doing a little research on building a Morris chair. Numerous plans are available from sources such as Woodsmith, Popular Woodworking, Fine Woodworking, Lee Valley and Wood Magazine. I'm bringing this here to find out what folks who have built a Morris chair think about the plans they followed. If you have built a chair and liked the plan you used I'd like to know about it. Thanks.

I made one about twenty years ago, as well.  I'll have to look for the plans....they were in a book about A&C furniture.  I elected to used the hockey stick arm rather than a curved (bent) one, but I did bend the back stays that support the cushion.  The legs were made with q-sawn grain on all sides.  Made the matching foot stool also.  A word about upholstery:  I would wager that most woodworkers would have to go to a pro for it, as did I.  After using the chair a few years with cloth upholstery, we met a guy who had much experience restoring furniture and he was able to redo the upholstery in leather at an affordable price.   That made a huge difference in the look and comfort of the chair.

[Dara]

I did the one in Fine woodworking a few years back.
It has bowed arms and the leg tenons through the arm.
Really nice chair. I just may build another