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Of all the stuff built over 50+ years, I had never tackled chairs. So a while ago I started out to build two light-weight ones for a dinette set. I had some things in mind: (1) For the first time ever I would just "wing it" instead of first drawing up every piece and joint, often full scale; (2) try to build them with the tools, jigs and machines on hand and not buy anything; (3) use no hardware; and (4) use only various cutoffs instead of full boards from my stash of prime walnut lumber. Joints would be M&T using T88 glue.
Sorry I am not good at the build-alongs like some on here, and also not good at photography in any case. Here is the clamp-up for one of the backs:
and a dry fit:
Which is when I discovered two mortices off by about an eighth of an inch. So fill and recut - tenon shoulders masked the boo-boo.
Final product, finished with Medium Walnut Watco oil:
I decided to just make slatted flat seats and use a bolstered chair pad. And I did use small brads to attach the seat slats "just 'til the glue dries".
And that is the last time I will ever just "wing it".
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Beautiful. And, you cleared out some “waste wood.”
Gary
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04-04-2025, 06:38 PM
(This post was last modified: 04-04-2025, 06:38 PM by barryvabeach.)
Nice work, I am still afraid to try chairs - lots of different forces to consider.
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(04-04-2025, 10:21 AM)GaryMc Wrote: Of all the stuff built over 50+ years, I had never tackled chairs. So a while ago I started out to build two light-weight ones for a dinette set. I had some things in mind: (1) For the first time ever I would just "wing it" instead of first drawing up every piece and joint, often full scale; (2) try to build them with the tools, jigs and machines on hand and not buy anything; (3) use no hardware; and (4) use only various cutoffs instead of full boards from my stash of prime walnut lumber. Joints would be M&T using T88 glue.
Sorry I am not good at the build-alongs like some on here, and also not good at photography in any case. Here is the clamp-up for one of the backs:
and a dry fit:
Which is when I discovered two mortices off by about an eighth of an inch. So fill and recut - tenon shoulders masked the boo-boo.
Final product, finished with Medium Walnut Watco oil:
I decided to just make slatted flat seats and use a bolstered chair pad. And I did use small brads to attach the seat slats "just 'til the glue dries".
And that is the last time I will ever just "wing it".
Wow, nice job. For just winging it you did great. Walnut is a great wood to use.
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Nice job! I wing things from time to time and like you, usually wish I hadn't.
Thanks for posting.
Frank
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Those chairs came out great. Looks like you are certainly capable of shooting from the hip when needed.
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(04-05-2025, 11:04 AM)stav Wrote: Those chairs came out great. Looks like you are certainly capable of shooting from the hip when needed.
Thanks, everybody. They are not my finest hour, but useable and most of the flaws are hidden. You would not believe how many fits and starts happened during the process! Like the dozens of machine (TS, BS, planer, OSS, belt sander, router, etc.) setups, sometimes needing to be re-done when something did not turn out quite right or a piece had a flaw, and of course sorting through the pile of shorts and milling them to start with. Which is why I will go back to careful planning to start!
One issue was the curved backs. The first two were ruined by using a flush trim router bit on the curves that turned out to be dull, resulting in major tear out on the up-gradient sections. I did have a spare new bit which worked fine on the new milled pieces. And cutting mortices on the curves with a router proved to be time-consuming. I have a jig built years ago that works great on straight pieces, but required all sorts of different shims for use on the curves.
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Good job. I'm a scaredycat and always used a plan.....
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When I was a boy my neighbors father came to visit from England. He was a Bodger { chair maker} . All chairs he made were done with hand tools.
I was interested so he took me to wooded lot and cut enough wood for two chairs. He told me that back home Bodger's generally made the chairs in the woods. We brought the wood back to my back yard. He made two beautiful chairs for a chess table my grandfather made.
Most work was done with a draw knife and spoke shaves. Before he started he made a 3 legged bench that he called a dumb head. He sat on the bench , pushed a pedal and the " dumb head" clamped down on the wood. He did not use glue. Spindles were placed above a barbecue kettle with a fire . This shrunk the diameter of the spindles. He removed the spindles , checked diameter. Inserted the spindles into the back and the seat after dipping them in water. Spindles swelled tight by the next day. The seat was plowed out in the center out to about 1-2" with a tool that resembled a short handled hoe.
