Dining Chair: Project Info
Are you intimidated by chair making? Then this project is for you. In this series Paul works through the features of and methods used to make this solid dining chair that will last for a century or two.
Are you intimidated by chair making? Then this project is for you. In this series Paul works through the features of and methods used to make this solid dining chair that will last for a century or two.
Paul discusses his process of design, stock preparation and layout before marking out and shaping the back posts. He does this using the saw and axe (a chisel works well too) before refining the shape with the plane and spokeshave.
With the back legs having had their initial shaping, Paul goes through the layout of the mortices for the front and back legs. Once he has ensured that the mortices match up between each set of legs and are the correct distances in from the outside edge, he cuts a mortice on a front leg.
With the mortices cut, Paul lays out the tenons before cutting them to size using a number of methods. He fits the tenons on the front frame and then the back frame, showing how to cut the offset mortices and ensure a tight fit.
The next step for the back frame is putting a cove in the back rests which drastically increases the comfort of the chair. Then Paul cuts the mortices for the back slats before cutting and fitting the tenons making sure they are tight with crisp shoulders.
Paul goes through the layout of the angled side rails using a storyboard. He then aligns the rails on the storyboard to layout the tenons including the shoulders, before showing how to cut and fit an angled tenon with angled shoulders.
It’s time to address the final tenons on the bottom side rails which have a compound angle. Paul demonstrates how to transfer the angled shoulder line in order to cut the tenon. He then assembles the whole frame and cutting the bracing for the seat before shaping the rails.
In this episode, Paul glues up the back support frame sub assembly. Paul then refines the shape of the legs by chamfering and rounding various aspects of the legs to lighten the appearance. That is the final step needed to prepare for the glue-up.
We’re ready to glue up the front and back sub-assemblies,working sequentially and making sure to use the right amount glue. Paul shows how he applies pressure with the clamps and mallet to close any gaps before gluing the whole chair frame together. Once the glue has set, Paul makes a few finishing touches to round out the project. The upholstery will be shown in the next two episodes.
For this method of upholstery, the first step is to cut a piece of plywood to fit into the recess with a small even gap around every side. He removes all the hard edges and bores the holes to allow air escape before cutting the foam to fit. With the prep done Paul cuts the leather to the approximate size.