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Rodel chair build.

15K views 38 replies 11 participants last post by  Kentuk55 
#1 ·
Intro

Wood Engineering Gas Workbench Machine


First and foremost I must thank those who have gone before me. Those who provided the inspiration, tips , helpful suggestions and knowledge that helped to make the first 2 builds possible and enjoyable. Grampa Doddie. Your blog was inspiration personified. I read and re read your chapters over and over. You spelled out the steps to such detail, and for the answers to my P/M's I thank you. Pintodeluxe, AandCstyle, again thank you for your input and for answering my P/M's. Your tips and suggestions were always on the money. I'm going to try my hand at starting a blog. This will be a first, so please bear with me. The thought was I'd like to be able to give something back to anyone who is considering a project like this. So here we go.
Originally I was going to make 6 chairs, But after a bit of a conference with the Mrs. I/we decided what the heck and upped it to 8.
Way back at the end of last Nov. when I started the 1st chair I questioned the use of 1 1/8" material for the side,front and back rails. and was going to go with 4/4 and run it once thru the planer. With some input from several LJ's I made the correct decision and went with the wider stock as per plan. I was pretty sure this build was a go, so at that time I picked up enough 6/4 Cherry to build rails for all 8.
So now it March. I guess it's time to get goin'.
 

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#2 ·
Front, sides and back rails.

As previously stated I had picked up 3- 6/4 Cherry boards to use for the lower rails. After running them through the planner to knock them down to 1 1/8". I ripped enough of the material to 3" to make all the rails. These I marked with chalk as to what they are, hopefully to avoid confusion.
Table Wood Building Desk Hardwood


The ends of the side rails are beveled at 4.5° to allow the rails to fan out to meet the front legs. On the previous chairs I used a protractor and angle gauge. While this worked quite well I wanted something a bit easier so I bought a Wixey digital angle gauge. this proved to be very fast, easy and accurate.
Gas Composite material Wood Engineering Machine


Care must be taken when cutting the bevel on the side rails. 1st you must be accurate on the 14 1/2" dimension, and 2nd pay real close attention to the orientation of the second cut. If the second cut is backwards you'll have fresh wood for the smoker.

Next step for the side rails was to rout the 1/2" mortice on each end. Before I built the first 2 I knew I was going to need a specialized tool to cut the mortises. I saw Kevin Rodels jig in the hand out that comes with the plans and figured I didn't have the skills to use something that simple. So after looking around a fair bit I decided to build this jig.
Machine tool Engineering Gas Toolroom Wood


Wood Automotive tire Machine tool Gas Tool


Pretty darn easy to make and it works like a hot damn. The Rigid router was new when I bought it, and it's the first plunge router I've owned. The soft start is nice and it works quite well. But I find it can be kinda stiff for plunging at times so I don't know If I'd buy another one.
So after a bit of doing all 12 side rails have been mortised.
Wood Gas Engineering Machine Tool


I guess I should back the truck up just a bit. Before I started this build I decided I wanted 2 Captains chairs.
So with a bit of research and a couple of trips to local furniture stores I found that most Captains chairs are a bit larger than the rest of the set. That being said I made my 2- 2" wider and 2" deeper.
Time to cut the tenons on the front and back rails. Quite a while ago I built a tenon jig for a different project so I gave it a try.
Wood Composite material Engineering Gas Machine

But I found it to be kinda time consuming to set up and re set up so I went with the basics.
Table saws Wood Flooring Floor Rectangle

Wood Automotive exterior Flooring Floor Window

This proved to work the best.

On to the band saw to cut the arches. As I mentioned before I'm making 2 chairs larger so, that being said the original template for the arches won't work on those 2. I made up a simple bow type jig to draw the new arches.
Motor vehicle Wood Bumper Automotive exterior Lumber


Cutting all those arches is kinda tedious. I was careful to stay on the outside of the line.
Hood Automotive tire Wood Road surface Bumper


Wood Flooring Floor Gas Hardwood


With all that done I could now cut the curves in the crest and lower back rails.
Countertop Plumbing fixture Tap Sink Wood


Done.
Wood Office equipment Machine Gas Engineering


Not having a dedicated spindle sander (I wish) I had to make do. I know this isn't to good for the drill press but whatcha gonna do.
Wood Milling Drilling Gas Jig grinder


The day is done. Still needs final sanding,but this will do for now.
Green Bottle Wood Motor vehicle Gas


The pieces that were leftover when I cut out the curves will be cut down and used for the floating tenons.
Radial arm saw Wood Motor vehicle Gas Composite material


That's all fer now. 'Till next time
 

Attachments

#3 ·
Front, sides and back rails.

As previously stated I had picked up 3- 6/4 Cherry boards to use for the lower rails. After running them through the planner to knock them down to 1 1/8". I ripped enough of the material to 3" to make all the rails. These I marked with chalk as to what they are, hopefully to avoid confusion.
Table Wood Building Desk Hardwood


The ends of the side rails are beveled at 4.5° to allow the rails to fan out to meet the front legs. On the previous chairs I used a protractor and angle gauge. While this worked quite well I wanted something a bit easier so I bought a Wixey digital angle gauge. this proved to be very fast, easy and accurate.
Gas Composite material Wood Engineering Machine


Care must be taken when cutting the bevel on the side rails. 1st you must be accurate on the 14 1/2" dimension, and 2nd pay real close attention to the orientation of the second cut. If the second cut is backwards you'll have fresh wood for the smoker.

Next step for the side rails was to rout the 1/2" mortice on each end. Before I built the first 2 I knew I was going to need a specialized tool to cut the mortises. I saw Kevin Rodels jig in the hand out that comes with the plans and figured I didn't have the skills to use something that simple. So after looking around a fair bit I decided to build this jig.
Machine tool Engineering Gas Toolroom Wood


Wood Automotive tire Machine tool Gas Tool


Pretty darn easy to make and it works like a hot damn. The Rigid router was new when I bought it, and it's the first plunge router I've owned. The soft start is nice and it works quite well. But I find it can be kinda stiff for plunging at times so I don't know If I'd buy another one.
So after a bit of doing all 12 side rails have been mortised.
Wood Gas Engineering Machine Tool


I guess I should back the truck up just a bit. Before I started this build I decided I wanted 2 Captains chairs.
So with a bit of research and a couple of trips to local furniture stores I found that most Captains chairs are a bit larger than the rest of the set. That being said I made my 2- 2" wider and 2" deeper.
Time to cut the tenons on the front and back rails. Quite a while ago I built a tenon jig for a different project so I gave it a try.
Wood Composite material Engineering Gas Machine

But I found it to be kinda time consuming to set up and re set up so I went with the basics.
Table saws Wood Flooring Floor Rectangle

Wood Automotive exterior Flooring Floor Window

This proved to work the best.

On to the band saw to cut the arches. As I mentioned before I'm making 2 chairs larger so, that being said the original template for the arches won't work on those 2. I made up a simple bow type jig to draw the new arches.
Motor vehicle Wood Bumper Automotive exterior Lumber


Cutting all those arches is kinda tedious. I was careful to stay on the outside of the line.
Hood Automotive tire Wood Road surface Bumper


Wood Flooring Floor Gas Hardwood


With all that done I could now cut the curves in the crest and lower back rails.
Countertop Plumbing fixture Tap Sink Wood


Done.
Wood Office equipment Machine Gas Engineering


Not having a dedicated spindle sander (I wish) I had to make do. I know this isn't to good for the drill press but whatcha gonna do.
Wood Milling Drilling Gas Jig grinder


The day is done. Still needs final sanding,but this will do for now.
Green Bottle Wood Motor vehicle Gas


The pieces that were leftover when I cut out the curves will be cut down and used for the floating tenons.
Radial arm saw Wood Motor vehicle Gas Composite material


That's all fer now. 'Till next time
Nice blog, I have always liked that chair. You have some good techniques.
 

Attachments

#6 ·
Back assembly.

The crest and lower back rail were to be from 1 7/8" stock. As I didn't
want to shell out for 8/4 stock I ran 2 pieces of 4/4 through the planer
to get a nice smooth surface then glued them up. The jury is still out
on whether this was a good idea or not. After trimming the stock to
it's finished size I laid out the curves and laid out the tenons. As I
said before, laying out the larger chairs was a bit challenging.
Motor vehicle Wood Bumper Automotive exterior Lumber


I cut the tenons first. Snuggling up to the fence ensures everything
will line up.
Wood Rectangle Floor Flooring Composite material


And again I used this guy to remove the waste.
Table saws Wood Flooring Floor Rectangle


At this point I moved over to the back splats. After ripping 24 pcs 5/8
X 1" I cleaned up the saw marks with the scraper.
Wood Machine tool Gas Lumber Saw


I set up a dado set just under the 1/2" the tenons are supposed to be as
I didn't want to chew up my fence face.
Wood Automotive exterior Hardwood Wood stain Gas


I ripped my Walnut pcs to 1 1/2" instead of 1 1/4. There is a 2° bevel on the edge
and I'd rather start off big and move in. So I set up the Wixey again and cut my strips.
Wood Flooring Floor Gas Machine


Ya gotta pay attention to orientation again. 2° isn't much so be sure your work piece is angled correctly when you flip it. About ready to head to the router table.
Wood Table Composite material Engineering Creative arts


After a bit of searching I found a drawing for a DIY router insert for my T/S. It works pretty slick.
Window Wood Flooring Floor Composite material


My Walnut strips are a touch over 5/16 thick, so I had to make 2 passes with the 1/4" bit.
Once the groove was cut I had to square off the ends with a 1/4" chisel.
Wood Wood stain Hardwood Plank Lumber


Finished product.
Wood Floor Hardwood Gas Flooring

Wood Automotive exterior Gas Hardwood Machine


Now for the crummy job, cutting the mortises for the back splats.
Not having a dedicated mortiser I had to do all 48 by hand.
I started by laying the holes out with a template.
Wood Automotive tire Bumper Gas Automotive wheel system


Then drilling a 3/8" hole on the drill press. The tenon is 1/2" long, so I went just a bit deeper.
Wood Tool Gas Scale Machine


Then the fun part. 3/8 on each end x 1/2" long.
Wood Floor Flooring Hardwood Lumber


That pretty much took the day. Next up is fit and finish. The band saw left
lumps and bumps that needed to come off. I hit them briefly with the belt sander then
I used a half round file and a scraper to finish each one.
Wood Gas Bumper Machine tool Tool


Getting close to the end know. I used the paper template that came with the drawings to
lay out the curve on the crest rail.
Hand tool Wood Metalworking hand tool Tool Kitchen utensil


I was concerned about tear out on the band saw when I cut the curves so I taped
the piece
I had cut out from the face of the crest rails back in place. This also gave me a flat
surface to work with.
Wood Rectangle Gas Hardwood Automotive exterior


I ripped some Walnut down to 2" wide by 3/16 thick. These will dress out the top
of the crest rails.
After cutting the curves I had to smooth out the ruff surfaces again to receive the
Walnut strips.
Wood Creative arts Composite material Naval architecture Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies


I used the left over pieces from the tops of the crest rails to sandwich the Walnut
for the glue up.
Saw Wood Tool Hand tool Gas


Outta the clamps and time to trim the Walnut. A sharp chisel and a spoke shave
serve the best.
Tableware Wood Tool Serveware Dishware

The final assembly X 6.
Table Wood Grass Wood stain Plank


Then the whole assembly is taken apart for final sanding.

I will put a lite clamp on these assemblies and use them for laying out the locations
for the mortises in the back legs.
I will not glue these pieces up 'till the mortises in the legs are complete.

Thanks fer looking.
Untill next time.
 

Attachments

#7 ·
Back assembly.

The crest and lower back rail were to be from 1 7/8" stock. As I didn't
want to shell out for 8/4 stock I ran 2 pieces of 4/4 through the planer
to get a nice smooth surface then glued them up. The jury is still out
on whether this was a good idea or not. After trimming the stock to
it's finished size I laid out the curves and laid out the tenons. As I
said before, laying out the larger chairs was a bit challenging.
Motor vehicle Wood Bumper Automotive exterior Lumber


I cut the tenons first. Snuggling up to the fence ensures everything
will line up.
Wood Rectangle Floor Flooring Composite material


And again I used this guy to remove the waste.
Table saws Wood Flooring Floor Rectangle


At this point I moved over to the back splats. After ripping 24 pcs 5/8
X 1" I cleaned up the saw marks with the scraper.
Wood Machine tool Gas Lumber Saw


I set up a dado set just under the 1/2" the tenons are supposed to be as
I didn't want to chew up my fence face.
Wood Automotive exterior Hardwood Wood stain Gas


I ripped my Walnut pcs to 1 1/2" instead of 1 1/4. There is a 2° bevel on the edge
and I'd rather start off big and move in. So I set up the Wixey again and cut my strips.
Wood Flooring Floor Gas Machine


Ya gotta pay attention to orientation again. 2° isn't much so be sure your work piece is angled correctly when you flip it. About ready to head to the router table.
Wood Table Composite material Engineering Creative arts


After a bit of searching I found a drawing for a DIY router insert for my T/S. It works pretty slick.
Window Wood Flooring Floor Composite material


My Walnut strips are a touch over 5/16 thick, so I had to make 2 passes with the 1/4" bit.
Once the groove was cut I had to square off the ends with a 1/4" chisel.
Wood Wood stain Hardwood Plank Lumber


Finished product.
Wood Floor Hardwood Gas Flooring

Wood Automotive exterior Gas Hardwood Machine


Now for the crummy job, cutting the mortises for the back splats.
Not having a dedicated mortiser I had to do all 48 by hand.
I started by laying the holes out with a template.
Wood Automotive tire Bumper Gas Automotive wheel system


Then drilling a 3/8" hole on the drill press. The tenon is 1/2" long, so I went just a bit deeper.
Wood Tool Gas Scale Machine


Then the fun part. 3/8 on each end x 1/2" long.
Wood Floor Flooring Hardwood Lumber


That pretty much took the day. Next up is fit and finish. The band saw left
lumps and bumps that needed to come off. I hit them briefly with the belt sander then
I used a half round file and a scraper to finish each one.
Wood Gas Bumper Machine tool Tool


Getting close to the end know. I used the paper template that came with the drawings to
lay out the curve on the crest rail.
Hand tool Wood Metalworking hand tool Tool Kitchen utensil


I was concerned about tear out on the band saw when I cut the curves so I taped
the piece
I had cut out from the face of the crest rails back in place. This also gave me a flat
surface to work with.
Wood Rectangle Gas Hardwood Automotive exterior


I ripped some Walnut down to 2" wide by 3/16 thick. These will dress out the top
of the crest rails.
After cutting the curves I had to smooth out the ruff surfaces again to receive the
Walnut strips.
Wood Creative arts Composite material Naval architecture Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies


I used the left over pieces from the tops of the crest rails to sandwich the Walnut
for the glue up.
Saw Wood Tool Hand tool Gas


Outta the clamps and time to trim the Walnut. A sharp chisel and a spoke shave
serve the best.
Tableware Wood Tool Serveware Dishware

The final assembly X 6.
Table Wood Grass Wood stain Plank


Then the whole assembly is taken apart for final sanding.

I will put a lite clamp on these assemblies and use them for laying out the locations
for the mortises in the back legs.
I will not glue these pieces up 'till the mortises in the legs are complete.

Thanks fer looking.
Untill next time.
Greg, just a couple options for your consideration:

"The band saw left lumps and bumps that needed to come off." I use a spoke shave for that and I think it might be faster/easier than using a file and scraper.

Rather than making square M&T for the back splats, I used a doweling jig. I think that would have to be easier and since the back is glued, nothing is going to go anyplace.

I am really impressed with your progress.
 

Attachments

#12 ·
Back legs

I picked up 6- 8' x 4/4 Cherry boards That I cut in half and 3 Walnut 4/4 shorts (5')



Way back in Dec. I made the templates for the rear legs from ¼" plywood. I thought this might stand up better than fiberboard.

Next up was to slice the 4/4 Walnut into 3. the 2 outside pcs were sliced 3/8 thick. This gave me some extra thickness when I fed it through the planer.


After reducing the Walnut and giving the Cherry a cleanup in the planer I laminated them together.




I was able to get 2 back legs from a 4' x 5 ½" glue up.


Now to the band saw.




I cleaned up most of the saw marks with the new toy.


To produce a flat square face for the side rails to butt into I built a cheap and nasty jig, but it worked quite well.


You will notice the pencil line at the bottom of the leg. That will be trimmed off with the help of the miter gauge to give me the bottom of the leg.

All done.


Cutting the crowns was a bit of a bugger. Because of all the different angles I had to use shims and a square to make the cuts. I set the miter gauge at 11°; I drew a line around the top were I would start the cut and used the square to be sure the line was true to the blade of the saw. I should mention, as I laminated the Walnut and Cherry for the legs, I couldn't really taper the out side of the leg without throwing the asthetics off. So I ended up with a leg at the top 1 1/2 W x 1 1/4 D.


A bit of squirrelin' around, but it worked out ok.


Now to route the mortises for the side rail floating tenons. I taped a piece of stock I had sliced on the T/S at 4.5°. Again, it's all about orientation. Watch which way the mortise will be cut.






Cutting the mortises for the back assembly and the back rail.




Now I can dry fit& adjust the back assembly to the rear legs to ensure a proper/tight fit.




I did them 1 at a time and marked which set of legs goes with which back assembly and I should be good to go.
Glued up and into the clamps.


Before you go any further, this is the time to drill the holes for the lower side stretchers.
Because the lower stretchers are on the same angle as the side rails the mortises for the stretcher tenons need to be angled. I cheated and used 5/8" doweling and made floating tenons for the stretcher.
I used the same piece of angled stock I used in my mortising jig.


And I slipped a floating tenon in the side rail mortise just to be sure I was drilling the leg in the right direction.


A little piece of tape as a depth gauge and away we go.


Done.


So I guess next up will will be the front legs.
'Till next time.
Thanks fer lookin'.
 

Attachments

#13 ·
Back legs

I picked up 6- 8' x 4/4 Cherry boards That I cut in half and 3 Walnut 4/4 shorts (5')
Wood Floor Hardwood Flooring Gas

Wood Gas Chair Bumper Automotive exterior


Way back in Dec. I made the templates for the rear legs from ¼" plywood. I thought this might stand up better than fiberboard.

Next up was to slice the 4/4 Walnut into 3. the 2 outside pcs were sliced 3/8 thick. This gave me some extra thickness when I fed it through the planer.
Wood Table Floor Flooring Hardwood


After reducing the Walnut and giving the Cherry a cleanup in the planer I laminated them together.
Wood Table Table saws Machine tool Gas


Wood Workbench Flooring Machine Hardwood


I was able to get 2 back legs from a 4' x 5 ½" glue up.
Wood Tableware Wood stain Hardwood Cup


Now to the band saw.
Wood Flooring Rectangle Floor Hardwood


Hood Wood Bumper Automotive exterior Machine tool


I cleaned up most of the saw marks with the new toy.
Miter saw Saw Mitre saws Abrasive saw Tool


To produce a flat square face for the side rails to butt into I built a cheap and nasty jig, but it worked quite well.
Wood Machine tool Engineering Machine Gas


You will notice the pencil line at the bottom of the leg. That will be trimmed off with the help of the miter gauge to give me the bottom of the leg.

All done.
Table Wood Window Desk Wood stain


Cutting the crowns was a bit of a bugger. Because of all the different angles I had to use shims and a square to make the cuts. I set the miter gauge at 11°; I drew a line around the top were I would start the cut and used the square to be sure the line was true to the blade of the saw. I should mention, as I laminated the Walnut and Cherry for the legs, I couldn't really taper the out side of the leg without throwing the asthetics off. So I ended up with a leg at the top 1 1/2 W x 1 1/4 D.
Wood Automotive exterior Composite material Gas Bumper


A bit of squirrelin' around, but it worked out ok.
Wood Hardwood Composite material Rectangle Wood stain


Now to route the mortises for the side rail floating tenons. I taped a piece of stock I had sliced on the T/S at 4.5°. Again, it's all about orientation. Watch which way the mortise will be cut.
Wood Gas Rectangle Tints and shades Font


Table Machine tool Wood Workbench Gas


Wood Flooring Hardwood Gas Curtain


Cutting the mortises for the back assembly and the back rail.
Machine tool Wood Toolroom Gas Sewing machine


Automotive tire Trunk Hood Bumper Rim


Now I can dry fit& adjust the back assembly to the rear legs to ensure a proper/tight fit.
Wood Hardwood Flooring Aluminum can Gas


Wood Tool Workbench Hardwood Flooring


I did them 1 at a time and marked which set of legs goes with which back assembly and I should be good to go.
Glued up and into the clamps.
Wood Composite material Gas Asphalt Machine


Before you go any further, this is the time to drill the holes for the lower side stretchers.
Because the lower stretchers are on the same angle as the side rails the mortises for the stretcher tenons need to be angled. I cheated and used 5/8" doweling and made floating tenons for the stretcher.
I used the same piece of angled stock I used in my mortising jig.
Wood Flooring Floor Rectangle Composite material


And I slipped a floating tenon in the side rail mortise just to be sure I was drilling the leg in the right direction.
Wood Floor Flooring Gas Hardwood


A little piece of tape as a depth gauge and away we go.
Wood Art Gas Tints and shades Flooring


Done.
Wood Gas Hardwood Garden tool Natural material


So I guess next up will will be the front legs.
'Till next time.
Thanks fer lookin'.
Looks like good progress Mark. This should be a great set of chairs.
 

Attachments

#18 ·
Front legs

I started with the same scenario as the rear legs, ¼" piece of Walnut sandwiched between 2 layers of dressed Cherry. I had previously ripped the pieces to 1 ¾" wide.
Motor vehicle Bumper Automotive exterior Wood Gas


Ripped to final width of just a bit over 1 ½ sq. I left it just a tad over so there would be some extra material for scraping and sanding. Care must be taken at this point to ensure the Cherry is of equal thickness on both sides of the Walnut.
Wood Table Flooring Hardwood Lumber


I sliced the tops and bottoms off to give me a rough length and a starting point for the mortise layout.
Wood Bumper Hardwood Flooring Wood stain


On to routing the mortises. Again watch the orientation of the front legs to ensure the right mortise is being cut. Don't forget to use the 4.5° shims again to tilt the leg for the side rail.
Dishware Wood Tableware Serveware Coffee cup


Wood Machine tool Tool Engineering Gas


The pencil lines in the picture are for the top of the chair. I drew another line approx 1/8" bellow that. That is where the cut for the crown will start.
Wood Engineering Gas Plant Machine


I set the miter gauge to 11° and used a back stop to ensure all the legs were the same length.
Wood Floor Flooring Composite material Gas


Wood Fixture Gas Tints and shades Composite material


I used a sharp chisel to tidy up the crowns.
Wood Rectangle Gas Metal Office ruler


Cleaning up the front rails. A&C Style …You were right about using the spoke shave on the curves. Thanks fer the tip.
Wood Floor Flooring Hardwood Plank


I used my El Cheapo Tenon jig to sneak up on the correct tenon thickness. Be sure to do them individually.
Wood Flooring Floor Window Fixture


I rounded (is that a word?) the top and bottom of the tenons with a file. Labor intensive.
Wood Office ruler Gas Hardwood Lumber


With the tenons trimmed to fit I put them in place to mark out the portion to be cut off.
Wood Wood stain Hardwood Lumber Plank


Front assemblies all glued up. I used a spacer (the same width as the front rail) at the bottom of the assembly to keep the legs straight. As well as checking each assembly with a square to be sure the legs are sq. to the front rail.
Wood Composite material Building Asphalt Flooring


Wood Fixture Natural material Wood stain Hardwood


So with the front and back assemblies complete I can move on to the floating tenons and the side rails.

'Till next time….Thanks fer lookin'
 

Attachments

#19 ·
Front legs

I started with the same scenario as the rear legs, ¼" piece of Walnut sandwiched between 2 layers of dressed Cherry. I had previously ripped the pieces to 1 ¾" wide.
Motor vehicle Bumper Automotive exterior Wood Gas


Ripped to final width of just a bit over 1 ½ sq. I left it just a tad over so there would be some extra material for scraping and sanding. Care must be taken at this point to ensure the Cherry is of equal thickness on both sides of the Walnut.
Wood Table Flooring Hardwood Lumber


I sliced the tops and bottoms off to give me a rough length and a starting point for the mortise layout.
Wood Bumper Hardwood Flooring Wood stain


On to routing the mortises. Again watch the orientation of the front legs to ensure the right mortise is being cut. Don't forget to use the 4.5° shims again to tilt the leg for the side rail.
Dishware Wood Tableware Serveware Coffee cup


Wood Machine tool Tool Engineering Gas


The pencil lines in the picture are for the top of the chair. I drew another line approx 1/8" bellow that. That is where the cut for the crown will start.
Wood Engineering Gas Plant Machine


I set the miter gauge to 11° and used a back stop to ensure all the legs were the same length.
Wood Floor Flooring Composite material Gas


Wood Fixture Gas Tints and shades Composite material


I used a sharp chisel to tidy up the crowns.
Wood Rectangle Gas Metal Office ruler


Cleaning up the front rails. A&C Style …You were right about using the spoke shave on the curves. Thanks fer the tip.
Wood Floor Flooring Hardwood Plank


I used my El Cheapo Tenon jig to sneak up on the correct tenon thickness. Be sure to do them individually.
Wood Flooring Floor Window Fixture


I rounded (is that a word?) the top and bottom of the tenons with a file. Labor intensive.
Wood Office ruler Gas Hardwood Lumber


With the tenons trimmed to fit I put them in place to mark out the portion to be cut off.
Wood Wood stain Hardwood Lumber Plank


Front assemblies all glued up. I used a spacer (the same width as the front rail) at the bottom of the assembly to keep the legs straight. As well as checking each assembly with a square to be sure the legs are sq. to the front rail.
Wood Composite material Building Asphalt Flooring


Wood Fixture Natural material Wood stain Hardwood


So with the front and back assemblies complete I can move on to the floating tenons and the side rails.

'Till next time….Thanks fer lookin'
Again, more great progress. You will be into the finishing stage before you know it.
 

Attachments

#21 ·
Floating tenons

When I cut the curve in the upper and lower crest rails there was a fair bit of scrape left over. I had planed to use this for the floating tenons. The mortise was ½" wide so I ripped the tenons just a bit thicker to ensure a tight fit.
Hood Wood Automotive design Bumper Motor vehicle


I used a ½" round over bit in the router to clean up the edges.
Milling Wood Machine tool Gas Machine


Wood Rectangle Tool Composite material Hardwood


A bit of sanding. A stroke or 2 with the plane and file and they were done..
Wood Rectangle Wood stain Flooring Hardwood


Wood Tool Hardwood Wood stain Rectangle


Wood Hardwood Wood stain Plywood Plank


Time to soften the edges of the side rails. Using the go to tools, file, plane and spoke shave.
Wood Hardwood Goggles Wood stain Eyewear


The first dry fit.
Wood Gas Flooring Engineering Metal


The end is getting close. I can see a light at the end of the tunnel….Or is that a train?
Any ways. Time to start on the side and cross stretchers, but I'll leave that for next time.
Thanks fer lookin'.
 

Attachments

#22 ·
Floating tenons

When I cut the curve in the upper and lower crest rails there was a fair bit of scrape left over. I had planed to use this for the floating tenons. The mortise was ½" wide so I ripped the tenons just a bit thicker to ensure a tight fit.
Hood Wood Automotive design Bumper Motor vehicle


I used a ½" round over bit in the router to clean up the edges.
Milling Wood Machine tool Gas Machine


Wood Rectangle Tool Composite material Hardwood


A bit of sanding. A stroke or 2 with the plane and file and they were done..
Wood Rectangle Wood stain Flooring Hardwood


Wood Tool Hardwood Wood stain Rectangle


Wood Hardwood Wood stain Plywood Plank


Time to soften the edges of the side rails. Using the go to tools, file, plane and spoke shave.
Wood Hardwood Goggles Wood stain Eyewear


The first dry fit.
Wood Gas Flooring Engineering Metal


The end is getting close. I can see a light at the end of the tunnel….Or is that a train?
Any ways. Time to start on the side and cross stretchers, but I'll leave that for next time.
Thanks fer lookin'.
Looking good.

I'm working on a dining chair project myself at the moment (a sticklyish oak piece) and I'm curious about your decision to use floating tenons - do you find it quicker? I have a tenoning jig for my table saw and find that in combination with a dado blade I can knock out tenons very quickly.

Keep up the good work!

David
 

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#26 ·
Side and Cross Stretchers

I ripped all my stock for the side and cross stretchers as per drawing, but I chose to go with a straight half lap joint as opposed to the dove tail simply because it's easier.
Because there is a compound angle on the back of the side stretcher and a single bevel on the front, I obviously chose to nibble the single bevel when creeping up on my final length. I started with the overall length of each stretcher and slowly snipped a bit off the front till I arrived at the final length.
Wood Gas Composite material Machine Rectangle


Wood Shelving Machine Gas Rectangle


Once I had the final length I had to drill a 5/8 hole in each end for the dowels, so I made a simple jig
so the center of the drill bit was center of the stretcher. I was getting a bit of movement on my stock
so I changed up my clamps.
Wood Machine tool Saw Machine Workbench


Toy airplane Aircraft Wood Aviation Saw

Hood Wood Rectangle Automotive exterior Material property


Trimming the half lapped mortise on the cross stretcher.

Once the final dry fit was done I glued and clamped the whole assembly. What a satisfying experience. One down 5 to go.
Wood Door Floor Flooring House


Wood Picture frame Art Engineering Flooring


I gotta tell ya I received the Jorgensen clamps for Christmas. Absolutely stellar. A bit expensive, but
worth every dime.
Next up will be the corner brackets and the arms for the Captains chairs.
Till then… thanks fer lookin'
 

Attachments

#27 ·
Side and Cross Stretchers

I ripped all my stock for the side and cross stretchers as per drawing, but I chose to go with a straight half lap joint as opposed to the dove tail simply because it's easier.
Because there is a compound angle on the back of the side stretcher and a single bevel on the front, I obviously chose to nibble the single bevel when creeping up on my final length. I started with the overall length of each stretcher and slowly snipped a bit off the front till I arrived at the final length.
Wood Gas Composite material Machine Rectangle


Wood Shelving Machine Gas Rectangle


Once I had the final length I had to drill a 5/8 hole in each end for the dowels, so I made a simple jig
so the center of the drill bit was center of the stretcher. I was getting a bit of movement on my stock
so I changed up my clamps.
Wood Machine tool Saw Machine Workbench


Toy airplane Aircraft Wood Aviation Saw

Hood Wood Rectangle Automotive exterior Material property


Trimming the half lapped mortise on the cross stretcher.

Once the final dry fit was done I glued and clamped the whole assembly. What a satisfying experience. One down 5 to go.
Wood Door Floor Flooring House


Wood Picture frame Art Engineering Flooring


I gotta tell ya I received the Jorgensen clamps for Christmas. Absolutely stellar. A bit expensive, but
worth every dime.
Next up will be the corner brackets and the arms for the Captains chairs.
Till then… thanks fer lookin'
I agree that FINALLY having something that actually looks like a chair is most gratifying at this point. Also, it gives the stimulus to keep going and get these suckers done. Soon you will be applying the finish.
 

Attachments

#28 ·
Corner brackets and dowels.

On to the corner brackets. I realize all the corners were supposed to be 4.5° off 90 but thought it prudent to measure and check the angle before I cut up a whole bunch of stock (measure twice cut once).
Wood Paint Wood stain Gas Hardwood


Fixture Wood Floor Flooring Composite material


Drill some holes.
Wood Office ruler Milling Jig grinder Gas


And it should look like this.
Wood Gas Composite material Plywood Metal

Wood Automotive tire Bumper Tool Gas


Although it wasn't on the drawing, I kinda liked the idea of doweling the mortise and tenon joints.
After I had asked several of the LJ's for their opinion I decided to add dowels to pin the M/T's together.
As Walnut was the obvious choice I had to make my own. I did a bit of research on DIY dowel making and used this method.
I was going to use 5/16 bowels, so I drilled a 5/16 hole in a piece of scrap. Then I sliced just the top of the hole off. I clamped a fine toothed jigsaw blade between the hole and another piece of scrap and was ready to go.

I cut square strips of Walnut almost 3/8"sq. and tapered the ends to fit in the whole. Stick the other end it a drill and your good to go.
Motor vehicle Automotive tire Gas Machine Automotive exterior


I prefer the look of the square pegs, but as I don't have a mortiser, I use what I have.

With dowels made I wanted to ensure all the holes were laid out the same so I built a pair simple jigs and a drill stop
Pneumatic tool Saw Calipers Drill Handheld power drill


Wood Automotive tire Motor vehicle Tool Gas


Wood Floor Hardwood Engineering Lumber


A little dab of glue and I tapped the pegs in place. After several hr, I trimmed the with a flexible saw and smoothed them flush with an orbital sander.
Wood Floor Shelving Ladder Hardwood


I did that 7 more times and I was done.
Arms for the Captains chairs will be next.

Thanks fer looking.
 

Attachments

#29 ·
Corner brackets and dowels.

On to the corner brackets. I realize all the corners were supposed to be 4.5° off 90 but thought it prudent to measure and check the angle before I cut up a whole bunch of stock (measure twice cut once).
Wood Paint Wood stain Gas Hardwood


Fixture Wood Floor Flooring Composite material


Drill some holes.
Wood Office ruler Milling Jig grinder Gas


And it should look like this.
Wood Gas Composite material Plywood Metal

Wood Automotive tire Bumper Tool Gas


Although it wasn't on the drawing, I kinda liked the idea of doweling the mortise and tenon joints.
After I had asked several of the LJ's for their opinion I decided to add dowels to pin the M/T's together.
As Walnut was the obvious choice I had to make my own. I did a bit of research on DIY dowel making and used this method.
I was going to use 5/16 bowels, so I drilled a 5/16 hole in a piece of scrap. Then I sliced just the top of the hole off. I clamped a fine toothed jigsaw blade between the hole and another piece of scrap and was ready to go.

I cut square strips of Walnut almost 3/8"sq. and tapered the ends to fit in the whole. Stick the other end it a drill and your good to go.
Motor vehicle Automotive tire Gas Machine Automotive exterior


I prefer the look of the square pegs, but as I don't have a mortiser, I use what I have.

With dowels made I wanted to ensure all the holes were laid out the same so I built a pair simple jigs and a drill stop
Pneumatic tool Saw Calipers Drill Handheld power drill


Wood Automotive tire Motor vehicle Tool Gas


Wood Floor Hardwood Engineering Lumber


A little dab of glue and I tapped the pegs in place. After several hr, I trimmed the with a flexible saw and smoothed them flush with an orbital sander.
Wood Floor Shelving Ladder Hardwood


I did that 7 more times and I was done.
Arms for the Captains chairs will be next.

Thanks fer looking.
The pegs are a nice addition. Keep the pix coming! :)
 

Attachments

#31 ·
Upholstery and complete.

Well. They're done. Damn! What a project.
I borrowed a pneumatic staple gun from a good friend. I checked around the Youtube vids for instructions and found a whole bunch of stuff. I went to several different suppliers for materials and bought enough foam and Dacron to do 1 seat pan. I tried a seat using a piece of Naugahyde . All things said and done it turned out ok….but. The leather I had chosen was $625 / hide. The upholsterer I was to get it from said I might get away with 1 hide. And I'm sad to say I wimped out. I sent all the seat pans to the upholstery lady as well as the 2 stools I made earlier to be recovered. I feel shame.
But they've just came back….Damn they look good!
Wood Flooring Floor Wood stain Hardwood


I had picked up a box of 1/4/ 20 X 1 ¾ pan head screws to secure the seat to the chair. If I was to do it again I'd probably go with 10/32 screws.
Furniture Chair Wood Rectangle Outdoor furniture


Wood Chair Wood stain Rectangle Hardwood


I left 1/8" gap between the plywood seat pan and the side rails. This makes for a very tight fit. While I wanted a snug fit I, an extra 16th per side wouldn't hurt.

Chair Wood Rectangle Outdoor furniture Flooring


So there they sit. What an excellent project. Very labor intensive, but what a reward. And such a learning curve.
I started the 1st proto type last Nov. It took 57 hrs.
I started the 2nd proto type in March. It took 40 hr.
I started the production style build (the other 6) March 17th and they took 207.5 hr.

I forgot to mention in my blog , when I applied the last 2 coats of Varathane I used a spray can. A spry gun would have been nice but I wasn't to sure about the set up/over spray/do I thin it, etc. So there it is.
Furniture Wood Interior design Flooring Floor


Furniture Wood Chair Flooring Floor


Table Furniture Property Chair Plant


That's it. All done.
If any one out there is sitting on the fence as to weather they should tackle a project like this…All I can say is go for it. Man does that feel great.
So now I gotta build a table to go with it. 
Thanks fer lookin'
 

Attachments

#32 ·
Upholstery and complete.

Well. They're done. Damn! What a project.
I borrowed a pneumatic staple gun from a good friend. I checked around the Youtube vids for instructions and found a whole bunch of stuff. I went to several different suppliers for materials and bought enough foam and Dacron to do 1 seat pan. I tried a seat using a piece of Naugahyde . All things said and done it turned out ok….but. The leather I had chosen was $625 / hide. The upholsterer I was to get it from said I might get away with 1 hide. And I'm sad to say I wimped out. I sent all the seat pans to the upholstery lady as well as the 2 stools I made earlier to be recovered. I feel shame.
But they've just came back….Damn they look good!
Wood Flooring Floor Wood stain Hardwood


I had picked up a box of 1/4/ 20 X 1 ¾ pan head screws to secure the seat to the chair. If I was to do it again I'd probably go with 10/32 screws.
Furniture Chair Wood Rectangle Outdoor furniture


Wood Chair Wood stain Rectangle Hardwood


I left 1/8" gap between the plywood seat pan and the side rails. This makes for a very tight fit. While I wanted a snug fit I, an extra 16th per side wouldn't hurt.

Chair Wood Rectangle Outdoor furniture Flooring


So there they sit. What an excellent project. Very labor intensive, but what a reward. And such a learning curve.
I started the 1st proto type last Nov. It took 57 hrs.
I started the 2nd proto type in March. It took 40 hr.
I started the production style build (the other 6) March 17th and they took 207.5 hr.

I forgot to mention in my blog , when I applied the last 2 coats of Varathane I used a spray can. A spry gun would have been nice but I wasn't to sure about the set up/over spray/do I thin it, etc. So there it is.
Furniture Wood Interior design Flooring Floor


Furniture Wood Chair Flooring Floor


Table Furniture Property Chair Plant


That's it. All done.
If any one out there is sitting on the fence as to weather they should tackle a project like this…All I can say is go for it. Man does that feel great.
So now I gotta build a table to go with it. 
Thanks fer lookin'
Bravo. Well done.
Those look really good.

I have dabbled in chair making, but never past the prototype stage. My hat is off to you for finishing.

Steve
 

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