# Outdoor Morris Chair



## LegendInMyOwnMind (Apr 27, 2011)

*Gathering the materials*

Making Mr Thiel's Outdoor Morris Chair from his excellent book (pic from his BLOG here)..










Thought I bought lumber for two chairs. Made double the cuts and got part of the way through before I realized that I had not doubled the materials. Trip to Lowes Depot this morning and a lot of fumbling through the junk boards got me enough to hopefully do all the cuts I need.

I love Mr Thiel's book but I've got one minor quibble. There's no cut diagram in the book and the book is targeted for beginner (at least I hope it is since I'm totally a beginner). It could be that the publisher cut it out or that the authors of these books don't know what raw stock lengths someone might buy, but when there's a couple of dozen 1×3 cuts to be made with various lengths it would be helpful if these books made assumptions.

I think one safe assumption is that people who are doing beginner projects have to move the lumber in their sedans. To me, that usually means 8' lumber. If it fits into my Ford Focus there can't be too many cars it would not fit into.

Another thing for cut lists is that it would be nice if they were grouped by size of materials so that all of the 1×3, all of the 1×4's and all of the 1×6's were grouped together. I do put the lists into EXCEL and I can filter the list, but why should I need to do that?

I like to see lists of tools needed for beginner projects. I didn't realize I would need to get a Forstner bit until the second trip. After all, who reads the directions until you are ready to actually start working. Somebody with basic tools doesn't have one of those. I'm glad I bought a set, because I can use it for other stuff.

For me, this outdoor Morris Chair is a warm-up for a real indoor Morris chair. I realize that the techniques are almost totally different, but need to hone my skills by doing something. I figure I can use the chairs inside until I make the indoor ones and then they have a natural spot on my back porch.

To that end, I'm stumped about whether to stain/poly this thing or go to paint. Do I need to use outdoor stain and poly? I assume I can't paint it once it's been poly coated. I like the looks of stained wood. It's all cheap dimensional pine and I did get the cleanest pieces I could find… I am assuming if I stain I need wood conditioner since I put in double doors and got a blotchy result when I stained them. At $450 I'm not going to change the doors now.


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## kenn (Mar 19, 2008)

LegendInMyOwnMind said:


> *Gathering the materials*
> 
> Making Mr Thiel's Outdoor Morris Chair from his excellent book (pic from his BLOG here)..
> 
> ...


No matter what you choose, if it is outside it will need routine maintenance. By that I mean it will need repainted of recoated with the poly. You just need to decide which you'd like to do. Good luck.


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## DavidWhite (Jun 2, 2009)

LegendInMyOwnMind said:


> *Gathering the materials*
> 
> Making Mr Thiel's Outdoor Morris Chair from his excellent book (pic from his BLOG here)..
> 
> ...


Good luck with the project - sounds like a good skill builder. I'd say go with a stain / outdoor satin ploy, but put a couple of coats of shellac on first to prevent blotching.


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## rivergirl (Aug 18, 2010)

LegendInMyOwnMind said:


> *Gathering the materials*
> 
> Making Mr Thiel's Outdoor Morris Chair from his excellent book (pic from his BLOG here)..
> 
> ...


Here's a free set of the plans for this chair- as posted on PWW site. 
http://www.popularwoodworking.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/All-weather-Morris-Chair3.pdf


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## SPHinTampa (Apr 23, 2008)

LegendInMyOwnMind said:


> *Gathering the materials*
> 
> Making Mr Thiel's Outdoor Morris Chair from his excellent book (pic from his BLOG here)..
> 
> ...


If it is helpful … when doing outdoor projects, I tend to use spar varnish rather than regular poly because I find that the UV protection make a big difference in the length of time that it lasts.


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## nobuckle (Nov 3, 2010)

LegendInMyOwnMind said:


> *Gathering the materials*
> 
> Making Mr Thiel's Outdoor Morris Chair from his excellent book (pic from his BLOG here)..
> 
> ...


I just had to laugh when you mentioned that you put 8' mterial in your Focus. I have an old Toyota Corrola that I have to do the same thing with. I just downloaded these plans from Popular Woodworkings news-letter. I was glad to see that it was made from an inexpensive material. Thanks for posting this series. I'll refer to it often as I build my own.


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## rivergirl (Aug 18, 2010)

LegendInMyOwnMind said:


> *Gathering the materials*
> 
> Making Mr Thiel's Outdoor Morris Chair from his excellent book (pic from his BLOG here)..
> 
> ...


I also haul lots of wood in my Ford Focus hatchback! Hay and straw bales too. And last weekend was town cleanup in the town nearby- so I took the car and loaded up lots of wooden "junk" in the focus and hauled it home!


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## LegendInMyOwnMind (Apr 27, 2011)

*Cuts done*

Finished the cuts yesterday. Realized that I was still one stick of wood short. Found a piece of cedar that might work although it seems pretty soft. Might actually make a nice accent being an aged piece of wood and I really love the smell of cedar. Maybe keep the bugs away as I'm sitting on the back porch.

Just cut the 5 degree angle on front and back legs. Realized I could have saved time had I cut one front and one adjacent piece at the same time. Line up bottom and do the widthwise cut at the same time as the shallow depthwise cut. Next time I'll do better on simplifying so I don't have to go back to the mitersaw so many times.










Didn't have to cut too much off to get the second board to line up with the first.










Played around with the drill bit stops I bought yesterday at Lowes Depot and the plugs that cover screws. Not sure how do to this perfectly, but think it turned out OK. Are these normally glued too? When I did the bunkbeds I used the same method but never glued them. Takes a bit of tapping with a hammer to get them to sit flush with the top of the board. Guess that's better than going in too easy.

Messed around with the Forstner bit. The design has a 1" diameter dowel that is 2" long. Having seen Morris Chairs, I couldn't figure out how that wasn't too long a piece considering both sides are 3/4" wide. Usually,on Morris chairs the dowels go into the arm and the support bar has matching holes/mortises. Finally guessed from the number of dowels that the intent is to put the dowel into the bar that goes across the back. The holes into the arm are drilled all the way through and the bar is over-inserted into the holes sticking out the bottom of the arm. Makes sense now. It may actually have said that in the instructions but I read them a couple of times until I figured it out. Finally saw a picture which helped me figure it out.

I want to at least get the legs, sides and front done today. Hopefully my laziness won't overcome my desire to finish this project. I've really just begun.

My new glasses are really making this hard. There are a lot of 5 degree cuts in this thing and my glasses have that much angular distortion.


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## LegendInMyOwnMind (Apr 27, 2011)

*First leg done... Playing with jigs*

Got the first leg together. It's square to the ground so I must have done something right.










Had a hard time lining up the board. I knew the board would move and didn't want to do a bunch of clamping. After all, I've got eight of these legs for the two chairs. Made a stupidly simple jig that would sandwich the two boards. Not going to measure since I feel my fingers can line up the sides easily enough.










Marking the hidden top with the same orientation on the two pieces so that I know I've found the right edges - darn glasses. Not a perfect cut since there's a small gap at the top, but close enough.


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## LegendInMyOwnMind (Apr 27, 2011)

*Fine tuning wood plugs*

I'm sure someone out there really knows how to do this right, but I really struggle with wood plugs. If I use the standard countersink bit it really tears apart the wood.










That's where a forstner bit really comes in handy. I can start a cut and get really clean edges.










The next step that I really have a hard time with is a collared drill bit. Seems like I never can get the collar at just the right place.










It takes me some trial and error to finally get a clean plug. Only mar is the collar indent where I pushed too hard. Incidentally, that was probably the best hole I made.










Now to figure out how to not end up with hammer marks where I pounded in the wood plug! Maybe if I use a block of hardwood between the hammer and the plug?


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## woodspark (May 8, 2010)

LegendInMyOwnMind said:


> *Fine tuning wood plugs*
> 
> I'm sure someone out there really knows how to do this right, but I really struggle with wood plugs. If I use the standard countersink bit it really tears apart the wood.
> 
> ...


Doug, check out this I'm sure you will find some handy info in the posting. It looks like you might be using dowelling for plugs. Buy yourself a plug cutter and make your own. They are not expensive. Don't hammer in all the way. Leave a little proud and sand flush. Good luck!


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## alba (Jul 31, 2010)

LegendInMyOwnMind said:


> *Fine tuning wood plugs*
> 
> I'm sure someone out there really knows how to do this right, but I really struggle with wood plugs. If I use the standard countersink bit it really tears apart the wood.
> 
> ...


http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-combined-drill-and-countersinks-with-hex-shanks-tct-prod816426/


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## wstokes (Mar 20, 2009)

LegendInMyOwnMind said:


> *Fine tuning wood plugs*
> 
> I'm sure someone out there really knows how to do this right, but I really struggle with wood plugs. If I use the standard countersink bit it really tears apart the wood.
> 
> ...


Yeah, use a plug cutter to cut your plugs from the same wood you're putting them into. I'm sure you have some scraps around and this is a great way to use them. Or, if you prefer, use contrasting plugs out of a different species. Next, when hammering in the plug make sure the grain is aligned with the grain of the wood. If the grain direction matches it will look much better and almost disappear. As Div says, leave it prowd, then sand it plug. I usually just use my random orbital sander, although in the future I might try using a block plane to knock it down most of the way. I always glue my plugs in place as I don't want them coming out. I'd buy a nice set of plug cutters of various sizes. They are cheap. Check out grizzly's or Harbor freights selection. I have two plug cutters someone gave me, not a complete set, some day I'll splurge, maybe even get tapered plug cutters, we'll see.  As you saw, use the forstner bit to drill the holes. I don't even have a stop collar. Instead, use a drill press with a depth stop. A cheap bench-top drill press (~$99) can work wonders. I love mine, it's just a cheap Skil but it gets the job done. Hopefully this all helps.


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## LegendInMyOwnMind (Apr 27, 2011)

*Really stupid mistake*

Put together all of the legs.










I noticed I made a really stupid mistake. Hard to fix now, too! The back end should slope up and the front end should slope down. I installed both the front and back sloping down. Now I'm off by 10 degrees in the back.

I'm going to try to solve it by recutting the back end on the miter saw. Now I'm even more glad I bought a 12" miter saw.

I'm worried about what the impact will be to the design? The sloping board (under the arm) looks like there's enough extra that it should work out OK. We'll see How big a mistake I just made. For sure, this is going to knock off the angle that the arm mounts.

Did the cuts. Here's piece cut off.


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## SPHinTampa (Apr 23, 2008)

LegendInMyOwnMind said:


> *Really stupid mistake*
> 
> Put together all of the legs.
> 
> ...


I make mistakes like this all the time. I used to mark the cuts with chalk until someone on Lumberjocks recommended that I use pencil for more durable marks and then acetone to remove it without sanding.


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## LegendInMyOwnMind (Apr 27, 2011)

LegendInMyOwnMind said:


> *Really stupid mistake*
> 
> Put together all of the legs.
> 
> ...


Ooooh, I like that. This was a perceptual error for me. I think if I make another pair of these they will be better.


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## LegendInMyOwnMind (Apr 27, 2011)

*Bottom sides done*

Got the bottom sides done. The legs stand square and look pretty good. Tricky part is alternating the side that the bottom support goes onto.










Along the way, I made a small template to make sure that I get the holes in the side right. Carefully measured a piece of scrap that was the same width and added the three holes that I need to attach the sides to the bottoms.










Drilled out the template with the forstner bit to get nice straight and clean template holes.










Decided I am not going to install any more wood plugs until I am done. That way I can take apart something if it doesn't work right.

Simulated the fit of the top arm and the angle is not great. I don't think it's an issue with the side or the back, but it will look funny at the front. May have to use some trig and figure out what the angle is now.


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## LegendInMyOwnMind (Apr 27, 2011)

*Added upper side and trying to fix error*

I added the upper sides. They are pretty tricky since you have to do a long cross-cut. The book recommends using a jig saw. Unless you are a lot better than me, I can't imagine that. I cut through it with the miter saw and finished it up with the table saw. Here's the result.










Now, what to do with the error earlier? I used the miter saw laser and figure the angle is now something like 7 degrees instead of 5 deg. From the previous pic there's still enough room to get a screw in the short side, so I dodged a bullet there. Trying to fix it, I set up my roller to the near side of the miter stand (never done that before) and cut a 7 deg cul through the part sticking up from the side. That went OK and if i push down the front of a arm test piece it looks like it will do the job.










Back side is undercut so it's not an issue.










Noticed the arm support board now has a small crown. Figure I can fix that with my power plane. Hopefully I am over the worst implications of the earlier error.


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## LegendInMyOwnMind (Apr 27, 2011)

*Attaching the front and rear stretcher*

Added the front and rear stretchers. Used the two pieces of cedar for the back since it won't be seen anyway. I m fairly amazed that the four legs in both directions fit flat on the floor. Of course, the wood floor isn't all that flat so maybe I shouldn't get too excited yet.










Cut the 3-hole template board to remove the one hole side. That's how I attached the front and back stretchers. Here's a picture with one of the set of holes I drilled into the front/rear stretchers.










Yet another mistake. The front stretcher should be higher than the back stretcher. Moved it up, no pics yet.


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## LegendInMyOwnMind (Apr 27, 2011)

*Added side slats and created a lot of blocks*

I think I am done for the day. I got the side slats on the two chairs.










No big tricks there except that the crown is still there on the side tops. I cut the slats at 7 degrees to match my earlier mess-up. Slats are leveled at bottom side so they will be even. After all, if I have to do something to flatted down the crown I might as well fix the slats which are slightly too tall at the same time.

The spacing of the slats was pretty close to what was specified in the book except that I ended up with an extra 1/4 in. I used two pieces of 1/8 in hardboard on both ends plus a bunch of small blocks which I cut on the table saw to be the specified spacing. In the end it was very snug which mean things were centered and lined up nicely.

Ran into a snag with the directions. P 95 has a chart which looks right for relative sizes, but the dimensions are messed up. Wrote to the author who confirmed (thanks…) that the grid is good, but the dimensions are wrong.


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## rivergirl (Aug 18, 2010)

LegendInMyOwnMind said:


> *Added side slats and created a lot of blocks*
> 
> I think I am done for the day. I got the side slats on the two chairs.
> 
> ...


I am enjoying your blog! Keep going! Can't wait to see the chairs all finished!


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## LegendInMyOwnMind (Apr 27, 2011)

*Problematic side and back supports*

One thing is true in many things. Tolerances accumulate.

The side supports for this chair require cutting a 1×6 diagonally down both sides. I had a buddy help me with that. Wish I had pictures of how he did it, because he cut them spot on. Basically, his technique was to screw the scrap side to a piece of rectangular piece of wood. He screwed it at the same angle that it would go across the board at. He did it something like this:










Yet, when I installed the supports I found it impossible to get to the place where the diagrams showed the inner back support. Since this is where the hinge will mount this will be a real problem since I wouldn't be able to get to the screws I'd need to get the hinge screwed in. Since the hinge holds up the back, it's pretty important.

The problem is that the far back support is in the way. Unfortunately, this meant taking the side supports off, making sure they were level and then moving the rear back support down a bit. I went down an inch just to be sure I could get a clear shot at the hinge screws. This affects the look of the back support since it can't be level to the sides this way, but I think it's the best compromise.

One of the chairs looks like I might be able to get the hinge attached without changing anything. It's pretty tight. The other chair would have been impossible. Here's the chair that has the "fix".










Here's the chair that looks "OK".


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## LegendInMyOwnMind (Apr 27, 2011)

*Seat slats and the router*

The seat slats need to be rounded over with a router to remove the sharp edges. As the author says "you don't want to pinch something". I temporarily set the slats on the chair and they looked pretty good. I would have guessed with slats 1" apart it would have been less comfortable, but it wasn't too bad at all. The back is not installed yet so it's not comfortable yet.










To wait or not? My 15-year old can't help me until Friday night so I might have to figure out how to use our router table. Seriously, he's done all the routing - he is really good at it.

Maybe I can start the back and let him route the slats for the seats. There are 12 slats and both of the top edges need routing. 24 edges? Sounds like a job for the kid!


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## LegendInMyOwnMind (Apr 27, 2011)

*This chair is big*

This chair really is big. Very wide. 24+inches wide in fact. .Here's me sitting on it. Note, I'm a big guy and the chair is still big. I think two of my littlest kids could sit in one of these. Comfy big.










In fact, the chair is so wide it makes me wonder. Standard cushions are 22" square. Does that mean I need to get bigger cushion materials?


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## rivergirl (Aug 18, 2010)

LegendInMyOwnMind said:


> *This chair is big*
> 
> This chair really is big. Very wide. 24+inches wide in fact. .Here's me sitting on it. Note, I'm a big guy and the chair is still big. I think two of my littlest kids could sit in one of these. Comfy big.
> 
> ...


Here's a link to the free plans for this chair that was posted on PWW site. 

http://www.popularwoodworking.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/All-weather-Morris-Chair3.pdf


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## MikeGager (Jun 15, 2009)

LegendInMyOwnMind said:


> *This chair is big*
> 
> This chair really is big. Very wide. 24+inches wide in fact. .Here's me sitting on it. Note, I'm a big guy and the chair is still big. I think two of my littlest kids could sit in one of these. Comfy big.
> 
> ...


this chair or at least an older version of it was the first woodworking project i did. i built the chair but never put a finish on it. its made of pine and its sitting on our front porch but no ones ever sat in it. i need to get some cushions for it and paint it or something. mines slightly different then this version because i changed it and made the arms flat rather then slanted. ill look and see if i can find a picture of it. oh and i think i made mine wider then the plans too, mine is really big lol


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## Bsmith (Feb 2, 2011)

LegendInMyOwnMind said:


> *This chair is big*
> 
> This chair really is big. Very wide. 24+inches wide in fact. .Here's me sitting on it. Note, I'm a big guy and the chair is still big. I think two of my littlest kids could sit in one of these. Comfy big.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the blog. I just downloaded the plans myself and am going to make a couple for me and the wife. Now I know what to watch for. Great help.


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## LegendInMyOwnMind (Apr 27, 2011)

LegendInMyOwnMind said:


> *This chair is big*
> 
> This chair really is big. Very wide. 24+inches wide in fact. .Here's me sitting on it. Note, I'm a big guy and the chair is still big. I think two of my littlest kids could sit in one of these. Comfy big.
> 
> ...


@Bsmith - That's why I wrote this. I'm a total beginner and am sure I'm making a lot of rookie mistakes, but the book title said "Anyone Can Make…". Kind of like the proverbial "idiot test". If I can do it, anyone can.

It's hard to know exactly what is critical and what is not critical. Seems to me that having the back of the seat level is important, so I'm trying hard to get that right.


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## LegendInMyOwnMind (Apr 27, 2011)

*Please be gentle - it's my first time (with the router)*

Did my first router cuts ever. Really want to show the kid that I can do something when he's not here - even if it's only marginally true. Cut the notches for the front slat boards and routed all by myself. I'm a big boy now. Here's a couple of pictures:










!


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## reggiek (Jun 12, 2009)

LegendInMyOwnMind said:


> *Please be gentle - it's my first time (with the router)*
> 
> Did my first router cuts ever. Really want to show the kid that I can do something when he's not here - even if it's only marginally true. Cut the notches for the front slat boards and routed all by myself. I'm a big boy now. Here's a couple of pictures:
> 
> ...


Doug, not bad results for a first timer. The trick to routing is to have lots of test pieces….Practice getting the cuts right - sometimes it takes a bit of trial and error to get the depth correct. I do not know what kind of table you have - but the fence is the most important part….it is what aligns the cut….keeps the wood straight over the bit…...and can be used to make incremental cuts (lotsl of bits cannot make their cuts in one bold pass….especially in very hard woods….so a few small cuts…working towards the final is better (it also helps reduce some of the chip out that router bits will do to your wood). A great fence has incremental adjustments so that you can dial into the cut you want….these adjusters are also great for getting reproduceable results.


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## LegendInMyOwnMind (Apr 27, 2011)

LegendInMyOwnMind said:


> *Please be gentle - it's my first time (with the router)*
> 
> Did my first router cuts ever. Really want to show the kid that I can do something when he's not here - even if it's only marginally true. Cut the notches for the front slat boards and routed all by myself. I'm a big boy now. Here's a couple of pictures:
> 
> ...


Here's my router table.

I did the routes in one pass. The only round-over bit I have is a 1/2" bit but I didn't want a full 1/2" round.


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## reggiek (Jun 12, 2009)

LegendInMyOwnMind said:


> *Please be gentle - it's my first time (with the router)*
> 
> Did my first router cuts ever. Really want to show the kid that I can do something when he's not here - even if it's only marginally true. Cut the notches for the front slat boards and routed all by myself. I'm a big boy now. Here's a couple of pictures:
> 
> ...


Doug, from your pictures, that is a functional table. I would look at putting an incremental adjuster on the fence (there were some plans around that show how to use a threaded rod and some t-nuts to create a shop built adjuster). You might also want to put some of that stick on measurement tape on your tracks so that you can reproduce your cuts easier. A laminate on your top to allow your wood to slide easier….
I use a router lift on mine as I hate having to go under the table to adjust the depth of the cut…but they are a bit expensive (worth it when you have a bit of routing to do on the table).

Another suggestion, once you have gotten your bit set up on the right height and the fence set at the correct distance….use a piece of wood the same width as what you set up the bit too….run this through the bit….instant set up block…next time you need this bit and for the width of wood you have a setup block to hold against the bit to get height….and you can align your fence also.


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## LegendInMyOwnMind (Apr 27, 2011)

*Chair slats installed*

Got the chair slats installed. Only one screw "missed". Not bad out of 12 screws. Picked the best side of the wood for the routing so since that's the side that is up.










Only challenge was to find the spacing from the edge for the countersink hole. Too far and it misses the bottom board. Too close and you risk splitting the board at the end.

Used 3/4" scraps with two pieces of 1/8" hardboard to make the 1" gap.

Finished the other chair slats early this AM. Chair feels really solid when I sit in it.

Next back and arms. Will need to figure out how to do the crown in the support under the arms. Still thinking power plane to flatten it out.


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## NormG (Mar 5, 2010)

LegendInMyOwnMind said:


> *Chair slats installed*
> 
> Got the chair slats installed. Only one screw "missed". Not bad out of 12 screws. Picked the best side of the wood for the routing so since that's the side that is up.
> 
> ...


Can't wait to see it completed


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## LegendInMyOwnMind (Apr 27, 2011)

*Fixing the crown under the arm*

Due to my earlier mistake (wrong direction for rear arm support) I had to do some trimming. This left the support for the arm with a crown under it. Hard to get a good picture, but this kinda shows the problem.










Here the chair is from the top with arm and back support bar temporarily in place.










Suggestions appreciated. So far the best thought I have is to take a power plane to it. I've leveled out doors before. Maybe using a guide bar. For sure marking it. Hard to nail it, but close may be good enough.


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## gad5264 (Sep 13, 2007)

LegendInMyOwnMind said:


> *Fixing the crown under the arm*
> 
> Due to my earlier mistake (wrong direction for rear arm support) I had to do some trimming. This left the support for the arm with a crown under it. Hard to get a good picture, but this kinda shows the problem.
> 
> ...


I was just thinking the other day about making my mom one of these. She lives in the country and loves to sit on her porch and read the news paper. I thank you for the inspiration and yours is looking good.


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## LegendInMyOwnMind (Apr 27, 2011)

*Test fitting the back*

The back, as the book notes, is different than the one in the picture. It's got even slats instead of a wider one in the middler. Not sure which I like better. This one is less interesting, but still nice. Here's a picture of the test fit.


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## nobuckle (Nov 3, 2010)

LegendInMyOwnMind said:


> *Test fitting the back*
> 
> The back, as the book notes, is different than the one in the picture. It's got even slats instead of a wider one in the middler. Not sure which I like better. This one is less interesting, but still nice. Here's a picture of the test fit.


Looks good. Is that the project from Popular Woodworkings most recent newsletter?


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## nobuckle (Nov 3, 2010)

LegendInMyOwnMind said:


> *Test fitting the back*
> 
> The back, as the book notes, is different than the one in the picture. It's got even slats instead of a wider one in the middler. Not sure which I like better. This one is less interesting, but still nice. Here's a picture of the test fit.


Please disregard my question about the origins of the project. After reading a bit more in the series my question was answered.


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## MikeGager (Jun 15, 2009)

LegendInMyOwnMind said:


> *Test fitting the back*
> 
> The back, as the book notes, is different than the one in the picture. It's got even slats instead of a wider one in the middler. Not sure which I like better. This one is less interesting, but still nice. Here's a picture of the test fit.


i found the pics of my chair. it is a bit different. the plan was from david thiel but i guess it was an older version or something i dont know


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## LegendInMyOwnMind (Apr 27, 2011)

LegendInMyOwnMind said:


> *Test fitting the back*
> 
> The back, as the book notes, is different than the one in the picture. It's got even slats instead of a wider one in the middler. Not sure which I like better. This one is less interesting, but still nice. Here's a picture of the test fit.


@Mike - very clean looking!


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## LegendInMyOwnMind (Apr 27, 2011)

*Chair back and brads*

Put together the chair backs. Originally wanted to use my pneumatic brad gun just to hold the pieces, but it seems strong enough with the brads to do the job. Plus no wood plugs will be needed.


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## LegendInMyOwnMind (Apr 27, 2011)

*Fixed the crown under the arm*

My 15-year old fixed the crown under the arms of the chair using his circular saw. He's really not afraid to try to fix anything. He always amazes me how he can just look at something and know how to fix it. Nice work, too. He did a few test fits and fixed all four of the arms for both chairs. Nice and flush now.


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## FatherHooligan (Mar 27, 2008)

LegendInMyOwnMind said:


> *Fixed the crown under the arm*
> 
> My 15-year old fixed the crown under the arms of the chair using his circular saw. He's really not afraid to try to fix anything. He always amazes me how he can just look at something and know how to fix it. Nice work, too. He did a few test fits and fixed all four of the arms for both chairs. Nice and flush now.


Pretty cool that he could take the crown out.


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## LegendInMyOwnMind (Apr 27, 2011)

*Attaching the back*

We learned a couple of lessons when we attached the back.

#1 - The 45 degree angle shown in the book for the back at the rear bottom didn't really cut it. The cut needed to be deeper. That was pretty tough to fix once the back was already in place. For the second chair we were able to fix the back angle before we installed the hinges.










#2 - Hinges can be a bear to install. We temporarily attached the two ends with drywall screws which we drove in partially. After the other screws were in, we replaced those screws with the right ones.


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## LegendInMyOwnMind (Apr 27, 2011)

*What makes it a Morris Chair?*

The Morris Chair is said to have been the first recliner. The original Lazy-boy. This version of the chair has a twist on the traditional Morris chair. On the Stickley Morris chairs that I have seen there are tabs on the arm behind the chair and there's a bar that goes across the back between the arms which is used to support the back. There are several places that the bar can be moved into.

In this twist, the holes go in the arms and dowels go into the holes in the arm. The bar has a down-facing dowel that fits into the three holes. The front position is pretty nearly straight up. The middle position is really comfortable and the rear position is fall asleep in your chair comfortable.



















How do you get the holes on the two sides to align perfectly? Well, what we did was to put the bar about where it needed to be, cut the half deep hole in the bar and install the dowel. We then set the bar to touch both sides of the back and marked where the holes would be on that side. We then installed the second dowel. Perfect fit in all three positions in spite of the fairly tight tolerances. If the three holes in your arms are in line, it should all work well.


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## LegendInMyOwnMind (Apr 27, 2011)

*Plugging a million holes*

Ok, there weren't really a million holes, maybe just a hundred or so. A couple of folks earlier suggested that we buy a set of plug cutters which we got at Lowes Depot for around $13. Since today is my birthday, I also bought myself a drill press. My 13-year old was enlisted to cut plugs and boy is he good at it. Slow, methodical with nearly perfect plugs from scrap wood.










He filled the jar completely and we are about half way through and this is all that are left.










He helped me put in the plugs by following along and cleaning up the glue after I put in the plugs.


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## LegendInMyOwnMind (Apr 27, 2011)

*Did I mention - this chair is big*

Yes, it is a big chair. Important to me since I am a big guy. I like a big comfy chair. That's part of what attracts me to a Morris Chair. Turns out two of my littler kids *can* fit into the chair.


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## grantlairdjr (Apr 24, 2011)

LegendInMyOwnMind said:


> *Did I mention - this chair is big*
> 
> Yes, it is a big chair. Important to me since I am a big guy. I like a big comfy chair. That's part of what attracts me to a Morris Chair. Turns out two of my littler kids *can* fit into the chair.


Love those chairs! Where do I find wood plans similar to this one? Smile!


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## LegendInMyOwnMind (Apr 27, 2011)

*Don't Do What I Do*

Too often I just jump in and don't do a test. Well this was one of those times. I figured I could cut off the tops of the wood plugs using my Harbor Freight Multi-master clone tool and I really could have done it. I had a new very sharp bit which I had never used before and I chose to not try it on a test place, or to try it in a place it might not be seen. Instead I tried it on the top of the arm near the front of the chair. I ended up gouging the wood. To my way of looking at it, it doesn't look good. Turns out that bit was way too sharp.










I switched to a blade without a serrated edge and it worked great. I set the blade flush on the surface, turned on the tool and sliced right through the plug. Sure, it will still need some sanding, but it looks pretty good.










Surprised how quick the wood glue dries in this instance.

Used a hammer to tap in the plugs. One of them split just below the surface. Not sure what to do about it. I may have to drill it out and replug.


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## LegendInMyOwnMind (Apr 27, 2011)

*More thoughts on finishing*

I know I need to do something to finish these chairs sooner rather than later.

The finish might depend upon where the chairs end up. If they end up on the back porch then either paint or stain will do. Someone suggest spar varnish - which is what they use on boats. It's UV resistant which is great. It will be on a covered porch, but will get the late afternoon sun.

There are so many edges on this chair that it's going to be a lot of work to stain. It would be a lot easier to paint the chair. I've painted wood before and it goes pretty well. I have a can of tan colored paint from painting the trim on the house and it would look nice.

On the other hand, the chairs will be in my "fancy room" at least until I build a couple of indoor Morris Chairs. I also bought myself a Delta Mortising Machine so that may not be that far off. I'm trying to find a local source of QSWO and running into dead ends so this will probably be months away.

Leaning towards stain…


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## C_PLUS_Woodworker (Jun 10, 2010)

LegendInMyOwnMind said:


> *More thoughts on finishing*
> 
> I know I need to do something to finish these chairs sooner rather than later.
> 
> ...


Go buy some good deck stain in a color you like and brush or spray it on.

I have used it on my "good" deck chairs for years…........works like a charm

You might also consider painting rubber paint on the bottom inch of each leg

All you need to do is respray the chairs every couple of years.

Works great….......and very easy


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## LegendInMyOwnMind (Apr 27, 2011)

*A Footstool*

The book didn't have plans for a footstool, but there are plans here. With my new Drill Press Table, this should be a snap.

I've cut the legs.










And joined the legs together by moving the fence on my Drill press table and setting up a stop block. I love it, these are all identical. Here the legs are assembled.


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## LegendInMyOwnMind (Apr 27, 2011)

*First big mistake and assembling the legs*

My first big mistake was not realizing that the short and long parts don't meet at same way on both sides. My pre-drilled holes were wrong on half of the legs. Oh well, I've got a good pile of wood plugs.










I pre-drilled the tops of the legs on my new drill press table.










I plugged the holes which will be visible.










Compared to the chair, this footstool seems dainty.


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## LegendInMyOwnMind (Apr 27, 2011)

*Cushions! Ahh... So nice...*

Bought a set of outdoor cushions for the Morris Chairs. Regardless of whether or not the chairs end up inside or out, these will work. They had the "big ones" but I was concerned that they would still not be big enough. The color selections were somewhat limited, but I found a perfect match to the room. The colors in the room are dark brown, the trim is off white and the ceiling is red/gold.










Here are the chairs in the room. Today I build the footrests!


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## MikeGager (Jun 15, 2009)

LegendInMyOwnMind said:


> *Cushions! Ahh... So nice...*
> 
> Bought a set of outdoor cushions for the Morris Chairs. Regardless of whether or not the chairs end up inside or out, these will work. They had the "big ones" but I was concerned that they would still not be big enough. The color selections were somewhat limited, but I found a perfect match to the room. The colors in the room are dark brown, the trim is off white and the ceiling is red/gold.
> 
> ...


looks good!


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## LegendInMyOwnMind (Apr 27, 2011)

*Footstools in the Fancy room*

The legs on these footstool are really tiny. I split two of them even with countersinks. Think I'd be better off with 2×2 lumber.. I did manage to get one done.










Not sure what to do about a cushion for the footstool. Maybe a thick throw pillow would work? Particularly interested in what color to do the cushion. I could buy one of the smaller chair cushions and cut/sew it down into two cushions. That way I can match the fabric. Or maybe just pick one of the colors and get material that matches?


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## LegendInMyOwnMind (Apr 27, 2011)

*Rethinking the footstools*

I am not thrilled with the footstools. Seems like too much of an afterthought. I would like to have had the same verticals between the legs on the sides.

I like the top sides and slats. That's a good feature.

Thinking about redesigning the legs to be more consistent with the chairs.


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## LegendInMyOwnMind (Apr 27, 2011)

*Footstool legs*

Here's my thought for what the side view of the footstill should be:










Here's how it is currently.










Here's a photoshop view of what I'd like.


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## LegendInMyOwnMind (Apr 27, 2011)

*Cushions for the footstool*

HD has seat cushions which fit the footstool pretty well.


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