Building chairs--Mission

[Jeremy Bracey]

Ok, my wife REALLY wants a new dinning table. I have built tables before, pretty easy. She wants mission. So she found one in the Grizzly catalog she likes! BUT in addition she wants chairs. I have never made chairs before so I thought I would buy unfinnished. To my surprise unfinished Red oak chairs are $$$$$.

The Grizz catalog has plans for mission chairs and it claims they are easy for beginners. Anyone had any experience building chairs? Is it difficult? What should I know?

I am an intermediate woodworker. I build lots of cabinets and furnitute, but I am not great with the bandsaw, I try to stay away from curves. I have a Jet 14" bandsaw with Riser block if it matters.

Thanks!

[craig carlson]

Hi,

See my post on 100+ tennons. I'm also building a dinning set with chairs (cherry). After going to a couple dozen of furniture stores and not finding anything that we liked I decided to build my own. I would classify myself to intermediate to advanced in woodworking. In all the things I've made over the years I've avoided chairs. Now the plunge. Forget about saving money, you won't. So far, depending on how fast you want to build the chairs, the more capability that you have, in tools and skill, the better off you'll be. Give me a ping if you want any support or we could cry in each others beers!

Craig

[Chris Daigh]

I too am in the same boat. Building a dining set and the chair design is bugging me. I really don't like any of the plans I have found. I did like one in the book In the Craftsman Style. I was directed to another design book from this forum called Chairmaking and Design. I have been wanting it and just found it for $21 bucks at Thewoodworkerschoice.com. Unually I have found this book to be around $50 or more. I have ordered it and believe it will be very helpful. There is also a VCR tape call Chairmaking Techniques that the same guy did. You might check them out.

[Kirk (KC) Constable]

I've built a couple hundred chairs in the past four or five years :eek:, and it's not so bad once you get jigged up. If you value your time, the comment about not saving money is accurate unless you're looking at very high end chairs...but it's a neat feeling when you get the first one done. I use an MDF template and a flush trim bit for the back legs, and keep the front legs straight. While most of the ones I've done have been 'square', I recently started making the front legs wider than the back. In my case, it's just 2", but I think it makes a big difference in the appearance. Here are two I just finished up for display...one for an upholstered seat, one wood...and a set of the 'square' ones.

http://www.kcwoodworks.net/upchair.jpg

http://www.kcwoodworks.net/wdchair1.jpg

http://www.kcwoodworks.net/images/kcdining.jpg

WOOD magazine has had a couple dining chair designs in the past couple years, one of them was 'modifiable' for a rocker. The rocker was the cover picture on that issue...and here's my slightly modified verson of that.

http://www.kcwoodworks.net/images/missmesrock1.jpg

I'd suggest you get yourself some cheap material and make a practice run. You can use that one for getting your templates and jigs together, and have a 'sit around the shop chair' when you're finsihed.

KC

[Jack Hogoboom]

This is definitely on my list of things to try. Building chairs looks much more challenging than cabinetry, mostly because of all the odd angles. Plus the thing has to be comfortable when you sit in it. I'd love to be able to make a chair or two like the ones posted.

I'm going to be looking for a chair-making class once Spring arrives. Keep the information coming!!

Jack

[RichMagnone]

can you post a few more pictures of that rocker? Specifically, from the side. That's a nice piece of work. Congrats!

[Jeff Sudmeier]

Build your own while the tree is growing!

This Chinese man grows his own chairs (http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_1268332.html)

Doesn't look to comfy and it takes 5 years! You can probably learn how to do it faster :)

[Chris Daigh]

That guy sure wants to take all the cussing or fun out of building your own furniture.

[Richard Wolf]

I always laugh when I see the recomended skill levels on the grizzly plans. I have built quite a few windsor chairs, shaker chairs and rockers and Sam Maloof style rockers. First concern is that your joints, mortise and tenon, must be the best fitting that you can make. Second, don't try to reinvent the chair. The size and proportions are critical for comfort, make sure you are using proven sizes. Only build one, and see how it feels before comitting time and materials to a full set of ill fitting seats.

[Kirk (KC) Constable]

As requested...

http://www.kcwoodworks.net/images/missmesrock2.jpg

[Norman Hitt]

[QUOTE=Kirk (KC) Constable]As requested...

Kirk, I am assuming the "Rockers" are mesquite as well, so did you Laminate them or steam bend them. (I have never tried steam bending mesquite, because I was under the impression that it doesn't bend well),

[Kirk (KC) Constable]

Rockers and back splats are dry-bent laminations. Rocker from pieces 1/8" thick, splats from two pieces of 3/16". DAP plastic resin glue. Bends just fine, with minimal springback.

KC

[RichMagnone]

Kirk, thanks for the side view - absolutly awsome chair.

[Jim Becker]

One thing I want to highlight that came out in Kirk's posts, either directly or from inference...the idea of making prototypes when it comes to making chairs. This really is important and while it takes time and materials it lets you validate two things: 1) the comfort of the design and 2) the methodology to produce the piece, especially for making multiple copies efficiently. Developing the jigging that KC mentions is part of this process and yes, you do need to "test" said jigging before you commit to your expensive stock!

You can make your prototype(s) "nice" using poplar or other materials so they can be used later for sitting utility or make the first cuts, at least, from scraps in a quick-and-dirty assembly with screws, etc. I've even seen folks make the first experimental versions from cardboard--obviously not for sitting, but to validate the proportions, general design, etc. Then you move on to plywood and construction lumber scraps to adjust for the "sit-ability" in the design, work our your jigs and test for joinery fits, etc., and finally, do a full production prototype out of solid stock all the way to the point that you would finish the final chair. Hopefully, your design is done then and you can move right to the real deal. If you are starting with a proven design, you can skip many of these steps, but you still should do the prototype for both the practice and to deal with your jigging.

I would say that just about any of us can make chairs if we take the time to work things out and practice the necessary steps. Prototyping is part of that process, particularly when we are new to this form of furniture making.

[Carl Eyman]

Get Jeff Miller's Taunton book "Chairmaking" it is IMHO a must read before starting on Chairbuilding. I know it helped me before I did the ten chairs I finished a year ago. (www.eyman.org/chairs) . He discusses the general type of chair you fellows are talking about, shows jigs for making the mortises and tenons for non-square seats. etc.I'd highly reccommend reading it even before making the prototype Jim Becker suggests. When I made the ten, I first made one to see if I could, and learn how. Then I made the rest in two batches. My shop was too small to make larger batches. Full size drawings are a BIG help. LOL

[Steve Inniss]

Build your own while the tree is growing!

This Chinese man grows his own chairs (http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_1268332.html)

Doesn't look to comfy and it takes 5 years! You can probably learn how to do it faster :)

Jeff, that's too funny. I LOVE the guys goal : "He hopes that one day people will be able to grow all of their furniture instead of having to buy it from a store."
Thanks for the laugh. -Steve