Stickley bow-arm Morris Chair - ready to upholster - fixed or loose-cushion seat?

[Gene Davis]

Well, not ready quite yet, but soon. I am almost complete with the glue-ups, and finishing comes next.

The attached pic is from the Stickley catalog and web page, and the seat cushion shown is not loose. It is upholstered to a seat frame that sits into the chair frame and bears on perimeter cleats. At least that is what I think I am seeing.

The ones outfitted with loose cushions for the seat look different than this.

If you have built one of these with the seat frame done as per what I describe I am seeing in the pic, please comment on it and tell me if that is what you would do over again, if you were to build another.

[Rob Parsons]

Gene, My seat cushion is just as you described. I made a frame out if ash and gave it to the upholsterer. It takes one average size hide to do the two chair cushions and the ottoman. I personally like the contoured look, instead of the boxy look of some loose cushions. I think the contoured look compliments the curve of the bow arm.

The advantage of a loose cushion is that you can turn it over, if one side is worn or damaged. The disadvantage is it takes more leather, and you may need more than one hide.

The only thing I would do different is have the upholsterer make the cushion a little softer. I think that is on the upholsterer , not the style of cushion.

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Here is a picture of a friend's chair with the loose style of cushion.

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[Gene Davis]

Thanks, Rob. Nice job on yours. I'm doing a pair also, but without ottomans. Your pic confirms the look we want, which is a fixed seat cushion.

Our chairs have arms laminated from four 5/32" plies, glued up with laminating adhesive on a bending form. Yours are one-piece. What were your tools and techniques to clean up and smooth after the bandsaw rough-out?

Ours have faux through tenons at the leg tops. Mortises were cut at 5/32" depth in the arms, and pyramided blocks were fitted. The legs below are all five-piece, three thicknesses of 3/4" cores, and 3/32" skins on the sides, so we have rayflake all around. I have built with lock-mitered hollows before, and wanted to try the lamination way this time.

Finish will be a Stickley "Onandaga" reddish brown mock-up. No fuming. Dye, seal, glaze-stain, and clearcoat. I want to upholster in a blood-red with black prairie-look z-stripe fabric, like you see on a lot of the Stickley pieces in their catalog, but my wife wants leather. We'll see.

[Rob Parsons]

The arms are 1 inch thick and were steamed for 1 hour. Because they were cut to width before steaming, clean up was just a little sanding. I did cut the rear taper on the bandsaw after bending, and then hand planed smooth. Legs are laminated like yours. The tenon is a loose tenon that goes all the way into the leg, and therefore is fully functional.

My finish was Watco dark walnut, then Old Masters dark walnut stain, then General arm r seal clear coat. This finish was from a Popular Woodworking article. A very easy forgiving finish.

I would suggest you consider the ottoman. To my eye, it completes the chair and gives the chair quite a presence. Plus, I find it quite comfortable. Enjoy!