Need advice on how to assemble a chair

[Frederick Skelly]

Hi guys,
I'm making another one of these chairs: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?238449-Finished-A-Child-s-chair (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?238449-Finished-A-Child-s-chair). I decided to try wedged tenons this time, so I split each tenon lengthwise and plan to use thin mahogany wedges. The wedges will be 1 1/2" × 1 1/2", just like the tenon. I'd like some advice on when I should insert those wedges.

I made a clamping fixture for the chair in the picure that does a great job getting things flat and square. I plan to use it again for this one. I glue up the left side, let it dry and then repeat for the right side. Then I connect the two halves later. I may have outfoxed myself though, because I think the wedges need to be fully pounded into the tenons, before I firmly clamp the side into the fixture. Otherwise, if I insert them after the glue dries, the act of pounding in the wedge will expand the tenon and break the (already dried) joint.

Question #1: I'm thinking I'll roughly assemble the side without the fixture (which I have to do regardless, before clamping it up), then pound in the wedge for each of the four tenons, then put the assembled side into the fixture and tighten the clamps. Is this a reasonable approach, or is there a better/easier way?

Question #2: I normally use titebond 2, but I'm concerned that the glue will set faster than I can get all this done. Would regular old white glue (Elmer's), or some other type of titebond give me more working time? (I'm hoping to avoid buying a glue pot and learning to use traditional hide glue, but will do it if I have to.)

I'd sure appreciate hearing your thoughts on this. Like I said, I think I got a little too clever this time, but the material is cut so I'm gonna finish it.

Thanks much!
Fred

[Reinis Kanders]

Titebond extend gives you 15 minutes of open and 25 min of assembly time, also works to 40 degrees. Titebond II extend is similar, but needs 60 degrees.

[lowell holmes]

If you will cut the top out of a coke can and place it in a small pot with boiling water in the pot, the hide glue can be put in it according to instructions, the glue will liquefy.

The learning curve to use hide glue lasts about 15 minutes.:) You can buy a glue pot if you like, but it's not necessary.

[Mike Henderson]

Normally, when assembling a chair, you assemble the back and the front as independent units, then after they're well set, you put the front and the back together.

If you want a long open time, there are epoxies that have 60 minutes of open time (actually, you can get epoxies that have a lot more than 60 minutes of open time - West Systems with the slow hardener is one). And epoxy is a good glue for a chair.

I would strongly recommend against hot hide glue. The open time on hide glue is very short. It would be impossible to assemble the chair with hot hide glue and then get it into clamps before the hide glue set. You would have to assemble one joint at a time and clamp it, then let it sit for a while, before going to the next joint.

Our ancestors were able to glue furniture together with hide glue, but modern glues are MUCH easier to use. Woodworkers moved to modern glues when they became available for good reasons - you'll discover that if you try working with hot hide glue.

And don't let anyone tell you that glue reversibility on a chair is important. When a chair joint fails, it's not because of glue failure, but because the wood actually fails. I see this most often when dowels are used since dowels do not provide as much long-grain-to-long-grain glue surface as other joinery, such as M&T. By the time a customer brings a chair to be repaired, you can usually remove the joint simply by taking the corner blocks out.

Since the wood actually failed, the joint is no longer tight and needs to be reworked, not just re-glued.

So, overall, I'd recommend doing the glue up in stages and use an appropriate modern glue - slow epoxy is good.

Mike

[Frederick Skelly]

Thanks for the insights on glues guys. That helps a lot.

Mike, I didn't know that about assembling chairs - I've made several of these and always did the left and right sides as units. Thanks for that tip. I need to tweak the joinery around the seat to do it the traditional way, but I can see the advantages now that you mention it.

Best wishes,
Fred

[Rollie Kelly]

Go to Curtis Buchanan's youtube channel. You can't do better than taking his advice.
Rollie

[Frederick Skelly]

Thanks Rollie. I'll go check it out!
Fred