Morris Chair

[Carl Beckett]

A million years ago (approximately), there was a thread here where many of you made a morris chair. I enjoyed reading it and seeing all the great variations.

Recently I had a little shop time open up and have been doing more woodworking. This included planing a stack of white oak I had sitting beside my shop for the last 10 years, which I finally brought in and decided to make a morris chair of it (thanks for all the inspiration).

Here is the lumber sitting in the shop after being stickered inside for some time, then planed. A pretty decent amount with some quartersawn pieces, some of which are about 2.5" thick.

I decided I liked the designs that look more swept back. Taped legs. With the rear legs splayed back.

Bought a locking miter bit off ebay and tried my hand at the lock miter on a tapered leg. It took a couple before I got the hang of it but was able to get it to work. Next time I might try lowering it a bit because the miter right at the corner is a pretty thin piece (these were just over 1/2" thick, right at the minimum for this bit.

[Carl Beckett]

Once I got 4 useable legs I messed with some layout proportions and angles

[Carl Beckett]

Through tenons on the front, blind on the rest

[Carl Beckett]

The arms I resawed into three laminates and reglued on a form. Same on the backs.

[Carl Beckett]

Made some pins from walnut, and the basic parts are all there. Now to disassemble and sand sand sand. I am going to fume it, some nice rays in the wood should come out. Then a layer of finish and cushions.

[Carl Beckett]

Couple more pics (everybody likes pics), including one of the mess on my workbench.

Most of these tenons I just cut by hand with a saw then planed to size with a shoulder plane. The mortises I did with a router then squared off with a chisel. So a combination of techniques whatever I felt like at the moment.

And still a pretty good stack of wood left. Might make a matching couch and loveseat. Someday. Maybe. Not today of course maybe later...

[Michelle Rich]

nice build...you have many restful evenings ahead for book reading and movie watching

[Carl Beckett]

Well it isnt finished yet....

But spent a little time today disassembly and sanding and glueup. I dont like to sand, so any that I could would take a few swipes with the hand plane.

[Carl Beckett]

Some test pieces on ammonia fuming. I like the result. It has a slight greenish tint that I didnt expect, but overall I think it will provide something unique that I would not get with a wipe on finish (at least not my usual ones). The small square block is walnut that I put in the test chamber (5 gal bucket upside down covering a yogurt container with 1/2" of ammonia in it) with the white oak. It took about 20 hours to get this dark, much faster than I expected. Another 30 hours on top of that did not make noticeable difference so am thinking it is about done reacting.

This project has slowed a bit because I am now considering an inlay pattern on the side panels. Something I have never done before so it will take a little time to practice and be sure I get it right...

The urge was to glue it all together. Pieces are prepped and ready. But by just being patient, am hoping to have a piece that is just a little nicer/more unique, which will be worth a week delay in completing. And besides, I still have to figure out cushions.

[Gene Davis]

I have two I built and have a tip for the cushions. Find a Stickley Audi store and go there, and if you can take your upholsterer with you, all the better. The shapes of the Stickley cushions are just right for the chair, and the pleating and welting details are, too. They cannot look like foam blocks covered in fabric, but must be nicely pillowed, and the right amount of batting is required.

Mine were done per the reproduction plans available from American Furniture Design, and have seat cushions with integral webbing. I prefer that to the loose seat cushion you will have. Consider a seat cushion with a flat or even slightly concave bottom, and not reversible.

[Yonak Hawkins]

oo .. I like that color.

[Carl Beckett]

Decided to do an insert on the side. A template with a router. Messed around a bit deciding but in the end kinda like it...

[Carl Beckett]

Finished construction. Before fuming.

[Carl Beckett]

On to the fuming. It sat for a few days with a tray of ammonia from walmart (yellowish color, may be lemon scented even but no smell on the wood). I very much liked the color how it turned out.

[Carl Beckett]

General fishes wipe on. Fairly simple and straighforward, gave a nice sheen/texture that makes you want to run your hands across it.

[Carl Beckett]

The cushions I made from cutting up a foam mattress off CL.

Some funky fabric (cows... my grandmothers family owned the county dairy and she grew up milking 50 cows by hand multiple times a day).

I still have a fair bit of wood left (a pile of rough cut I bought off CL a few years ago). Prolly need a foot stool. Maybe a couch.

Overall, I kinda like it.

:)

[Yonak Hawkins]

It looks great, Carl. It looks so homey and familiar.

[Mark Hennebury]

Nice job, love the color of the wood. Makes me want to make a few, its been many years since i made some.

[Bill Carey]

beautiful chair. the fuming came out great. all that's left to do is park your butt there with a good book and read till the cows come home. (sorry, couldn't resist)

[Carl Beckett]

beautiful chair. the fuming came out great. all that's left to do is park your butt there with a good book and read till the cows come home. (sorry, couldn't resist)

Yes. Here is the problem: my 10yr old and 12 year old daughters have claimed it. They like that they can get all the way up in it like a small couch.

And ya... they call it the 'Cowwwtch'

It is a hit. Now need to make one for myself...

[Bill Carey]

Go ahead and make another one. Then your daughters will each have one and you'll be in the shop wondering what just happened! And 50 years from now, they'll say my Dad made this for me, and be the proudest person on the planet. Well done, Pops.

[Phil Mueller]

Really nice, Carl. Well done. Fits into the surroundings perfectly. When it comes to daughters, Dad’s just can’t say no. Might as well just start on the next one now ;)

[Carl Beckett]

Ya, I am going to lay out pieces for the next one this weekend. This one is 'taken'...

lol. Its great, and is exactly why I enjoy this hobby.

[Michael Costa]

I just stumbled across this thread and since a Morris chair is on my bucket list I might as well as the question.

Why bend the arm of the chair? It's such a shallow bend I would figure thicker stock and a bandsaw would save a ton of time and aggravation (especially for those of us who have never bent wood).

I know you'd sorta get some end grain buy I'm sure that can be dealt with.

[Carl Beckett]

I just stumbled across this thread and since a Morris chair is on my bucket list I might as well as the question.

Why bend the arm of the chair? It's such a shallow bend I would figure thicker stock and a bandsaw would save a ton of time and aggravation (especially for those of us who have never bent wood).

I know you'd sorta get some end grain buy I'm sure that can be dealt with.

You will get a lot of good insights from others here, on pros/cons. If you are considering a morris chair do a search here (the great morris chair build... or something like this). Many members have built one and offer different designs and advice.

Some use straight/flat arms
Some have a small flat straight section, then an angled (but flat)section going back from that
Some bend

Probably someone has done it with a bandsaw, but these arms are 5" wide (a little more) and from front to back the amount of bend is more than 3.5" on mine. So to just carve that curve out would be stock that is 5" wide and a good 4.5" thick. Massive piece, and a lot of waste.

I simply made a form and resaw thinner material and reglue. Steaming is probably easy as well (everything is easy when you know how, but I have never steamed). I find making laminations pretty easy and am satisfied with the outcome. I decided up front I wanted the curve, due to design ascetics and feel to it when sitting in it. Was just a choice.

[Yonak Hawkins]

the great morris chair build... or something like this)

It's called The Great Morris Chair Project and it's in a sticky thread.