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.