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Thread: Morris chair

  1. #16
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    May 2015
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    Ingleside, IL
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    Backrest Question


    Cassen's didn't have any 8/4 stock for curved back slats, so I made them straight. I looked at some of the old Stickley chairs and some of them had straight back slats, so I figured ok, go with it. Naturally, now that they are made I'm having second thoughts. Do curved back slats make a big difference when there is a fairly thick (4") cushion on the back? I'm mostly ok with the straight ones, but there is this annoying little guy on my shoulder hollering "Make 'em curved, dumb ass!".

    Any thoughts? Anyone build them this way and regret it? Does it make a difference - big or small - in comfort? Or am I just exercising my constitutional right to make a mountain out of a mole hill?
    Stand for something, or you'll fall for anything.

  2. #17
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    Jun 2017
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    Landenberg, Pa
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    431
    The thick cushion will hide all manner of sins, but i think the bent laminated slats do add a little something. I've never made bent slats out of solid material, seems wasteful. I resawed my stock into 3-4 layers and bent the laminates over a form. I've done regular TB-III and I've done urethane glue. I think I liked the urethane more as the expanding quality hid some of the imperfections in the laminates. One item to pay attention to though is how the back fits the base. No matter how much I work that and how many chairs I've done, the pivot point always seems to make a bit of the back impinge on the bottom cushion.

    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Carey View Post
    Backrest Question


    Cassen's didn't have any 8/4 stock for curved back slats, so I made them straight. I looked at some of the old Stickley chairs and some of them had straight back slats, so I figured ok, go with it. Naturally, now that they are made I'm having second thoughts. Do curved back slats make a big difference when there is a fairly thick (4") cushion on the back? I'm mostly ok with the straight ones, but there is this annoying little guy on my shoulder hollering "Make 'em curved, dumb ass!".

    Any thoughts? Anyone build them this way and regret it? Does it make a difference - big or small - in comfort? Or am I just exercising my constitutional right to make a mountain out of a mole hill?

  3. #18
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    May 2015
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    Ingleside, IL
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    Thx William - never used urethane glue - what kind / brand do you recommend? I'll try it on my next bent laminations. And ya, I was wondering about the back rails rubbing on the cushion. I'm going to round over the ends of the rails and see what my upholstery guy has to say about it. He's pretty much a magician so hopefully he has a word or 2 of wisdom. I've been thinking about the pivots since I started and I'm at the point where I have to drill some holes. When I started I got 3 sets of measurement and compared numbers all the way thru - they all say 13-ish off the floor for the center of the pivot. In my dry fit ups that seems a skosh high. Like the ends of the backrest rails will be rubbing toward the top of the bottom cushion instead of burying into the bottom part of the cushion.

    I'm leaning toward going with the back slats I have and moving on. One way or the other, holes are getting drilled tomorrow. What's the worst that can happen? Pre-finished fire wood burns pretty good.
    Stand for something, or you'll fall for anything.

  4. #19
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    Mar 2006
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    SoCal
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    No helpful suggestions here. I did want to compliment you on the lighter finish coloration. Very nice!
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


    – Samuel Butler

  5. #20
    Join Date
    Jun 2017
    Location
    Landenberg, Pa
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    431
    I used gorilla urethane glue. Wet one side of the laminate, light coat of the glue on the other. There are urethane offerings from TB as well, haven't used that. I was happy with the gorilla stuff.

    Your pivot measurement of 13-ish sounds right. Two of my Morris chairs are around that. One is higher.

    Yes, my upholstery guy also gives me light hearted trouble every time I bring him one of these chairs - once the bottom cushion is fitted, getting the pegs in the pivots is harder, but once in there, it's all good.

    Bottom line - make sure the bottom cushion frame is fitted to the chair such that the rear is lower than the front, that is to say the chair is raked so gravity sinks you in while seated. Don't attach the frame level to the floor. Don't ask me how I know that. I love my first chair but I wish wish wish I had changed the fitment of the bottom cushion frame.

    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Carey View Post
    Thx William - never used urethane glue - what kind / brand do you recommend? I'll try it on my next bent laminations. And ya, I was wondering about the back rails rubbing on the cushion. I'm going to round over the ends of the rails and see what my upholstery guy has to say about it. He's pretty much a magician so hopefully he has a word or 2 of wisdom. I've been thinking about the pivots since I started and I'm at the point where I have to drill some holes. When I started I got 3 sets of measurement and compared numbers all the way thru - they all say 13-ish off the floor for the center of the pivot. In my dry fit ups that seems a skosh high. Like the ends of the backrest rails will be rubbing toward the top of the bottom cushion instead of burying into the bottom part of the cushion.

    I'm leaning toward going with the back slats I have and moving on. One way or the other, holes are getting drilled tomorrow. What's the worst that can happen? Pre-finished fire wood burns pretty good.

  6. #21
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Edwardsville, IL.
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    1,673
    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Carey View Post
    Hey Ron - I get all my wood from Cassen's Lumber in West Lafayette, IN. I usually pay about 5 bucks a bf for some of the nicest QSWO you'll ever see. Plus Dan is a hell of a nice guy. It's about a 4 hour drive for you, so if you ever decide to make the trek, let me know and I'll meet you there. Always looking for an excuse to stock up.

    Well, I have a relative in Bloomington so maybe a road trip will be in order.

  7. #22
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Location
    Ingleside, IL
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    1,417
    The holes finally got drilled in the arms and the legs. Several observations: don't forget to drill the holes in the legs for the pivot pins BEFORE you finish and assemble the sides. DAMHIK.

    20201015_135726.jpg

    And try to have a better drill press than a 30 dollar garage sale find. It did the work, but was pretty unstable and finicky. And I would recommend drilling the backrest peg holes in the arms BEFORE cutting the tails off. Or you wind up with fixtures and clamps and shims - oh my.

    IMG_0584.jpg

    But in the end it all got done. Now I can sand and finish the arms and backrests, do some finally assembly and get these big ass chairs out of my small shop. Tom, my upholstery guy, came over and wants a plywood frame with a gap of 3/16 all around, and he wants to add a strap with a snap on the back of the back rest cushion to keep it in place. We'll see - not entirely sold on that.
    Stand for something, or you'll fall for anything.

  8. #23
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    Jun 2017
    Location
    Landenberg, Pa
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    431
    You got there, good work. Yes, drilling holes before assembly was clutch.

    I made my frame from poplar, and those gaps sound right. I found ply and/or softwood frames let go of upholstery staples easier than hardwood. But, if your upholstery guy likes ply, go for it. Not sure on the snap idea either. My bottom cushions are fixed, no removal.

    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Carey View Post
    The holes finally got drilled in the arms and the legs. Several observations: don't forget to drill the holes in the legs for the pivot pins BEFORE you finish and assemble the sides. DAMHIK.

    And try to have a better drill press than a 30 dollar garage sale find. It did the work, but was pretty unstable and finicky. And I would recommend drilling the backrest peg holes in the arms BEFORE cutting the tails off. Or you wind up with fixtures and clamps and shims - oh my.

    But in the end it all got done. Now I can sand and finish the arms and backrests, do some finally assembly and get these big ass chairs out of my small shop. Tom, my upholstery guy, came over and wants a plywood frame with a gap of 3/16 all around, and he wants to add a strap with a snap on the back of the back rest cushion to keep it in place. We'll see - not entirely sold on that.

  9. #24
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Location
    Ingleside, IL
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    1,417
    Rounding the bend on these chairs. Prefinishing is almost done - 2 or 3 more coats of wipe on - then I can assemble the chair base and the backs, and off to Tom the upholstery guy.

    20201102_170018.jpg

    One of the mistakes I made (or was it a lapse in judgement?) was to think loose tenons thru the arms into the legs would be easier than a traditional thru tenon. But as it turns out in order to get the kind of fit and strength I want in that joint I'm going to have to fox the tenon into the leg. Always wanted to try that, but it is totally unforgiving - miss the right bell of the mortise, or use a wedge to big and it's stuck forever in the wrong place. I really don't want to do it but see no way around it. I suppose I could use screws (blasphemy!!!) thru the leg into the tenon and cover them with the corbels, but, I mean, they're screws fercrisake. Or maybe peg the tenons and cover with the corbels. Won't know until I get there I suppose. As Napoleon said, "Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake". And these chairs have pretty much left me alone.
    Stand for something, or you'll fall for anything.

  10. #25
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Michiana
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    3,040
    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Carey View Post
    Thanks gents.

    William:
    I'm not a big fan of the typical dark Mission finish, so I generally do the following on all my QSWO pieces:
    Varathane Dark Walnut gel stain, sanded to 320;
    2 coats of Amber Zinnser Shellac,
    scuffed between coast with purple 3M pad,
    1 coat of 1lb dewaxed blonde shellac (Wellermart), scuffed,
    then about 6 to 10 coats of wipe on poly scuffed with purple pads between coats. Everything is put on with pads - no brushes.

    I aim for something like this, or a tad lighter.:

    Attachment 443031
    Looks like what Stickley calls Fayetteville. Nice finish.
    Sharp solves all manner of problems.

  11. #26
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Location
    Ingleside, IL
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    1,417
    Finally got one chair done and ready for the upholstery genius in Kentland. These 2 chairs have really kicked my ass. They are very big (and clumsy and heavy) for a small crowded shop and an old fart, so after walking around the first one, I think I'll take the parts for the second one upstairs for assembly, and then call the sons in law to carry it down. Down where I'm not sure cuz the LOML says we have no room for what she calls 2 monstrously big chairs. I may wind up giving them away or selling them. Dunno yet. But it has been a lot of fun crossing it off the old bucket list.

    2020-11-18_21h37_40.jpg
    Stand for something, or you'll fall for anything.

  12. #27
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    Apr 2017
    Location
    Clarks Summit PA
    Posts
    1,728
    You did it Bill! A kingly chair...post some picks with some cushy upholstery when you can.

  13. #28
    Join Date
    Jun 2017
    Location
    Landenberg, Pa
    Posts
    431
    Fabulous. How are the cushions coming? The tough parts for the son in law will be getting it though doorways (don't ask me how I know), and then walking away from it without asking for one for himself.

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