The Great Morris Chair project

[Dewey Torres]

So there I was....

Answered the door, picked up the book and flipped strait to the chair.

My reaction:

Happy This plan calls for much less QSWO than I had planned to buy

Disappointed I don't like the arms. They don't look like a classic "Great Morris Chair" to me.

I may regret this later but I plan on figuring out a way to build this chair with the classic Morris slanted arms and through tenon square caps... If I can.

Dewey

[Walt Caza]

Welcome aboard to Scott and Patrick!
Things are shaping up beautifully.
Still plenty of time to gather plans and materials, not to mention some
of our builders have less shop time or prefer a slooow construction.
The rules are, there are no rules... play this any way you see fit, and change it up at your whim!
Variety in details, wood species and finishing touches will be the spice...

Dewey, we were up front in the details post about our design featuring arched bow arms. I am sorry if you did not catch that...
it remains however an authentic Stickley detail. In fact, Gus used 3 different arms on these chairs over the years:
straight arm
bow arm
and also slant arm, which resembles a dogleg.
(Popular WW offers plans of a nifty approach to the dogleg)
You are welcome to modify as you please. (pm sent to D)

As for pacing of this first group build:
We are aiming to start within July, after most of the group indicates their readiness.
Gary and I will keep in touch, trying to post our steps of progress around the same time.
Any and all group members are welcome to build ahead or lag behind.
Our saving grace will be, that posting time can vary from actual build time,
so that we can hold back progress posts to wait for the main group as fits. (or risk chaos?!)

Thank you to group build members who have honoured my request to fill out their
Creek profiles with pics and locations. I ask now that anyone who hasn't, please consider it.
We may be chatting for a long time on this project...it would enhance things to share faces and locations.

Gary Z. has started an album just for this project, in his profile here.
It is a shiny new feature of SMC, and a great way to use it!
Perhaps we can all consider posting our pics to albums?

It is exciting that we have moved the Morris chair from our 'someday' list,
to our starting soon list! I look forward to input from everyone...
Let us know when you get your plans,
Walt

[Walt Caza]

Good day to Sawmill Creek,
I am pleased to present this map of our 10 group builders.
You will find that we have grown to spread out from coast to coast!

Just a decade ago, we might have remained perfect strangers.
Only the connecting power of the interweb could make this possible...
Not to mention the brotherhood and warm spirit of our beloved Creek!

I have done my best to reasonably locate everyone. Deck, I was unsure
where to place you in Nebraska, so I stuck you in the middle... hope everyone is ok with that...

Our crew includes:
Gary Zimmel from Alberta, (crazy Canuck)
Walt Caza from Ontario, (the other crazy Canuck)
Mike SoRelle from Kentucky,
Don 'Deck' Reagan from Nebraska,
Glenn Clabo from Rhode Island, (East coast)
Dewey Torres from Colorado,
Reed Wells from Wisconsin,
Nathan Conner from Washington State (West coast),
Scott Greaves from Idaho,
and last but not least to join our circus of sawdust...
Patrick Nailon from Southern California. (West coast again)

We look forward to postings of progress and problems from everyone.
Our 'little chair project' is off to an auspicious start...
only your input can elevate it to special.
We have a good group of colourful characters, I have learned that from our private messages back-and-forth.

Also, we look forward to pics of Morris chairs built by other Creekers,
including:
Dave Lehnert from Cincinnati, Ohio, (he has built our chosen design!)
Bill Borchers from Beavercreek, Ohio,
George Bregar from Milwaukee, Wisconsin
and just maybe Mike Keers from Hereford, Arizona.

This is an open call to all dab hands who would like to post their
Morris chairs here as well, for the benefit of all the Creek.
on we roll,
Walt

[Dewey Torres]

Walt and Gary,
I have to hand it to you two (and Canada).

You guys are truly keeping this thing classy. Not to mention Canadian tools makers are not to shabby either.

The map, and other extras you have come up with thus far have been a great touch. I almost wish I had came up with the idea. Maybe I could help co-host the next one.. I have some ideas as I am sure at least one of the other 10 do as well.

Anyone got their lumber yet...
Not me
Will post when I do

Dewey

[Patrick Nailon]

This is an open call to all dab hands who would like to post their
Morris chairs here as well, for the benefit of all the Creek.
on we roll,
Walt

I just got the book. Wow. Of course I want to make everything in it, and I'm especially intrigued buy the arts & crafts makeover. We have a room in our house that's just aching for something like that.

Well, I'll be getting the wood together asap. Don't anyone wait for me, I have a wedding present to finish, an arts & crafts bookcase to build for the hallway I'm refinishing, and will be starting on my Scharz workbench as soon as I've saved up for a planer.

But I'll be there in spirit, and catching up as soon as I can. Already priced QS white oak at my local supplier - $5.76 a bf.

[John Dodson]

Well, I've got waay too many projects to do as it is (it sounds like everyone does) but this sounds like a fun thing to do - and the group motivation always helps, so count me in. I'll be pulling up the rear with the rest of the stragglers.

I've got the book, wood on order (If Mike Morgan will ship it, local supplier is pricey) and I'll try to squeeze it in with everything else. I've posted a little intro here:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...223#post879223

Cheers,
John

[Walt Caza]

Good Day to the Creek,
I am pleased to welcome John Dodson to the Creek, and our group build.
Another lurker drawn in .....and then there were eleven!
I have included a larger, updated map of our chair builders. (boy, are we spread out)
Anyone tempted to jump in from the South East??

*** Announcement: our official starting date is July 15, 2008. ***
Your mileage may vary. Reminder...we are focused on the journey...
so relax and feel comfortable if you are taking the scenic route!
We do this thing for fun, sharing and lessons...

Gary Z. reports that cushion upholstery may prove spendy, but shrewdly points out
that we are building heirlooms. (spot on, man)
No wonder he is building a pair...

As we gear up to begin, it would be terrific to hear from our builders who
are holding plans, receiving lumber or just plain napping.
The first week of July, we are gonna discuss build options and approaches right here in this thread.

A sneak peek at my thoughts for now...
need to make multi-layered forms of MDF for bow arm bending by clamping plys during glue-up. (no steam)
I might just order a flush trim pattern router bit for the job.
I always wanted such a bit with bearings both top and bottom. (great for real wood grain)
Sand up a tidy original, and zing off a few copies into a thick stack form?
Perhaps a couple dowels to align the blanks for cut and also assembly? (establish and preserve registration)
I would hope a single bending form is enough? Anyone wanna share experience with such forms? (springback?)

Put a red star on your calender ..... soon we begin!
take it easy,
Walt

[Glenn Clabo]

I have the book...the plans...the desire...but the time is going to be THE problem. Like I've said...I WILL get this done...but I might be last to do it. I have a set of stairs...a table for the bathroom...and if DRLOML has anything to say about it HER new gas fireplace surround is higher on the list.

Anyway...mine will be cherry...so I'm in search of some special stuff. When it shows up I'll buy it and that will inspire me.

One good thing about taking longer...I'll learn from everyone elses mistakes.

[Patrick Nailon]

Put a red star on your calender ..... soon we begin!
take it easy,
Walt

I'll be lurking in the background for a while. I'm currently finishing up panel doors for the hall cupboard that I'm redoing, then I have an arts & crafts bookcase to make for the same hallway. But I'll be checking in from time to time. This is an advanced project for me, so I'll be taking it slowly and reading up on others suggestions and issues.

[Frederick Skelly]

Welcome back Walt!

[glenn bradley]

Great to see you Walt. As I recall your shop is in the building with the loft doors for tool entry . I'll shine a light for your journey back.

[Carl Beckett]

Welcome back! And great to see this post still alive - I used it for inspiration and knowledge when I built a morris chair not long ago.

[Dewey Torres]

Walt and the Morris Chair Gang,

Great news!

I am ready to start the chair. I had another project taking up my shop until today:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=87725

So here I come!

Dewey

[Dewey Torres]

I have the book and I have just recently cleared my shop with another project so I am ready to begin... well almost.

I still have yet to clean my shop and sharpen and align my tools. (something I do before any big project)

I have the wood picked out locally here but it haven’t purchased it yet only because I really wanted to get my other project done first.

I am going to buy QSWO for the main viewable parts and flats sawn WO for the parts you don't see (or see very little).

I am going to buy about 30 bdft of each and whatever is left over will get used on something else.

Once I get the lumber and get started I don't expect it will take terribly long to complete…Maybe a month not counting the finish. (I will warn you, I am not good at these types of estimations as I have never built one of these before).

I am concerned about the mortises, as all I have right now is a drill press attachment. I will try it with the attachment and see how it goes.

Once I get started, expect plenty of pics starting when I get the lumber into my shop. I will try and update this thread similar to the way I made the marquetry tutorial.

Go team!

Dewey

[John Dodson]

Greetings Morris Chair Groupies.

At the risk of telling you more than you want to know - but you'll have to blame Walt for that - here is where I'm at re: Morris chair.

I've got the plan book.

My lumber order is in, however, they left off the QSWO <sigh>, which I had planned to use -- so I may use cherry, got plenty of that, or go buy QSWO locally at a higher price, or maybe the forgotten QSWO will show up. Species to be determined.

Currently I've got two main projects going, a bathroom remodel and a Stickley/Harvey Ellis No. 72 magazine case. It's been awhile since I've built furniture - I've been building and repairing musical instruments for a number of years. Quite a change - a guitar having almost no square or flat surfaces, while A&C furniture having almost no curved or radiused surfaces. So the magazine case is a warm up project, in order to determine weaknesses in tools, technique and thinking (sure enough, I've found several in all areas). So I've spent some time and will continue to spend time tuning table saw, jointers and re-arranging my shop to accommodate square stuff. I've purchased a few tools aimed at A&C furniture building as well - a SC bench mortiser, a freud dado head, jet parallel bar clamps. I've got a small but nicely equipped shop: jet contractors saw (with a terrible stock fence - need to do something about that, maybe use it as an excuse to buy a new saw), 6" jointer, dust collector, an old sears drill press, delta drum sander, delta bench planer, 1948 Oliver lathe (my one gloatable piece) and a variety of routers/laminate trimmers and other portable power tools.

Both the bathroom remodel and the cabinet are pretty far along, but the devil is in those finishing details - so they'll slow my initial participation somewhat. The other thing is a planned vacation beginning July 27 for two weeks. I plan to at least get some stock milled and the bending form done before leaving on vacation - but it will probably not be till mid August that I will start in earnest. I would hope to complete in not much longer than a couple of months of catch as catch can evenings and weekends.

Looking forward to the group build!

Cheers,
John