A Comfortable Craftsman-style Side Chair
Tom McLaughlin builds a Craftsman-style side chair with a reclined backrest, curved crest rail, and angled mortise-and-tenon joinery.
Synopsis: Build a Craftsman-style side chair with a reclined backrest, curved crest rail, and angled mortise-and-tenon joinery. The key to the challenge of chairmaking is to make detailed drawings of the chair from the side, front, and top views, clearly mapping out the chair’s shape, joinery, and dimensions. If you stick to the drawing, angled joinery and other complexities will not thwart you.
During my apprenticeship with P.A. “Pug” Moore, he sometimes said, “If you can build a chair, you can build anything.” After all, chairmaking presents the ultimate challenge in woodworking. There’s the complexity of the construction, which almost always involves angled joinery. Plus, there’s designing a chair to be appealing from any viewpoint while, at the same time, being comfortable. Add in shaping, and it’s no wonder so few attempt making chairs of their own. But take it from me, building chairs is tremendously satisfying. It takes…
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Comments
Very nice thank you
Got the plans and videos from Epic woodworking last summer. Recommend both to get you through some details of the process. By building a prototype I learned to pay attention to the left and right side lower stretchers. Made a few mistakes with before I got the angled joinery and lengths correct. I look forward to building the rest of the six piece set.
Isn't this the same chair shown in issue #204 of Wood Magazine back in 2011? https://www.woodmagazine.com/project-plans/furniture/seating/step-by-step-elegant-chair-downloadable-plan
good find. It sure looks exactly like the one I am making.
How many hours does it take to make a chair like this (excluding seat cover)?
Any estimates welcome!
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