TABL ES & C HAIRSTABLES & CHAIRS^114141
Hard Surfaces, Soft Surfaces
As I worked, I smoothed exposed faces and edges with my
planes before assembling. I also chamfered the long edges
with my block plane, and I used a rasp and sandpaper to
round the exposed tenons. In a few places I had some tear-out
to deal with where the grain direction reversed, and I used a
card scraper to smooth these troublemakers.
Each of these tools leaves a smooth surface, but with a slightly
different texture. To get an even texture before fi nishing, I sanded
the entire chair, fi rst with #120-grit Abranet, then #180 grit.
Sanding white oak to too fi ne a grit can polish the surface to a
point where it won’t absorb color evenly. If scratches from sand-
ing aren’t visible, the wood is smooth enough to dye.
I used Lockwood’s Fumed Oak (#94) aniline dye dissolved in
alcohol. This dries quickly as it is brushed on and doesn’t raise the
grain. I aimed for a consistent coat on all surfaces without running
the dye. The color is close to that of white oak fumed with ammo-
nia, and there is another similarity between the dye and fuming;
the surface looks like you ruined it when it dries.
I rubbed the entire chair with an abrasive pad after letting the
dye dry for a few hours, then brushed on a 50-50 mixture of clear
and amber shellac. I diluted this about a third with alcohol. The
following morning I went over the chair again with the abrasive
pad, then brushed on a second coat of shellac. After letting the
shellac cure for a week, I gave the chair a coat of Dark Watco
Satin wax, applied with an abrasive pad then buffed with a cotton
cloth.
I had a local upholstery shop make the cushions. The bottom
cushion rests on^3 ⁄ 4 " x 1" cleats screwed to the inside of the front
and back rails, 1^1 ⁄ 4 " down from the top edge. The cushion consists
of a solid-wood frame made of 2x4 material, ripped to 2" wide.
The corners are mitered and held together with glue and screws,
with 45 ̊ corner blocks for additional strength. Rubber webbing
was stapled to the top edge of the frame. The webbing covers the
Turn then whittle. After turning one end of the pin, trim it to length then
shave the sides to an octagon. The last step is to round the end to a hand-
friendly dome shape.Take it for a spin. The back of the chair pivots on the lower set of pins, and
the large wooden washers keep the back centered without rubbing on the
arms. The upper pins support the back in one of four positions, from upright
to do not disturb.Suspenders and a belt. Dowels cover screws that hold the corbels to the
legs. The through mortises on the legs are also pegged with dowels made
from scraps. Trim them fl ush before fi nishing.entire opening, running in both directions in a basketweave.
A 1"-thick, 12"-square piece of high density foam was glued to
the center of the webbing to give the cushion a crown. On top of
this is a 4"-thick piece of high-density foam wrapped in Dacron.
The fabric wraps over the foam and is stapled to the bottom of the
wood frame.
The back cushion is a 2"-thick piece of soft foam wrapped
twice in Dacron. The buttons in the back of this cushion help it
to conform to the curve of the back, and loops of fabric hold the
cushion in place on the back frame.
1 132-141_GustavStickleyMorrisChair.indd 141 32 - 141 _GustavStickleyMorrisChair.indd 141 3 3/28/13 12:44 PM/ 28 / 13 12 : 44 PM