Morris chair, webbed seat or solid wood?

[Griph0n Brown]

I've built a prairie style morris chair and am getting down to the seat. I think I'll use four inches of high density foam for the bottom cushion and I'm at the point of deciding on the bottom panel. Any thoughts from people who have built a morris chair of any style?

I wanted an exact reproduction so I used Bob Lang's Plans, but there's no real indication of cushion dimensions. Any thoughts from people who have built the Stickley No. 416 "Prairie" Chair?

I think I'll try a bow armed morris next, but I had to try this odd looking chair. It's bigger than I thought but lot's of fun little problems.

So Specifically my questions are:

-Webbed or solid panel?
-Thickness of foam on bottom cushion?
-And for anyone who's built the Stickley No. 416 "Prairie" Chair, what the heck are the dimensions of the cushions? How thick are they and how far do they project past the chair itself?

Thanks for the look.
LJG416.giftn_DSCF1653.jpg

[Bob Lang]

Nice work on the chair. Even though they aren't dimensioned, the cushions are drawn to scale in the book so you can get a close idea of the size by comparing the cushions in the drawings to the nearby parts that are dimensioned. I would find a local upholsterer for advice, (and I would have him do the work) and I reccomend some flexible support below the cushions. A solid wood frame with rubber webbing is the least expensive and easiest to do, and with today's materials its a good choice. Sinuous wire springs and eight-way tied coil springs are a step up in comfort, longevity and of course price of material and labor. Solid material below the cushion won't sit as well, and will lead to premature wear of the cushion. It will be like riding in a car with springs but no shock absorbers. You should also have some dacron wrapped around the foam. That's what I used on my Morris chair in the April 2011 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine, and there is some supplemental material online at the magazine website about making the cushions, including some sketches of the seat cushion and frame. Your goal will be to have the cushions finish about 3" higher than the front seat rail.

Bob Lang

Run cleats along the inside perimeter 1"-1-1/4" below the front seat rail to support the cushion and it's frame.

[Griph0n Brown]

Thanks Bob.
I really appreciate the reply. It takes time we're all short of.
I've already got out the fractional calipers and attacked the drawings, and my old man glasses so I can clearly see the lines. Now if I could just remember how to do ratios with fractions I'd be on my way.

Thanks again

[Kevin Groenke]

Nice looking chair Griph.

I've tied coil springs on Arts & Crafts "settles" that I've made (which are basically 5'-6' long "Prairie Chairs"). As Bob indicates, tied springs will be more comfortable and will last longer. IMO upholstery is not any more technical a practice than woodworking. If you can build a chair, you can cushion and upholster it. Pick up a book on basic techniques, which have been relatively unchanged for eons. Mastering a sewing machine does take practice and patience.

A seat with tied springs ends up being 8-10" thick by the time you get the springs and everything in there, so the frames need to be able to accommodate that depth. On rockers and Morris chairs without adequate depth for coil springs I've used sinuous springs or elastic straps.

I know I've got process pics of spring seats in the settles somewhere... who knows where.

-kg

morris seat.jpgmorris.jpgsettle.jpg