Member
I have used slip tenons to repair joints in chairs that failed. A domino would be great for this. However, you can do it by cutting slots in both pieces and use a slip tenon. I will sometimes lock the slip tenons in place by drilling a hole through the leg or stretcher and the tenon. I will sketch the joint and post it.
The repairs that I made are holding strong. The joints that I repaired were double dowels.
Contributor
What tools do you have?
Member
Oh, and make sure you shape the seat some. Mine have an oval removed from each seat (down about 1") where your bottom goes. It's not as nice as a properly shaped Windsor, but it is much more comfortable than a flat seat.
Paul
Member
John, first of all, wooden dining chairs will never survive abuse such as tilting, sliding while occupied etc. People who want to use chairs that way should stick to steel chairs. Note that almost 100% of office chairs are steel.
The other guys are correct that the back leg/backrest must be all one piece. It will need to be shaped out of suitable sized stock. It is often cheaper to buy wider stock that you can get 2 or more legs out of rather than narrow stock that only gives you one leg.
The joints should all be mortise and tenon with one proviso. The joint where the back leg, back rail and side rail meet must have enough timber left to be structurally sound after mortising in both directions. If the design does not leave you enough for strength, make a 3 dowel joint to connect the side rail to the back leg. As I said, this is influenced by the styling of the chair and is a judgement call.
All joints must be reinforced with triangular blocks glued on the inside of the joint. This means 8 glue blocks for each chair. This goes a long way towards reinforcing each joint and extending the life of the chairs.
Pocket screws are OK for attaching the seat to the frame. They have no other use in this type of project.
When manufacturing the components, do everything in batches of the required number plus a spare. It drives me nuts when I get near the end of making a component only to expose a gum vein or some other defect and have to try and set up all over again. If you end up with a whole extra chair, you have done well.
Before assembling anything, finish sand everything. Assemble with just enough glue so that there is minimal clean up. You then only have touch up sanding before polishing. Chairs have so much conflicting grain direction that this is a real time saver.
Use the best quality glue you can get hold of. It needs to be at least a high solids cross linking PVA (and yes to all you cynics, I do use glues other than epoxy).
I've been making chairs for years, decades actually now that I think about it. Have a go and if you need more preaching, just ask! Cheers
Every construction obeys the laws of physics. Whether we like or understand the result is of no interest to the universe.
Member
I have made many, many chairs..that design looks terribly uncomfortable. You must use one piece for the legs/back and you should use mortise and tenon. dowels will work, but you would have to use more than one per joint. hard to do and get them to line up..your semi-tooless condition will determine what you can do.
Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the ground each morning, the devil says, "oh crap she's up!"
Tolerance is giving every other human being every right that you claim for yourself.
"What is man without the beasts? If all the beasts are gone, men would die from great loneliness of spirit. For whatever happens to the beasts will happen to man. All things are connected. " Chief Seattle Duwamish Tribe
Contributor
there's a good video/article on FWW.com from Matthew Teague for a dining chair with floating tenon joinery. Also one from Tom McLaughlin in Wood magazine using mortise & tenons. Both have very good drawings, Tom's has full size ones for back legs
Member
CHAIR_0001.jpg
Looking at the sketch, my experience is that dowels at the haunches will surely fail.
I have repaired several chairs that failed at those joints. I had to insert slip tenons.
The slip tenons have not failed. The issue is caused by people leaning back in the chair and stressing the joints to failure.
If you inserted dowels perpendicular to the side of the tenons after assembly, they will hold. That is how I repaired the chairs.
Last edited by lowell holmes; 09-01-2016 at 5:18 PM.
[OP]
Member
Would it be sufficient if I laminated a full length piece of 3/4 stock to one or both sides of the pieces I currently have? Meaning I currently have the back legs cut, but in two pieces at the joint where the seat is, so if I were to go buy some more 3/4 dressed stock, traced out the full back leg as one piece and laminated it to the sides of the pieces I currently have, would that be sufficient strength to hold say a 300 lb person? I'm limited now in money, and getting planed lumber isn't cheap where I am.of course, this is only one option, I suppose. But as I already over spent buying 8/4 stock dressed down to 6/4 dressed, I'm hoping to find an easier solution to this than to simply keep throwing more money at it unnecessarily. I have some stock left over from the table I built, so I may only need minimal amounts of additional lumber.
Last edited by John Sproul; 09-03-2016 at 6:51 AM.
[OP]
Member
I have changed the seat design to a cushioned one, using some thinner lumber ( most likely plywood) but covered with seat cushion foam and some fabric that the wife chose to match her decor ideas. The back rests, I will either buy removable cushions or I am going to attempt to use a steamer box and bend some 3/4 stock to have a slight curve. I'm much more of a carpenter that builds houses, and uses wood lathes to make ballusters etc. I made small projects many times but I also had access to far better equipment than I do now. Thanks for all of th advice guys. Sorry to be in such need of advice so late in the project. I'm sure there are people shaking their heads at rookie mistakes.
[OP]
Member
Basic carpenter tools, table saw, compound slidling miter saw, router and many bits. Lots of patience and willpower to get things done in what seems to be the hardest way possible!
Contributor
Don't try to bend 3/4" stock. Buy thicker stock and cut it to your curve. If you insist on bending, do laminate bending.Originally Posted by John Sproul
Mike
Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote