Arm rest attachment details

[Mike Tagge]

Hi all,

I’m currently working on a chair project and have just to add arm rests and finish. However, I’m a bit at a loss for how to attach the arm rests to the frame. I’m thinking of using mortise and tenons to connect to the rear frame, and then to the stretcher under the seat. Just wondering if anyone else does it another way or has done it this way with good results. I have a domino to use for this.

Thanks,
Mike

[Mike Henderson]

One thing to watch out for is that the arms don't make the chair too narrow. I'd attach the arms to the side of the back to give the maximum width between the arms. I'd come up with a decorative piece on the side to attach to the arm. I can post a picture of what I did on some chairs I still have if you want a picture.

If this is intended to be a dining room chair, you have some other considerations for the arms so that the chair can be pulled close enough to the table.

Mike

[Mike Tagge]

Yes, it is for dining room chairs. I would appreciate seeing what you did on yours. How did you do the attachments to the stretcher underneath the seat and to the back rail?

[Mike Henderson]

With dining room chairs, you generally want to make your arms so that the chair can be pulled up comfortably to the table. That usually means that if the arms go out to the front of the chair and are reasonably high, the arms will hit the apron before the chair is far enough in to be comfortable. Also, people may put their hands on the front of the arms and will get them squeezed as they pull the chair in.

Two common solutions are to make the arms short so the the chair can be pulled in further, or to make the arms low so that they fit under the apron (with enough room that a hand doesn't get dinged between the arm and the apron). Here's what I did on a set of dining room chairs:

I went with the lower arms:
2018-06-19-Chair-arms-01.jpg

And here's a look at how it fits under the apron. I probably left too much room - you could go a bit closer.
2018-06-19-Chair-arms-02.jpg

The arm is attached to the back with nothing but epoxy glue. No problems after quite a few years of use.
2018-06-19-Chair-arms-03.jpg

And is supported in the front with an "arm support". The arm support is attached to the side of the chair with glue and a large wood screw, screwed from the inside. My dog jumped up on the chair while I was taking this picture
2018-06-19-Chair-arms-04.jpg

Hope that helps. You might mock up your arms and try the chair on the table it will be used with before you make the final arms - just to see if it can be pulled far enough in to be comfortable.

Mike