A simple stool the beggining of making chairs.

[Mark Singer]

I am often asked by woodworking friends how do you even begin to make a chair. Chairs are challenging but are within the grasp of most woodworkers and the toolls in most shops. What is essential is the ability to make clean and solid mortise and tenon joints and general frame joinery techniques. These can be accomplished a number of different ways and your own personal preference should decide. Tablesaw,router by hand bandsaw, mortiser etc. It really doen't matter. When I purchased Tage Frid's books I &II about 12 years ago I was very impressed with the quality of the book and the very clear explinations.I had been building furniture for many years but, I could see there was plenty to learn. About 3 times a week I would go into my shop and just make one joint from the book as practice. I wanted to be able to make furniture and I did'nt want my weaknesses as a woodworker to stand between my designs and my potential execution. There were some that I did not try if I thought I would never use them..but for the most part , I made the majority of joints in the book. It is great practice!
The small stool project shown is a great beggining to making chairs. There are no curves and no compound angled tenons as in the chairs I previously posted. It is a usauble stool : my wife uses it at her sewing table. It is also handy for just reaching high stuff. It is made from Purple heart. The legs are tappered and the joints are angled but simple. As always make the mortises first. This piece is about 12 years old so I don't recall which technique I used. I think I drilled and hand chiseled the mortises and made the tenons on the tablesaw.
Because there is no back it is much more simple than a chair and comfort is less of a problem.

[Mike Cutler]

Nice stool Mark. It has a slight "Oriental" appeal/appearance to it. I like that the legs "kick-out" to the front. From looking at the photos of your work that you have posted so far you seem to capture alot of components of the Craftsman Style and latter Art Nouveau styles similar to some of the work by Green& Green and Andrew Stickley and then soften the "edges" so to speak, to rid the piece of being to linear and formulaic. The large table that you previously posted was stunning. Thank you for your photos. You seem to have developed a look unique unto your own work.

[Jim Becker]

Mark, I agree that this kind of project is a great way to get started toward making chairs and other seating projects. And stools of various sorts are quite useful in a variety of situations. I'll add to the conversation that making prototypes when you get into this kind of project is a really good idea, especially when one is new to chair-making. There are a lot of angles and stress points, not to mention the "comfort factor" that needs to be taken into consideration. There is a good discussion on the latter in the Taunton Press book, Practical Design (ISBN 1561583448) on page 164.

I do want to mention that the new March 2003 Issue of WOOD Magazine has a nice chair project on page 80 that should be manageable by most intermediate woodworkers. It's Mission design makes for straight-forward construction and it probably can be adapted to fit with other styles as a utility chair with some minor playing with the profiles of the aprons and slats.

[Glenn Clabo]

Mark,
We are starting to get a feel of your unique style...both the design side and woodworking side.

I think this is an excellant example of something that is a challenge for the beginner...practical enough to use daily...but also nice to look at and touch. Well done!

[Mark Singer]

Glenn,
I still want to have a "cold one"...maybe I'll get up your way....
Mark


Jim,
I saw that chair in wood and I really didn't like the design for several reasons. If someone wants to try a chair I will be glad to help with the design , geomtry, ergonomics and joinery...just send me a message or a post.

Mike,
Thank you...I am trying to post projects that are somewhat challenging but within most woodworkers grasp. Each sucsess instills a bit of cofidence and leads to more challenging projects.
Mark

[Jim Becker]

I saw that chair in wood and I really didn't like the design for several reasons. If someone wants to try a chair I will be glad to help with the design , geometry, ergonomics and joinery...just send me a message or a post.

Yes, it's an incredibly uninspiring design, but would make a good first chair project to help someone understand how these things "go together" before moving on to something more involved. There truly is merit in that! I am so glad I make the prototype for the Nakashima Mira-style chairs I'm working on for our eating area, but should have started out with something simple like the WOOD chair. I may actually make one of the WOOD chairs as my niece has been asking for a chair to go with the desk I made her and the experience would be good for me. At any rate, whatever design one chooses...there will always be sufficient challenge involved to "exercise one's vocabulary"...

[Tyler Howell]

Use up all the adjective. OOOOH AAAAAH!
Real nice Mark

[Mark Singer]

Jim.
You can probably even simplify it . Raising the front by using longer legs will make it more comfortable. You can also angle the seat stretchers fron the front to the back. That forces an angled tenon joint...but if you make a full scale drawing of the joint in "plan" viewing from the top its pretty easy. I will try to find that magazine. Prototypes of each design are very helpful... I have given away a few to friends!