Shopsmith Forums

I would like to begin a project building some dining room chairs. I've had a couple of chairs that I found some years back in a consignment shop, and I would like to make something similar.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/x9adgt98s954e ... 0chair.jpg

I don't know a lot about furniture styles; I suppose this is a 20th-century refinement of some classic like Queen Anne... does the style have a name?

Have you seen any chair patterns like this?

I'm reluctant to do so, and hope I don't have to use the chair to trace a pattern and develop my own plan. Particularly because I'm hoping plans would include tips on things like the best way to attach the top arch and the easiest way to create the curved back.

Truly, any comments and/or suggestions would be deeply appreciated.

And snarky comments would be particularly welcome if witty.

Thanks,
-Shaun-

Shaun, for starters, you could do a Google search for "chair making books" which will give you a variety of material to choose from. Perhaps your local library could track down some of them so there wouldn't be any out-of-pocket costs trying to find something that meets your needs. There also are used book options through Google.

Art made a really good suggestion for books. You might also try the SketchUp Warehouse to find a 'model'.

I'd say for any project, but certainly for chairs, consider hide glue for all of your joints. By their nature, chair joints will eventually fail and hide glue will make them much easier to repair. Of course that is only one of it's advantages.

I did a blog on Lumberjocks on the use and advantages of hot hide glue. It's here if you are interested.

shipwright wrote:I'd say for any project, but certainly for chairs, consider hide glue for all of your joints. By their nature, chair joints will eventually fail and hide glue will make them much easier to repair. Of course that is only one of it's advantages.

I did a blog on Lumberjocks on the use and advantages of hot hide glue. It's here if you are interested.

Thanks, shipwright, I was stuck on hide glue years ago:D (well, it's no secret how old I am <sigh>) for use in well-made joints and I agree that it would be smart to use it in construction of the chairs.

Sadly, I'm not even close to the stage of thinking about glue. I'm still trying to figure out the family or category of styles in which chairs like these would belong. Learning that, I can act on the advice of pennview and bffulgham for similar pieces and maybe plans.

I'm hoping somebody has seen something similar and can direct me toward a source of information or knowledge.

Thanks a bunch, guys!

I'm not a big fan of pre made plans... so if I were personally wanting to build a chair, I would either visit a museum or a furniture store...armed with my smart phone and a tape measure.

I'd take the critical measurements and photos from every angle... then I'd sit down with a pencil and some graph paper for an hour.

Unlike some others here...I am not at all versed in sketch up and prefer the pencil and paper method. I'm sure sketch up is great...I'm just too lazy to learn it.

Hope this helps
Geo

eagleta2 wrote:... I would either visit ... armed with my smart phone and a tape measure... take measurements and photos... sit down with a pencil and paper... not versed in SketchUp prefer pencil paper method...

Hope this helps
Geo

Yo, Geo!
Thanks for the excellent suggestion(s).

Hey, I hope you won't ignore my posts when you learn that I'm trying to avoid the enormous research to learn this furniture family. I've spent a *lot* of time on the Web looking at chairs of all sorts, trying to find something more like it than Queen Anne.

Obviously I like the design. And it's prolly pretty clear that I am not crazy about it, else I'd just copy it, willy-nilly. A lot of folk in this forum have the experience and knowledge to point me in the right direction... if they happen to stumble on my post.

Many, many guys (folk) that do see the posts have offered/are offering great advice -- for which I am profoundly grateful.

Thanks, thanks, thanks, Geo!

thats my best suggestion as well. Go to an antique store and find a chair that looks close to what you want. Measure it up and then come home and put your twist on it. Making the first chair is the pain as you will be setting the jigs for the tenons (or dowels if you go Kreg). But after that each chair becomes quite easy. Every detail adds complexity like a cabriole leg, then a ball and claw foot. But if you keep it simple and elegant youll see that it's not that hard.