Screw all the frame pieces together using cup washers and #8 deck screws. Drill pilot holes to avoid splitting the wood. I cut all the pieces to size, labelled them with masking tape, then placed them in bunches to separate the pieces. Have a variety of screw lengths at hand to accommodate the thickness of parts you are joining. I find two inch, 2 1/2" and three inch screws are most useful.
Begin by connecting the front and back legs with side braces and the top seat brace. You need to make two identical frames, one for each side of the chair. Also, remember that the chair’s rear legs need to be angled back slightly to create a comfortable backrest. Put your two leg sets on top of each other and adjust them to match as closely as possible before securing the side braces and locking their shape. Join the two leg frames together with two top braces at the front of the chair.
Next, add the rear seat brace set about five or six inches ahead of the back leg. You’ll need this space later for nailing your back hoop benders. Add the two lower back cross braces six inches and eight inches from the bottom of the back leg. The back bender brace attaches just above the finished seat level.
Add the top cross brace, which also creates a place to secure the hoop benders. This piece is screwed down into the top of the back legs. The armrest nailer goes on about 18" from the bottom. Finally, add the last front cross brace behind the front legs, near the bottom.
Go on a bender
Benders are those chair parts that arc in a graceful curve, and you need to make this happen with gentle persuasion over your knee. Don’t apply too much pressure all at once or the parts will break. Work along the length of each one about every five inches, applying pressure in stages. This can be done ahead of time, before tying the pieces to preserve the bend. Secure the benders with galvanized or stainless steel finishing nails. And don’t forget to drill pilot holes.
Attach a single arm bender to each side of the chair with a clamp or partially driven nail. Adjust the arm and try it for fit—about 26" to 28" from the bottom is a good height.
Once you’re satisfied with the fit of that piece of arm, secure the pieces permanently and carry on with the rest of the arm benders, securing them first behind the front cross braces, then along their length with pilot holes and finishing nails. Cross over the second and subsequent benders as you move up the arm and make the transition from a vertical to horizontal orientation. Secure the arm bender to the arm nailer. Leave the benders long; you can cut them later.
Hoop benders
These form the outer edges of the backrest. Attach them now, beginning on the inside of the top seat cross braces, at a point closest to the back legs. Arc the bender up to the top crosspiece, then loop across and connect to the other side of the chair in the same way. The second hoop attaches like this too, except ahead of the first one, on the top seat cross brace. Repeat the process for the rest of the hoop benders.
0 Comment