Assembling the chair back
Cut out blanks for all backrest slats required to complete both chairs. Don’t worry about the decorative profile at the tops for now; you’ll cut those details later, after the slats are installed. The slats are attached to the rear braces with glue and screws, but first you need to get them all lined up using clamps to hold them in place temporarily as you make adjustments. Make sure there’s a uniform gap between the slats and check to see that the edges are flush at the bottom before drilling screw holes. Two screws for the narrow slats and three for the wide ones will do the job.
As mentioned previously, the backrests are supported at the top by braces that rest on those odd-shaped vertical rear leg sides you prepared earlier. Now is the time to bolt the remaining vertical supports to the outside of the chair frames and prepare the horizontal braces for installation on top. Before attaching these parts permanently, use clamps to get everything lined up. You will know the pieces are positioned correctly when the front edges of the side supports are perpendicular to the ground and the leading edge of the cross braces sit flat against the backrests. When you’re totally satisfied, bolt the side supports to the rear legs, screw the cross braces to the tops of the supports and fasten the backrest slats to the cross brace with screws installed from the front.
To help increase rigidity, add a second horizontal brace to the midsection of each backrest, to tie the slats together lower down. This brace is positioned 11" below the upper horizontal backrest brace and attached with screws installed from the front. The next step is to prepare a cardboard template to lay out the decorative profile on the tops of the backrests. Create the template’s pattern by expanding the grid diagram included in the plans or downloading full-sized plans at www.canadianhomeworkshop.com/
templates. Trace the pattern onto the slats and cut out the shape with a jigsaw. Sand lightly to smooth the edges.
Seat slats
Your next task is to prepare the slats for the seats. Pay attention to the angle of the bevels shown in the plans for the slats situated near the front. Starting from the front and working your way back, use glue and screws to secure the slats using spacers to set the gap between the slats. A dab of glue and one counterbored screw on each end is all that is required to hold each seat slat in place.
Armrests
At this stage, your settee is finally starting to take shape. All you need to do now is add armrests and this project is ready for finishing. Expand the grid diagram included in the plans to prepare a full-sized template for the armrests (or print patterns from the download on page one). Transfer the pattern onto hardboard or plywood to make a template so you can use the pattern-routing technique described earlier to shape the parts. After the router has done its work, notch the back end of the armrests to fit around the rear leg sides. Install the armrests so their inside edges are flush with the interior faces of the legs at the front and the notches fit tightly around the rear leg sides at the back. Now cut out and install a pair of curved brackets to help support the armrests at their fronts. The grid diagram for these parts is also included in the plans.
Final steps
Now that construction is complete, you can fill all the screw holes with tapered wooden plugs and sand the entire project to prepare for the finishing stage. When it comes to outdoor projects, there are many finishing options to choose from, including paint, exterior-grade stains, or a variety of UV-protected clear finishes. All of these choices require some level of ongoing maintenance to keep them looking good. I chose an often overlooked alternative that requires very little work to maintain. I decided to leave my settee unfinished and allow the UV rays from the sun to turn the wood a distinctive grey colour over time. This technique results in a natural patina that can’t be replicated from a can. The only maintenance required is an occasional cleaning with a spray washer and indoor storage during the winter to protect the project from snow and ice.
Now, find your favourite chatting partner and take a seat together.
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