Sitting-PrettySitting-Pretty

Folding ChairFolding ChairTM

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DOWNLOADABLE PROJECT PLANS FROM THE EDITORS OF WOOD MAGAZINE http://www.woodmagazine.com

Who says you can’t make a great concept even better? Craftsmen have been

incorporating thef o l d i n g - l e gconcept into theirde s ign s s inceancient Egyptiantimes, but therehaven’t been manythat look betterthan our rendition.

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G

D

C

B

A

H

A

I

I

F

F

1/16 x 3/4 x 513/16"brass strap(2 required)

#10 x 3/4" R.H.brass wood screw

1/8" pilot hole 1/2" deep

3/16"hole

1/4" round-overs

1" dowel initially cut 175/8" long.(Finished size is 171/2" long.)

1" dowel initially cut 16"long. (Finished size is

157/8" long.)

BC

EXPLODED VIEW

3/16" brassflat washer

3/16" brass flat washer

E

1/8 x 3/4"pipenipple

7/16"hole

1/4 - 20 x 11/4"brass R.H.machine screwand flat washer

1/4-20 brassthreadedinsert

3/8" hole5/8" deep

C

A

PIVOT DETAIL

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3/4 x 71/4 x 96" White Oak

BC

Also needed: 1 x 36"White Oak dowel

CUTTING DIAGRAM

A A

1/2 x 71/4 x 72" White Oak

G H

F F

I

1" dia.

1" dia.

17fi"1fi"fi"

E* rear stretcher 1O15Œ"

Part

O 2B rear legs 19›"

Bill of Materials

D*front stretcher

O 215‹"‡" 2‰"

O 117fi"

*Cut part to final size during construction.Please read all instructions before cutting.

Material Key: O–white oak.

Supplies: walnut for wedges; 4–‹-20×1‹"-long brass roundhead machine screws; 8–‹"flat brass washers; 4–‰" flat brass washers;4–¤×‡"-long brass pipe nipples; 4–‹-20 brassthreaded inserts; 28–#8×1‹ flathead brasswood screws; 4–#10ׇ" roundhead brass woodscrews; 2–„ׇ×5Å" brass straps; finish.

Qty

.

A front legs 36ˇ"‡" 4‹" O 2

T W LFinished Size

Mat

l.

‡" 2„"

C seat supports

G front seat slat 1O15Œ"2fi"fi"

F seat slats 7O15Œ"1fi"fi"

H top back slat 1O17fi"2‡"fi"

I back slats 5O

No. 1—A couple of ideas to easeinstallation of threaded inserts: First,to get additional leverage on the chuck,

drill a hole in the end of a ‡×‡" scrapwoodstick to fit the chuck key handle as shown atright. Second, lubricate the threads with softwax. A wax toilet bowl sealing ring is inexpensiveand works great.

Make patterns, then cut the parts1 Make and assemble photocopies of thefull-sized patterns of the front leg (A), therear leg (B), and the seat support (C).Adhere the patterns with spray adhesiveto ¤"-thick hardboard.2 Cut just to the waste side of the patternlines with a bandsaw, and then sand to theline. We used a disk sander for the outsidecurves, and a drum sander for the insidecurves.3 Use the hardboard patterns to mark twoof each part A, B, and C on initiallyoversized blanks. Note: We used white oakfor the chair because of its strength andresistance to damage from moisture.Regardless of the stock you use, selectstraight-grained wood for maximumstrength. Then, cut the pieces to shape,using the same cutting and sandingprocedures you used to make the patterns.4 Use the procedure in the two-step Usingthe Pattern drawings below to drill „"reference holes ‹" deep into each blankat the centerpoint of the holes. Note: Thepairs of parts are mirror images of eachother, not identical. Then, using theinformation on the patterns and ExplodedView for reference, use your drill press todrill holes to the marked size and depth.5 Install ‹–20 brass threaded inserts inthe front legs where shown on the pattern.We used our drill press to make theinstallation easier. First, we chucked a ›"drill bit into the drill press, and lowered it

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into the previously drilled hole to centerthe chuck. Then, we clamped the front legto the drill-press table. Next, we replacedthe drill bit with a large screwdriver bit,and rotated the chuck by hand to drive thethreaded insert. See Tip No. 1 for additionalsuggestions to ease installation of thethreaded inserts.6 Sand all parts to final smoothness, andthen set them aside for now.

Make the stretchers nextNote: If you can find 1" dowels to matchthe lumber you chose for your chair, youcan skip the dowel-making processdescribed in steps 1 and 2 on page 5.

1 Prepare initially overlength blanks forthe stretchers from 1×1" stock bycrosscutting a 21¤" piece for part D anda 19fi" piece for part E. If you don’t have1"-thick stock, laminate two thickness offi" stock. Note: You may want to make anadditional blank to check later machiningsetups.2 Chuck a fi" round-over bit into yourtable-mounted router, and adjust the fenceflush with the bit’s bearing. Then, rout thesquare blank into a dowel by using theprocedure in the Making the Stretchersdrawing above right. Mark start- and stop-lines on the fence to leave a 1" length ofblank square at each end.

1/2"round-over bit Second, push blank

along fence, stoppingcut 1" from end.

Mark start- and stop-lines onfence to leave 1" of blanksquare at each end.

First, hold tipof blank atstart-line, thenpivot againstfence.

MAKING THE STRETCHERS

Mark inside face ofeach piece withmasking tape.

Drill 1/16" referencehole through hardboardpattern and 1/4" deep into leg blanks.

Blanks forrear legs B

USING THE PATTERNS: STEP 1

Turn hardboardpattern over to drillholes in mirror-image part.

USING THE PATTERNS: STEP 2

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H

1" dowel initially cut 175/8" long.(Finished size is 171/2" long.)

3/4" hole

1/8" wedge

3/8" holes5/8" deep

A

A

3/4" rabbets 1/8" deepon ends of all slats

171/2"

1/4" round-overs

I

#8 x 11/4" F.H.brass wood screw

I

3/8" round-over,top edge only

FRONT LEG ASSEMBLY

1/4 - 20 brassthreaded insert

Space slats 1/4" apart.

D

TENON ANDWEDGE DETAIL

13/16"

3/4"

1" dowel

Trim tenonflush afterassembly.

1/16"sawkerf

3/4"1/8"

Make from3/4"- widewalnut.A

D

3/4" hole

#8 x 11/4" F.H. brass wood screw

11/64"shankhole,counter-sunk

7/64" pilothole 7/8" deep

7/8"

3/8"

3/4" rabbet1/8" deep

SCREW-HOLE DETAIL

A

I

3/8"

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This will keep the blank from rolling asyou rout.3 Sand the stretcher blanks smooth. Then,cut the front stretcher (D) initiallyoverlength to 17fl" and the rear stretcher(E) initially overlength to 16". Note: Thisadditional length allows you to cut eachtenon Å" long, permitting you to sand„" from each end after assembly. Referto the Tenon and Wedge detailaccompanying the Front Leg Assemblydrawing.4 Attach an extension to your tablesaw’smiter gauge, then attach a ‡×2×16" riserblock to the extension as shown in theCutting the Tenon drawing. Clamp themiter-gauge bar to the tablesaw to securethe assembly. Turn on the saw, and raisethe blade through the riser block until it is¤" above the riser block. Clamp astopblock to the miter-gauge extension tocut a tenon Å" long. To cut a test tenon,push a length of dowel stock along themiter-gauge extension into the runningblade until it contacts the stopblock. Rotatethe stock clockwise to establish the shoulderof the tenon, then move the stock back andforth to remove the remainder of the tenon’swaste. Check the fit of the test tenon inone of the ‡" holes you drilled in part Aor B. Adjust the height of the blade untilyou get a test tenon that fits snugly, thencut the tenons on stretchers D and E.5 Clamp a stretcher to your workbench asshown in the Marking the Wedge Kerf

Attach 3/4x2x16"riser block toextension.

Raise tablesaw blade1/8" above riser block.

Clamp miter-gaugebar to table.

Clamp stopblockto miter-gaugeextension.

CUTTING THE TENON

drawing top right. Then, mark the locationof the kerf on the end and one edge of eachtenon. Note: This procedure ensures thatkerfs on both ends of the stretcher will beparallel. Then, cut the kerfs down to theshoulder of the tenon, using a fine backsaw.Refer to Tip No. 2 at right for a suggestionon this procedure. Sand the stretchers tofinal smoothness.6 Bandsaw walnut wedges from ‡"-thickstock as dimensioned in the Tenon andWedge detail accompanying the Front LegAssembly drawing.

Now, assemble thelegs and stretchers1 Dry-assemble (no glue) the front stretcher(D) between the two front legs (A), andthe rear stretcher (E) between the two rearlegs (B). Refer to the Rear Leg Assemblydrawing. Clamp lightly to seat the shouldersof the tenons flush with the legs, then cutscrapwood spacers equal to the distancebetween the legs. (Ours measured 16" forthe front-leg assembly and 14›" for therear-leg assembly.) Note: Double-checkthe width of the assemblies. For a properfit, the overall width of the rear-legassembly should be ¤" less than the insidewidth (between the inner faces of the legs)of the front-leg assembly. Then, take theassemblies apart.2 Using weatherproof glue (we usedFranklin Titebond II), clamp the assembliesback together.

No. 2—To make acut that is straightacross the end of

the tenon and parallel to itslength, start your backsaw ina diagonal position as shownbelow. You’ll be able to sightboth lines at the same time,keeping your saw right oncourse.

Put the curved portion of the legs upward,so four points of the assembly touch a flatsurface like your saw table. Clamp thescrapwood spacers between the legs at theend opposite the stretcher to maintainparallel spacing. Note: It is critical thatthese assemblies are flat and square. Avoidexcessive clamping pressure that can twistthe parts. Align the kerf in the tenon parallelto the angle of the foot in the legs.

Clamp stretcher so itdoes not roll. Mark endand edge of tenon.

1/2"-thick block

MARKING THE WEDGE KERF

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7/16" hole

1/8" hole1/2" deep

3/4" diameter tenon 13/16" long

1/8 x 3/4 x 3/4"wedge

3/4" hole

B

B

REAR LEG ASSEMBLY

1" dowel initially cut 16" long.(Finished size is 157/8" long.)

E

11/64" hole,countersunk

7/64" pilot hole7/8" deep

#8 x 11/4" F.H.brass woodscrew

1/4" round-overs

Space slats 1/4" apart

3/8" round-over front edge only

3/4" rabbets1/8" deep onends of all slats

7/16"hole

G

CC

F

SEAT ASSEMBLY

157/8"

F

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This way, the wedges will be level with thefloor. Glue the wedges, then tap them intoplace with a hammer.3 Unclamp when the assemblies are dry,and then sand the ends of the tenons flushwith the legs.

Then, make slats1 Adjust your tablesaw’s rip fence 1fi"from the inner edge of the blade, and ripfi"-thick stock for the seat slats (F) and theback slats (I). It is a good idea to rip a fewextra pieces to set up later machiningoperations.2 Rip fi"-thick stock 3" wide to makeinitially oversized blanks for the seat slat(G) and the top back slat (H). Note: Youwill shape the arcs on these parts later.3 Double-check the finished length of theslats against the leg assemblies. Then,crosscut the seat slats (F, G) and the backslats (H, I) to length. We used a stopblockon an extension to our tablesaw’s mitergauge to ensure that the parts were uniformlengths.4 Set up your tablesaw as shown in theCutting the Slat Rabbets drawing. Then, cutrabbets into the ends of each slat.5 Make photocopies of the patterns of thefront seat slat (G) and the top back slat (H).Then, attach them to ‹"-thick hardboard.Bandsaw just to the waste side of the arc,then sand to the line. A disk sander makesquick work of smoothing the curves. Markthe centerpoints of the screw locations bydrilling a „" reference hole through thepattern and hardboard. Use the patterns tomark fi"-thick stock for parts G and H, thencut these pieces to shape. See Tip No. 3 fora production idea. Using the holes in thepatterns as guides, drill reference holes ‹"deep into the slats.6 Bandsaw just to the waste side of thecutouts where shown on the pattern of partH. Then, chuck a 1fi" sanding drum intoyour drill press, and position a 3"-wide fencebelow the drum, with ‹" of the sandingdrum extending beyond the fence. Mark anoversized cutout in the fence to provideclearance for the sanding drum, and bandsawit to shape. Then, clamp the fence to thedrill-press table as shown in the Sandingthe Cutouts drawing. Clamp a stopblock tothe fence, and slowly pivot the slat into thesanding drum to smooth the cutout.

Cut oversizedclearance holein 3" wide fence.

11/2"sandingdrum

Stop-block

SANDING THE CUTOUTS

Clamp stopblock tomiter-gauge extension tocut rabbets 3/4" wide.

13/16" dado set1/8" above table

Seat slat I

CUTTING THE SLAT RABBETS

Produced by Marlen KemmetProject Design: James R. DowningIllustrations: Kim Downing, Carson OdeGraphic Design: Jamie Downing©COPYRIGHT MEREDITH CORPORATION 1997

The purchase of these plans does nottransfer any copyright or other ownershipinterest in the plans, the design, or thefinished project to the buyer. Buyer mayneither reproduce the plans for sale noroffer for sale any copies of the finishedproject.

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Then use either part G or H to mark thecutout locations on the back slats.Note: The bottom back slat is notched onone edge only. All other back slats arenotched on both edges. Then, cut and sandthe notches.7 Chuck a ‹" round-over bit into yourtable-mounted router, and adjust the fenceflush with the bit’s bearing. Roundoverthe straight edges, but not the ends, of partsF, G, H, and I.8 Chuck a ›" round-over bit into yourtable-mounted router, and adjust the fenceflush with the bit’s bearing. Adhere thehardboard patterns to parts G and H withdouble-faced tape. Then, round over thecurved edge of these parts.9 Set up a fence and stopblock on yourdrill-press table to drill countersunk 11/64"holes in the slats where marked on thepatterns of parts G and H, and ›" fromeach end of parts F and I, centered in thewidth of each slat where dimensioned inthe Screw-Hole detail accompanying theFront Leg Assembly drawing. Sand allslats to final smoothness.

Next, attach the slats1 Put the front seat slat (G) in positionbetween the seat supports (C) where shownon the Seat Assembly drawing. To keepthe assembly square, clamp seat slats tothe seat supports. It is extremely importantthat all chair assemblies are square andflat. Using the holes in the slats as guides,drill pilot holes Œ" deep into the seatsupports. Then drive the screws. To preventdamage to the relatively soft brass screw,we first drove a steel screw into the pilothole, withdrew it, then drove the brassscrew. Again, you can use soft wax on thescrew for lubrication. Apply weatherproofglue sparingly to the rabbets to avoidexcessive squeeze-out.2 Insert a ‹"-thick spacer between thefront seat slat and the first seat slat (F).Repeat the process you used to assemblethe front slat on all of the seat slats.Continue to check the assembly for squareas you work on it.3 Glue and screw the top back slat (H) andback slats (I) to the front-leg assembly.Sand the ends of the slats flush with theseat supports and front legs.

The brass parts areeasy to shape1 Make one photocopy of the brass strappattern for each strap you will make (twoper chair). To make the brass easier tohandle, we attached it with double-facedtape to scrap pieces of ‹"-thick plywood.Cut the blank to shape, using a bandsawwith a medium to fine blade, or a scrollsaw.Use a disk sander to smooth the ends ofthe blanks.2 Indent the centerpoints of the holes witha centerpunch or a scratch awl. Chuck a‰" bit into your drill press, adjust yourdrill-press fence, and drill the holes. Youcan stack the blanks with double-facedtape and drill through two at a time toensure uniform spacing. See Tip No. 4 fora suggestion on preventing tarnish.3 Cut ¤" (nominal size) brass pipe nippleto ‡" lengths using your scrollsaw, orhacksaw. We started with 2"-long nipples.File the ends square after cutting.

You're ready for finishand assembly1 Test-assemble the chair by attaching theseat assembly to the front-leg assemblywith the bushings, washers, and screws.Then, attach the rear-leg assembly to thefront-leg assembly. Attach the brass strapsusing washers and screws. Check the fitof all assemblies.2 Disassemble the chair, and then epoxythe brass pipe-nipple bushings into place.Do any finish-sanding required.3 Apply a clear finish to all of theassemblies. We used four coats of MinwaxFast-Drying Clear Satin Polyurethane,which is suitable for interior or exterioruse. We sanded between coats with 320-grit paper, then wiped with a tack cloth toremove the sanding dust.4 Reassemble the chair, this time using athread-locking compound on the machinescrew/threaded insert connection We usedLoctite 242 Threadlocker, available at auto-parts stores. ¿

N o . 4 — U s ecommercial brasspolish on the

straps, then spray themwith lacquer to preventtarnish. Handle polishedbrass with gloves or a clothbefore you spray it. You canbrighten brass screw headsand washers before assemblywith the same treatment.

No. 3—Stack-cutmatching partswith your bandsaw

if you are making a set ofchairs. Adhere the blanks withdouble-faced tape, and doyour edge-sanding beforeseparating the parts.

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1 /8" h

ole

1 /2" d

eep

on in

side

face

7 /16"

hol

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3 /4" h

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3 /8"

hol

es 5

/8"

deep

on in

side

face

A A

B B

AF

RO

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3 /4"

hol

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A A

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A

FR

ON

T LE

G

3/8

" ho

le 5

/8"

deep

on in

side

face

B B

C C

C C

A

FR

ON

T LE

G

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‡" rabbet ¤"deep on bottom

¸" hole,countersunk

1fi"

2fi"

G

FRONT SEAT SLATfi"-thick stock

(Make 1 per chair)

CENTERLINE

3/4

"

53 /

16"

3 /16

"3 /

16"

1 /8-

thic

kB

RA

SS

ST

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ake

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R=3

/8"

513

/16"

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Recess is formedwith a 11/2"-diameterdrum sander.

TOP BACK SLAT1/2"-thick stock

(Make 1 per chair)

H

1/4

3/4" rabbet 1/8"deep on bottom

5/32" hole,countersunk

11/2"

I

BACK SLAT1/2"-thick stock

(Make 5 per chair)

11/2"

1/4

Omit recesses onthis edge on oneslat per chair.

CENTERLINECENTERLINE