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81K views 98 replies 37 participants last post by  kaerlighedsbamsen 
Leg Laminations and Angled Tenons

Here is the project at hand, a slant arm Morris Chair. I am working off plans from the Popular Woodworking April 2011 issue, which I recommend you buy. The Author is Robert Lang. He posted a free diagram to Sketchup, but with this detailed of a project, you will want to order the back issue. My techniques differ from Robert's methods significantly, so I will try to elaborate along the way.
Product Rectangle Armrest Gas Outdoor furniture

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I like to start by laminating the legs for quartersawn figure on all four sides. Normally you could glue several layers of 3/4" lumber to yield the 2-3/8" leg stock, but in this case I started with solid 12/4 stock milled to 2-1/2" x 2-3/16", with thin veneers on two sides. This is to avoid seeing laminations on the through tenons that pierce the armrests.
Wood Rectangle Composite material Hardwood Flooring

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I make the veneers 1/4" thick because they plane better than thinner strips. My planer can technically handle strips to 1/8" thick, but they often suffer tearout and snipe. So I avoid these problems by leaving the veneers thicker, and after the glueup they are planed down to 3/32" thick.
Wood Automotive tire Wood stain Hardwood Tread

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Here I am flush trimming the veneers at the router table.
Wood Wood stain Hardwood Gas Plank

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After all four rough edges are trimmed flush, I head over to the planer to trim the legs to 2-3/8" square. Here is where carefully planning your leg blank size pays off.
Wood Wood stain Flooring Hardwood Plank

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Here you can see my reasoning for using 12/4 stock for the legs--> no visible joints in the end grain.
Wood Floor Flooring Rectangle Wood stain

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The legs are mortised for side rails and seat rails. I used a 3/8" hollow chisel, and made two passes. I suffered some bit deflection on the second pass, but keeping the mortise settings the same and making a third cleanup pass seemed to yield consistent results. All of the mortises in the legs are 5/8" wide.
Wood Wood stain Plank Hardwood Composite material

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The shoulders of the rear leg tenons are angled to 7 degrees. This is easily accomplished by using a dado blade and an angled miter gauge. Then switch back to a combination blade. With the blade angled to 7 degrees and the miter gauge square, you can complete the front and rear shoulder cuts.
Wood Wooden block Floor Wood stain Flooring

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I try to mill and rip all the stock for a project before switching to the dado blade. This minimizes the number of times I have to switch blades. The 8/4 stock is for the curved back slats.
Wood Flooring Floor Wood stain Hardwood

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Then I go about cutting the tenons with a dado blade and miter gauge. For the through tenons I sneak up on a perfect fit, always checking on the OUTSIDE of the mortise. Once the tenon just begins to fit into the mortise, I stop cutting. Just a little work with the chisel and sanding block will create good fitting joints.
Wood Asphalt Road surface Flooring Font

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Next I carefully layout the mortise locations for the 10 side slats, and 5 backrest slats. I gang the parts together for an accurate layout. I indicate the edge of the shoulder with a dashed line, and the mortise location with a solid line to avoid confusion.
Wood Rectangle Font Hardwood Plank

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I picked up some leather a while ago with this project in mind.
Table Furniture Rectangle Wood Textile

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The leather is from Tandy Leather Factory, and is made by Terino Leathers in the "Montgomery Whiskey" color.
Sleeve Wood Collar Beige Linens


Next up will be mortising for the side slats, and dry-fitting the side assemblies.
Cheers!
Some great ideas to learn from here Willie. Very nice work so far. I like your leg treatment a lot, very smart.
 

Attachments

Frame Assembly and Through Tenons

Here is where the project is at currently.
Wood Hardwood Gas Machine Flooring

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Before I angle the top side rails, I mark the height of the small tenon.
Wood Flooring Table Floor Wood stain

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Then I trim away the excess tenon at the bandsaw.
Wood Gas Hardwood Wood stain Machine tool

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Fitting the small tenon into the back leg mortises.
Wood Floor Flooring Wood stain Table

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The joint looks a little peculiar at this point because the top rails have not been angled yet.
Wood Wood stain Hardwood Gas Plank

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With the frame dry fit I can measure the height of the side slats.
Wood Gas Lumber Hardwood Composite material

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With the repeater set up on my miter saw, I cut the 10 slats to the same length.
Wood Radial arm saw Tool Engineering Workbench

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Then slats are milled for tenons at the dado blade.
Wood Wood stain Plank Hardwood Flooring

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Now it is time to cut the armrests. With a new blade on the bandsaw I cut the 7 degree taper for the armrests. Notice how two armrests are ganged together for extra stability as I make this freehand cut.
Wood Machine tool Gas Creative arts Machine

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Move the wedge from the top to the bottom of the armrest and glue it in place, smooth side to smooth side.
Wood Beige Tints and shades Hardwood Wood stain


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While the glue was drying, I cut tenons on 8/4 stock for the back slats. Note how the tenons are offset.
Wood Wood stain Hardwood Plank Wooden block

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My last task of the day was to taper the upper side rails to 7 degrees. I thought the cut could be made with a tapering sled at the tablesaw, but realized doing so would have cut off part of the small tenon. So I decided to make the cut at the bandsaw with an angled block as a guide. I am leaving my upper side rails 1/4" wider than usual. This extra width will fit in a groove on the underside of the armrest (the WoodSmith Shop trick).
Wood Workbench Hardwood Machine tool Wood stain


Next up will be fitting the armrests and through tenons.
Cheers!
Interesting reading watching this come together Willie.
 

Attachments

Ladder Back

This is the Morris Chair I am building.

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Well it's time to make the corbels so I cut a tongue on some 1-1/8" thick stock. The tongue is 3/4" wide to fit snugly in the leg dado.

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Once the tongue is cut, I place the corbel blanks in a jig to trace the curved shape.

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Here the shape of the corbel has been transferred to the blanks.

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I rough cut the corbels at the bandsaw, cutting as close to the line as possible.

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Next I pattern rout the corbels to final shape.

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I avoid routing the end grain section of the corbel, because it can cause chipout. I prefer to sand the narrow end of the corbel to final shape.

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Chamfering the diamond shape on the front legs is pretty easy. Just tilt the table to 15 degrees and sand to your line. Chamfering the rear legs is a bit more challenging because of the angle. To chamfer the back of the rear leg set the table angle to 22 degrees (miter gauge at 90 degrees). To chamfer the front of the rear legs set the table angle to 8 degrees (miter gauge at 90 degrees). To chamfer the sides of the rear legs set the table angle to 15 degrees (miter gauge +7 degrees on one side, and -7 degrees on the other side).

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The settings above work for a chair that has armrests angled to 7 degrees. Adjust accordingly if your plan calls for a different angle.

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Side assembly glueup.

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Side assembly complete.

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Tenons chamfered to final shape at the oscillating belt sander.

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Here you can see how the chamfered diamond follows the angle of the armrest.

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Now I turn my attention to the ladder back assembly. Instead of laminating strips for the curved backslats, I cut them from solid 8/4 stock. This way I can use a dado blade to establish offset tenons before I cut the curved shape. Another option is to use flat back slats with no curve at all.

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I put my oscillating belt sander to work again sanding the slats to my layout line. I start with 36 grit, and work up through 120 grit.

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I sand the parts with a ROS to 150 grit, and fine tune the tenon fit with a sanding block.

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I run the slats through the router table on edge to ease the sharp corners.

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Ladder back glueup.

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I use a sled at the tablesaw to make the angled cut on the armrests.

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Run the armrest through the router table on edge. This way the router bearing won't dive into the holes drilled in your armrest, and bobble the cut.

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Well, that's it for this entry. Next up will be fitting the corbels, and making pegs & washers for the backrest adjustment mechanism
Great work and great working routines. Your chair will be a beaut.
 

Attachments

Leather Upholstery

I took a leather sewing class to learn how to make the Morris chair cushions.
Brown Wood Flooring Bag Comfort

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The seat cushion and the ottoman cushion require web frames. Here I am milling the half-lap components for the web frames.
Wood Wood stain Flooring Plank Hardwood

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Web frame assemblies are glued together. The seat frame should be sized 1/4" smaller in all directions than the opening in your chair, to allow room for the leather and two layers of batting.
Wood Flooring Floor Composite material Wood stain

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Corner blocks are added to the large seat cushion for additional strength.
Wood Hardwood Workbench Gas Machine tool

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I didn't have a webbing stretcher handy, so I made one from a block of wood and some sheathing nails. Lengths of dowel create a handle.
Wood Musical instrument Hardwood Wood stain Flooring

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I stretch nylon webbing over the frame, and secure it with upholstery tacks.
Wood Rectangle Circuit component Red Gas

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I use #10 or #12 tacks to attach the straps. An occasional staple helps the webbing lie flat.
Rectangle Wood Material property Flooring Tints and shades

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Seat cushion webbing complete. Notice how the straps are woven together.
Wood Rectangle Flooring Gas Hardwood

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Next webbing is attached to the ottoman frame. The ottoman frame should be sized 1/8" smaller in all directions than the opening of your ottoman. This allows enough room for the leather and a single layer of batting.
Wood Table Audio equipment Automotive tire Gas

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This is the underside of the ottoman frame. Notice how the corners are knocked off so it will fit inside the ottoman legs.
Wood Toy Flooring Automotive tire Hardwood

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Next a 12" square piece of 1" thick high density foam is spray glued to the webbing. This helps to crown the shape of the seat cushion.
Table Wood Rectangle Floor Flooring

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How does a woodworker cut upholstery foam? With a bandsaw of course. It works quite well, I might add. In projects where the cushion sits on top of the chair (some dining chairs are built this way), I will cut foam slightly oversized. In this case however, the cushion rests down in the framework of the chair, so the foam is cut to the SAME size as the web frame. I selected 5" high density foam for the seat cushion.
Gas Machine Plant Engineering Tire

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Here at the upholstery class, full-sized templates are made from heavy paper. The templates are used to layout the required pieces, and held flat with several weights. The patterns are traced with a ball point pen, and the leather pieces are cut out.
Table Wood Interior design Flooring Floor

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The seat cushion has 7" square notches removed from each corner. The corners are then sewn up with a blind stitch and a 1/2" seam allowance. Set the sewing machine for 5-6 stitches per inch. We sized the cover to reach 1/2" short of the inside edge of the web frame. That way when stretching the cover over the foam, you can pull it even with the inside edge of the web frame for a consistent look. Turn the seam allowance to one side or the other to direct the seam where it is less visible. The cover is then drawn down and stapled in place with a pneumatic stapler (electric staplers usually don't set the staple fully).
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Cambric nonwoven fabric is added to the underside as a dust cover.
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Seat cushion complete.
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The 3" thick 1.8 density ottoman foam is attached to the webbing with spray adhesive. Then high-loft Dacron (polyester batting) is stretched and stapled in place. Aim for a snug fit that slightly compresses and shapes the foam.
Rectangle Table Wood Coffee table Gas

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Trim the excess batting, and the ottoman cushion is ready for leather.
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The leather is simply stretched over the ottoman cushion - no sewing here. Start by placing one or two tacks in the middle of one edge. Then stretch across the width and repeat on the opposite edge. Next tack on a third side, and stretch across the length. This way you can pull all the slack out of the leather. Then you can work to the corners. We used tacks to temporarily hold the leather, and staples for permanent attachment.
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Excess leather is trimmed away.
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Cambric dust fabric is applied, just as with the seat cushion.
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Ottoman cushion complete.
Brown Comfort Rectangle Auto part Automotive design

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Now we can move on to the backrest cushion.
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Here I am sewing the welting (piping) at the class. I used 3/16" welting cord.
Automotive design Table Engineering Wood Eyewear

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Start by blind sewing a zipper tape to the bottom edge of the backrest plates. We used a #4.5 nylon upholstery zipper. Cut 1-1/4" square notches out of the backrest plates (all 4 corners). Blind sew the notches shut with a 1/2" seam allowance.
Outerwear Shoe Sleeve Wood Collar

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The welting is stapled to one of the plates. The two plates for the back cushion are then stapled together with a Bostitch P-3 hand stapler. That way the leather isn't moving around as you sew. For the main seam around the perimeter I used a 1/4" welting foot. All seams are made with #69 nylon upholstery thread. Polyester upholstery thread would also work, but it isn't bonded and can fray.
Brown Bag Beige Khaki Sleeve

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Here the backrest cushion has been sewn.
Brown Rectangle Material property Sleeve Bag

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Here you can see the effect created by notching the corners. It is called a faux-box cushion, because it fits the cushion well like a boxed cushion, but only has one central seam.
Brown Sleeve Orange Bag Collar

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We made straps and inserted them on either side of the faux-box corners. When the cushion is inside out, the orientation of the straps is pointing inward and downward. It's best to just staple them in place, and turn the cushions right side out to convince yourself they are positioned correctly.
Eye glass accessory Eyewear Comfort Tints and shades Hobo bag

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We used a #4.5 nylon upholstery zipper. Make sure the zipper slide faces the correct direction (with the cushion inside out, the slide pull will be hidden).
Neck Waist Thigh Material property Abdomen

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The backrest cushion is 3" thick 1.8 density foam, wrapped in two layers of Dacron. The first layer is wrapped side-to-side, and the second layer is wrapped front-to-back. The Dacron batting is attached with spray adhesive. Spray the edges as well, and pinch them together to close the joints.
Wood Sleeve Rectangle Linens Comfort

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Next I blind stitched a slip cover, and placed it over the backrest cushion.
Comfort Textile Wood Floor Flooring

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This will help the leather slide over the cushion more easily.
Furniture Rectangle Comfort Wood Table

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The backrest cushion slides easily into the leather cover.
Brown Orange Rectangle Comfort Wood

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Backrest cushion complete.
Brown Wood Flooring Bag Comfort

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Finally I can install the ledger strips that support the seat cushion. The rear strip is mounted at the bottom edge of the rail.
Brown Wood Rectangle Flooring Floor

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The front ledger strip is mounted near the top of the rail.
Wood Flooring Floor Hardwood Gas

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Upholstery complete.
Furniture Comfort Wood Outdoor furniture Flooring


Next up I will finish the ottoman, and staining won't be far behind.
Wonderful work and a great tutorial too Willie. Your excellent results testify to your dedication and new found skills.
 

Attachments

Ottoman

Here I am building a small ottoman to compliment the Morris Chair.
Wood Rectangle Wood stain Hardwood Gas

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The ottoman legs were laminated with thin veneers. As with the chair, I used 1/4" thick veneer strips that are later planed down to 3/32" thickness.
Wood Floor Flooring Wood stain Hardwood

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The ottoman legs are planed to their final size of 1-3/4" square, and mortised to receive 1/2" thick tenons.
Wood Rectangle Wood stain Hardwood Natural material

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I do an initial assembly to see how the joints fit. Everything is scaled down on the ottoman, compared to the Morris chair. The rails are 7/8" thick (vs. 1" thick on the chair), the legs are 1-3/4" (vs. 2-3/8" on the chair), and the mortises are 1/2" wide (vs. 5/8" on the chair). It seems like the ottoman is nearly complete at this stage, but there are still 16 more mortises to cut.
Wood Hardwood Wood stain Rectangle Plank

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Mortising for the side slats. These mortises are made with the 5/16" chisel.
Wood Bumper Tool Gas Automotive exterior

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I cut the tenons to size, checking the fit on the OUTSIDE of the mortise. Once all the joinery is done, the curves can be cut at the bandsaw.
Wood Sewing machine Sewing Floor Table saws

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One more dry assembly lets me take a true measurement for the lower cross rails.
Wood Rectangle Wood stain Stairs Hardwood

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The top rails are haunched where they intersect. This gives the shorter tenon as much surface area for glue as possible.
Wood Floor Wood stain Flooring Rectangle

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I try to rip all my stock for a project at the same time. That way I minimize the number of times I have to install the dado blade. Here I am doing the finish sanding prior to assembly.
Wood Gas Hardwood Flooring Machine

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Then the side assemblies go together.
Table Wood Flooring Floor Wood stain

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The lower cross rails are just large enough to add some rigidity to the frame, but small enough to be out of the way when tucking your feet under the ottoman.
Wood Creative arts Wooden block Wood stain Hardwood

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Once the side assemblies go together, it's just about done.
Product Wood Creative arts Wood stain Floor

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A few more pegs to flush trim, a little detail sanding, and I will be ready to apply the finish.
Building sets Wood Toy Red Construction set toy

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Next up will be stain and lacquer.
Wood Rectangle Wood stain Hardwood Gas
A lot of work, but very nicely done and with a beautiful result.
 

Attachments

Stain and Lacquer

I sprayed the chair with Rodda #19 stain, which I thin with a splash of mineral spirits.
Wood Floor Flooring Wood stain Hardwood

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After the chair had dried for 24-48 hours I sprayed Rudd lacquer (Satin sheen), which I strain and thin 20% with lacquer thinner. After the first coat I sanded with 320 grit soft sponges, and cleaned the dust with cheese cloth (not tack cloth) and compressed air.
Wood Tin Tin can Ingredient Flooring

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After the second coat I wet sanded with 1500 grit soft sponges. The whole chair only took 15-20 minutes to wet sand.
Wood Infant bed Wood stain Cradle Flooring

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The Rudd lacquer sprayed well, and left a nice satin finish without too much fuss.
Building Wood House Fixture Wood stain

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Here is the completed project page…
http://lumberjocks.com/projects/99452
Cheers!
Love the finish. Looks like quality and the sheen is just right too.
 

Attachments

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