Thread: Rennie Mackintosh chair

A picture of your particular design would be good as a Google search brings up all these design variations.

Originally Posted by Johnatkit

I am an amateur woodworker and have started on a pair of Rennie Mackintosh high back chairs. The splat is oval and curved and passes through the middle of the back legs. I am looking for advice on how to cut the mortices in the legs to get a good fit. They will be at an angle to the legs and smaller on the outside than the inside. Has anyone done this?
Thanks

Tools, Hammer, chisel, sliding bevel and a few practice (dummy) joints until you are satisfied with the results. By the way you picked a beauty to cut your teeth on. All the best with it.


Cheers


Steve

I don't have a picture, at least not one suitable for transmission.
One place to see the chair design is at www.brucehamilton.co.uk
Click on Charles Rennie Furniture, highlight the "Argyle Range" and you will see 2 high back chairs with the oval splat.The splat is concave on the front, about 1/2" or 2.5cm curvature and passes through the tall back legs.

Wot toolbags said. This is going to be a matter of practice first and then slowly creep up on the mortise for your chair. I suppose if you wanted to simplify things, you could not curve the splat but then that would make the top of the legs thicker and generally detract from the look of the chair.
Lets see the completed chairs .
Cheers

John, if your not confident in your ability with a compounded though mortise (very difficult joint) then go with the join that the majority of Argyle copies are made from, and that is a fake through mortise.

Mortise the inside portion of the oval head splat to the legs, and stick on (mortise) the outer two bits to the upper legs to match. Only you will know, and your chair will still look a million bucks.

Down the track when you develop skills to match, then try the full mortise.

PS, this is my all time favorite chair. I hope you post some pics of your progress.

Originally Posted by Lignum

Mortise the inside portion of the oval head splat to the legs, and stick on (mortise) the outer two bits to the upper legs to match. Only you will know, and your chair will still look a million bucks.

Brilliant idea. Give that man a beer.

PS There is nothing I like more than seeing the Oz cricketers give the Poms a sound thrashing . But we can"t bame the Poms when they do the same to us.We can only take comfort in the fact that we have won the ashes more often.