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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
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    Default Mid Century chair: Information on process for building

    Hi,
    I hope this is the right forum. I have attached an image of a particular style of mid century chair with all its flowing curves.
    What puzzles me is how this particular style of chair was built with handtools prior to biscuit joiners and Festool domino machines?

    I checked on YouTube and the videos showing people building this chair style all used domino machines for joining the shaped legs and arms and rails together.
    I borrowed Michael Crow's book "Midcentury modern furniture: shop drawings and techniques for 29 projects" from the library and read through the relevant bits but he didn't have any relevant information for building this chair style.

    Does anyone have pointers to books or webpages which explain the process and techniques for building this chair style using handtools (and not factory processes)?
    I get the feeling that people resorted to dowels (blasphemy I know) to do the trickier joints but I hope to be proved wrong.
    Thanks in advance
    Attached Images Attached Images
    New Zealand

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
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    bilpin
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    Default

    The only joints in that chair that would require doweling are the arm rests. The rest could be mortise and tenon. Most production chairs of that period were fully dowelled. Slip tenons make the job much easier and produce a stronger chair than dowels.

  4. #3
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    Apr 2001
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    Perth
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    Paul, you should get some pointers on the M&T joinery, among other leg/arm joints, from the build I did on a Hans Wegner chair.

    Go to my website: Furniture

    And scroll down to "Building Hans Wegner's "The Chair" (2014)"

    Regards from Perth

    Derek
    Visit www.inthewoodshop.com for tutorials on constructing handtools, handtool reviews, and my trials and tribulations with furniture builds.

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
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    Hobart
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    5,106

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by paul.cleary View Post
    Hi,
    I hope this is the right forum. I have attached an image of a particular style of mid century chair with all its flowing curves.
    What puzzles me is how this particular style of chair was built with handtools prior to biscuit joiners and Festool domino machines? ...

    I have seen that design before, Paul, and am pretty sure that it is earlier than mid-century - possibly 1920's or so. Also, I think it was actually designed to be factory produced - cut out templates, bandsaws, drilling machines, alignment jigs, belt driven sanding machines, etc. Dowells still work well, but dominoes are usually better.

    I like making flowing, rounded stuff like that and usually find it easier to make all joints and to dry assemble the chair while the timber is still in "square format" = eg 75 x 35 mm = and then to band saw and route in those flowing curves.

    Have you seen the work of Sam Maloof?

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
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    Default

    Hi,
    thanks for the feedback and comments.
    Derek - I went and read through your documented process for building the Hans Wegener chairs. The process description is the kind of information I was looking for - I enjoyed reading it but the work involved is beyond my skill level.

    Graeme - I agree, these designs were originally aimed at factory production. You pointed out it was easier to hand cut the joints while the timber was in "square format". Related to that, I later found an outline of a similar process in the strangest place - the description for making a 1950s "modern style" (lots of flowing compound curves) coffee table project in the back of the book "Carpentry for Beginners" by Charles Haywood. He described making the mortices and tenons while the wood was rectangular and square.

    Based on this, I have attached an updated photo of the chair but with candidate outlines of the rectangular wood boards used to make the legs.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    New Zealand

  7. #6
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    You've got it, Paul. Hereis an example of the process taken one step further:

    IMG_0661.jpg IMG_0668.jpg

  8. #7
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    Dec 2007
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    Sydney
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    You’d get 2 rear legs from a longer piece for a lot less waste.
    H.
    Jimcracks for the rich and/or wealthy. (aka GKB '88)

  9. #8
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    Aug 2017
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    20200930_131741.jpg20200930_131741.jpg

    What Henry said a lot of wasted timber. I have made a few of these IMHO a bit better design.Might be a bit better option.
    Hopefully someone can make the picture right way up.

  10. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
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    Hobart, Tas
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    Quote Originally Posted by royflatmate View Post
    I have made a few of these IMHO a bit better design.Might be a bit better option.
    Hi Roy,

    Did you build these chairs from readily available plans? I’m currently looking for a nice mid century modern design to build, and am really taken by the style of your particular chairs.

    If you built them to your own design, would you be happy to provide some measurements and angles, along with additional photos?

  11. #10
    Join Date
    May 2011
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    Albury
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    3,019

    Default Here you go.

    Can't believe nobody turned one of these the right way up for you.
    Attached Images Attached Images

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