projectpagemay

Cut the notches in the front legs to accept the front stringer. As you chisel out the
waste wood in the notch, shave the bottom carefully and fine-tune it with a rasp to keep
the notch from getting too deep.
As you assemble the basic frame, make sure your work surface is flat so each piece
aligns with the adjoining pieces at the correct angle. Be sure to use a dab of
construction adhesive in every joint and predrill a pilot and countersink hole for each
screw. A bit that drills a pilot and countersinks in one operation for the screws is
available in our hardware department .
To achieve the gentle taper of the back assembly, you'll need to taper the outer seat
slat and cut it. First, place a mark 1-1/2 in. from the edge on opposite ends. Connect
the marks with a line and then saw right down the middle of the line with your circular
saw. Sand or plane the cut edge to smooth away any saw marks.
Before you assemble the back of the chair, cut 1/4-in. thick spacers from scrap wood.
The spacers will ensure that the back assembly is the right width. Lay each slat on the
floor and make sure the best-looking side of each board is facing down. As you screw
the three back braces to the back slats, use a framing square to make sure they're
perpendicular. You'll find it easier to get the proper alignment if you match the center
point of each brace with the center line drawn down the middle back slat. Drill pilot
holes and drive 1-1/4 in. deck screws through the braces into the slats.
Once you've assembled the back, it's time to fasten it to the chair frame. Flip the frame
assembly upside down and insert the back assembly into it. As you align these
assemblies, it's critical to get the back of the seat braces flush with the outer backs
slats (H3) and then screw through the rear legs into the bottom back brace (J). Next,
glue and screw the horizontal arm supports (E) into the center back brace (K) and then
into the side of the outer back slat as well.
With the completion of this phase, you'll start to see a chair emerging. Flip the chair on
to its legs and cut and predrill the seat slats. Glue and screw them to the set braces
with 1-5/8 in. deck screws. Don't overdrive the screws-the heads should be just flush
with the seat slats. The last step of the assembly is to fasten the arms to the arm
supports and the legs. The notches you cut near the back of the arms hold the back
assembly firmly in place and reduce the stress on the screws at other joints. These
compound notches slice the arm at an angle. Cut the depth carefully with a handsaw
and then chisel out the notch.
You can built our step-back version of the chair or experiment with other shapes to suit
your sense of style. Feel free to try the gable or round back.

Key   Qty.    Size & Description

A           2         3/4"x3-1/2"x21" front legs
B           1         3/4"x31/2"x23" front stretcher
C          2         3/4"x5-1/2"x27" arms
D          2         3/4"x3"10-3/4" triangular arm supports
E          2         3/4"x11/2"x23-1/4" horizontal arm supports
F          2         3/4"x3-1/2"x34-1/2" rear legs
G         2         3/4x5-1/2"x17-3/4" seat braces
H1       1         3/4"x5-1/2"x35-3/4" center back slat
H2       2         3/4"5-1/2"x34-1/4" inner back slats
H3       1         3/4"x5-1/2"x32-3/4" outer back slats (taper cut into two pieces)
J          1          3/4"x3-1/2"x21-1/2" bottom back brace
K          1          3/4"x1-1/2"x23" center back brace
L          1           3/4"x1-1/2"x21-1/2" top back brace
M         7            3/4"x2-1/2"x21-1/2" seat slats