Build an Elegant Dining Chair: Watch the Construction Step-by-Step
with Matthew Teague
The chairmaking process is demystified in this video workshop led by woodworker and writer Matthew Teague. Follow each step of construction from design to final finish, and learn simple techniques that make this seemingly complex project easy for a variety of skill levels. Highlights include:
-More than an hour of video instruction.
-Learn to cut floating mortise-and-tenon joinery , shape curved parts with a router template, and simple upholstery techniques
-Download the woodworking plan.
-Order the full-scale plan including full-size templates from our plan store.
In this video workshop, Teague will show you how to build one of his favorite furniture projects, an elegant, solid-wood chair. He's built a number of chairs based on this design, and will share the tips and tricks he's learned along the way.
Chairmaking intimidates many woodworkers because of the angled joinery that’s typical of most chair designs, but it's not as hard as you might think. To simplify this chair’s construction, Teague used slip tenons (also called loose or floating tenons) to connect the parts. It also helps to use full-size templates to lay out the joinery.
A set of woodworking plans will be available to guide you in your build, but Teague also shows how to adjust the chair proportions to be comfortable in a range of sizes.
About the Instructor: Matthew Teague
I'm a furniture maker and writer based in Nashville, Tenn. After spending six years as an editor at Fine Woodworking magazine, I ventured off on my own to build furniture for a living and write about the craft.
In 2007 I built a new workshop and office behind my house, which I chronicled in a blog called The Smart Shop. It is a big step up from the one-car garage shop I wrote about in my first book, Projects for Your Shop.
Produced by: Gina Eide
Video by: Gary Junken; Editing by: Michael Dobsevage
Make the Templates and Patterns
Producing full-size drawings and templates is the key to simplifying the construction of this chair. In the first of our 10-part video series, Matthew Teague begins his chairmaking video workshop by drawing plans and making templates for the chair parts.
Full woodworking plans for this project are available as a download (coming soon), but you still need full size elevations of the side view and top view to produce full scale plywood templates. The show notes that follow go step-by-step through the process in queue with the video. Use the supplied time codes to find the corresponding section in the video.
Step One: Draw the side elevation
Time: 00:35
Start with the side-view drawing of the chair. This view determines the shape of the back leg and you will produce the router template from it.
First lay out the side-view template on a large sheet of 1/4-in. thick plywood. Make tick-marks for key dimensions. They are the seat height, the overall height of the chair, and the width measured by the legs at the top and bottom.
Step Two: Draw the back leg curve
Time: 1:01
Next, create the graceful curves for the chair back and leg using a flexible strip of maple, called a batten. Spend some time to get the curve just right because it will determine the angle (and comfort) of the chair back.
Step Three: Draw the top elevation
Time: 1:32
After you complete the side view drawing, draw a bird's-eye-view of the seat. This is what you will use to figure out the trapezoid angles of the seat and determine the angle of the joinery.
Start by drawing in the front and back legs. These front legs are square to the edge of the board. The back legs angle in by 9 degrees. To draw that angle set your bevel gauge to 9 degrees and make the mark from the back of the chair.
Step Four: Draw in the seat rails
Time: 2:10
After the back legs are drawn, connect the legs with the seat rails. Even though the front rail will be cut into a curve from a thick piece of stock, draw it on the template as a straight piece. You will cut the joinery in the rough stock and then shape the curve of the front rail on the bandsaw.
Step Five: Make the rear leg template
Time: 2:45
When your drawings are complete, use the side elevation to create a template for the back leg. Begin by ripping the plywood drawing on the tablesaw to create the flat shoulder line where the back leg joins the side rails. Then, rough out the template on the bandsaw, cutting close to the lines.
Step Six: Fair the curves with a spokeshave
Time: 3:20
Once the rear leg template is rough cut, clamp it in a bench vise and fair the curves with a spokeshave. Make sure it's one continuous curve. Once the template is complete, it's time to start choosing lumber.
Produced by: Gina Eide
Video by: Gary Junken; Editing by: Michael Dobsevage
Mill the Lumber and Shape the Rear Chair Legs
Now that you have full-scale templates and drawings to follow it's time examine your stock and choose the sections of rough lumber you will use for each chair part. In part two of our 10-part video series, Matthew Teague shows you how to choose the best lumber for each chair part based on the grain. This step makes a big impact on the look and integrity of the finished piece.
Also in this episode, Teague gets started cutting and shaping the rear legs. You'll get a crash course in routing with a template and fairing solid-wood lumber with a spokeshave.
Step One: Use your templates to choose rough boards
Time: 00:20
Careful grain selection is critical for the strength and beauty of the leg. Try to choose grain that naturally follows the curve you've created for the back leg.
Avoid choosing a piece that creates fragile short grain at the foot of each leg, and choose interesting grain patterns for the more visible parts, such as the back splat. Jointing one face of the board will help show how the grain runs so you can pick out the best pattern.
Step Two: Mill the boards
Time: 1:20
Next, joint and plane the rear leg workpieces to thickness. Trace the rear leg pattern on the flat stock with your template and rough out the rear leg blank on the bandsaw. Stay about 1/16- to 1/8-in. off the pencil mark. You will refine the shape with a router and bearing-guided router bit.
Step Three: Pattern routing
Time: 2:11
Pattern, or template, routing is a great way to clean up the leg blank since it creates a relatively smooth surface and yields repeatable results. Affix the pattern to the leg blank with double-sided carpet tape. Insert a bearing-guided bit into a router so that the bearing hits the template and cuts into the workpiece.
Step Five: Routing tips
Time: 2:37
To stay safe and minimize burning, make light passes with the router. Rout with the grain to lessen tearout. If the grain changes direction, turn the workpiece around. Use push pads to keep your fingers away from the spinning bit.
Step Six: Fair the curves with a spokeshave
Time: 4:13
Clean up the leg ends with a spokeshave. This will give you a smooth, fair curve. Also use the spokeshave to remove any tearout or burning from the router. Clamp the two legs side-by-side in a vise and clean them up together, to keep them identical. When fine-tuning with the spokeshave, stay away from the flat part of the leg where it will join the seat rails.
Produced by: Gina Eide
Video by: Gary Junken; Editing by: Michael Dobsevage
Choose and Rough Cut the Remaining Chair Parts
It's time to lay out the remaining parts. Picking the right boards makes a big difference in the chair's appearance and strength. In part three of our 10-part video series, Matthew Teague shows you how to choose the best lumber for each chair part based on the grain. This step makes a big impact on the look and integrity of the finished piece.
Step One: Select grain for the curved parts
Time: 0:20
The crest rail, back splat, and front seat rail are all curved, so the stock must be as thick as possible. Joint one face of these pieces to determine the direction of the grain and leave the other side rough so the board has maximum thickness. Once the blank is cut out, write the part name directly on the board. It’s a lot easier to write in the actual name than using hard-to-remember marks or symbols.
Step Two: Choose the right grain for remaining parts
Time: 2:48
Cut out the remaining parts, including the front legs and the seat rail. Choose straight-grained stock for these parts. Make sure to buy extra stock for test parts or spares in case of mistakes. Cutting the front leg blanks is straightforward. Leave them slightly long at this stage; you can trim them after glue-up.
Step Three: Cut seat rails using the drawing to guide cuts
Time: 4:10
Use your full-sized diagram to help determine the length and angle of the seat rails. The ends of the front seat rail are cut square, but the ends of the three remaining rails are cut at an angle. Take the angle directly from the full-size pattern, using a bevel gauge. Transfer that exact angle directly to the tablesaw and cut out the seat rails.
Produced by: Gina Eide
Video by: Gary Junken; Editing by: Michael Dobsevage
Introduction to Mortising
The chair uses mortise and loose-tenon joinery throughout. A hand-held plunge router and an edge guide make easy work of cutting the mortises. Teague starts by cutting mortises in the front legs, then the portion of the rear legs where the seat rail joins, and then the seat rails.
Step One: Make preliminary markings
Time: 0:16
Before you start to cut mortises, roughly mark out where the tapers will go on the front legs. To help keep your parts straight, note whether it’s the right or left leg on the top of both blanks. Also pencil in the front-leg mortise locations on the top of the legs.
Step Two: Mark seat rail lines
Time: 1:09
Next, lay out the mortise boundaries using a combination square. Start by drawing in where the seat rails hit.
Step Three: Find the mortise location
Time: 1:37
Use the seat rail marks to determine the mortise length. Measure inside each of seat-rail mark and draw two parallel lines. Use these lines start and end points for routing the mortise.
Step Four: Draw a centerline for the mortise
Time: 1:51
Next mark the horizontal line on which the mortise will be centered.
Step Five: Mark mortise locations on the second leg face
Time: 2:31
Once you’ve marked out the mortise locations on the side of one leg, transfer the lines to the other face that gets a mortise.
Step Six: Lay out mortises on the other leg
Time: 2:52
To save time, transfer the layout marks from the first front leg to the other one. Line up the legs and transfer the measurements.
Step Seven: Get set for routing
Time: 3:20
You don’t need to use a jig to cut these mortises. Instead, Teague uses a plunge router with an edge guide. Create a flat surface for the router to reference against by clamping the front legs securely together in a vise. Take extra time to make sure that they’re completely flush on the top. Insert a 3/8-in. router bit and set the depth of cut. Adjust the edge guide so you cut on the mortise centerlines.
Step Eight: Start routing
Time: 4:06
Begin cutting the first mortise. Make slow passes, cutting just 1/8 in. depth at a time.
Step Nine: Cut the remaining front leg mortises
Time: 4:43
Once the first mortise is cut, start working on the others using the same method.
Step Ten: Lay out the back-leg mortises
Time: 5:06
Next, begin marking out and cutting the mortises in the rear legs
Step Eleven: Lay out and cut the seat rail mortises
Time: 5:28
Once the leg mortises are cut, begin working on the mating mortises in the seat rails. Lay out the mortise marks. Clamp the two matching angled rails together in a vise. Position them carefully and make sure the tops of the seat rails are flush to create a solid bearing surface.
Step Twelve: Create additional bearing surface
Time: 6:14
Clamp a piece of plywood to the rails in the vise to create an additional straight edge.
Step Thirteen: Rout the seat rails
Time: 6:36
Begin routing the seat rail mortises. It’s cutting into end grain so go extra slowly. Once the first mortises are made, turn the pieces over in the vise and rout the mortises in the other side.
Step Fourteen: Lay out the front seat-rail mortises
Time: 6:57
Take the lay out marks for the front seat-rail mortises directly off the mating mortises in the side seat rails. Make sure to use the jointed edge, not the rough one, as a reference surface. You will eventually cut a curve into the rough side.
Step Fifteen: Cut the remaining mortises
Time: 7:40
Begin cutting the front seat rail mortises. You can also cut mortises into the back seat rail using the same procedure as before.
Produced by: Gina Eide
Video by: Gary Junken; Editing by: Michael Dobsevage
Making and Installing Loose Tenons
Watch as Teague cuts the loose tenons assembly-line fashion. He rips long, thin strips of stock on the tablesaw, rounds them over on the router table, cuts them to length, and then fine-tunes the shape with hand tools.
Step One: Cut tenons to width
Time: 0:28
Teague makes the tenons from a long strip of ash. To make the tenon strip, begin by taking measurements from the mortises you just cut. Use these dimensions for the tenons. Transfer the mortise-length measurement to the tablesaw, and use it to set the distance between the fence and the blade. Then cut the tenon blank to width.
Step Two: Cut to appropriate thickness
Time: 0:41
Next, rip the tenon strips to the appropriate thickness, again taking the exact dimension from the actual mortises. Use a zero-clearance insert to prevent the thin strips from slipping into the gap next to the blade.
Step Three: Cutting tip
Time: 1:18
Raise the blade only to half the height of the tenon strip, then turn the workpiece around and cut off the strip in a second pass. This method helps to compensate if the blade is not exactly 90º. Leaving the tenons a little fat is OK, since they can be trimmed by hand as each joint is fit.
Step Four: Round over the tenon strip
Time: 1:42
Shape the edges of the tenon strips on the router table using a roundover bit.
Step Five: Fine-tune the tenons
Time: 2:26
Use a handplane to refine the tenons, giving them a snug fit in the mortise. It's a good idea to chamfer on the tenon ends to help them slide into the mortise.
Step Six: Make tenon "finger joints"
Time: 3:55
Two mortise-and-tenon joints meet in the middle of each leg. To accommodate the two tenons that want fill the same space, Teague notches each one to create a sort-of finger joint inside the leg. First mark the tenons to lay out the cuts.
Step Seven: Cut the joining tenon pieces on the bandsaw
Time: 5:09
Notch the finger joints on the bandsaw following your layout lines. Then test-fit the tenons in the leg joint. Follow this procedure for all the leg-joinery tenons.
Produced by: Gina Eide
Video by: Gary Junken; Editing by: Michael Dobsevage
Shape the Legs and Rails
Discover the tips and techniques for preparing the chair parts as Teague finishes the legs and the seat rails.
Step One: Trim the rear legs
Time: 0:15
Teague first cuts angles at the top and bottom of the rear leg, where it sits on the floor and where it joins the crest rail. You must make the cuts identical on both pieces. If the legs don’t line up top to bottom, the joinery throughout the piece will be off.
Step Two: Cutting Tips
Time: 0:35
To keep them identical, first mark out the cut, then attach the legs together with carpet tape.
Step Three: Trim on the tablesaw
Time: 1:10
Teague retracts the tablesaw blade, places the two legs over the top of the blade opening, and clamps them securely to the table. He then slowly raises the spinning blade so that it cuts into each leg at the same angle. He uses the same procedure to taper the top and bottom of the rear legs.
Step Four: Lay out the front leg tapers
Time: 1:55
The front and rear legs are tapered on two vertical faces. Each face of the front legs that receives a mortise, also gets a taper. Use the plan dimensions and make pencil marks to guide taper cuts.
Step Five: Lay out the back leg tapers
Time: 3:14
The back legs receive similar tapers. One face automatically gets tapered when the leg pattern is cut out and the second is tapered on the bandsaw. Use the plan dimensions and lay out this second taper.
Step Six: Cut the front tapers
Time: 3:41
Rough the front leg tapers out on the bandsaw and clean them up using a hand plane.
Step Seven: Chamfer the legs
Time: 4:18
Teague finishes the legs off with an approximately 1/16-in. chamfer on the corners of the legs. He cuts the chamfers by hand using a small finger plane, but any small plane will do.
Step Eight: Cut another taper for the back leg
Time: 4:32
The only tricky part is that the curved rear leg must be slowly rocked as the taper is cut to keep the section being cut tight to the bandsaw table.
Step Nine: Fine tune taper by hand
Time: 4:52
Then use a hand plane to smooth out bandsaw marks and pare down to the layout lines. Be careful not to plane past where the seat rails will join to the legs.
Step Ten: Start shaping the front seat rail
Time: 5:03
The front seat rail needs to be cut into an arch. After you cut the mortises in the ends of the rail, mark out the arch lines, using the full-size diagram for guidance.
Step Eleven: Mark the arch
Time: 5:15
Find the centerline for the blank and the arch end points and connect the dots with a batten to create a fair curve.
Step Twelve: Cut the arc
Time: 5:38
Then cut the outside edge of the curve on the bandsaw. Smooth out the curve on a power sander. Use a light touch, avoid a really coarse grit, and don’t rest the workpiece on the sanding table.
Step Thirteen: Clean up with a spokeshave
Time: 6:13
Finish the curve using a sharp spokeshave.
Step Fourteen: Lay out the inside curve
Time: 6:35
The front seat rail’s inside curve must match the outside curve. Layout the inside curve by using a square to drag a line an inch away from the front curve.
Step Fifteen: Cut the inside curve
Time: 7:14
Repeat the same bandsaw, sanding, and spokeshave procedure on the inside curve. Only an inch or so of the top edge needs to be smooth and nice since the remainder of the seat rail will be on the underside of the chair or covered by the slip seat.
Step Sixteen: Rabbet the seat rails
Time: 7:27
Once the front seat rail is shaped, add a rabbet for the slip seat to the front and side rails. Use a bearing-guided rabbeting bit, set to make a cut about 3/8 in. into the workpiece.
Produced by: Gina Eide
Video by: Gary Junken; Editing by: Michael Dobsevage
Prepare the Crest Rail and Back Splat
After shaping the legs and seat rails and cutting the joinery for those parts, this episode covers the steps involved in working on the back of the chair. See how Matthew Teague shapes and mortises the back splat and crest rail.
Step One: Prepare for crest rail cuts
Time: 0:04
First, dry-fit the rear legs with the rear seat rail and clamp the parts together. Then start prepping the crest rail. It should follow the same sweeping angle as the back legs and the top of the rail must be parallel to the floor. Use a bevel gauge and place it on the front of the leg to determine the angle, then transfer that angle to the tablesaw to cut the rail.
Step Two: Cut a test piece
Time: 1:11
Verify that the angles are correct using a spare 2x4.
Step Three: Trim the top and bottom of the crest rail blank
Time: 1:44
Once the tablesaw angle is accurate, cut the real crest rail blank from a piece of ash.
Step Four: Lay out the rear-leg mortises
Time: 2:11
Next, begin to cut the mortises that will join the crest rail to the rear legs. Teague first marks out the mortise locations in the rear legs using plywood spacers.
Step Five: Prepare leg-assembly for mortising
Time: 3:36
Clamp down the rear leg assembly. Teague clamps it to his workbench using wood blocks to hold the irregular parts in place.
Step Six: Rout the mortises
Time: 3:46
Use a plunge router with a 1/4-in. bit and an edge guide to cut the mortises in the top of the legs. Set the depth of cut to 5/8 in. and rout along your layout lines.
Step Seven: Lay out the crest-rail mortises
Time: 4:02
Transfer the mortise locations from the rear legs to the crest-rail blank.
Step Eight: Cut the crest-rail mortises
Time: 4:54
Clamp the crest rail in a vise, and cut the mortises using a plunge router and edge guide.
Step Nine: Cut and fit loose tenons
Time: 5:09
Once the rear legs and the crest rail are mortised, cut tenon strips. Follow the same procedure you used to make the larger tenons. Next, fit the tenons to the mortises. Take your time to get a nice tight fit.
Step Ten: Plan the crest rail shape
Time: 6:09
Mark out the crest rail curve. Lay out the end points and draw in a fair curve using a batten. These lines will help locate mortises for the back splat.
Step Eleven: Locate the centerlines
Time: 6:44
Next mark the centerline for the back splat on the rear seat rail and crest rail. The shaped back splat will be 5/8 in. thick and inset 3/16 in.
Step Twelve: Plan the back splat cut
Time: 7:14
Dry-fit the back assembly and put a straightedge between the centerlines on the crest rail and rear seat rail. Use a bevel gauge to capture the angle between the crest rail bottom and this straight edge. Use this angle to trim the top and bottom of the back splat. Transfer the bevel-gauge angle to the tablesaw.
Step Thirteen: Cut a test piece
Time: 7:36
Use a test piece first to check the angle of the tablesaw cut. Adjust bevel angle as necessary.
Step Fourteen: Fit the back-splat blank
Time: 8:10
Once the test piece is cut to the right size, and fits snugly in the back assembly, cut the top and bottom of the actual back-splat blank. Make multiple cuts to sneak up on the exact dimensions.
Step Fifteen: Lay out the back-splat mortises
Time: 8:52
Next mark out mortise locations on the centerline of the back splat, crest rail, and rear seat rail. Make a wide mortise and tenon joint in the middle of the back splat and then two smaller ones to either side.
Step Sixteen: Cut the mortises
Time: 9:38
After the locations are marked, start routing the mortises.
Step Seventeen: Test fit the assembly
Time: 11:24
Once you cut all the joints, fit tenons in the mortises and verify that the back assembly fits and the joints close up correctly.
Produced by: Gina Eide
Video by: Gary Junken; Editing by: Michael Dobsevage
Shape the Crest Rail and Back Splat
Once you finish the joinery for the back splat and crest rail, start shaping the parts.
Step One: Rough out the curve on the bandsaw
Time: 0:04
Begin shaping the crest rail blank, following the guidelines that you drew earlier. First rough out the shape on the bandsaw.
Step Two: Clean up the shape
Time: 0:35
Next, power sand the blank to eliminate sawmarks and clean up the curve. Finish shaping the part with a spokeshave and card scraper.
Step Three: Test fit the assembly
Time: 1:40
Once you sand and fine tune the crest rail with a spokeshave, dry-fit the back assembly again to make everything still fits appropriately.
Step Four: Lay out the back splat shape
Time: 1:57
Next, start marking out the curve of the back splat. Mark key points on the side of the back splat blank, connect points using the arched pattern in the rear leg template. This way the arch of the back splat will match that of the rear leg. It helps to draw in the mortise locations on the side of the blank. This helps to avoid accidentally cutting into the mortises when shaping the blank on the bandsaw.
Step Five: Shape the back splat on the bandsaw
Time: 3:15
Cut out the back-splat arch on the bandsaw using the layout lines you just drew. Verify that the bandsaw table is at 90º to the blade before beginning to cut. This procedure is essentially resawing. The machine will create a lot of dust and friction so wear a dust mask and cut slowly.
Step Six: Trim the sides of the back splat
Time: 3:35
Once the back-splat arch is roughed out, mark in the side curves. Teague uses a thin plywood pattern and traces it onto the back-splat blank. Then cut out the shape on the bandsaw.
Step Seven: Clean up with a power sander and spokeshave
Time: 4:29
Use a belt sander to clean up any bandsaw marks. The offcut from the back-splat blank makes a nice cradle to hold the workpiece in place. Then use a spokeshave to get the back splat to its final shape.
Step Eight: Add a chamfer
Time: 5:28
Teague finishes the back splat by cutting a chamfer into the back with a spokeshave. This makes the part look thinner and more refined.
Step Nine: Complete the crest rail
Time: 6:21
Finally, wrap up the crest-rail shaping by trimming the sides of the blank. Teague draws in a simple arch, cuts it out on the bandsaw, and sands it to shape.
Produced by: Gina Eide
Video by: Gary Junken; Editing by: Michael Dobsevage
Assembly and Glue up
Once you finish shaping and joining all the parts, it’s time to assemble and glue up the chair. Teague glues up the front and back assemblies, then he adds the side rails to connect the two sections.
Step One: Start with the front assembly
Time: 0:00
Begin with the front legs and front seat rail. Once you fine-tuned the joints, test-fit the front assembly and side rails. Before you apply any glue, give the piece a light coat of finish, such as Waterlox, to make it easier to remove any squeeze out.
Step Two: Glue-up tips
Time: 0:06
Use a brush to apply glue to both the mortises and the tenons. Be careful to remove any glue that creeps into the mortise that will join with the side seat rails.
Step Three: Clamp the parts in place
Time: 2:10
Clamp the assembly and check to make sure that the joints are closing up well.
Step Four:
Check for square
Time: 2:31
Use a measuring tape to verify that the assembly is square. Wipe off any squeeze out and let the assembly sit for at least 3 hours.
Step Five: Work on the chair back
Time: 2:55
Next, glue up the back assembly. Start by dry-fitting the back legs, back splat, rear seat rail, and crest rail. Verify that the joints fit appropriately.
Step Six: Clamping tip
Time: 3:19
Since the chair involves a lot of odd angles and curves, make sure not to apply more clamping pressure than necessary or you risk throwing the joinery off.
Step Seven: Glue up the back
Time: 4:03
Begin gluing up the mortises and tenons. Clamp up the assembly and check to make sure everything is square.
Step Eight: Glue up the full assembly
Time: 5:17
Once the glued-up front and back assemblies have cured, dry-fit the two sections together, adding in the side seat rails. Verify that the joints are coming together well and then glue up the mortises and the tenons. Clamp the joints and make sure that the assembly is square.
Corner blocks and front leg trimming
Step Nine: Prepare corner blocks
Time: 6:13
Once the chair is glued up, install corner blocks. First, transfer the layout of the leg and seat rails to a block of wood and draw a rough shape for the corner block.
Step Ten: Shape the corner blocks
Time: 6:40
Cut this pattern out on the bandsaw. Fine tune the corner block fit and round over the corners on a power sander.
Step Eleven: Install corner blocks
Time: 7:24
Drill counter-sunk pilot holes for the screws that you’ll use to install the corner block. Then apply glue to the block and secure it in place with screws.
Step Twelve: Trim the front legs
Time: 8:06
To finish up the legs, trim the top of the front legs with a hand saw. Then hand-chamfer the top of the legs using a hand plane.
Step Thirteen: Round the seat rail rabbet
Time: 8:35
Next do some detail work and round the corners of the rabbets where the slip seat will sit. Round the corner with a 5/8 in. Forstner bit.
Step Fourteen: Trim with a chisel
Time: 9:46
Clean up this corner area with hand tools. Chisel out the majority of the waste and then use a gouge to round the corner completely.
Step Fifteen: Final chamfer for the legs
Time: 10:19
Then hand-chamfer the top of the legs with a hand plane.
Produced by: Gina Eide
Video by: Gary Junken; Editing by: Michael Dobsevage
Upholstery and Finishing Touches
Wrap up the side chair project by making an elegant slip seat and applying a wipe-on finish. Get step-by-step instruction for upholstering the seat and learn Teague’s simple finishing strategy.
Step One: Start making the seat blank
Time: 0:10
Begin by cutting a seat blank out of a piece of 1/2 in. plywood. First, use a bevel gauge to copy the seat angles onto the plywood and then draw in lines for each side of the blank.
Step Two: Cut out the seat blank
Time: 0:51
Use a bandsaw to cut out the sides of the seat blank. Then cut a rough, oversize curve for the front seat rail section. Take the seat blank and place it inside the rabbets of the actual seat. Trace curve of the front seat rail onto the blank and then cut out that pattern on the bandsaw.
Step Three: Start upholstering
Time: 1:56
Once you make the seat blank, it's time to prepare the upholstery. First cut the fabric of your choice about 4 in. wider than the seat blank in every direction. Then set the fabric aside.
Step Four: Cut the foam to size
Time: 2:55
Next, cut out the high-density foam for the seat cushion. Use spray adhesive to attach the seat blank to the foam. This will help hold things in place as you work. Then trim the foam to the size of the seat blank using a razor knife, serrated knife, or even scissors. Finally, chamfer the foam using a pair of scissors, knocking the hard corner off at a 45º angle.
Step Five: Add the fiber fill
Time: 4:03
Teague applies a layer of fiber fill to help round over the edge of the foam. Begin stapling the fiber fill to the front edge of the seat blank. Once the front portion is secured, Teague works his way around the blank, stapling the fiber fill in place. When it’s all stapled down, he trims the excess with a razor knife.
Step Six: Lay on the fabric
Time: 5:26
Next, lay the seat blank in place on the fabric you cut earlier. If there is a pattern to the fabric, make sure that it lines up well. Begin by stapling the fabric tightly in the front and back of the seat blank.
Step Seven: Staple the fabric in place
Time: 7:00
Once the fabric is secured at the front and back, staple it at the two sides of the seat blank, pulling the fabric tightly across the seat of the chair. Continue stapling down the upholstery, moving from the centers of the blank to the corners. Stop about 2 in. before each corner.
Step Eight: Give the corners special treatment
Time: 7:46
In the corner section, Teague pulls the corner fabric tightly together and slowly rocks it back and forth, stapling the fabric securely at the base with multiple staples. Watch the video to see the procedure in action.
Step Nine: Add the final touches
Time: 8:43
Trim the excess fabric from the bottom of the seat blank. At this point, the bottom can also be covered with a black cloth for a professional look.
Step Ten: Check the fit
Time: 9:46
Test the fit the blank in the actual chair. Now the slip seat is complete.
Step Eleven: Finish the chair
Time: 9:59
Teague finishes the chair with several coats of hand-applied oil-varnish finish. He preps the surface of the piece as he completes each part so there isn’t much work to do after glue up. Rub on a heavy layer of finish for the first coat. Teague then applies three or four more coats to achieve the desired sheen. Apply the second and third coats with wet/dry sandpaper to get a really smooth surface and to work the oil into the wood grain. Note: Wear gloves to protect your skin when finishing.
Produced by: Gina Eide
Video by: Gary Junken; Editing by: Michael Dobsevage
