HOME-MADE MISSION CHAIR

You can make a mission chair suitable for the dining room from any one of the furniture woods (ash, birch, cedar, oak, etc.) to match the other articles of furniture. The materials can often be bought from Home Depot, Lowe's or your local lumber dealer, already dressed and sandpapered ready to cut the tenons and mortises. The material list can be made up from the dimensions given in the detail drawing. Front and back legs or posts, are made from 1-3/4-in. square stock, the back legs/posts having a slope of 2 in. from the seat to the top.

All slats are made from 7/8-in. material and of such widths as are shown in the detail [picture below].

Details of Chair Construction

The three upright slats you see in the back are 3/4 in. material.

The detail drawing clearly shows the side and back, the front being the same as the back from the seat down.

All joints are mortised in the posts, as shown. The joints, however, can be made with dowels if desired. If you choose dowel joints, they must be clamped very tight when glued and put together.

The seat can be made from one piece of 7/8-in. wood, fitted with notches around the posts. This is then upholstered with leather without using springs.

Leather must be selected of a color to go with the wood used in making the chair. The seat can also be made with an open center for a cane bottom by making a square of four pieces of 7/8-in. material about 4 in. wide. These pieces are fitted neatly to the proper size and doweled firmly together.

After the cane is put in the opening the cane is covered over and upholstered with leather in the same manner as with a solid bottom.