Morris Chair

[max]

I have wanting to build a Morris chair for over 10 years. Now that I am no longer a pro and my home shop is almost set up I am thinking of doing it. I remember a long tome ago in FWW a woman built one but used maple. She also did some exquisite inlay work. I will find a picture of a chair and will work from it as I don't think a full set of plans are needed for this simple design. I am torn. I love quarter sawn white oak. The challenge of making the posts with the qs rays on all 4 sides as well as the finishing and the leather seat are appealing, but I also like to make traditional things in non traditional ways. I haven't decided on the wood choice yet. Any thoughts on the whole blasphemous idea of alternate woods? max

[Patriarch]

max wrote in news:BE31863A.46516% [e-mail]:

So the Greene Brothers designed a wide range of furniture in the A&C style in mahogany and cherry. They seemed to have escaped with their reputation intact.

Jarrah would be lovely. Or Chechen or machiche. Just don't use purpleheart. Please.

Patriarch

[Jay Pique]

Pick wood for function, and hope the customer knows real beauty.

Of course you also have to finish it properly.

JP

******** Caulker.

[J T]

Fri, Feb 11, 2005, 5:42am (EST+5) [e-mail] (max) blurts out: Now that I am no longer a pro

A pro what?

JOAT Intellectual brilliance is no guarantee against being dead wrong.

- David Fasold

[Charlie Self]

Check the current Stickley catalog (on-line). You'll find numerous woods used in their Craftsman selections.

[Andy Dingley]

Get the Bavaro and Mossman book.

Plans for the #369 armchair and lots of constructional details. It's a _very_ good book.

There are few things as annoying as putting effort into a good repro, then not getting a detail right, like the finishing or the timber. You'll have a long time to stare at it afterwards.

I could countenance making some of the Craftsman styled pieces in cherry, particularly things like mirror frames. But they really need a darker timber, especially if you're using leather upholstery. Of course you can make them pale, but they just don't look as good.

[Swingman]

Actually, in the entire scheme of things, that was rarely done and is not necessarily charateristic of the style.

Are you doing a reproduction piece, or a piece for your personal enjoyment? If it's going to be _your_ chair, be damned with someone else's often mistaken ideas of "traditional" and do what you want.

QSWO has its benefits in stability, but it by no means the only wood that was used. One of the most beautiful "Morris" chairs I've seen was made of walnut with an oiled, non stained finish.

As someone else suggested, Bavaro and Mossman's book is a handy book, If you're serious about the style, you will want to have a copy.

[max]

A protégé, protagonist, proto type, proponent with leanings towards peller! max

[Joey]

[Lowell Holmes]

I can't imagine staining walnut.

I like cherry for craftsman style.