I have always wanted to build a chair and then it
came: the issue of WOOD magazine at my doorstep. A traditional
Mission-style rocking chair. A few changes were made to the original
plans though, especially with the materials used. As I live on the
west coast, quarter-sawn white oak is not readily available so I had
to pick through the red oak at the local lumber yard to find the
"whitest" boards available. The plans also called for false
through-tenons using plugs whereas I decided to be true to the
design and pull all of the tenons straight through the sides and
armrest. The armrests were also notched into the back posts for a
stronger result, rather than the simple butt joints and screws as
recommended in the magazine. A half-hide of brown leather was then
stretched, formed and sewn to create a very comfortable and durable
seat. A couple of coats of MinWax "Early American" oil and a few
coats of hand-rubbed polyurethane were applied to get the final look
I wanted. |