by Daniel Diehl
Repeat this process for the back assembly. Be sure to lay the pieces of the back facedown on your work surface when you are laying out the location of the mortise joints so that the face of the top rail and the rail beneath the back panel lie on the same plane. The tenons on the stiles should fit precisely inside the rabbeted panel groove on the top rail, making location of the mortises quite easy. The mortises on the rail beneath the back panels are slightly unusual. As shown in the detail D drawing, this rail is only ¾ inch thick; consequently, the mortises must be cut 3/8 inch deep across the rail’s entire width. The oddly shaped tenons on the bottom of the stiles should lock easily into place on this rail and the central support rail.
After the back has been mortised and fitted together, attach the frame to the back corner support posts in the same manner that you attached the front frame to the arm support posts. Determine the proper location of the corner posts by aligning the top rail 1½ inches beneath the top edge of the corner post. When the entire assembly fits square and plumb, rout or cut the chamfers along the bottom edge of the panel frames. Next, lay out and cut the mortises for the lower rear panels. Then assemble the entire back, including both layers of paneling. Note, however, that the lower back rail does not intersect the corner posts. They will both be joined to the foot unit during final assembly.
Arm Assembly
Remove the arm support posts and back corner posts from the front and back assemblies. Lay aside the remaining pieces of the front and back. Mark the feet and rabbet out the groove for the linenfold panel as shown in the top view of the foot. Then lay out and cut the front and rear tenons as shown in the side and top views of the foot. Position the corner posts so that the mortises for the front and back assemblies are properly aligned in relationship to the feet, and mark and cut the mortises on the bottom ends of the corner posts. These mortises will be open on two sides to allow them to slide over the tenons.
Now lay out and cut the mortises to receive the armrest. With the foot and armrest fitted into place, mark and cut the mortises to receive the central stile. The face of the stile should lie flush with the face of the frame, so it is best to lay the end assembly facedown on your work surface to mark the location of the mortises. After the stile has been fitted into the foot and the armrest, assemble the side frame and, with a pencil, connect the panel groove in the foot with the one in the armrest, along the inside faces of the front and rear corner posts. Disassemble the unit, rabbet out the penciled line to a ¾-inch depth, and reassemble the frame.
On the bottom of the armrest, there should be a second rabbeted groove. Extend the line of this rabbet 11¼ inches down the front and back corner posts. This rabbet will receive the inte- rior arm panel. To insert the panel, however, you need to cut away a ¾- inch-wide strip from the central back of the stile. This notch should be 11½ inches long (1 inch longer than the height of the interior arm panel). The extra inch allows the bottom edge of the notch to serve as a seat support.
Next, cut a mortise in the foot to receive the lower back rail, as shown in the top view of the foot. Temporarily assemble the entire frame, including all the panels, making certain the entire structure fits square, plumb, and snug. Make any necessary adjustments, then remove the front and end panels and peg together the back assembly, following the doweling marks in the front and rear view drawings. Similarly, assemble and dowel together the front. Do not dowel together the ends at this time.
Interior Floor
The interior of the settle has a floor that serves as the bottom of the storage compartment, shown in cutaway in the section A drawing. The front edge of the floor assembly rests on the interior edge of the lower front rail. The rear edge (also shown in section A) and the ends of the floor rest on 1½-by-1½-inch rails that are attached to the back assembly and the end panels. Cut to length and install the rail for the rear edge, making sure it is level with the lower front rail. When measuring the height of the lower front rail, allow 2¼ inches for the height of the feet.
The floor is made from randomwidth boards simply laid on the rails. The materials list suggests appropriately wide boards, but you may use any width you wish, the wider the better. They need not be pegged together, but do attach them to the support rails with either pegs or small hand-forged nails. Fit the floorboards into place before permanently attaching the ends of the settle, because a notch will have to be cut to allow the central floorboard or boards to fit around the stile in the middle of the end panel. Attaching the floor to the support rails should be the last step in construction.
Seat
Now that the settle is temporarily assembled, measure for the seat. The left and right edges of the seat slide beneath the interior arm panels, as shown in the interior arm panel drawing; this allows them to rest on the shoulder of the divider stile in the arm assembly. (See the top view of section B and the arm section 1 drawings.) The original seat was cut from a single plank, the lid having been cut out and reattached with hinges. Since it is unlikely that you will find a 19¾-inchwide oak plank, you will probably have to peg and glue several boards together (see page 2). This allows you to make the lid and surrounding seat separately. Extra support for the left and right ends of the lid is provided by a lap joint, visible in the front view drawing. Note that the front corners of the seat will have to be notched to fit around the front arm supports.
Final Assembly
After the seat has been set in place on the assembled frame, check to ensure that the settle is square and level. Then peg the end assemblies together and attach them to the arm supports and rear corner posts. Roll the settle onto its back to give full access to the interior of the storage compartment. Lay the floorboards inside the settle, and attach the 1½-by-1½-inch support rails to the stiles and corner posts on the ends of the settle. Stand the piece upright and arrange the floorboards on the support rails, then nail them in place.
Hinges
Following the pattern for the hinges shown in the top view of section B, make a pair of hinges according to the instructions on page 10. Set the lid in place on the chest’s seat, position the hinges, and attach them to the seat and lid with hand-forged nails. Drill pilot holes for the nails first to avoid splitting the wood. Clinch the backs of the nails to prevent the hinges from shifting or working loose.
Carved Figures
Cut blocks of wood to size, as shown in the animal figure drawings. In the center of one end of each block, drill a 3/8-inch hole to a depth of 1 inch. This will allow you to dowel the finished figures onto the tops of the arm supports and corner posts. Enlarge the drawings of the lion and dog on a photocopier and transfer them directly onto the wood. Remember that there are left and right sides to each figure. Following the instructions for sculptural carvings on page 5, execute the figures as shown in the drawings. Cut four 17/8-inch lengths of 3/8-inch doweling, and gently insert one into the hole in the base of each carved animal. Tap the animals into place on the arms and corner posts.
Finish
To give the settle a finish comparable with that of the original, mix three parts dark oak stain and one part red mahogany stain, combined in equal parts with boiled linseed oil, and add a touch of turpentine.
PROJECT 9
Spanish Armchair
Armchair, Spanish, sixteenth century. Walnut and leather, 425⁄8 x 195⁄8 x 271⁄16 inches. Collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Photo by Mark P. Donnelly.
Made in Spain sometime during the 1500s, this chair is a fine example of household furnishings intended for the up-and-coming merchant class, which was rapidly supplanting the old nobility as society’s dominant economic force. While the chair is not as grand and ostentatious as the furnishings owned by kings and grandees, the intricate patterning on the leatherwork indicate that it was designed as much to impress as to provide a comfortable seat. Gone are the heavy lines and thick boards common in medieval furniture; in their place came sleek, lightweight pieces like this. It is possible that this was one of a set of dining room ch
airs and may have had four or more companion pieces; if so, this chair also signals that the old household arrangement of an all-purpose great hall had given way to a room dedicated specifically to dining.
Construction Notes
The construction of this piece is both simple and straightforward. Like the Curule chair, found in an earlier chapter, this chair consists of a leather seat and back supported by a wooden framework. There are a wide variety of techniques—such as leatherwork, lathe turning, and simple carving—used in the construction and decoration of this chair but none of them are complicated or extensive, making this a good project for builders who have mastered the basics and are looking for a project that will help them develop new skills without pushing them beyond their abilities. Pay close attention to the shape of the rear legs; the angles of the lower leg and upper back support are essential for a comfortable finished product.
Materials
With the notable exception of the leather seat and back, this fine chair is constructed of European walnut. Its American cousin, black walnut, is a darker wood, so you may want to consider building the chair from a lighter-colored hardwood such as maple, oak, or ash. The seat and back are made from heavy leather of the type used for making horse harnesses.
Rear Legs
Close examination of the side view illustration shows that the back legs, which also serve as the back supports, are angled away from the central point of the seat. Each leg is cut from a board that is 4½ inches wide, 1¾ inches thick, and 425⁄8 inches long. The precise angles of the top and bottom ends of the legs are shown in the rear leg pattern drawing. The upper back support section slopes away from the center point at a 5-degree angle, while the lower leg section slopes at a 9-degree angle. To ensure that both legs are identical, we suggest cutting a pattern from cardboard and using this as a template for laying out both legs before cutting them from the board.
Next, lay out the five mortises on the legs. The locations and sizes of the five mortises are shown in the right rear leg drawing. The two mortises shown as shaded areas will accept the tenons on the top and lower back stretchers. These mortises are set parallel to the body of the leg and are therefore at slight angles from true vertical. The three mortises shown as white areas will accept the arm rest and the seat supports and side stretchers. The mortises for the arm rest and side stretchers are deeper on one side than on the other because of the angle of the legs. Remove excess wood with a ¼-or 3⁄8-inch drill bit, and smooth the inner sides and ends of the mortises with a sharp chisel. The upper and lower mortises on the front faces of the legs should be shallower on one end, as shown in the right rear leg drawing.
Front Leg Turnings
The front legs are 29½ inches long and 1¾ inches square. Begin shaping these legs by executing the lathe turnings on the 4¼-inch-long section just beneath the arm rests. Details of this turned area are shown in the drawing of the front leg turnings. When you lay out the area to be turned, leave ¾ inch of wood above the 1¾-inch blank area above the turned section to provide for the tenon that will insert into the mortise on the bottom of the arm rest. At the widest point of the urn-shaped central section of the turned areas are two narrow, incised bands. These bands are no wider than a pencil line and are just sufficiently deep to make them clearly visible. Irregularities in the leg turnings on the original chair indicate that they were probably turned on a pole lathe, so if your legs vary slightly from the front leg detail drawing, it will only make them appear more authentic.
Front Leg Mortises and Tenons
Each of the front legs has three mortises and one tenon. The tenon, illustrated in the arm cross section, is ¾ inch square and ¾ inch in length. It is situated in the exact center of the top end of the leg. We suggest marking an X across the corners of the top of the leg with an adjustable square to locate the center. Measure outward from this point 3⁄8 inch in each direction and mark the top of the tenon. Cut away the excess wood to form the ¾-by-¾-by-¾ tenon.
Two of the mortises on each front leg will attach to the side stretcher and seat support. Their locations can be seen in the side view drawing of the chair. The mortise for the seat support begins 18½ inches above the bottom of the leg. It is 2 inches high, ¾ inch wide, and 1 inch deep. This mortise is located in the center of the 1¾-inch thickness of the leg, with ½ inch of wood remaining on either side of the mortise. Refer to the side view and seat support tenon drawings.
The mortise for the side stretcher, located near the bottom of the side of the chair, begins 37⁄8 inch above the bottom of the leg. It is 1¾ inches high, ¾ inch wide, and 1 inch deep. The side stretcher mortise is also located in the center of the leg, with ½ inch of wood remaining on either side of the stretcher. Refer to the side view and side stretcher front tenon drawings.
The final mortise in the front legs will join to the front stretcher. The front view drawing shows that this mortise begins 12¾ inches above the bottom of the leg. It is 37⁄8 inches high, ½ inch wide, and 1 inch deep. It is located in the center of the leg, with 5⁄8 inch of wood remaining on either side of the mortise. Refer to the front view and front and back stretcher tenon drawings.
After laying out all three mortises, remove excess wood with a ¼-or 3⁄8-inch drill bit, and smooth the inner sides and ends of the mortises with a sharp chisel.
Seat Supports and Stretchers
The chair has two seat supports and five stretchers: one stretcher on the front and two on the back, and one on each side. The front and lower back stretchers are identical, as are the two side stretchers and the two seat supports. The overall dimensions of these pieces are given on the materials list.
As shown in the front and back stretcher tenon drawing, the tenons on these two pieces are offset, with ½ inch of the thickness of the wood being removed from only one side of the board. The tenons on both ends of the front and lower back stretchers are 37⁄8 inches high, ¾ inch wide, and 1 inch long. The tenons on the top back stretcher, shown in the top back stretcher tenon drawing, are also offset, with ¼ inch of wood removed from one side of the ¾-inch-thick stretcher. These tenons are 15⁄8 inches high, ½ inch thick, and 1 inch long. The seat supports, which also serve as additional stretchers, have the tenons centered on the ends of the supports, with ½ inch of wood removed from each side of the 1¾-inchthick supports. These tenons are ¾ inch thick, 2 inches high, and 1 inch long.
The side stretchers are a bit more challenging. The front tenon, as shown in the side stretchers front tenon drawing, is centered in the stretcher’s 1¾-inch width, with ½ inch of wood removed from each side of the tenon to form a tenon 1 inch in length. The rear tenon, however, is cut on an angle. The end of the rear tenon is square but the inner face of the stretcher (the point from which the tenon extends) is cut on a 9-degree angle, making the top of the tenon 1 full inch in length but the bottom only ¾ inch long. This will allow the tenon to fit squarely against the outward angle of the rear leg.
Test-fit the tenons into the leg mortises to make sure that they fit snugly with the tap of a mallet or a few raps with the palm of your hand. Also make sure that the rear tenons on the side stretchers abut fully against the rear legs; if there is a gap at the top or bottom, the angled face of the stretcher behind the tenon can be adjusted slightly to ensure that the stretcher fits flush against the face of the leg.
The Arms
Constructing and fitting the arms is by far the most challenging aspect of this project. To gain an overall concept of the shape of the arms, study the side and back view drawings and the left arm outside and arm cross section drawings carefully. Each arm is cut from a piece of wood 195⁄8 inches long, 3 inches wide, and 13⁄8 inches thick. The inside face of the arm is plain and square, but the outside is heavily shaped.
Begin forming each arm by cutting the rounded, slightly oval shape on the front end and the adjoining quarter-circular notch immediately behind it. If possible, use a deep-throated band saw for this procedure so that you can stand the arms on their sides to
guarantee an even cut. Alternatively, a router can be used for this step.
Next, shape the quarter-circular shape that runs along the underside of the arms shown in the left arm back (end view) drawing. Make sure you form a left and a right arm rather than two identical arms. Start by cutting away a 3⁄8-by-7⁄8-inch sliver of wood from the bottom edge of the area to be shaped. The area to be cut away is shown in the bottom right corner of the left arm back (end view) drawing. Next, shape the quarter-circular shape on the bottom of the arms. If you are skilled with a router, this can help in roughing out the shape; otherwise use chisels and a bench knife to remove excess wood, and carry out the final shaping with a rasp. Note in the left arm outside and left arm back (top view) drawings that this curved area is rounded on both the back and outside edges. Finally, cut the back end of the small 3⁄8-inch-square flange that extends below the shaped area into a modified S shape, as shown at the left of the left arm outside drawing.
Immediately behind the rounded oval shape at the front of the arm, carve away the wood to accentuate the shape of the oval with a shallow carving gouge. This carved area is slightly less than ½ inch deep and extends only as far back as the quarter-circle cutout on the bottom of the arm. The area to be carved is shown in the left arm outside drawing, as well as in darker shading at the right side of the right arm bottom detail drawing.
Next, cut the mortises and tenons on the arms. Begin with the mortise that will attach the arms to the tenon on the top of the front legs. This mortise is illustrated in both the arm cross section and right arm bottom detail drawings. These mortises are ¾ inch square and ¾ inch in depth. Note on the right arm bottom detail drawing that the mortise is situated ½ inch from the inside edge of the arm so that the inside surface of the front leg will rest flush with the inside face of the arm, as shown in the front view illustration. The exact location of the mortise is shown in the right arm bottom detail drawing. Remember to place the mortises so the mortise on the left arm is a mirror image of the one on the right arm.
