Easy to Make ""Truss-Worthy"" Chairs
(Page 2 of 3)
THE CHAIR The chair itself is made entirely of 1 X 2's;
you'll need about 33 linear feet in all, cutat 90°-to
the lengths indicated (I've keyed the components to Fig.
2).
A: Four 15-1/2" legs
B: Two 18" bottom rails
C: Two 16" top rails
D: Two 30" back rails
E: Two 12-5/8" front supports
F: Ten 15" seat and back slats
G: Two (one front, one back) 15" bottom braces
Basically, the chair consists of two side frames (which you
make, one at a time, on the jig) connected by a seat, a
back, and two support rails.
Begin by constructing the right side frame, using Fig. 2 as
a guide. Lay your jig flat on a worktable, and place a leg
piece (A) against each of the trapezoid's angling sides so
that the ends of each leg butt against the jig's bottom
board (R), as shown in Fig. 2. Now po sition the bottom
rail (B) lengthwise against the bottom edge of the jig's
crosspiece (T), and mark where the rail overlaps the legs
(each of its ends should extend equally from the outside
surface of a leg). Then set the rail aside for a moment,
squeeze enough glue (Elmer's or any polyvinyl resin
adhesive) onto the marked areas to cover them thoroughly,
and put the bottom rail back into place. Finally, while
holding one leg and the rail firmly in position with one
hand, drive two 1-1/4" brads into the joint. Now do the
same with the opposite leg.
Next, position, glue, and nail the top rail (C) into place
as shown in Fig. 2, making sure that piece is pushed firmly
against the jig's top cross member (U). As you can see from
the illustration, the top rail's right end should extend 2"
in front of the right leg. (NOTE: When you build the left
side frame, position the top rail the other way around-with
the left end extending 2" outward.)
Now you're ready to install the right side frame's final
two members. Place the long back support piece (D) flush
along the left side of the jig's triangle, positioning the
outside edge of D's bottom end flush with the bottom edge
of the lower rail (B). The top end of the back support
piece will then extend across, and well beyond, the joint
you just made at the left leg and top rail. Glue and nail
the component in place, using two 2" finishing nails at the
top joint and 1-1/4" brads at the bottom.
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