I used a 1/8" radius round-over bit in a palm router to ease the edges of the weaving slots. Nesting the rails together provided a stable platform for the router for the two inner rails.
The backrest was nearly ready for glue-up. The joints were tight enough that they didn't require a lot of clamping force, and Bandy clamps worked fine holding the stiles in place when they had square edges. I wasn't sure if they would be as effective once the stiles received the edge bevel, so I tested with a beveled scrap first. The clamps still worked just fine.
Before I cut the bevels on the stiles, I dry assembled the two backrests and marked the direction of the bevel on each stile end. Without this, it would be easy to cut the bevel the wrong way. (The dominos are not exactly centered, so there is a definite front and back side to the stiles.)
With all the bevels cut at the table saw, I re-assembled one of the backrests and wrapped some Danish cord around a section of both stiles near a rail. This allowed me to check for fit between the arms. I figured that I would need 1/8" clearance on both sides (1/4" total) to account for mounting hardware. With the wrapped cord pressed against one arm, there was a gap of about 1/8" between the cord and arm on the other side, which meant I need another 1/8" of clearance. Back at the tablesaw I re-cut all the bevels, removing 1/16" material from each stile, and glued-up both of the backrest frames.
The mounting hardware bought from Amazon are cabinet pivot hinges. This may not be my final solution, but they allowed me to keep moving forward. Because the mounting holes will ultimately be covered by the Danish cord, I wasn't concerned that I might have extra holes in the stiles if I switch hardware later.
I started by bending the hinges to match the bevel angle.
The hinge plate will eventually be mounted over top of the cord after the weaving is complete.
With the hinge placed at the midpoint of the stile, and a loop of Danish cord as a spacer, I could mark the location for the screw holes. I transferred the marks the opposite stile, drilled pilot holes, and attached one of the hinges.
On the arms, I drilled a 1/4" hole for the hinge pin. I did not use the bushing included with the hinge because it had an diameter that didn't match any of my drill bits, and I didn't want to have it too loose or too tight at this stage. Since I may be changing hardware before all is done, I figured it was best to drill the smallest diameter necessary for a test fit.
I used a couple of tape-covered washers to center the backrest and keep the hinge plates from scraping the arms. The pin from the mounted hinge slides into one side, and the loose hinge pin into the opposite side and then it's screwed to the stile.
With the pivot sorted, it was time to do the final shaping of the frames. Rasp, scraper, and sandpaper. My old familiar friends.
Progress so far.
I'm now at the point where I need to finish all the sanding before the final glue-up.
I need to finish all the sanding before the final glue-up.
Yep, the job isn't "finished" until the paper work is done!
Like the way you have the hinges over the cord, will make it easy to swap out when you find the final solution. So the chair back just automatically adjusts to your back when you sit?
You'll need to do a review of which of the chairs you built is the most comfy!
Thanks, Steve. I've tried a sit on a plank spanning the front and rear stretchers, but that raises the seat position. I might try wrapping some paracord around the stretchers for another test, but that will sag more than a woven seat. I might need to wait until it's fully woven to get my first realistic test sit. 😀 My worry (and I should have taken some measurements as I was designing) is that the arms might be too low to be comfortable with the seat height. Time will tell.
I need to finish all the sanding before the final glue-up.
Yep, the job isn't "finished" until the paper work is done!
Like the way you have the hinges over the cord, will make it easy to swap out when you find the final solution. So the chair back just automatically adjusts to your back when you sit?
You'll need to do a review of which of the chairs you built is the most comfy!
The hinges over the cord was likely a necessity on the original because if they were mounted to the frame first and then woven over top, the pivot pins couldn't be inserted into the arms afterward. Also, the pin would be an obstacle to weave around and might disturb the pattern of the cords.
The original has a leather strap that connects the bottom rail of the backrest to the narrow stretcher at the back. It provides a limit to how much the backrest can tilt backwards, having a bit of flex compared to some kind of hard stop.
For comfort, the Z-chair remains at the top of the heap so far. I love that chair.
Realy cool looking chair. A signature Wegner detail is that there is that there can be both bulky and thin and delicate parts in his designs. Happy sanding ad gluing next!
"The good chair is a task one is never completely done with" Hans Wegner
Kaerlighedsbamsen commented 2 days ago Realy cool looking chair. A signature Wegner detail is that there is that there can be both bulky and thin and delicate parts in his designs. Happy sanding ad gluing next!
Thanks, Ty. I hadn't consciously observed that, but you're right. I'll look at his designs in a new light, now.
