Last year I got a good deal on Marketplace for an assorted stack of white oak planks. I used some of it on the hot tub chair, and will use it on this project, too. They're a bunch of mismatched pieces of various lengths, widths, thicknesses, color, and grain, which isn't ideal, but it has the benefit of being on-hand.
I tackled the longest part first, which is the back stile/front leg, which is about 53" long. I didn't have any lumber wide enough to get one part, let alone two. I didn't have a set of similar grained planks to glue-up a wider blank, plus I didn't want the waste that would result in cutting out the two long, curved parts from a wide blank. Steam bending would have been an option, but I wasn't prepared to go build a steam box. I figured that I could use a single plank if I "curved" it by making a couple diagonal cuts and repositioning the cut sections.
This would yield two scarf joints on each piece and some odd grain transitions, but those transitions should be hidden behind the woven Danish cord on the finished piece. The scarf joints should be plenty strong without reinforcement. I worked out the placement of the cuts on a piece of resin paper that was cut to the same overall size as the plank. I had to make a couple of attempts to get the appropriate angles, but that was the point of using paper first.
The paper template just barely held two tracings of the MDF template, but it was enough. Time to mark the first cut on the plank and make the cut. I used a track saw for that.
The left section was then flipped and re-positioned on the edge of the right piece. Making the curve.
One more scarf to cut for the top of the part.
Double checking the fit before gluing the pieces together.
The curved plank is glued-up and ready to go.
It was more straightforward to position the arm and seat templates on a couple more planks. I selected two planks that were closest in color and grain. Unfortunately, they're not a great match for the back stile plank, but you work with what you've got. It was a tight fit, but I could fit one arm and one seat part on each plank. I couldn't get the ideal grain orientation, but it would do.
With the lumber for the main pieces prepped, I could start to get the parts cut out. That's up next.
Yes, that would have been another option. Probably the ideal option. If I decide to make a 2nd chair later (which has a low probability giving my track record), I would definitely consider doing that. The downside is the waste in making a bunch of thin strips and the kind of nondescript grain pattern of the result.
Just curious why you are not just making two pieces for the arm and back leg like your template? I found an image of an original chair and there appears to be a hinge on that joint -- part of the folding mechanism I suppose. Edit to add: Perhaps that is what the last photo shows?
--Nathan, TX. Hire the lazy man. He may not do as much work but that's because he will find a better way.
I think those scarfs will work out fine. If the transitions are locates about where the arm/seat cross the change in grain direction will fit right in with the overall curve. Good thinking!
