Popular Woodworking 2000-06 № 115, страница 55

Now turn to the other pieces. Cut the arms, the top slat and the two rockers. Again use the templates to shape the rockers and the top slat.

Making the Joints & Assembling the Frame

Start by taking the two extra thick spokes for the back (H) and taper the ends starting about 2V2" from the end down until the end is a little more than ⁵/s" (this is done so the thick spokes will be more graceful where they meet the back legs).

Next, cut a ⁵/8"-round tenon on both ends of each of the other spokes. On all but one of the spokes these tenons are 1" long. The top spoke for the back panel has ³/4"-long tenons to accommodate the taper in the back legs. Chamfer the ends of the tenons, bevel the shoulders and cut a "locking ring" (see photo) around the middle of the tenon. My favorite way of cutting these tenons is on a foot-operated reciprocating lathe.

Fitting the back together is tricky and needs to be done carefully because the joints are small and there isn't a lot of wood to work with.

First, drill V2" centered holes 4" from each end in the bottom spoke. Drill the holes as deep as you can without poking through the other side. With a V4" mortising chisel cut out the corners and make the hole square (this is done to help keep the side rails from twisting).

Take the side rails out of the bending jig. Adjust the curves to match and trim the tops if necessary. Measuring down from the tops, cut the rails to I9V2" long. Cut square tenons on the bottom end of each rail to fit the mortises cut into the bottom spoke. Mark each side rail and each mortise so that you will know which goes where.

Repeat this process with the top spoke and the top ends of the side rails, drilling the mortises in the top rail 3V2" from the ends.

After the joints are made I round off all the spokes with a half-round spoke-shave. The side rails I round off with a carving knife. With the seat spokes and the back it is important to do a good job rounding the pieces because sharp corners will cause increased wear on the weaving. I taper the spokes that go below the seat slightly towards the ends leaving small,

even shoulders.

With my carving knife I flatten the sides of each round tenon perpendicular to the growth rings. When the spokes are driven into the holes drilled in the legs they are positioned so that these flats run up and down so that the round parts of the tenon exert most of the pressure towards the top and bottom of the leg, to avoid splitting the leg. Lastly, all the spokes that will be exposed are rubbed down with a handful of shavings to burnish the spokes.

Now take the two front legs and trim their bottoms flat. At this point I rough out the vase turning that goes above the seat. Mark 15" up from the bottom and cut a V4"-deep saw cut all the way around the leg. While holding the leg in a draw-horse, I use a push knife to carve a valley about 1" wide with the saw cut at the bottom of the valley. Next, I use a drawknife to taper the top end of the leg down to about ⁷/8", trying to leave a pleasing "bulb" look above the valley.

Decide which leg will go on which side of the chair. Then, with the legs side by side, orient the grain so that the growth rings are at an angle to each other (not parallel or perpendicular) and the youngest growth rings are on the outside corners where the seat will be. This is done to help prevent splitting.

Measure up from the bottom 12¹/2" and make a mark for the top (seat) spoke. The middle spoke goes at 8" up from the bottom. The bottom spoke goes at 3V2" up from the bottom.

The tenon on each of the spokes includes a "locking ring." The depression cut around the circumference of the tenon allows the wood from the leg to expand into the ring as it dries, locking the tenon in place.

SCHEDULE OF MATERIALS! SHAKER STYLE ROCKING CHAIR

SCHEDULE OF MATERIALS! SHAKER STYLE ROCKING CHAIR

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