Woodworker's Journal 2008-32-1, страница 40

First establish a rectangle in the center of the chair's seat with warp strands. That rectangle should be as wide as the distance between the back posts and approximately square at each corner. You'll fill the empty triangular corner areas with gusset strands later.

Start the first long weaver on the bottom of the seat using the "over three and under three" pattern. Bring it up around the side rung and work it back into the warp using the "over three and under three pattern" again, starling this second weaver one warp strand forward from the warp strand at which the fill weaver entered.

To splice on a new warp strand, invert the chair, lap eight inches of the lead end of a new strand over the final eight inches of the old strand, and fasten them together with three staples.

Insert gusset strips to fill the triangular sections of the seat on both sides of the seat's central rectangle. Work these gusset strips into the weave using the same "over three and under three pattern," staggering their entry points one strand from the adjacent warp strand. Wrap them over the front rung. Then weave them into the weave on the bottom side of the seat. Tuck the ends under. A butter knife will help you feed these strips into the weave.

The first weaver fills the space between the posts on the top of the seat. The strand should go over three and under three warps, as shown here. Tuck both ends under.

Tightness of the woven panel will increase as you progress toward the front of the seat. For that reason, you may want to use a butter knife to guide the lead end of the weaver and a pair of needlenose pliers to pull it through tight places.

are a little different. To accommodate the curved rocker, the back post notches are 3/4" deep on the front side of the post and 7/8" deep on the back side. Slice the sides of the notches with a backsaw.

Then, drill a 3/8"-diameter hole — from the front to back — right through the post at the bottom of the notch. Break out the waste very carefully with a sharp mortising chisel, and pare the notches to slowly refine the fit of the rockers. Fix the rockers in their notches with a l/4"-diameter dowel driven through each post.

Woodworker's Journal February 2008 40

Finishing and Weaving

Sand the entire chair up through the grits to 320, and apply the first coat of finish. It's time to weave the seat (see extended sidebar, above). Save additional coats of finish until after the seat and back have been woven. This way, you can clean up any scuff marks the weaving process might create, then follow with final finish.

You're done! Ease into that new rocker and relish its woven comfort. It's been an ambitious project, but you've just proven your mettle as a budding Shaker chairmaker.

Kerry Pierce is a master craftsman and woodworking author from Ohio.