Dining Set Tutorial #3 Front Legs and Curved Back Rails

Front Legs

Finally, an easy chair part to make. The front legs are 1-5/8"x 1 -5/8' x 16"long. It's pretty easy to mill some 8/4 stock down to 1 -5/8" and rip them on the tablesaw. Ideally you'd use riftsawn stock (diagonal end grain) so that the grain looks similar on all four sides, like this:

Dining Set Tutorial #2 Rails and Angled Tenons

Angled joinery is probably the most intimidating part of chairs. Ya, these joints take a little more time and skill, but the angles are necessary for a comfortable chair. I'll explain.

Design...

If you trace the outline of how we all sit, legs forward, it's not a square - more of a trapezoid. You can try to simplify a chair with right angle joinery and a square seat. My first chair was made this way (photo below). I found that design in a magazine gave it my best shot. It was good practice, but not the most comfortable chair. 

Sorry Woodsmith, this chair design was lame.