Lost Art Press

Some Specifications to the White Oak Stick Chair

Posted on by Lost Art Press

Several people have asked for more construction details on the white oak stick chair I posted on the blog this morning. Many of the components and processes are similar to those in the  Staked Armchair chapter I posted on the blog late last year.

There are, however, some important differences. This chair has an H-stretcher that is 12-1/2” from the underside of the seat. The resultant angles of the legs are also different than shown in the chapter. The resultant angles for both the front and rear legs is 22°.

Here is the cutting list:

  • 1-Seat    1-3/8 x 16 x 20
  • 4-Legs    1-3/8 x 1-3/8 x 20
  • 2-Side stretchers 1 x 1 x 20 (stretchers taper to 5/8 through-tenons at the ends)
  • 1-Medial stretcher 1 x 1 x 18 (stretcher tapers to 5/8 blind tenons at the ends)
  • 1-Crest    1-3/4 x 5 x 15 (curve cut from solid)
  • 2-Arms    3/4 x 7 x 22 (cut from solid)
  • 1-Doubler    3/4 x 5 x 16 (cut from solid)
  • 7-Dowels    5/8 dia. x 36

Hope this helps you design your own chair. With this format of chair, no two chairs are alike.

— Christopher Schwarz

8 thoughts on “Some Specifications to the White Oak Stick Chair”

  5. Just read the staked armchair chapter an I am already planning my attempt. I have a question that probably has an obvious answer but I just don’t see it. Why can’t you clamp the armbow assembly to the seat or on risers much closer to the seat to drill the stick holes? I would think this would improve drilling accuracy by allowing a shorter bit. What am I missing?

    Thanks again

    1. Hi Curt,

      The angle would be wrong, I’m afraid. You need the armbow at its final height while drilling so the angles of the sticks are correct. Hope this makes sense.

  6. Thanks for all your work on the blog, and for the “just do it” inspiration in the Anarchist Design Book. In traditional handwork, there are some very simple rules of thumb when it comes to sizing the mortise and tenon joint. In ADB, you spec the mortises for the legs on the staked chair without stretchers at 5/8”, while Don Weber’s video he specifies a 1” leg mortise for the Welsh Stick Chair with stretchers. I searched everywhere, but cannot find anything on the theory of sizing this joint, so I’m beginning to think that within these parameters it probably doesn’t matter much. Any guidance?

Comments are closed.