This amazing dining table and chair set comes from Fred Walters of Iowa City, IA. I just love the “masculine” elegance of Stickley-influenced design.
The story does have a cool twist to it. The wood for the chairs is door casing from a south east Iowa farmhouse. A friend of mine had this 1905 farm house and it had a pile of extra door casing in the barn. When he sold the farm, he had me load up the door casing and take it home. I have moved it twice and finally found a good use for it. I threw in a pic of the wood, there were 2 coats of paint over the old varnish but there was some nice quartersawn white oak under it. The wood is probably close to 200 years old depending how old the tree was when it was made into millwork.
The design for the chairs is my interpretation of a Stickley chair that I found and liked. The table is the same design and the stair railing I built for my new house, I added a couple of those pics too. The table is 42″ x 96″ and the base is 22″ x 72″. The legs are 4″ square using rabbets to make quartersawn face on all 4 sides. The stretchers for the table are 1″ stock and everything is mortise and tenon joints. The chairs are 18″ square and 18″ seat height. The backs are 48″ tall and 2 degree recline. The back has about 3/4″ of curve to it. The chairs are all built with mortise and tenon joints also. The seat is upholstered with a 2″ hi density foam and vinyl. I have made tables in the past but this is the first time I have built chairs.
The finish schedule is as follows:
Sand to 220 grit. Apply 1 coat of General Finishes Industrial Wiping Stain Special Walnut Color (Available from Jeff Jewitt). Sand to 400 grit – this knocks down the grain and lightens the rays. Apply 2nd coat of General Finishes Industrial Wiping Stain Special Walnut Color. Apply 1 coat of General Finishes Pre Cat 181 Urethane with HVLP conversion gun. Sand to 400 grit. Apply 2nd coat of General Finishes Pre Cat 181. Sand with 0000 steel wool. Apply final coat of General Finishes Pre Cat 181 Urethane.
Wow.. I’m not a Oak fan by any strech of the imagination, but that dining set is simply breath taking. Wondeful construction, beautiful grain matching and awesome details on the base an chairs. It has the lot. Well done Fred. Seriously mate, well done.
Looks great. Really, I’m not good with words, but the wood is just….breathtaking. At first I was thinking that is was too dark for my taste, but then I enlarged the pics and changed my mind. It’s great. The backstory is good too. I hope that some day I am able to come up with some great wood like that and make something breathtaking and have a great story like that. One question: when you say that the legs were, let me see, “4? square using rabbets to make quartersawn face on all 4 sides” what exactly did you mean? The only thing I could picture is that the legs aren’t solid, but actually each one is four separate pieces of wood using rabbets, sort of like making a long, 4″ square box? Do I have that right?
You are correct, the legs are hollow like a long box. Two of the sides of each leg have a 5/8″ deep 3/4″ wide rabbit that receives the other 2 sides of the leg. This way it shows only 1/8″ of edge grain and the rest is quartersawn grain.
We bought an oak dining table, chairs and china cabinet 25 years ago. A couple of years ago I discovered that they made the 4″ square legs like you did, with 4 pieces of wood. Apparently a common technique for large legs in furniture.
I gotta say, Fred, I’m not a huge fan of the Stickley, but I REALLY like how you’ve put this together. Nice grain arch on that chair!! Excellent job. I love that it has a reclaimed element to boot!
wow – gorgeous set. After a little more practice and a few smaller builds something very similar is on or near the top of my list. oh and I’ll be waiting until I have a hollow chisel mortiser before I even attempt something like this.
The table looks great. I am in the process of making a dining room table and I am not sure how I want to do the base. I really like your design. Do you give out the directions? I would really appreciate some guidance. Thanks, Greg
The story does have a cool twist to it. The wood for the chairs is door casing from a south east Iowa farmhouse. A friend of mine had this 1905 farm house and it had a pile of extra door casing in the barn. When he sold the farm, he had me load up the door casing and take it home. I have moved it twice and finally found a good use for it. I threw in a pic of the wood, there were 2 coats of paint over the old varnish but there was some nice quartersawn white oak under it. The wood is probably close to 200 years old depending how old the tree was when it was made into millwork.
The design for the chairs is my interpretation of a Stickley chair that I found and liked. The table is the same design and the stair railing I built for my new house, I added a couple of those pics too. The table is 42″ x 96″ and the base is 22″ x 72″. The legs are 4″ square using rabbets to make quartersawn face on all 4 sides. The stretchers for the table are 1″ stock and everything is mortise and tenon joints. The chairs are 18″ square and 18″ seat height. The backs are 48″ tall and 2 degree recline. The back has about 3/4″ of curve to it. The chairs are all built with mortise and tenon joints also. The seat is upholstered with a 2″ hi density foam and vinyl. I have made tables in the past but this is the first time I have built chairs.
The finish schedule is as follows:
Wow.. I’m not a Oak fan by any strech of the imagination, but that dining set is simply breath taking. Wondeful construction, beautiful grain matching and awesome details on the base an chairs. It has the lot. Well done Fred. Seriously mate, well done.
Very nice! The back-story about the wood adds a cool element to an already beautiful dining set.
Go Hawkeyes! :)
Very nice! I love it! Even if its the first time you build chairs, its a complete success.
Well done
Nice Work! .. I love that you reused old wood ..
I see this is a table as one you will enjoy using, as well as many generation of your family!
Looks great. Really, I’m not good with words, but the wood is just….breathtaking. At first I was thinking that is was too dark for my taste, but then I enlarged the pics and changed my mind. It’s great. The backstory is good too. I hope that some day I am able to come up with some great wood like that and make something breathtaking and have a great story like that. One question: when you say that the legs were, let me see, “4? square using rabbets to make quartersawn face on all 4 sides” what exactly did you mean? The only thing I could picture is that the legs aren’t solid, but actually each one is four separate pieces of wood using rabbets, sort of like making a long, 4″ square box? Do I have that right?
You are correct, the legs are hollow like a long box. Two of the sides of each leg have a 5/8″ deep 3/4″ wide rabbit that receives the other 2 sides of the leg. This way it shows only 1/8″ of edge grain and the rest is quartersawn grain.
This is beautiful Fred.
Very nice looking furniture.
We bought an oak dining table, chairs and china cabinet 25 years ago. A couple of years ago I discovered that they made the 4″ square legs like you did, with 4 pieces of wood. Apparently a common technique for large legs in furniture.
Wow, I really love the Oak. The story makes it even more special.
A very impressive job Fred. And a beautiful use of that fine old oak.
I bet you wake up screaming with nightmares about never-ending mortise and tenon joinery after that project.
DD
Love it. Perfect Color.
I gotta say, Fred, I’m not a huge fan of the Stickley, but I REALLY like how you’ve put this together. Nice grain arch on that chair!! Excellent job. I love that it has a reclaimed element to boot!
Amazing. The wood, the design, the craftsmanship, the sanding and finishing all combine to make one amazing result! Congratulations.
Beautiful work…
I can only aspire to this level of work….in the future when I have more experience under my belt.
Inspiring really…thank you for sharing
wow – gorgeous set. After a little more practice and a few smaller builds something very similar is on or near the top of my list. oh and I’ll be waiting until I have a hollow chisel mortiser before I even attempt something like this.
The table looks great. I am in the process of making a dining room table and I am not sure how I want to do the base. I really like your design. Do you give out the directions? I would really appreciate some guidance. Thanks, Greg