This turned chair has a beveled panel for a seat, captured in grooves in the thee seat rails. This requires that the seat rails all be at the same height. This is acheived by using interlocking tenons; in this case a rectangular tenon pierced by a turned tenon. Each seat rail has one of each tenon, and they chase each other around the chair frame.
I turn the parts on the pole lathe; the ash is riven, or split from the log. Nice straight-grained wood is essential. The rectangular tenons are cut with a saw, and split with a chisel.
- sawing a shoulder for the rectangular tenon
- splitting the waste off the rectangular tenon
- more to follow…
PETER FOLLANSBEE: JOINER’S NOTES 
Oh aren’t we the speedy one ! I was just getting ready to respond to the last post and POOF ! Ya out did me.
Wanted to say I left my own woodworking project to watch the clip of you and Mr. Underhill. Couldn’t quite get the last bit to download so I missed out on the hinge thingys…but it sure was grand to watch you work on film. The tools, steady in your confident hands were quite the contrast to his goofy gangly interruptions. It was a blast !
HN
Wow, I must have missed this post the first time through. I have always wondered about how they did that. I wasn’t sure when I first read this post, but i went back to some images I had saved from the V&A three legged chair, and you are right. I have never noticed that in any of the pictures before, now I know to look for it.
I hope to make one of these chairs someday, thanks for the inspiration. I might have to go back through all your blog postings again, I tend to learn something every time i do.
Badger
I just started another one of these chairs this week. so there will be more of that soon.
PF
That is most excellent, I will be following closely.
My goal is to make one of the simple three legged stools with no back this year.
I’m going to make myself a lathe based on Roy’s design in the latest pop woodworking. I’m excited to get into turning.
Peter,
I believe your treadle is the best I’ve seen yet and I’ve surely studied a thousand of your pics in an effort to glean some details. Your comments regarding the pole lathe and its operation are very helpful as well. Thanks for sharing.
Will Foster