I worked all day, but you wouldn’t know it. I felt like I was moving in slow-motion. But I was being extra careful – I want this chair to come off without a hitch. The photo above is where I quit. I’ll show you what I did to get to that point.
The day started off laying out the housings for the two oak battens under the seat. Drew’s plans in the old FWW said the battens were 2 1/2″ in from the edges of the seat. I marked that line, then used an adjustable bevel to layout the angle from the beveled batten.
But the battens are tapered in width, in addition to being beveled on their edges. So another adjustable bevel to find the inside edge of the batten-housing.
After double-checking this layout, I began by sawing the edges of the housings, as far as I could. They stop about 1 3/4″ from the front. After a while, I was tilting the saw up a bit, and using the teeth just under the handle – the teeth you hardly ever use.
I chopped out what I could get at near the back of the seat. Just breaking out the waste between the two saw kerfs.
Then more chisel work.
Then even more chisel work.
There’s no need to see the whole blow-by-blow. That’s probably too much already. Check the depth…
Then tested the battens, made adjustments, and tested them again. I had to give these some pretty good whacks to get them in there. Satisfied.
Mortising was long & slow – after the layout, I bored two 7/8″ holes in each mortise. The bevel helps aim the brace & bit.
More chisel work, more test-fitting.
That seemed to take a long time. But it was then past mid-afternoon & I was getting tired. That’s a good time to slow down, not speed up.
It’s in place, I need to trim the shoulders of the tenons – I had cut them square, forgetting they compliment the angle of the back. Next time, some wedges for these through tenons, then the legs.
PETER FOLLANSBEE: JOINER’S NOTES 
Those joints are serious! I’m very happy to see all that chunky hardwood in its display of compressive genius.
Hi Rick – thanks for the note. Hope things down there are OK, and look forward to our next meeting…
Looking great thus far, Peter. Butternut is wonderful to work with, and the oak will make it last longer than my life and yours! Glad you slowed down later in the day; no chance of ruining your work.
Ha! Thanks, Mary. “No chance…”? Maybe “less chance” – but things can always go wrong! Nice to hear from you, hope you’re well.
True…less chance! Doing okay, disabled but still turning. Have a blessed day, Peter.
Beautiful chair
Looks like a fun project, and turning out nicely too! Will you use any glue in the battens it just peg them?
Jesse – you’ll see when it comes together – the back’s tenons fit through the battens and get wedged. So they keep the battens in place, pressed forward to the end of the housing for them. can’t go anywhere, no glue or pegs. Should be within a week, the legs are still losing weight in the kiln.