For shaping a seat, this router jig rocks

Dishing a chair seat is traditionally performed with specialized hand tools. But a router and shop-built jig achieve the same results without the steep learning curve. Make the jig out of 3⁄4" stock. (We used Baltic birch plywood.) It consists of two assemblies: a base and a router carriage that slides on it [Drawing]. Together, these enable the router to shape arcs in two axes, creating an oblong, uniform recess in the seat.

Clamp the jig to your workbench and place the seat (G) between the guide and cross rails. Equip your router with a 3⁄4"-diameter, top-bearing pattern bit, with a 1" cutting length. Extend the bit 11⁄4" beyond the router baseplate. Starting with the router at the far right end of the carriage, turn the router on and push the carriage forward on the guide rails until it contacts the stops. Slide the router over in the carriage 3⁄4" and make a second pass. Continue to work across the width of the seat blank, making slightly overlapping passes [Photo K], until the router reaches the left end of the carriage.

After the first series of passes, lower the bit to a final depth of 11⁄2" and make a second series of passes.

Have a seat

1 From 1"-thick stock, glue up and cut to size blanks for the chair seats (G) [Drawing 5]. Don’t round the front edge, taper the sides, or cut the notches yet.

2 Using a router and shop-built jig, dish the seat blanks [For shaping a seat, this router jig rocks]. Finish-sand the dished area.

3 Place each seat on a chair frame, centering it from side to side. Transfer the inside edges of the back legs onto the seats [Photo L]. Transfer the notch layout lines around the edge of the seats. When laying out the depth of the notch, note that it is a bevel cut to accept the angle of the back leg [Photos M, N].

4 Handsaw the waste from the notches in the corners of the seats, fitting each between the back legs.

Lean back

1 Retrieve the splats (E) and crest rails (F) and dry-assemble them with loose tenons. Place the crest rail in the notches at the top of the back legs (A). Transfer the seat height to the edge of the splat [Photo N]. At the tablesaw, bevel the end of the splat and taper the edges [Exploded View].

2 Finish-sand the splat and crest rail and glue the two together with a loose tenon.

3 Lay out the tapers on the sides of the seat blank and the curve on the front [Drawing 5].

Bandsaw the seat to shape, sand it smooth, and round over the edges [Exploded View].

4 Cut the corner blocks (H) and glue and screw them into the corners of the chair frame [Exploded View].

5 Drill counterbored screw holes in the back legs (A) and glue and screw the crest rail/splat assembly to the chair [Exploded View]. Plug the screw holes.

6 Apply a finish to the seat and chair frame. (We used a dull-sheen, pre-catalyzed lacquer.) After the finish dries, attach the seat to the frame through the corner blocks. Drive screws at an angle through the bottom of the seat into the splat to secure it.

Make the table

1 From 11⁄2"-thick stock, cut the blanks for the table legs (I) [Materials List]. Make a full-size template of the leg including the hole [Drawing 6] and trace the leg profile onto the blanks.

2 Just as with the chair legs, bandsaw and flush-trim the table legs. Drill the hole through each one before removing the template [Photo O].

3 At the tablesaw, notch the inside edge of each leg while it rests on an angled support block [Drawing 6, Photo P].

4 Drill a hole through the center of the notch, connecting it to the larger hole [Table Exploded View]. Drill a shallow hole on the top of each leg for a figure-8 fastener. Finish-sand the legs and round over the outside edges and bottoms.

Lay out the yoke (J) on a piece of 11⁄2"thick

5 stock [Drawing 7]. Bandsaw it to shape and sand it smooth. Drill a centered pilot hole on the end of

6 each arm of the yoke and install hanger bolts [Exploded View]. Glue the legs to the yoke and secure them with washers and lock nuts.

7 Glue up a blank for the top (K) and bandsaw it to shape.

8 Sand the top smooth and round over the edges. Apply a finish to the top and base.

9 With the finish dry, attach the top to the base using figure-8 fasteners. Press metal snap-in plugs [Source] into the holes in the legs. Now slide the chairs up to the table and take a seat. You’ve earned it.

CHAIR DISHING JIG watch a video of Kevin dishing the chair seat, point your smartphone’s camera at the code below— no app required—or visit woodmagazine.com/seatdish fTo Carriage stop Guide rail G Router carriage Tip! When fitting the seat to the chair, leave a little clearance between the back legs and the seat to allow for wood movement. K Pushing the router and carriage forward, make a series of overlapping passes. Work across the seat blank from right to left to avoid climb-cutting. 8 Router stop Router cradles ROUTER CARRIAGE 1" 1" 1" 3" Carriage guide 2" 8" 24" One square =1" ROUTER CRADLE 4" 4" ¼"-thick carriage stops 1¾" #8 x 1¼" F.H. screw 26" One square =1" GUIDE RAIL BASE Guide rail Cross rail 4" 18½" 26" #8 x 1¼" F.H. screw

seat. SEAT PATTERN 80° G M Set an adjustable protractor GAdjustable protractor to lay out the end of the notch on the edge of the trimming it to length. A Combination square G L Use a small square to mark where the back legs intersect the seat. Extend the marks 21⁄4" to indicate the notch length. G N Place a ruler on top of the seat E to transfer the seat height to the splat (E) before Make unsightly screws disappear. woodmagazine.com/ plugscrews 1¾" 2¼" Dished area 18½" One square =1"

TABLE EXPLODED VIEW Table leg template Backer board O Use the template as a guide 1½" drill bit I I to drill the 11⁄2"-diam. hole in each leg. K I J I Tall auxiliary fence Edge rests flat on top of saw. I Dado blade Cut circles at the bandsaw or with a router. woodmagazine.com/ circles Tip! To make the support block, lay the leg on the tablesaw with the edge to be notched against the rip fence. Use a sliding bevel gauge to transfer the angle between the leg and the fence to a piece of MDF or plywood. Taper support block to match angle of leg. P Support the table leg (I) with an angled scrap to make the first cut for the yoke notch. After cutting all three legs, move the support over to complete the notch. 40" diameter Figure-8 fastener ¼" round-over ¾" counterbore, 1/8" deep ¼ x 3" hanger bolt #6 x 5/8" F.H. screw 9/32" hole 1½" cap ¼" washer and lock nut ¾" round-overs 1/8" round-over

TABLE LEG TEMPLATE I A C F G J I K One square =1" 5/32" hole 1½" deep A B C D E F G H back legs front legs side rails front/back rails splats crest rails seats corner blocks Materials key: Supplies: Blade and bits: and Source: C F G D 1½" I J 11⁄8" 11⁄8" Materials List Cutting Diagram 21⁄8" 1" 11⁄8" 11⁄2" 11⁄2" A FINISHED SIZE Part Chairs T G W 6" 3" 3" 3" 4" 4" 181⁄2" 3" D K L 34" 173⁄4" 135⁄8" 141⁄2" 123⁄4" 191⁄2" 18" 3" 63⁄8" 3011⁄16" 73⁄8" 8 40" diam. Matl. E G TABLE YOKE PATTERN Qty.* C C C C C C C C C C C 6 7 4 4 4 4 2 2 2 8 3 1 1 3⁄4" 3⁄4" 3⁄4" Table I legs J yoke K top *Quantities for two chairs. C–cherry. hanger bolts (3), washers (3), lock nuts (3), figure-8 fasteners (6), #8×11⁄4" flathead screws, #8×11⁄2" flathead screws, #6×5⁄8" flathead screws. 9 ⁄16" 3⁄4" 1⁄4×3" 1⁄4" 1⁄4" 3⁄4" 3⁄8" 1⁄8", 3⁄16", 14 1 ⁄2", Dado set; top-bearing flush-trim bit, ⁄ ", round-over router bits, spiral upcut bit, plug cutter, 11⁄2" drill bit. 11⁄2" nickel-plated caps (6) no. 9563K51 [pack of 25] $12.51, McMaster-Carr, 562-692-5911, mcmaster.com. 3⁄4" 3⁄8" I B E H H 3" 2" 5" 1½" hole 1½" 3/8" 41/8" 3011/16" 30" 251/16" 22¾" ¼ x 6½ x 31" hardboard 77º 1¾" 11/8 x 7¼ x 96" Cherry (2 needed) ¾ x 7¼ x 96" Cherry