What's inside
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Shaker chairs are simple in appearance, but their narrow legs, angled back posts and wedged joints leave little room for sloppy layout. This pair uses a solid-wood frame, a woven Danish-cord seat and a gently curved back slat. Allow a weekend for milling and joinery, plus time for glue and finish to cure. The measurements below make a compact dining chair; adjust seat height or width to suit your table and the person who will use it.
Contents
Dimensions and materials
Build to a finished seat height of about 18 inches, with a seat roughly 17 inches wide by 16 inches deep. Aim for a back height of 34 to 36 inches. These are starting dimensions, not a substitute for checking the chair against your table: a typical dining tabletop is 28 to 30 inches high, and the seat should leave comfortable clearance for thighs.
Use straight-grained hardwood such as maple, cherry or ash. Buy kiln-dried stock around 8/4 thick for legs and posts, and 4/4 stock for rails and slats. One board foot is 144 cubic inches; a pair will usually take roughly 25 to 30 board feet after allowing for defects and milling waste. Avoid knots near joints and long, unstable grain runout in legs. If you are comparing species, this hardwood lumber search can help you check what is available locally, though a nearby hardwood dealer is often better for inspecting boards in person.
Tools and trade-offs
A table saw, bandsaw or jigsaw, drill press, router, clamps and accurate measuring tools will cover most of the work. A tenon jig or mortising machine speeds repeated joints, but careful hand work is adequate if you can hold dimensions consistently. A drill press is useful for square, repeatable mortises; a sharp chisel and a simple guide are cheaper and fine for two chairs.
| Choice | Upside | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Maple | Hard-wearing and takes a clean, pale finish | Can burn during routing; light color shows dirt |
| Cherry | Easy to work and develops a warm color | Darkens in sunlight; often costs more |
| Ash | Strong, springy and easy to identify by grain | Open pores need extra care for a smooth finish |
| Hand-cut joinery | Low equipment cost and good control | Requires practice and more fitting time |
Mill and mark the parts
Cut stock slightly oversize, then flatten one face and joint one edge before bringing boards to final thickness. Let the milled pieces rest overnight if the lumber was rough or noticeably stressed; movement after milling can make a once-square rail twist. Label every part and keep left and right back posts paired. For each chair, lay out two front legs, two back posts, side rails, front and rear rails, stretchers and back slats. Cut both chairs’ matching parts together so their dimensions stay consistent.
Taper the front legs below the seat rail, leaving the upper section full width for joinery. Back posts lean rearward, commonly about 5 to 7 degrees, and may also splay slightly outward. Make a full-size side-view drawing and mark the floor, seat and back angles before cutting. A one-degree error is visible across a tall post and can make the chair rock.
Cut and fit the joinery
Use mortise-and-tenon joints at the rails and legs. For typical rails around 3/4 inch thick, a tenon about 1/4 inch thick and 3/4 to 1 inch long is a useful starting point; size it to the actual stock and keep adequate wood around the mortise. Cut mortises with a drill press and chisel, router and jig, or mortising machine. Make test joints in offcuts first. A tenon should enter with firm hand pressure, not require hammering; a loose joint will not become strong just because it is covered in glue.
Dry-assemble each frame on a flat surface. Check diagonals for square, confirm both front legs touch the floor, and test the seat height. If it rocks, find the cause before glue-up rather than trimming a leg at random. Glue the side frames first, then connect them with the front and rear rails and stretchers. Use cauls to protect the wood and clamp only until joints close; excessive pressure can bow a frame or starve a joint of glue.
Shape the back and seat
Cut the back slat’s gentle curve from a template, then smooth it with a spokeshave, rasp or sanding block. Keep the curve shallow enough to support the back without creating a thin, weak center. The slat can sit in shallow mortises in the posts; test its fit with the chair assembled and avoid forcing the posts apart. Ease sharp edges with a small round-over or sanding block, but keep edges at joints crisp.
For a woven seat, fit four small rails or use the front, rear and side rails as the weaving boundary. Danish cord is a durable traditional choice; paper cord costs less and works well indoors, but is less suited to damp rooms. A Danish cord chair-weaving supply search will show cord and weaving tools. Follow the cord maker’s instructions, keep tension even, and weave a sample before committing. Over-tight cord can pull the frame inward; loose cord sags quickly. Leave enough clearance beneath the seat for the weave and the sitter’s legs.
Sand, finish and check
Sand to 150 or 180 grit; finer sanding often makes little difference under an ordinary furniture finish. Remove dust and apply a compatible oil, wiping varnish or water-based clear coat. Oil is easy to repair but offers less protection against spills. Film finishes protect better, though scratches are harder to blend. Apply finish before weaving if you can keep it out of the cord holes.
After the finish cures, test each chair on a flat floor. Sit down gradually, shift your weight and check for joint movement, creaks or rocking. Recheck the cord after several days of use and retension if needed. A sound chair should feel stable without relying on its back slats or seat weave to hold a loose frame together.