This "ladder-back" chair, which takes its name from the arrangement of the slats forming the back, is a good specimen of some of the earliest chairs made in this country. Chairs of this type, because of their decorative appearance and Colonial associations, are popular and in demand for use in a hallway (Fig. 5), living room, or bedroom. They are not, it must be admitted, especially comfortable.

The design illustrated in Fig. 6 was chosen because it is not difficult to copy. The back legs are plain except for the upper ends. The irregularly shaped knobs may be part of the legs or turned separately. Another feature is the fact that this chair can be made without a lathe. It may be well to cut and fit the mortises before rounding over the legs by hand or turning the stock in a lathe. If the stock is left square until the slats are fitted into place and the holes are made for the rounds, it is a simple matter to lay out the work.

Handmade reproductions of this type of chair are highly prized for their decorative quality and antique look.

Fig. 5. - Handmade reproductions of this type of chair are highly prized for their decorative quality and antique look.

Materials For "Ladder-Back" Chair

Parts

No.

Dia.

Length

Legs - back

2

38½

front

2

1 9/16

16

Rounds - front

2

1

18½

side

4

1

12½

back

1

1

12½

seat

1

¾

12½

seat

1

¾

18½

seat

2

¾

13

Slats, bowed

4

5/16 by 2½ by

13 long.

Fiber or rush sufficient for one seat.

The stock is maple. All dimensions are in inches.

Soft pine fillers can be placed temporarily into the mortises if the legs are to be turned. The fillers will prevent chipping near the edges. All of the mortises and holes should be about ¾ in. in depth. Wooden dowels or pins are used to strengthen the slat joints.

To make the back legs by hand, plane the stock exactly square with the base 1¾ in. and the top 1 7/16 in. On the larger end measure in from each corner exactly ½ in. Connect these points corner-wise and you will have laid out an eight-sided figure - an octagon. Do the same on the smaller end, measuring 7/16 in. instead of ½ in. With the aid of a straight stick, draw lines the full length of the posts to connect these corner measurements. Now plane or bevel the corners of the leg, being careful not to cut below the bevel lines. All of the bevels should measure about % in. wide at the big end.

As the next step, remove the remaining corners with a plane. The knobs at the top can be omitted if necessary. After this comes the scraping, filing, and sandpapering. The front legs are made in the same manner.

The scat rounds are ¾ in. in diameter, and on them is woven the rush 2 or fiber seat. Rush was used on the original, but fiber is easier for the amateur to handle.

2 Information as to where to obtain rush or fiber, if it cannot be bad locally, may be obtained from the Information Department of Popular science Monthly, 381 Fourth Ave., New York, N. Y.

Simple printed directions are usually given with the fiber when it is purchased.

The chair rounds below the seat are ¾ in. at the ends and 1 in. in the middle. These are usually shaped by hand. Only one round is to be placed under the seat and between the back posts; this is on the same level as the bottom one on the front side. As a matter of fact, I could find no sign of a rear round on the old chair, but for additional strength it seems advisable to include one.

The slats are only 5/16 in. thick. As they are bowed slightly, each piece can be steamed or soaked in boiling water and then clamped to a form. Another way is to shape each slat from a piece of stock 1 in. thick with the aid of a spoke-shave.

At the present time many old chairs of this type are being re-finished in modern ways. Some are even painted jet black with touches of gilt or bronze paint; others are given a dark brown or chocolate color. For an antique maple finish, a very light walnut stain may be used and wiped or sandpapered off in places here and there over the surface to give a high-lighted effect.