Re-upholstering Dining Room Chair

[stevasaurus 11]

Usually these chairs just have a piece of plywood for the seat wrapped with some kind of fabric over some padding.  Not this one!  When I took the fabric and padding off, I found a different design.  The frame had some good cracks in it, so I needed to rebuild it.  Used just about every wood working tool I have.  The rest of the chair was in great shape and just needed to be cleaned and waxed.

 

 

 

 

 

I had a couple of pieces of yellow pine laying around, and I figured I could rip it down to size and stay away from any knots.

 

 

 

After ripping, I used a bevel guage and a trim saw to cut the 4 pieces.

 

 

Checking the dry fit and they are ready to glue.

 

 

 

After the glue dried, it was time to cut the notch around the outside of the frame.  The outside sits on the frame of the chair, and the inside sits on the corner blocks and gets screwed to the chair. I used the table saw to cut the notches out.

 

 

 

I then checked the fit and marked the holes and drilled them for the screws to hold the seat to the chair.

 

 

I then used a router to round the top edge.

 

 

The original had a piece of 1/8" plywood over the hole in the frame...so I cut one of those.

 

 

Time for the fabric.  I cut 2 pieces of 1/2" foam for the padding, and I am using some black vinyl for the cover.  The fabric gets stapled to the bottom of the cut notch...first the front, second the back, and then the sides while making a nice corner.

 

 

 

 

And here is the finished project.  Thanks for looking.

 

[KATO 7]

Never been much of a "wood worker" myself but i can certainly appreciate it

Nice job !!!

[CasualObserver 4]

Nice job Steve!!  You just can't argue with the quality of an older piece of furniture.  Too many get tossed aside nowdays.  Upholstery is already a lost concept in the current throw-away world, and the work is becoming a lost art! Takes a talented and patient person!

[Terry M 7]

The chair looks Nice steve!  I think you may be one of those "Jacks (or steve) of all trades!!!