Wright Chat

[cahudson42]

In preparation for ultimately building the far more complicated FLLW "Origami' (Butterfly) Chair, I thought I would try a simpler piece for 'practice'.

The Yemassee Side Chair, shown below from a 1982 exhibit at the Metropolitan, is almost completely rectilinear. No compound angles. The sides, while they appear to have a slight splay - could also be left parallel - eliminating any back support bevels.



The practice chair is now finished. And I thought, given the difficulty of getting any kinds of plans for Wright-inspired designs, I would Post the info for any and all to use anyway they want. Make 100 copies and make a fortune - whatever

For me it is far easier to make a website than an elaborate Post - so that is what I did. The info is at:

http://www.cfnet.net/yc

Keep in mind this version was not copied from any Wright-ish existing drawing. It may not be comfortable for you; too high, too low - whatever. So perhaps use the info as a 'point of departure' for your own version.

Comments and suggestions greatly appreciated - please feel free to add them to this thread.

Have fun - and if you make a version - would you Post yours so we can learn from it? Alternate dimensions and angles particularly!

Regards,
Chris

[SDR]

Nice work, and good photos ! That saw really works well, doesn't it. Pocket screws are a logical and convenient choice, especially for a prototype. In a finished version that had a back cushion, plugged screws from the front might be better ? (Sorry if you've covered this already.)

Other Usonians of the period use a similar chair, I think; photos of Pope show a group of them, both with and without cushions.

I haven't gone thru your text yet, but have to ask why you chose to make the back panel larger (taller) than the seat, rather than smaller. This changes the proportions of the chair a lot, making it less "horizontal" in appearance. I'm sure you had a good reason for this as well. (Maybe it's only taller in the drawing ? You state that both pieces are 22 x 26. . .)

From what I can see, you'll make a great Orgami when you're ready. Keep up the good work !

SDR
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[cahudson42]

Thanks for the comments SDR!

Well, the back height was based on the dimenions of a $15 WALMART indoor-oudoor cushion, as I was thinking of using the chair on my porch, or even outside .

Perhaps at some point I'll want to make several that could replace our sagging sofa, rather than buy some $800 pos as my wife might like. With the right cushions, I'd go with the more horizontal dimensions as you suggest. Did you measure the cushions anywhere by any chance?

The 22 x 26 seat and back also reflected the WALMART cushion - its 21" wide by 26 back x 22 seat. The chair seat gets cut down closer to 20" further on.

In this version, again since I thought I might put it outside, all screw holes were intentionally kept off 'upper sides' so as not to invite rot/rust at those points.

And thanks for the ref posts - 'so many possibilities, so little time'...

Regards,
Chris

[SDR]

Well done, Chris. The "outdoor detailing" is well thought-out. And I think this was a good choice for a first chair try-out project.

In the Loren Pope house (at least) this chair is used (in addition to dining) in a row, as a portable version of Wright's usual linear living-room built-in seating. The economies of labor in making multiples is one of the joys of the woodworker's life !

SDR

[SDR]

DRN has kindly provided us with excellent photos of the Sweeton house chair in his possession.















Although I made the comment to DRN privately that it seemed the canting of the leg elements in plan is
largely obscured by the relatively low seat, I see that I was wrong about that.

This is an interesting and unusual design, and it clearly relates to Wright's earlier plywood chair designs.

SDR

[cahudson42]

Very Interesting! Thank you!

So we are looking at a version c. 1950?

What immediately caught my eye was the 4th photo - from the rear - where it seems clear there are two different size cleats under the seat.

I was wondering about the rack resistance of these things. Particularly given that edge gluing plywood is somewhat iffy at best.

While I added cleats on mine to the back, in part to cover the pocket screw holes, I think I will go back and add similar cleats under the seat.

Except I should probably use a couple hardwood cleats - and get long grain to long grain gluing on both the seat and the side.

Curious as to what you think caused the abrasion wear - in a straight line - near the chair bottom? Repeated bonking by a vacuum over the years? Or?

Chris

[DRN]

cahudson42:
The chair was drawn on a supplemental sheet of details issued in the late summer of 1950.
The cleats are of a uniform size...I think my photo was taken slightly off center.
The marks at the base of the chair match marks on most of the baseboards in the house...vacuum, wood scrub brush, sponge mop, all are probable culprits. The redwood veneer plywood of the chair and redwood trim throughout the house are very soft woods and easily dinged, dented, or gouged..the house and its casework have many wounds.

On picture #4, if you look at the left side of the chair back you can see the edges and screwholes from the bracket that held this chair to its neighbor to form one of the long benches shown on the plans. These holes occur only on the one side, so this was an end piece. It probably had the most uneven wear and tear of the set and led to it being selected by the Sweetons as the chair to leave behind when they moved from the house in 1974. I am told they had no other furniture and took all but this chair with them when they moved.

[SDR]

To address the question of cleats: because of the loads presented to this particular joint, I think the cleat is close to redundant. The leg is prevented from bending relative to the seat by the rear upright leg extension, and the main load on the joint (weight of sitter) presses the joint together rather than trying to separate it. (The leg is prevented from bending at the front by its attachment to the front "apron" -- where a short hidden cleat would be useful, perhaps.) The "boxing" of the whole design is quite admirable, in fact -- as is Chris's chair and other versions of this form.

Plywood is the ideal material here; the only question is whether the exposed edge of the material is acceptable, both visually and in terms of protection of the edge of the face veneers. The mitering of the seat, back and apron to each other is desirable. A 1/8" hardwood or 1/4" softwood edgeband, glued to the plywood (good masking tape is a very useful "clamp" for this process) and perhaps mitered at every corner, would be a nice improvement -- unless you're a "plywood purist" !

SDR

[ozwrightfan]

I would think that the exposed plywood edge would be in keeping with the honesty of the materials that FLW strived for. I'm curious to know how the back of the seat is fastened to the back stiles, possibly screws through the face of the back?

[SDR]

I suppose that's how I'd do it. They didn't have the plate joiner (biscuits, Lamellos) back then ! (Of course, then you'd need a clamping strategy.) Either way, glue is essential. The joints can be assembled dry, blue tape applied as masking for squeeze-out, then the joints assembled again with glue.

I contrived my own tool for removing partially-set glue squeeze: a springy putty knife sharpened like a chisel, which can cut the glue beads without having to wet the wood. Works nicely. . .

Architects today seem to feel that European multi-ply looks good enough to explose the edge, while traditional pine- or fir-core 7-ply, with its voids and knots, doesn't. But every man for himself, I say.

SDR

[DRN]

The Sweeton chair back is attached to the rear stiles by finish nails driven at about 2"o.c. from the front face of the chair back into the stiles. The nail heads are countersunk and filled with putty. The front "skirt"-to-seat mitered joint is secured with finish nails with putty on the heads as well. There are slight traces of wiped glue ooze on the underside of the chair at the mitered joint. Presumably, the chair back was nailed and glued as well.

[cahudson42]

For those interested in similar chairs to this, I thought I'd pass along a tip from David, TnGuy.

David suggested the paperback: 'Frank Lloyd Wright's Seth Peterson Cottage - Rescuing a Lost Masterwork' Efifler - Visser. ISBN: 1879483629.

Mine came today, and I think it a gem. Not only does it have scaled drawings of the reproduction Seth Peterson Living Room Chair, Dining Room Chair, and the Settle, it has a wealth of info on 'modern' approachs to building construction/reconstruction. I thought the info on a modern approach to slab heating was worth the cost alone. This plus the story of the reconstruction - itself fascinating.

The book is, for some unknown reason, selling for $100 and over on Abebooks. Yet if you are willing to wait two weeks, it is still available for the original $15 (plus $3 shipping) from the Seth Peterson Cottage Conservancy at:

http://www.sethpeterson.org/GiftShop/Default.htm

You will need to print out the order form and snailmail in your check, but it is well worth the wait.
Chris

[SDR]

A Google search for this title at Amazon didn't elicit a match.

[cahudson42]

Hi SDR!

Try using the ISBN number: 1879483629.

I just did on Amazon - Books - and got 1 match @ $99.95.

There is a link to a hardcover version on the response I got - its $242. Then another link to 5 copies of the paperback.

Couple reviews there, too. Also an Amazon 'Look Inside' on some.
Chris

[SDR]

Thanks, Chris. I'm a latecomer to Amazon -- having had a long and ongoing position of support for the local architectural bookseller, William Stout.

A difficult-to-find book, "First House," by Christian Bjone, is currently available from Amazon for about $90, and from other booksellers (through Amazon in "used, like new" condition) for $15. (Guess which one I chose. . .)



SDR