# New Chairs for the deck



## dummkauf (Jun 11, 2010)

Thought I'd share the latest project. My wife decided we needed some new chairs for the deck, so after picking up a bunch of white oak and started my first ever chair project. So far I have 1 being finished, 2nd almost put together, and 3 & 4 are still a pile of lumber in the shop. This was also my first time steam bending wood for the seats as well as my first fox tail tenons(figured the fox tails would hold up even if the glue failed outdoors).

Here is the first chair after a couple coats of BLO


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Chair came out nice...well done. Design looks good, and nice material choice. A whole set will look great together. Got plans for a table?












 







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## dummkauf (Jun 11, 2010)

cabinetman said:


> Chair came out nice...well done. Design looks good, and nice material choice. A whole set will look great together. Got plans for a table?


I do have plans for a table but that will have to wait as I haven't had time to design that, plus the honey-do list has a new dresser for the bedroom listed as a higher priority for the next project. Which is fine because the table I have out there(metal with a glass top) is fine, it's just the chairs that came with the table that are falling apart. Plus if I build the table I'd rather wait as I plan on moving out of my current home into a larger house in the next 2 years, and the deck on my current home only allows enough room for a table that would seat 4, so I think I am going to hold off on the table until we move and then probably build a couple extra chairs along with the table.


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## ACP (Jan 24, 2009)

Man that's a sharp looking chair. White oak. That thing won't be blowing over anytime soon will it. I've never heard of a fox tail tenon. Can you describe that please?


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## dummkauf (Jun 11, 2010)

ACP said:


> Man that's a sharp looking chair. White oak. That thing won't be blowing over anytime soon will it. I've never heard of a fox tail tenon. Can you describe that please?


Most fox tail tenons I've seen online don't go all the way through, the not-through tenons are a bit more complicated, but basically you take a normal mortise and tenon joint, and you cut the mortise so that it flares out, and the tenon gets slots cut into it. You drive a wedge into the slots on the tenon, which causes the wood to flare out into the flared mortise. Since the wood flares out into the flared mortise it holds without glue as long as the wedges stay in place.

Here is a pic I found of a fox tail tenon that doesn't go all the way through:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/77/MortiseFoxTail.png

Here's a pic of a through fox tail on my chair. Disclaimer, these chairs were my first attempt at hand cut mortise and tenon joinery so the joints are NOT clean joints, but for the experience and the fact that they are intended for outdoor use I am happy with them.


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## dummkauf (Jun 11, 2010)

Here's a good diagram of a through fox tail tenon: http://www.sawdustonthefloor.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/400px-mortise-300x184.png

here's what a "clean" through fox tail tenon should look like: http://www.nerdylorrin.net/jerry/r+j/MyButcherBlk/ButcherBlk-FoxTailedMortise+Tenon-250.jpg

and a good picture of a not-through fox tail: http://www.nerdylorrin.net/jerry/r+j/MyButcherBlk/ButcherBlk-Diagram-FoxTailedMortise+Tennon-250.jpg


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## ACP (Jan 24, 2009)

Ah....Thank you. I am familiar with that joint, but I've never heard it called that. Learned something new! I've always heard them called wedged M & T. I like foxtail better. It sounds more eloquent.


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## Brink (Nov 22, 2010)

Nice chairs, I really dig the joinery. I too, never heard them called fox tails. I like the way it sounds.


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## dummkauf (Jun 11, 2010)

The "wedged M&T" makes sense, I learned about those joints from one of Roy Underhill's books(one of the woodwright ones I think) and he'd called them fox tails, so I had just assumed that's what everyone called them....though I learned something now too


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## dummkauf (Jun 11, 2010)

Brink said:


> Nice chairs, I really dig the joinery. I too, never heard them called fox tails. I like the way it sounds.


Thank you! Every joint on that chair is either a fox tail tenon or it's a regular tenon with dowels going through. This project is my first outdoor furniture i've ever built so I may have gone a little overboard with making sure the joints would last


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

The chairs look great

~tom ...it's better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt...


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## mn pete (Dec 10, 2010)

Great job bud!


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