I have to replace a missing slat in an outdoor chair. The slats run from front to back and have tenons that fit into mortises in the front and back pieces of the chair. The slats are 5/8″ wide and 1/2″ thick. The front and back pieces are mortised into the sides and are doweled so I don’t want to try and dismantle the whole chair. My plan is to cut the new slat to the same dimensions as the originals. Then cut out the top cheek of the mortise on the back piece, lay in the new slat , and glue the top mortise cheek back in place. Anybody have a better way to do this?
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Replies
Missing chair slat
I do a lot of chairs in my shop and have done many antique chairs. You have the right idea. Remove the broken slat and if it cannot be repaired make a duplicate. Deepen the "upper" mortise so you can slide the tenon up into it so it clears the lower mortise. Then drop it down into the lower mortise. If you have a good fit you will not need any glue, otherwise place a drop in the mortise and your done. It might be easier to finish it before you put it in so the longer upper tenon has finish on it. Make sure all the dried glue is out of the mortises also. Good luck
Wally
I think you misread his intent. He wants to cut out the cheek of the mortise, not deepen it.
Missing Chair Slat
Thanks Wally. Based on your response I think I may have not described my situation correctly. The missing slat is from the seat area. Also, the slat tenon has shoulders which would prevent it from sliding into a deepend mortise unless I widened the mortise to accept the full width and height of the slat. I could just enlarge the mortises to the full width and height of the slat and also deepen them and forgo cutting tenons on the ends of the slat. Then just insert the slat in the manner you suggested.....push way in to allow opposite end of slat to be inserted into its mortise and then pull back to center in both mortises....then glue and or tack in place. Or cut tenons on each end of the slat, open the top of one mortise, lay in the slat, close the top of the mortise to secure the slat tenon.