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Pilgrims First Chair

 

For the beginning Mountain man or woman a comfortable place to sit next to his tent is one of the first accessories to be made. Here is the first of a few patterns and instructions for making basic seating. The one is an ancient design even found on Viking longships but is so useful and simple to make that it found it's way thru history to the mountain men. I designed this variation to make it easy for the beginning craftsman to make. In a future article we will discuss a milking stools & rustic stools.

Trapper John has a tall tale regarding this chair and its many uses from a spare canoe paddle to a gravestone. It comes apart and stacks flat for easy storage & transportation.

Materials: 8' long 2"x12" stock lumber, linseed oil or stain as desired.

Tools needed: drill with 1/2" bit, jig-saw, wood-rasp, sandpaper, brushes & rags for finish

The standard 2x12" board from the lumberyard measures only 1-3/4 x 11" & usually not quite 8 feet long, so the measurements I give are rough and will be explained in the text.

 

Cut the boards into two - 4 foot long sections.

 
Use your jig-saw to round the top edge of the back piece. Thirteen inches from the bottom mark a rectangle 7 inches by 2 inches approximately 2 inches from both sides. Drill a 1/2" hole inside the rectangle that you just marked & use your hand jig-saw to cut out the rectangle. Using wood-rasp & sand paper smooth out the rectangle & all the cut edges of the back. 
 
Shape the seat piece by rounding the top edge. Next form the tongue by removing a 3 foot by 2 inch section from each side starting from the bottom edge. The tongue must slide easily but not too loosely thru the cut-out rectangle in the back piece. Using wood-rasp & sand paper smooth out the tongue and all the cut edges.
 
Use sandpaper to smooth all surfaces and round all edges and corners. 

 

Lightening the Load

You can lighten the weight of the chair as well as decorating it by cutting out patterns into the back and tongue of the chair. Circles and hearts are common and easy patterns for cut-outs. Be sure not to cut out too large an area where the back or head rests because you will lose the support. I don't recommend you cut out the seat area of the seat piece because it will weaken the piece too much for the weight. Likewise avoid too many cut-outs as they can weaken the wood.
 
Other decorative possibilities include wood-burning and padding the seat and back with leather over a stuffing such as horse hair.

 

Finishing work

Make sure to completely smooth all faces and round all edges and corners using sand paper. Linseed oil makes a fine finish or you can stain and seal it with traditional looking analine dyes or modern stains.
 
Another method is to use a propane torch and gently brush the wood with the flame to seal the pores and slightly darken the wood.

 

Using the stool

The stool can be carried as two seperate pieces or laid flat against each other for easy storage. To assemble slide the tongue from front to back  of the back piece through the cut-out rectangle near the bottom until the seat is fit snugly against the back. Set on the ground and relax.
 
Be sure to ask Trapper John to demonstrate the various uses of your new chair!
 
Tusen Takk,
Mud Dauber


Here's a stool set-up and in use

Advice to Pilgrims from Trapper John

Black Powder Shooter & Shooterettes:
 
If you want to see a good time and learn a lot, go to a Rendezvous and walk around. Many of us are real good at what we do. There are many demo's going on or just ask how it is done; if they don't know how they will tell you to go see that person they know with the know-how. Then go ask. 99% of the time they willl show you how right then or make time a little later; just ask. Even many kids are good at it, what-ever it is. I am talking about bead work, weaving, cooking, setting up camp, fire building, fixing a black powder rifle, & how to have a good time.
 
Oh yes, one other ting at rendezvous: No, I mean NO inlines or scopes or center fire rifles or pistols showed at all! Only old style Black Powder Rifles with caplock or flintlocks.
 
We have too much fun. One thing about Rendezvous is time slows down. I don't know how to say it, but it feels good.
 
Trapper John