Morris Chair with Adjustable Back
€15,00
Morris Chair with Adjustable Back
€15,00
In July 1909 the magazine told its readers how to make "a morris chair of craftsman design": the reclining armchair that defined Arts & Crafts furniture. Four 1 3/4 × 3" posts carry side rails that run right through them, Mission-style, and wide arms that the post tenons pierce. The slatted back swings on two dowels and rests on a rod that drops into one of three notches. The original stock list, drawing and finish are all here, in metric too, with the joinery and cushions.
At a glance
- Size: 40" high, 36 1/8" deep, 31 1/4" wide over the arms; arms 24 7/8" high (102 × 92 × 79 cm)
- Skill: Intermediate
- Build time: 3 weekends
- Materials: approx. US$180–420
- In the plan: 40-page PDF, US Letter, 59 illustrated steps, imperial, with metric in the lists and steps
Inside the 40-page plan
- The original 1909 article and its drawings, restored and reproduced in full
- An exploded drawing that shows how every part goes together
- Dimensioned views of the finished build, in feet and inches
- Materials list and hardware schedule, with today's actual lumber sizes and metric equivalents
- Cut list, so you can cut everything before you start assembling
- Clear illustrated step-by-step assembly drawings: one job per step, every part drawn, fastener positions marked
- A modern-build track: screws and today's materials, same dimensions
- The Remix: build it as a Porch Morris Chair
The PDF plan is a digital download; nothing ships. Adapted from "How to Make a Morris Chair", Popular Mechanics, July 1909, pp. 97–98, an unsigned public-domain article. Restored, redrawn and edited by Square & Furrow, produced with AI-assisted tools and checked against the original article. Not affiliated with the original publisher.
Illustrated step by step
Imperial + metric
Cut list & checklist
Instant PDF download
Built to work
Morris Chair with Adjustable Back
Built in home workshops more than a century ago, and redrawn for the way you build today.
Rendering
This fall · The Remix
Or build it as a Porch Morris Chair
The same proven piece, given a second job around the house or garden. It's included in this plan: a dedicated page shows exactly what changes and what stays the same.
Drawn for the plan
From the workshop archive
Restored from the original article
From the archive
“How to Make a Morris Chair” · July 1909
Public domain · restored by Square & Furrow
This is the public-domain how-to article home craftsmen built from more than a century ago. We restore its drawings and reproduce the article in full inside your plan, then rebuild it as a modern edition: today's lumber sizes, metric measurements, a cut list and illustrated steps. Every dimension is checked against the original.
Step by step
Every part drawn. Every fastener marked.
Each step is one job with its own clear drawing: the parts it adds are shaded, every nail and screw position is marked, and the hardware and tools sit right beside it. An exploded view shows how the whole build goes together before you make a single cut.
Before you build
Your tools & materials checklist
Tick what you already have. Whatever is left is your shopping list. Your ticks are saved on this device, so you can come back to it from the lumber yard.
0 of 0 on hand
Tools
Materials
Lumber: the article orders everything mill-planed and sanded on four sides; it doesn't name a wood. Quartersawn white oak is the Mission tradition. The sizes are the 1909 list's dressed (actual) sizes, not nominal lumber names, and most are ordered long: the cut list gives the finished lengths. Buy the 7/8" arms and rails as 5/4: 4/4 seldom planes to a flat 7/8" over a 37" board.
Questions about this plan
What are the finished dimensions?
40" high, 36 1/8" deep, 31 1/4" wide over the arms; arms 24 7/8" high (102 × 92 × 79 cm). The drawings are dimensioned in feet and inches; the materials list, cut list and steps give metric sizes alongside.
What skill level do I need, and how long does it take?
It's rated intermediate. Expected build time: 3 weekends. It suits someone who has built a simple piece of furniture or cut a mortise and tenon before; each step still names the tools it uses.
How much does it cost to build?
Roughly US$180–420 in materials at typical US lumber-yard prices. Prices vary a lot by region, so price the materials list at your local yard before you start.
What tools do I need?
Try square; Marking gauge; Straightedge; Handsaw; Backsaw; 3/4" and 3/8" chisels; Mallet; Rasp; Scraper; Drill/driver; Drill bits 3/4", 7/32", 3/16", 9/64", 1/8", 7/64", 3/32" and a long 1/2"; Countersink; Screwdriver, 6"+ shaft; 4 bar clamps (30"+); 2 F-clamps; plus a tape, pencil, safety glasses, hearing protection and gloves. The interactive checklist on this page lets you tick off what you already own.
Where does this plan come from?
It is restored from "How to Make a Morris Chair", Popular Mechanics, July 1909, pp. 97–98, an unsigned how-to article from 1909 that is now in the public domain. We redrew it as a modern build guide with a materials list, metric sizes, a cut list and clear illustrated step-by-step assembly drawings, every part drawn. Every dimension follows the original article, and the article is reproduced inside. This edition is our own; it is not affiliated with or endorsed by the original publisher.
Can a beginner follow it?
It's rated intermediate, so it helps to have built something framed before, or to have a handy friend on the bigger lifts. Each step is a single job with its own drawing: the parts that step adds are shaded, the nails, screws and bolts it drives are marked where they go, and the hardware for that step is listed beside it. An exploded drawing at the front shows how the whole build goes together before you cut anything.
Can I build it as something else?
Yes. The plan includes a remix page that turns the same build into a porch Morris chair (reading nooks & porch lounging), showing what changes and what stays the same.
What do I get?
A 40-page print-ready PDF (US Letter) to download after purchase. It prints well at home or at a copy shop, and reads fine on a tablet in the workshop.