A mission style ottoman

DGersic

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DeKalb, IL
I’ve wanted a new ottoman / foot stool for my beach cottage. We’ve had a few, cheap things from Target, that last a season or two then get thrown away. I’ve looked at what’s in the stores, and found mostly cheap and flimsy stuff that has a side benefit of being ugly and expensive. And I keep looking at my Amish made mission style ottoman here at home and thinking that that’s what I really want.

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But Amish made stuff is expensive, and it’s a beach cottage.

But that’s what I really want.

So I did some measuring and some looking around at what’s available at Menards, and found a red oak 2x2 was just about a perfect match for the four corner posts, and a 5/4 x 4 x 8 could be sliced and diced to make the other pieces.

I don’t have a planer, but I do have a cheap table saw and a mitre saw and sanders. So, I bought two boards and spent some time making big boards in to smaller pieces and sawdust.

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DGersic

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Glue up number one, getting the spindles evenly spaced with some scraps of 1x4 and centered using some washers as spacers.

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Glue up number two, putting the corners on the sides. These are doweled joints for strength, and it took some time and careful measurements to get the dowel holes where I needed them to be.

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Glue up number three, putting the front and back rails (4) between the two assembled sides. These are also doweled joints.

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Also had to drag the saws out again to cut the two support pieces for the cushion top. I forgot to cut those the first day.
 

RoninB4

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Under My House
-Like your sense of aesthetics and the project. I've got a strong preference for mission style, Stickley, Greene and Greene, and Wright. Are you going to use the traditional finishing method of fuming? Photos when done please.
 
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DGersic

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-Like your sense of aesthetics and the project. I've got a strong preference for mission style, Stickley, Greene and Greene, and Wright. Are you going to use the traditional finishing method of fuming? Photos when done please.

Finish will probably be using something I already have, left over from another project.

I’ll add more pictures as this progresses. Now that the body is done, it’s time to make the top cushion.
 
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DGersic

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I cut down a piece of scrap 1/2” plywood to use as a cushion base.

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I have some 1” foam left over from another project, so was going to use it. But it’s a 1/2” too short (I have a board stretcher, but it doesn’t work well on foam), and looking at 1”, I really want 2” foam. So I’ll stop at the store tomorrow to pick up a piece.

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I made a paper template for the cushion cover.

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I have a roll of leftover black vinyl I thought I’d use for the cushion.

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Except that what’s left isn’t a big enough piece. So I guess that’s two things to pick up at the store tomorrow.
 
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DGersic

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DeKalb, IL
I wanted some non-slip feet. That seems to be difficult to get, all the local available furniture feet are designed for easy slide. So Amazon listed these, came direct from PRC.

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I sunk them in to,the legs with a forstner bit. Had to drill them by hand, too tall to fit in my little drill press.

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This one got away from me and crooked. Had to shim it.

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I guess I could put this in the “mistakes” thread.

With a bit of fussing with the feet, it sits flat and level without rocking. I don’t know if the floor is flat, may need some final fooling with later.
 

hobie18

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Apr 29, 2024
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Make some jigs, pump a few more out. Make enough money that all yours are free!

Great job!.
I would buy one
 
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rharman

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Apr 22, 2012
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SoCal
That's a really nice design and build.

You posted this....
"Glue up number two, putting the corners on the sides. These are doweled joints for strength, and it took some time and careful measurements to get the dowel holes where I needed them to be."

Are you just going by measurement instead of using dowel centers?

1742779097873.png
 
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DGersic

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Mar 12, 2017
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DeKalb, IL
That's a really nice design and build.

You posted this....
"Glue up number two, putting the corners on the sides. These are doweled joints for strength, and it took some time and careful measurements to get the dowel holes where I needed them to be."

Are you just going by measurement instead of using dowel centers?

1742779097873.png

Used dowel centers, but need the corner posts aligned with each other.

Used washers as spacers to center the 1” thick horizontal pieces in the 2x2 corners.
 

PCustoms

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Jul 23, 2011
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VT
At some point I need to make some more mission style furniture.

I have a few pieces and close friend made, but far from a full set. I'll never part with them as they're priceless since he passed.
 

LOW1

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Jul 20, 2018
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ontario
Very nice. How many coats of stain? And did you put any poly on it.

Mistakes that do not show are not mistakes. No blood, no foul.
 
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DGersic

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DeKalb, IL
Very nice. How many coats of stain? And did you put any poly on it.

Mistakes that do not show are not mistakes. No blood, no foul.

Two coats of stain. No poly. I’m assuming it’ll get beat up, and I’d rather be able to add more stain as needed.
 
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