Wooden Chair Parts Made to Your Drawing

Legs, rails, stretchers, back slats, crest rails and seat blanks for dining, side and lounge chairs, machined to a drawing and packed as sets per chair model.

Send an RFQ What to send

Chair parts: three wooden chairs with dark seats, one turned over to show the legs and rails

Chair partsAt a glance

Parts: Legs, rails, stretchers, slats, crest rails, seat blanks, arms
Common species: White oak, ash, beech, birch, rubberwood
Tolerance: About ±0.2 to ±0.5 mm on joints, typical
Moisture: 8 to 10 percent for most export markets, typical
Supplied as: Loose parts, sanded sets or assembled frames

A wooden chair is a set of eight to twenty parts that must meet at angles and stay tight for years under a moving load. Chair part factories cut, shape, bore and sand those parts to a drawing so the brand can assemble, finish or upholster them. Some plants also assemble and finish the full frame.

The quote depends on three things more than on species: how many parts are shaped rather than square, how tight the joint tolerances are and whether the plant bends parts in-house. A straight Shaker side chair and a sculpted lounge chair in the same oak can differ in price by a wide margin for this reason.

Species and panels

White oakStrong, open grain, premium look. Common for visible legs and arms.
AshStrong and springy, bends well. A lower cost alternative to oak in many designs.
BeechEven, fine grain, takes stain evenly. Classic for bent and turned chair parts in Europe.
Yellow birchFine grain and strong. Used for painted and stained chairs.
RubberwoodPlantation hardwood, stable and low cost. Common for painted and stained chairs in volume.
Hard mapleHard and fine grained. Used for modern light colored chairs.

Types of chair parts

Name the type on the RFQ. Factories that make one type well do not always make the others.

Type	What it is	Fits
Legs	Square, tapered, turned or shaped front and rear legs. Rear legs are often one curved piece that also forms the back post.	Every chair. Rear legs carry most of the load and decide the back angle.
Rails and stretchers	Seat rails, side rails and lower stretchers that join the legs, with tenons, dowels or bolt holes at each end.	Frames where stiffness comes from the rails. Lengths and end angles must be exact.
Back slats and crest rails	Flat or curved slats, spindles and the top rail of the back. Curved parts are bent or cut from thick stock.	Visible back designs. Grain and color matter as much as size.
Seat blanks	Edge-glued solid seats, flat or scooped by CNC, or plywood seat boards for upholstered seats.	Windsor, farmhouse and stacking chairs, and upholstered seats.
Arms and arm supports	Shaped arms and the posts under them, often CNC profiled and hand sanded.	Armchairs and lounge chairs. The most handled surface on the chair.

Typical specifications

Starting points used across the trade. Your drawing sets the real values, and each factory confirms what it can hold on the quote.

Spec	Typical value	Note
Leg section	35 to 50 mm square at the top, typical for dining chairs	Give the section at the joint and at the foot if tapered.
Seat height	About 450 to 470 mm for dining chairs, typical	Set on the assembly drawing, not on each part.
Joint tolerance	About ±0.2 to ±0.5 mm on tenon and dowel fits, typical	Tighter for glued joints than for bolted knock-down joints.
Length tolerance	About ±0.5 mm on rails and stretchers, typical	Errors add up across a frame. State it per part.
Moisture content	8 to 10 percent, lower for very dry markets, typical	Match the market where the chair is used.
Sanding	150 to 180 grit before finishing, typical	State the grit if you finish the parts yourself.

Typical values, not a guarantee. Confirm every value that matters to you on the quote and the approved sample.

How it is built

Solid partsCut from one piece of lumber. Used where the full grain shows, such as front legs and arms.
Laminated or finger-jointed blanksGlued from thinner or shorter pieces. Straighter and cheaper for long rear legs and hidden rails. State where glue lines may show.
Bent partsSteam bent solid wood or bent laminated veneer for curved backs, crest rails and arm loops. Check that the plant bends in-house.
JoineryMortise and tenon, dowels or knock-down bolts with cross dowels. Knock-down joints let the chair ship flat but need tighter hole positions.

Finish options

Unfinished, sandedFor brands that stain and lacquer in their own plant. Ask for parts packed to avoid dents and grain raise from humidity.
Primed or sealedA sealer or primer coat to protect parts in transit and speed up final finishing.
Fully finishedStained and lacquered or oiled to an approved color sample. Ask for the finish system and the number of coats.

How chair parts are made

The usual process chain, from dried lumber or panels to packed goods. Ask which steps happen in-house and which go out to another plant.

01Kiln dryingFinal moisture content, internal stress and how much the part moves after delivery.
02Rough millingHow much clear wood you pay for, which defects reach your parts and how evenly the color runs.
03Finger jointing and edge gluingJoint strength, water resistance, how visible the joints are and whether panels stay flat.
04Planing and mouldingFinal thickness and width, how square and straight the part is and how much sanding the surface needs.
05CNC routingShape accuracy, hole positions for hardware and how well parts from different batches fit together.
06Wood turningDiameter and profile accuracy, surface quality, straightness of long parts and grain strength in thin sections.
07Wood bendingWhich bending method fits the part, the tightest radius you can order and how close each part stays to the drawing.
09Joinery and assemblyHow strong and rigid the product is, how square it stands and how it ships.
10Sanding and finishingColor, sheen, smoothness and how well the surface resists heat, water and wear.
11Inspection and packingWhether the goods that leave the factory match the order, and whether they arrive in the same condition.

Who orders chair parts

New models usually start with samples and a pilot run of a few hundred sets. Repeat orders go up to full containers per model. Many plants set a minimum per part rather than per order.

Furniture brands

Buy parts or frames for their own models and finish or upholster in their own plant.

Contract and hospitality suppliers

Need repeat runs of one chair model for restaurants and hotels, with stronger joints and harder wearing finishes.

Upholstery shops

Buy unfinished frames or seat and back parts to cover with fabric or leather.

Rules that may apply

TSCA Title VI applies to plywood seat boards and other composite panels sold in the US
Commercial seating may need to pass a strength test such as ANSI/BIFMA X5.4 or EN 16139, so state the standard if you need it
EUDR due diligence for wood placed on the EU market

What to send for a quote

With these points stated, every matched factory quotes the same product.

A drawing per part with sections, lengths, angles and tolerances
The assembly drawing with seat height and joint types
Species, grade and where glue lines or finger joints are allowed
Finish, or unfinished and sanded to which grit
Packing: loose parts, sets per chair or assembled frames
Quantity of sets for the first order and the yearly volume

Send an RFQ for chair parts

What to check on samples

Approve one sample in writing and keep it as the reference for every shipment.

Dry fit one full chair from production parts before the run continues
Joint fit and hole positions against the drawing on several parts per batch
Moisture content on a sample of parts at packing
Grain direction on curved and thin parts
Color match between parts of one chair after finishing

Where orders go wrong

The problems that cost buyers of chair parts the most time and money, and how to head them off in the RFQ.

Angles given only on the assemblyRails meet the legs at compound angles on many chairs. Put the end angles on each part drawing so every plant cuts the same thing.
Short grain on curved partsA rear leg cut from a straight board leaves short grain at the curve, which snaps under load. Ask for laminated or bent stock there.
Parts from different lotsLegs from one lot and rails from another stain differently. Ask for one lot per order or sorting by color before finishing.

Questions about chair parts

Related guides:

Furniture Joinery Types for Production: Dowel, Mortise and Knock-Down
White Oak vs Ash: Which Species Suits Your Furniture Components
Steam Bent Wood or Laminated Bending: Which Method Fits Your Part

Reference: Wikipedia: Mortise and tenon

Can I order only some chair parts, such as legs?

Yes. Many brands buy only the parts they cannot make well, such as bent backs or turned legs. Send the drawing for each part you need and say how they join the parts you make.

What tolerance should I give on chair parts?

Give tolerances where parts meet: tenon and dowel sizes, hole positions and rail lengths. A tolerance of about ±0.2 to ±0.5 mm is typical on joints. The overall chair size can be looser.

Should chair parts be finger-jointed?

For hidden rails and long rear legs, finger-jointed or laminated blanks are often straighter and cheaper. For visible front legs and arms, most brands ask for solid parts. State it per part.

Do factories assemble the chairs too?

Some do, some only make parts. Tick assembly in the RFQ if you want frames, and say whether they should be finished. We match factories that cover the steps you need.

Which wood is best for chair parts?

Beech, ash and white oak are the classic choices because they are strong and bend well. Rubberwood and birch are common for painted or stained chairs in volume. Pick by look, strength and price.

Need chair parts made to your spec?

Send the drawing, species and quantity. We match you with up to 3 wood manufacturers that make chair parts and reply within 24 business hours.

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