A Day at Sam Maloof's Shop

[Brian Kent]

Thanks to a gift from a friend, I spent yesterday in Sam Maloof’s shop.

The class from University of California at Riverside is entitled “A Day with Sam Maloof”. Sam is ill and was unable to teach, so he handed he job to Mike Johnson. Mike is one of three of Sam’s woodworking partners, and has worked for Sam since 1981.

At the end of the day Sam was very gracious to invite all 23 students into his home and spoke with us from a hospital bed for about 15-20 minutes. No one took pictures or asked for autographs. We were just grateful for Sam and Beverly’s kindness in inviting us into their home.

What amazed me was that the artistic accomplishments of this man’s life can be summed up in a few joints and techniques, assembling beautiful wood into chairs and tables. How wonderful to find the thing he did best and spend a lifetime developing an idea. I find myself not so much wanting to make a Maloof rocking chair (though I am obsessing on his tables), but to grow in what I can do beautifully in life and keep on growing for my whole life. Thanks, Sam!

Now with that intro, I’ll post some pictures. Instead of trying to re-create 6 hours of explanations, I’ll let the photos speak and invite your comments. If you have questions, I’ll try to answer what I know. I am choosing shop photos over finished pieces.

For Southern Californians, there is a nice collection of his pieces that opened last night in the Riverside Art Museum.

[Brian Kent]

A few clamps.
Creative jointer guard.
A really big saw.
Delta Lathe.
Sander with various spindles.

[Brian Kent]

Oneway Lathe.
Smaller Bandsaw - Agazzani.
Handtool Cabinet Collage.
Horizontal Drill.
Vise.

[Brian Kent]

Sam's Bosch Colts.
Mike's Shaping Tools.
Unfinished Chair with a real-live gap!
Shaping a Chair.
Sanding a Pedestal.

[Brian Kent]

Bocote chair - I think.
Table Top Joint.
Historical Home.
1950's Dining Chair.
Dining Table.

[Andrew Joiner]

What a treat. Even sick in bed he was nice enough to talk with your group,that is amazing. Sam is a true woodworking hero.

[Brian Kent]

Me in Sam's Chair - the only one for the public to try.
Walnut Pedestal Table.
Walnut Pedestal.
Two views of Sam and Beverly's new home.

I hope there is something good in this or you to glean. Please comment on his shop and fill in some information.

[andy Needles]

Thank you for taking a wonderful array of pics that provide us all with insight into a humble, but skilled woodworker who has chosen to stay focused on the creative aspects of woodworking! :)

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Looks like a day to remember. Glad you shared it with us. Sam Maloof has certainly given many of us inspiration.

[Mike Armstrong]

I'm sorry to hear Sam was ill. I hope to be half as active as him when (an if!) I get into my 90s. Been on a couple tours with students at Palomar College's woodworking program, something Sam has a long association with. It's always an exceptional pleasure to be around such a skilled artist and humble, down to earth individual.

During the last tour I was on, half a dozen of us sat with him for a while in his home and were admiring a small Ziricote pedestal table and chairs. I recall him saying he paid $1K/bd ft. for the wood, but I still have trouble believing I actually heard him correctly. The set wasn't for sale, but he said it would probably bring $300K.

It's hard to go home to my dinky shop after one of those tours.

Mike

[Dewey Torres]

Awe man...I hope Sam Makes a comeback:(! Glad to hear you had a great time though.

[Benjamin Dahl]

thanks for posting. sounds like a great day.
ben

[Barry Rowland]

Wow! Great pics!

Thanks for taking the time to share.

[Julian Nicks]

Thanks for sharing! Sam's work and his life are truely an inspiration to us all.

[Lee DeRaud]

I did the same event back in late '05 with a few other Creekers:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=25995

[Kevin Morton]

Thanks, Brian, for the great pics. For those of us who can't get out to the west coast, this is the next best thing.

I had a question about the seat in the Sam's-Vise pic. Did Mike say anything about the hash marks you see on the edge of the seat? I've seen those on pics of the chair arms as well and guess they're some kind of guide, but don't recall seeing those in Sam's book. Any ideas?

And is Sam feeling any better? He is a big part of why I love woodworking. I got to meet Sam and Beverly in Charlotte in 2001. She tells some great stories and is as charming as Sam. Great people.

[Brian Kent]

Kevin, though I don't know about the marks, Sam is real big on templates. I would guess that they mark the different stages of a curve on the scooping out of the seat. This chair was a part of an 8 or 12 chair order to go with a huge walnut slab dining table. The normal dining chairs were too small visually so they over-sized everything for this set.

One of the shockers for me was that in the initial cutting they nailed the templates to the wood for the arms / legs / spindles! They either do that before jointing and planing or they fill in the holes with epoxy and sawdust.

I only went there two days ago so I do not imagine that he is feeling better yet. If I hear anything through the show at our local art museum I'll post it.

[Pat Germain]

I especially like the two pics from inside the house. That house is way cool! Thanks for sharing.

[Cody Colston]

Thanks for sharing the pics. Sam Maloof is a national treasure and it's always a privilege to view his work.

[Ron Lynch]

Thanks for the photos. One question: How long did it take to wipe that smile off your face?

[Brian Kent]

Thanks for the photos. One question: How long did it take to wipe that smile off your face?

Still there, Ron.

[tyler mckenzie]

thanks, some of the best content on this site.

[Larry Marley]

Great Pics,
I did the same day in the Shop with Sam one year ago. An artisan to be sure, but also a gracious and generous man. I am really sorry to hear he is ill. His frailty was apparent last year. While I appreciated what to me felt like a chance of a life time meeting Sam and spending time with him, I left with a heavy heart, knowing the many people who work with him and love him were facing the reality of loosing him.
God bless you Sam Maloof.

[Scot Ferraro]

Great pics and thanks so much for sharing. Sam is a class act and it is a treat to get to talk to him. I wish him a speedy recovery!

Scot

[Brian Kent]

When Sam makes his chairs he wants to shape them as much as possible before the grinding and rasping begins. The first step is cutting he sides of the seat boards at an angle - 5° for rocking chairs, 3° for table chairs.

The center board has each side cut in 5° towards the top. The next boards out are cut 5% out. When the 5 boards are clamped together the outer boards are parallel to the floor and the seat is beginning to take shape.

[Jim Becker]

Very much a treat! I'm sorry to hear that Sam is ill, but it was very nice you still got to meet him.