Bow Arm Morris Chair

[D.McDonnel "Mac"]

What a week I had at American Sycamore! I took the Bow Arm Morris Chair class with Dale Barnard and had a good outcome! Dale took an existing design and modified it so we could build it during our 6 day class. We put in a good 50++ hours during the week and very little of it was non-productive time. We took 400+ board feet of Frank Miller's finest QSWO and milled, drilled, bent, turned, sawed and jointed it into EIGHT of those beautiful Bow Arm Morris Chairs.

There were some long days, good meals and a few "learning opportunities" where we got to re-do a piece or repeat a process. The legs were glued up such that we had good face grain on all 4 sides. All the joints are pegged mortice and tennons. The arms, steam bent and through morticed (no fake decorative tennons for us!). Dale showed us several ways he speeds the work up in his shop since he has to make a living at this and time is money for him! Thanks for all your patience Dale!!

Anyone who likes Mission Furniture and doesn't want to pay the Stickley Company $4000 should consider taking this class next year! Don't be intimadated by the project, one of our classmates had very minimal previous experience (this was his first furniture project) and finished before the rest of us! I'm sure this class will become a favorite at American Sycamore.

I'm attaching a picture of the chair as it sits in my shop awaiting sanding and finishing!

[Bernie Weishapl]

That is one nice looking chair. Awesome work.

[lloyd morris]

Mac,

Beautiful chair, it looks awesome! Do you have an address or link for American Sycamore?

Thanks,

Lloyd Morris

[Kevin Post]

Very cool chair!

I have friends who take time off to travel great distances to shoot at stuff in other states. I never really understood that because people from other states travel to Wisconsin to shoot stuff here. It doesn't really make much sense to me. (Especially since I don't hunt.) But I digress... After seeing this, I think I might take a woodworker's vacation and spend a week learning to make something as nice as this.

-Kevin

[D.McDonnel "Mac"]

Lloyd & Kevin,

Since you asked:

http://www.americansycamoreretreat.com/

They said they will have next year's schedule up on the site very soon.

Please note that Mike and Dana, the proprieters of ASWR, are friends of mine. I've known them for nearly 10 years. The place is truely a retreat now that they have added the on site dormatory space.

Mac

[Spence DePauw]

I can second that, Mac. I've only known them since the school opened, but after several classes and a couple of non-class visits, I can't imagine a better experience or better people.

Disclaimer, I did teach a one day class there this year, marking gages. (done it once, had enormous fun) I will say taking is easier than teaching....

Spence

[Jim Becker]

While I'm not a Craftsman builder, I really love the bow-arm versions of the Morris chair. Yours looks wonderful! I can't wait to see it with the finish in place and that QS white oak in all its glory!

[Shelley Bolster]

Great chair Mac - be sure to post pics of it when you have the finish applied and cushions in. I am green with envy as although Dana and I have been great friends for a couple of years now, I have still not had the opportunity to visit ASWR.........something I hope to rectify next year! :rolleyes: Oh yeah, by the way Mac - Dana has mentioned you to me on a few occasions. :p :D Thanks for the write-up and pic.

[Karl Laustrup]

Beautiful work Mac. :)

Don't forget to post the "finished" pix.

Karl

[D.McDonnel "Mac"]

I forgot to mention that Dale had an impromptu finishing "class" one evening at the dorm. I was not there but I got the Cliff's Notes version over lunch the next day. Dale had a box of sample finishes with notes on the back as to how to duplicate the finish. Something I'm going to have to try to do in the future, anytime I finish something in the future I will make a 5x5 sample piece at the same time. Sort of a finishing "database".

[Dave Richards]

Mac, that's very nice. I showed it to my bride who said she likes that version better than the ones with the straight arms. Then she asked when that class would run again so she could send me to make a chair. Either she wants a chair like yours or she just wants to get me out of the house for a week. :D

[Karl Laustrup]

Either she wants a chair like yours or she just wants to get me out of the house for a week. :D

Sounds like a WIN~WIN to me Dave. ;) :D

Karl