Boggs Inspired Cherry Chair Finished w/pics

[Jason Tuinstra]

Well, I got it done! I'm actually posting a project that is 100% done! That's a first for me. I sprayed it this afternoon, went to a meeting, came home and my wonderful bride gave me a hand putting the black Shaker tape on. My fingers are still sore from doing this. Talk about a chore. But I really like the outcome.

In the pic below, you can see what the chair looked like before I added the Shaker tape. I didn't like the way the corner blocks turned out due to the big gap between the leg and the block on the 90 - or there about due to the angle. Anyway, it ended up working perfect. As you'll see in the last pic, the tape didn't bump up against the edge of the leg, so there is a nice gap, instead of a hunk of wood. Make sense? Sorry if not. The blocks also made a great place to tack into for applying the Shaker tape.
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Here is a picture of the chair done. I'm really, really happy with the way it turned out. The legs really do work well with the overall look of the chair. Thanks again for all your input.
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All the joints were pegged with walnut pegs. I guess it's more for looks than anything because I used floating tenons but I only pegged one side of the joint. :p Oh well.
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Here is a close up of the back. Should I admit that the centering of the grain on the top back rest was a total accident? Na! :p
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[Jason Tuinstra]

Just one last picture. Below is a shot of the gap that I was talking about above.
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Thanks for everyone's help and input. I don't know that I want to build 8 of these anytime soon. Having said that, I would probably put a lot more time into building jigs. I did way too much handwork to make this viable to do this for that many chairs. Or maybe I have no clue to just how hard it is to make a chair and I'm just lazy. Either way, the process would need to be streamlined for me. Having said that, I was glad that this project, with the help of Alan Turner, pushed me to use more of my handtools. I got a lot of use out of my Veritas low angle spokeshave and low angle jack plane.

Thanks for looking!

[Kirk (KC) Constable]

Did you just wrap the tape around the whole width (depth?) of the frame pieces?

I like the overall look of the chair, and I've always liked the tape...just never have found a 'happy way' to wrap without dowels. Do you think the edges of the frame will 'wear' on the tape more?

KC

[Timo Christ]

Great Project, it looks professional! The wrap, woodwork, all look excellent!

Thanks for the pics!
Timo

[Alan Turner]

Very nice indeed. Glad to see that you got the spokeshave to work for you. These are great tools. Nice touch on the pegs. Are they 3/16" Did you get the dowel plate from LN? I know that I use mine more than I thought I would.

If you had a shaper, then pattern shaping the legs would be a piece of cake. Just a thought if you were thinking it is about time for a new tool. (:

Since I know that this is your "office" chair, I am sure that nothing but very inspired sermons will now come forth.

[Jeff Sudmeier]

Jason,

That is one great looking chair! I really love the black seat. Great job on it!

[Andy Hoyt]

Jason - One of your great great great great grandchildren will be ecstatic when they inherit this piece.

You done good.

[Donnie Raines]

I like that a lot Jason.

I am curious to no what your final impression of the experience of making your first chair is.

[Peter Stahl]

Jason, very nice job on the chair!

[Bert Johansen]

Jason,
Great work! Lovely, graceful design that invites one to touch the wood--always a good thing! And the execution is outstanding. Congrats!!!
Bert

[Kevin Post]

The guy who lives next door to me canes chairs. He's been pestering me to make some chairs and he can do the seats. I only have so much time to spend in the shop and chairs seem a bit too complicated for my liking.

After seeing how beautiful this chair turned out, I might try it. Very nice!

-Kevin

[Don Baer]

Jason, that is a wonderful chair and a real complement to the computer desk.

[Shelley Bolster]

Once again Jason, another wonderful piece to add to your collection!! The piece just seems to flow. Perfect! Although not near the quality of your work, the chairs I made a few years back allows me to understand and appreciate how much work you have put into this one. I agree whole heartily that taking time to build jigs and templates etc is a necessity for anyone planning to attempt constructing more than one.


All the joints were pegged with walnut pegs. I guess it's more for looks than anything because I used floating tenons but I only pegged one side of the joint. :p Oh well.

I was just wondering, is there a reason you could share why you left the tenons floating - I am taking it that you didn't use glue then? :confused:

[John Renzetti]

Hi Jason, Great job on the chair. Thanks for posting those inspiring pictures.
take care,
John

[Corvin Alstot]

Here is a close up of the back. Should I admit that the centering of the grain on the top back rest was a total accident?

Great chair Jason.
Guess we are getting to know your handy work too, as I did not assume that the grain pattern was by accident. Clever idea, and nice wood too.

I think the chair will look great with the other designs you have shown .
It will be a nice companion to your desk. Well done.

[Dan Forman]

Elegant sweep of the legs and back, beautiful wood, great craftsmanship.

Dan

[Mike Waddell]

Jason -

Very nice work. I like the lines of the vertical back pieces of the chair and the delicate shaping of the slats.

Beautiful.

Mike

[Jim Becker]

Once again, you blow my mind...that's really wonderful, Jason! Great job! And NP with the gaps, IMHO. Manipulating the tape to remove it would take away the nice tight weave, which is more visible in my mind. That said, you could make minor design/dimensional adjustments on future versions that take into account the width of the tape.

[Jason Tuinstra]

Hey everyone, sorry that I didn't respond sooner. I couldn't get on the website with the recent move that Aaron made. I tried everything I knew how, deleted my cookies, etc., but I couldn't get on. I checked right away today, and I can get on now, so sorry I didn't respond sooner.


Did you just wrap the tape around the whole width (depth?) of the frame pieces? Do you think the edges of the frame will 'wear' on the tape more?

KC, yea, I wrapped the whole width of the frame. I've seen this done a few times in FWW and decided to go with it. I used a 1/2" round over bit on the outside of the frame pieces and a 1/4" round over on the inside of the frame pieces. There should be no extra wear at all.

[Jason Tuinstra]

Are they 3/16" Did you get the dowel plate from LN?

Alan, no the pegs are 1/8". I didn't get the plate yet, but I really, really need to. It would be a lot nicer to use pegs from the plate. I used the ones you sent me and they were a dream to use. So I really need to just pony up the $50 and be done with it.

[Jason Tuinstra]

I am curious to no what your final impression of the experience of making your first chair is.

Donnie, I can see where building chairs gets addictive. It's addictive because you're never quite satisfied with the design. You want to start tweaking the design and make it better. Also, the process of building the legs with all the curves is much different from my normal Shaker projects. So this was a lot of fun as well. From now on, I will never look at a chair as a goal beyond reach. That's the biggest reward from this project.

[Mark Singer]

Great looking chair!!! Great work , beautiful design...looks comfortable!

[Jason Tuinstra]

I was just wondering, is there a reason you could share why you left the tenons floating - I am taking it that you didn't use glue then? :confused:

Shelley, by floating tenon's I mean that the tenon is a piece of wood that fits into two mortises. So the leg has a mortise and the side member has a mortise. Between them fits a tenon that you make seperate. It's glued in between both of them. So it's not "loose", it's very much glued, but it's just a way to describe the joint. Make sense? I'm not always the clearest on these descriptions and I might have used the wrong language when talking about a "floating tenon."

[Martin Lutz]

Beautiful Job Jason! Your work is inspirational. Although I can't figure out where you find the time. You have completed two beautiful projects ( that I know of) while I toil away on mine.

[Jason Tuinstra]

That said, you could make minor design/dimensional adjustments on future versions that take into account the width of the tape.

Jim, if there is a next one, I would certainly tweak the design to get the tape to fit better. But, I evened the gap out for the most part between the front and the back and from side to side. Thanks!

[Jason Tuinstra]

Mark, as a man who builds beautiful chairs, thanks. It is very comfortable. My neighbor calls it "spooner" becuase it spoons with you while you sit. :p

Martin, I had the rear legs mostly built before I started the desk. Not that this was the only real work, but it was a lot of it. I also had all my full scale drawings done. All I needed to do was the woodwork. I'll slow down now, though. The wood pile is getting pretty small. :p

[Roy Wall]

Alan, no the pegs are 1/8". I didn't get the plate yet, but I really, really need to. It would be a lot nicer to use pegs from the plate. I used the ones you sent me and they were a dream to use. So I really need to just pony up the $50 and be done with it.

Beautiful chair Jason!!! You are a great craftsman!

Not to hi-jack; but can you & or Alan elaborate on the "dowel plates" and the advantage they bring.........??

Thanks!!

[Jason Tuinstra]

Roy, a dowel plate is a piece of steel with different sized holes that have a sharp edge through which you dirve a square piece of wood so that it will come out the diameter of the hole. Because I use square pegs, but drill them out first, the dowel plate makes it easy to make perfect pegs with ends left square - you just don't drive them through all the way.

You can check out the LN website here http://www.lie-nielsen.com/catalog.php?sku=DP

Hope this helps.

[Mike Vermeil]

Since you're in California now, I'll put it this way: Dude, that is like totally awesome! Really, really nice work Jason.

By the way, how are you liking Lanford, errrr, Hanford? A big change from where you came from. Have you had a chance to get to SF, Lake Tahoe and some of the other CA sites yet?

[Jason Tuinstra]

Since you're in California now, I'll put it this way: Dude, that is like totally awesome! Really, really nice work Jason.

By the way, how are you liking Lanford, errrr, Hanford? A big change from where you came from. Have you had a chance to get to SF, Lake Tahoe and some of the other CA sites yet?

Mike, funny you should mention that. Our friends from Chicago just flew in yesterday and I'm right in the middle of loading up for a trip to Paso Robles - the central valley version of Napa. We're going to head to Cambria and Morrow Bay as well. I just need to check the weather one more time and caught your post. I'd like to get to Tahoe, but we haven't made it yet. Maybe this winter when we can do some sking! :D

[Gene Collison]

As always, beautiful workmanship Jason. I suppose it is the mate to your recently finished desk. Nice job.

Gene

[Joe Unni]

Jason,

Thanks again for sharing. Just beautiful work!!

One day I hope to tackle a chair.

-joe

[Andrew Ault]

A beautiful chair! Nice work!

- Andy

[Jim W. White]

Jason,

If the grain placement on the top panel of the backrest of your chair was trully by "accident"; I'd say that there is no doubt you had someone :rolleyes: "watching over" your work on this project!

....wouldn't it be nice if we all got 'guardian woodworking angels' ?! ...that would be sweet!! I wouldn't use (waste) nearly as much raw lumber on my projects; of course it would put the SawStop guys out of business though ;)

As always, Jason, beautiful work!

...Jim in Idaho

[Jay Knepper]

Another beautiful project, Jason! Great job!

[Vaughn McMillan]

Jason, there's not much to add that others haven't already said, but once again, you've done a wonderful job. (Even if I find it hard to believe that the grain placement in the back rest was accidental. ;) )

- Vaughn

[Tom Hamilton]

Hi Jason:

When you start production please put me on the list for at least 4, or maybe 6... we can talk.;)

Beautiful work. Thanks for sharing it with us.

So, how was Cambria and Morro Bay?

Best regards, TJH

[Michael Pfau]

Jason, it looks great! I have built my share of chairs, and they are tough! Your cherry stock looks beautifull. I like the way you cut your back leggs, very nice. Did you get the plans somewhere?

[Mark Singer]

Mark, as a man who builds beautiful chairs, thanks. It is very comfortable. My neighbor calls it "spooner" becuase it spoons with you while you sit. :p

Martin, I had the rear legs mostly built before I started the desk. Not that this was the only real work, but it was a lot of it. I also had all my full scale drawings done. All I needed to do was the woodwork. I'll slow down now, though. The wood pile is getting pretty small. :p

It is very easy to make an uncomfortable chair....if it hits your back too high...or too low...the rake is too flat or too pitched....even a slat at the shoulder blade...Great work ....chairs really test a lot of skills....drawing,sawing , joinery, shaping using hand tools....it is a challenge and you have an excellent looking and comfortable chair....quite remarkable!

[Jason Tuinstra]

Everyone: Thanks again for all your kind words and encouragment. The chair was real fun to make. Very satisfying to use it.

Tom: The Bay was great. We had fish and chips at a great little shop. Then it was off to Paso for some major wine taste testing. The wines were great. Tobin James and Castoro Cellars were the best. Big time fun with a group of 8!

Michael: The chair is of my own design. Which for me means, I stole a little bit from here, there and everywhere :p :D It was supposed to look like a chair I saw on the cover a FWW Shop issue, but in the end it's not a very close copy.

[Pete Harbin]

Wow Jason! That is just beautiful. You really have a great talent for design and execution. We can really tell by your results that you truely enjoy working wood.

I'm guessing if there is a shortage of cherry in CA, that it's all over at your house! :D Really fantastic wood selection on your last several projects.

Pete