A little Esherick; A little Escher

[Prashun Patel]

I have been trying my hand at green woodworking and Windsor chairs recently. The riving process yields a lot of off-cuts that aren't really appropriate for a chair. But it seems a sin to waste them. I also have several wider off-cuts from tables that are too narrow or thin to otherwise be a chair seat.

421612

The top is walnut (lathe turned; it's really a platter); the base is (I think) pin oak from our yard @ work. Finished in spar varnish. The legs and stretchers were riven, then shaped with a draw knife.

C&C invited.

[ken hatch]

Prashun,

I like, I really like. Beautiful and I would love to have it in my home.

ken

[Joe Tilson]

Prashun,
What a nice way to use scrap pieces. They are not scrap now, very nice indeed, go get um!

[Ted Calver]

Excellent!! Love the combination of woods and the contrast between the riven legs and the contoured top. Well done!

[Pat Barry]

Very nice work. I especially like the natural shapes of the legs and stretchers. How tall is it?

[David Eisenhauer]

Very nice indeed. Simple, uncluttered, functional. Thanks for sharing Prashtun. Your travels into the chair world have been inspiring to see.

[Jim Koepke]

All the above.

Nice use of materials on hand.

jtk

[Eric Rathhaus]

Prashun, beautiful! I especially enjoy the contrasting texture of the walnut and oak.

[Mel Fulks]

You might be the only boutique bodger! If you are now an employee ...someone will soon yell "speed up !".
I don't think anyone will walk by it without treating a hand to the rolling silkyness.

[Jim Matthews]

Nicely done.

Reminds me of Adrian McCurdy, whose work I admire.

Kudos

[Thomas Wilson]

Very nice. Chairs and stools are a completely different skill set from cabinets and tables.

[Frederick Skelly]

I LIKE that Prashun! Very nice!

[Andrew Hughes]

I also like it . Very cool

[Christopher Charles]

Hi Prashun,

That's a delightful little stool--organic and elegant at the same time.

Best,
Chris

[Prashun Patel]

Thank you for the comments. Here is a picture of the top. I rounded and scooped it on the lathe. Then I planed the bevel reliefs. I have a confession: when I split the tops of the legs with a chisel and drove the wedges, the split ran beneath the bottom of the seat. I'm not going to glue or do anything to it, but it's certainly not right. I suspect this happens if the seat is not fully engaged to the tenon. It was hard to do that because the curved surface, and 3-legged support didn't lend itself to easy clamping to a solid surface. Next time I will probably drill a relief hole across the bottom of the kerf to allow the tenon to bend without forcing a split farther down the leg. I could build a jig to clamp it better, but the more complex it gets, the less easy it is to justify as a 'use up your waste' project.

https://sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=421686&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1576590652

[Bill Carey]

very elegant stool Prashun. The subtlety of the top and the boldness of the legs work wonderfully together. Well done

[Pat Barry]

I'm guessing its 18 inches tall.

[Anuj Prateek]

Looks beautiful and velvety. Love the seat and how colors contrast each other. Legs (to my eyes) appear with kind of texture, and adds beauty to smooth seat.

[Rob Luter]

I’ve looked at the photo a number of times and see something new with every viewing. I really like it. Organic and elegant seem apt descriptors. Nice work!

[Tom Bender]

That little split will have no structural effect, it is just one of the many realities incorporated into this piece.

[Rob Luter]

Thank you for the comments. Here is a picture of the top. I rounded and scooped it on the lathe. Then I planed the bevel reliefs. I have a confession: when I split the tops of the legs with a chisel and drove the wedges, the split ran beneath the bottom of the seat. I'm not going to glue or do anything to it, but it's certainly not right. I suspect this happens if the seat is not fully engaged to the tenon. It was hard to do that because the curved surface, and 3-legged support didn't lend itself to easy clamping to a solid surface. Next time I will probably drill a relief hole across the bottom of the kerf to allow the tenon to bend without forcing a split farther down the leg. I could build a jig to clamp it better, but the more complex it gets, the less easy it is to justify as a 'use up your waste' project.

https://sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=421686&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1576590652

no photo showing?

[Prashun Patel]

Is it showing now?

Thanks for the nice comments. I find more and more I spend most of my time struggling over design and selection of pieces. I'd say that's about half of my project time. I'm curious if others have the same struggle, or do designs and plans come easy to you?

Most of the time I am thinking how to make something new, only to realize that traditional designs exist for a very good reason: they work in form and function. I will always be impressed by craftsmanship, but I'm floored by truly new, novel designs. Some day!

I do see that most designs eliminate or hide the natural imperfections of wood: bends, knots, splits. Finding ways to make those elements aesthetic, without compromising structure is a fun challenge and the way I've landed on to keep designs a little fresh.

This is just BS musing; but I'm interested in other peoples' design process.

[Jim Koepke]

[edited]
I find more and more I spend most of my time struggling over design and selection of pieces. I'd say that's about half of my project time. I'm curious if others have the same struggle, or do designs and plans come easy to you?


It is commonly known as the paralysis of analysis, a disorder experienced by many.

jtk

[Rob Luter]

Is it showing now?

Yup. Thanks.

[Rob Luter]

...When I split the tops of the legs with a chisel and drove the wedges, the split ran beneath the bottom of the seat. I'm not going to glue or do anything to it, but it's certainly not right. ... Next time I will probably drill a relief hole across the bottom of the kerf to allow the tenon to bend without forcing a split farther down the leg. https://sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=421686&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1576590652

I had this happen when I built the footstool below. You can see it on the left side of the stretcher. I drill relief holes now. Lessons learned :o

421994

[Jeff Bartley]

Really nice work Prashun! Thank you for sharing.