walnut chair

[Jeff Wittrock]

A couple of years ago I started playing with making light weight chairs. I made a prototype using SYP.
https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?269087-Prototype-chair&highlight=

After finishing a walnut table for one of the very few paying customers I have ever had, I was left with quite a few narrow strips of walnut, some cutoffs and a couple small boards.
The last thing our house needs is another chair, but I find them one of the most enjoyable things to try and make.
A chair presents so many opportunities for someone who wants to use hand tools and doesn't require a huge amount of material.

I'm about midway through, so thought I would start posting what I have for now and add as I go.

I started with the seat.
One of the things I liked about the prototype chair I made earlier was the solid, curved seat. This looked like a good use for the narrow strips of walnut I had on hand.
In order to make the curved shape, each strip needed to be cut at a slight angle. Instead of sawing them this way, I just ripped them square initially and used my wooden jointer to add the slight angle.
By just laying the strips in a curved form, it was easy to individually plane them to fit well with each other in the form without having to try for any kind of accuracy on the angle.

I used the same curved form during glue up as well.

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One thing I wish I had is a tavisher. I have been planning on making one for some time, but have not gotten around to it. For now, the Kuntz knuckle buster will have to do.
Planeing the bottom side was easy enough.
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Then I just rough cut the outside shape. I do have a turning saw, but I have been looking for excuses to use my wooden bandsaw.
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[Jeff Wittrock]

As on the prototype, I wanted the back and arms to be something of a continuous wrap around. My first thought for the back curve was to resaw the stock I had into thin strips that could be bent and laminated to form the curve. The one thing I didn't like about that idea was that once I started to shape the seat back, I would end up cutting through the top lamination layer. Even with very good glue up, I was afraid it would look bad.

Instead I decided to just cut arcs that I would glue up vertically to have the back height I wanted. I figured the arc angle was small enough that I wouldn't worry about the cross grain being weak especially since I was gluing up four separate layers ( later 6 layers as it turns out ).
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Yeah, it's pretty homely looking at this point, but things to get a bit better.

[Jeff Wittrock]

The arms need to be thick enough to allow me to shape a slight convex curve and also allow me to 'fair' the arms into the turned legs. I ended up gluing up to give a 1.5" thickness.
Later I decided a needed a bit more for fairing into the leg joints so added small blocks in the area of the though hole for the legs.

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After rough shaping the back and propping up with the arms to give an idea of the angled back and arm joint.
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[Jeff Wittrock]

I decided to just use splines between the back and arm joints. I considered leaving the back and arms oversized enough to allow using finger joints, but the scraps of walnut I had we just long enough for me to make the back and arms.
As it turns out, I struggled enough making the spline joints.

It is not very apparent from the photos, but the back is angled back ~12 degrees. The arms are not flat but are angled in at ~10 degrees. Planeing the joint surfaces to fit was easy enough, but cutting the slots for these compound angles proved to take more time than I would have imagined. I shied away from cutting them freehand and ended up cobbling together a jig on the table saw to slice them. In hind sight, I wish I could have used finger joints after all.

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These ratcheting cargo straps end up doing lots of things other than keeping things from blowing out of the back of my 98 ranger.
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[Jeff Wittrock]

I wanted to use turned legs as I did on the prototype. I didn't have any 8/4 stock in my scraps, so had to glue up 4/4 to have the leg thickness I needed.

I decided to 'fair' the front and back rail into the leg.
In order to make the faired joint, I needed to have a "half pomel" in the area where I will make the through tenon for the rails.
I'll say up front that I am not a wood turner.

Here on the back legs, I have already planed away the outboard part of the pomel and the front legs are still to be done.
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[Jeff Wittrock]

I wanted to have a convex curve to the front and rear rails. I decided to glue up stock to 8/4 in order to give me enough thickness to make the convex front/rear curves.
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I used through tennons with wedges
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Most of the 'fairing' of the rail to leg joints was done using a micro plane and rasp.
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Final shaping will be done after assembly.

[Eric Rathhaus]

Jeff can u add a picture of your wooden bandsaw?

[Jeff Wittrock]

I missed taking any pictures drilling for the legs. I ended up just using a drill press.
Initial roughing shaping of the bottom side of the arms was done on the bandsaw. After that I used chisel and gouge to start shaping around the 'faired' joints and spokeshape for other areas.

The 'plugs' in the leg mortises are to help remind me of the final diameter of the legs and protect the joint surfaces while I was shaping. They also gave me a way to temporarily mount the arms to a 2x4 that I could clamp in my leg vise. It was much easier to shape around the joints without the legs in place.
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At this point, I could trial assemble things and have it start looking something like a chair.
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[Jeff Wittrock]

Jeff can u add a picture of your wooden bandsaw?
Hello Eric. I posted the bandsaw build over in the "Shop made tools" forum.
https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?272918-Wooden-bandsaw-project

[Jeff Wittrock]

I'm a bit afraid of trying to get the faired joints too close to final shape without having the legs glued in place, so once the rough shaping was done, I decided it was time to assemble the legs for good.
As with the rail tenons, I wedged the leg tenons as well.
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After glue up, more shaping of the faired joints.
In order to protect the legs while shaping, I slip a piece of plastic bottle around the leg. As I get close to final shape, I just pull the bottle off and use more care.
After I'm fairly close, I switch to a rasp.
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I also started to refine the the rail to leg joints
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With the seat just set in place, it is starting to look like a plausible chair.
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[Mark Rainey]

Jeff, the walnut chair is a winner! Impressive work.

[Curt Putnam]

What Mark said - and then some!

[Derek Cohen]

Very nice! Strongly similar to Hans Wegner’s “The Chair”. Having built one, I recognise the elegance of your methods.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Eric Rathhaus]

Very cool.

[Dave Anderson NH]

Nicely done and a great use for cutoffs.

[Mark Hennebury]

Nice job and nice to see the progress photos.

[Christopher Charles]

That's a fine looking chair and the bandsaw looks slick as well! Thanks for sharing.

[Jeff Wittrock]

Thanks all for the comments.

I decided to spend some time on the seat this morning.
One of the challenges I find with chairs is how to hold them during work. luckily, the curved seat is not problem with the narrow leg vise I have.

Shaping the edges with a spokeshave.
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I cleaned up the top surface with a cabinet scraper.
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Its not clear from the photos. The sides and back have an upturned edge on them while the front has a downturn.
These two different directions meet at the front right and left corners.
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More work on the leg joints.
I made a spokeshave for this very purpose a few years ago. It is a round bottom spokeshave that is supposed to work in a tight radius, but unfortunately, it can't make it on these faired joints. Part of the problem is the blade length. The protruding blade ends up bumping the leg. I have considered shortening the blade, but even then, the radius of the sole is too large to get into these tight areas.
In some areas, it does work well, and I certainly like using it better than a rasp when it does fit. I'm not sure if a miller falls no. 1 will even work well here. I have been considering making something like a mini draw knife.
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[Derek Cohen]

Jeff, that is a very nice spokeshave you have made! I assume it has a round bottom? You may want to look at the small Veritas cast spokeshave copt of the Preston. Nevertheless, there are other ways to do this task, which I preferred ...

A rasp will have more control, not just for shaping, but where the grain changes direction ...

https://i.postimg.cc/ZYw44pdS/D8141281-A41-B-46-CD-A844-D5-A0-C712-F30-B.png

https://i.postimg.cc/sD1yXxYZ/502-AC6-CD-8-CFA-4-E06-A497-7-B743-C3546-A0.png

Scrapers smooth out the ridges as well as shape ...

https://i.postimg.cc/B6gs8172/BBF7-F3-C6-6-E00-4-ECC-9-CFE-3-DF99-D0-CDE50.png

I have even found a use for the miniature Veritas spokeshave! :)

https://i.postimg.cc/sxgz5Dbq/0-CDB8-A5-F-D375-49-FE-B56-E-D921526-D5640.png

And, of course, sandpaper remains a good hand tool ...

https://i.postimg.cc/ZnsSHzSR/1-F799-DF3-2-CBE-414-F-B4-EF-30830-F24-F980.png

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Jeff Wittrock]

Hello Derek,

I love Hans Wegner's 'The Chair', and it was my original inspiration. I remember your rendition in Jarrah was just beautiful.
The main things I wanted to alter were to have a solid wood seat, more rake to the back legs, no side rails, and fairing the rails into the legs.
I have never seen one in person, and looking at your rendition, I am struck by how similar the chair I am making still is despite what I wanted to change.
( Ecclesiastes 1:9 ) I guess there really is nothing new under the sun.


You are right that a rasp is the tool for the job, and for my chair, I see sandpaper in its future.
I just love using spokeshaves and the surface they leave.
The microplane I am using is somewhere between a rasp and spokeshave, but I hate the disposable nature of microplanes.
I have also thought of trying to make something like a fine float.

I have never touched Jarrah, but I imagine it is quite a challenge compared to walnut. I image such a hard wood really feels nice to the hand on curved surfaces with a polish.

[Jeff Wittrock]

I waffled back and forth on whether to use side rails. On the prototype chair, I used them but tucked them under the seat far enough that they were not very noticeable.
After proping some side rails in place, I decided I like the chair better without.

With no side rails, I rely on the seat to provide the support otherwise supplied by the rails, so decided to add some dowels hold the rails in relation to the seat. Screws hold the seat down.

Maybe someday I'll make an updated doweling plate. I often cobble something as an expedient but over the years it works so I just keep using it.
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The center holes are tight fitting. The outboard ones are elongated to allow the seat to expand/contract.
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I figure the screw holes are close enough that there is no need to elongate them.
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[Jeff Wittrock]

Speaking of rasps. I have never had any of decent quality, so it is hard for me to know what to expect from them.

I don't think I can afford any of the hand stitched rasps at the moment.
I read very positive reviews of these low cost "Golden rasps". At ~$14 for two of them, I figured I could throw the dice.
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What's with the gold color? I have no idea, but compared to what I have been using, they are amazing.

You have to weight my impression against the fact that I have been using a rasp I picked up at sears a few years back, so it does not take a lot to impress me in comparison.

These are a bit coarse, but that really is what I needed. I still like using my spokeshaves when I can, but using a decent rasp makes a huge difference. Now I find I really would love to give a quality hand stitched rasp a try. I can't do so right now, but maybe someday.

[Jim Matthews]

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What's with the gold color? I have no idea, but compared to what I have been using, they are amazing.



https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemical-engineering/titanium-nitride

[Scott Winners]

Jeff, this is a gorgeous chair. I love seeing this thread bumped in case there are more pictures.

I do have a Miller's Falls cigar shave I am happy to send you, free, I will pay shipping. I have spent hours and hours on the inside of the iron trying to get to a "flat back" and I am done fooling with it. There is a ways to go to get the back flat. I can send pics if you want, send a private message if you are interested.

Otherwise keep up the good work. This doesn't look like a chair I could sit in comfortably for hours and hours, but it is attractive enough I would give it a try.

[Jeff Wittrock]

Work has been in the way of my hobby lately, but I finally finished all the shaping.
Unfortunately much sanding was involved. I hate the dust, but I am finding with some of these tight, faired curves I can't quite get the surface I want without it.

The challenging part with sandpaper is trying to maintain crisp and sharp edges where I want them.
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[Jeff Wittrock]

On Saturday, I was finally able to start finishing with linseed oil.
This is after the first couple coats. I do love the transformation walnut takes on when using an oil finish.

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[Derek Cohen]

Stunning, Jeff. Just stunning.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Mark Hennebury]

Handsome looking chair!

[Dan Barber]

Beautiful work Jeff!