Chairs, Spokeshaves, et al

[Deirdre Saoirse Moen]

I'm going to be building a whole boatload of chairs (a set of dining room chairs, a couple of adirondack chairs, and some outdoor dining chairs), which is how I got into spokeshaves at all (most of my other furniture wasn't curved).

One of my goals is to repair one of the vintage chairs handed down from my grandmother. These have been in my family for about 70 years, but are far older than that. Originally, there was a set of eight, but I inherited only the "pair" (I say that in quotes because, while they're quite similar from the seat downwards, they're not at all alike above). Obviously, the one chair's going to need a new seat, and that's going to mean softening the hide glue, removing the seat, and putting the whole piece back together again, then trying to paint to match.

One of the details I love off these chairs is the gentle cove profile at the bottom of the feet.

http://static.flickr.com/52/172129490_3db6ba1aaa.jpg

They're too small for my family to be comfortable in, but we have a couple of short and slim regular guests who dearly love using them.

So, with that goal in mind, I'm currently signed up for one of Boggs's classes, and I'm hoping that circumstances will also permit my taking time off later this year to take a class at the Windsor institute.

What I'd like to know are what some resources y'all think would be useful.

Here's what I've got:

Videos
Jeff Miller's Chairmaking Techniques (imho sucks, though he does show some planing techniques)

John Alexander Make a Chair from a Tree (have VHS, waiting for DVD)

Boggs's two videos, which, after watching, I signed up for one of his classes.

Books
Drew Langsner's The Chairmaker's Workshop, fabulous book.

I don't have anything else specifically about chairs, but the above book is pretty thorough.

Oh, and I have three spokeshaves and a drawknife, as well as a small forkstaff. I hope to get or make a chair devil or two soon.

The seats on my family chair can be shaped with a compass plane (which I also have) -- the curve is the same all along the width.

[Mark Singer]

The recent FWW magazine has an article on shaping with an angle grinder. This is good for shaped seats etc... Is you want to avoid power tools....the chairmakers, rasps and planes are helful....Power tools are common t\for seat shaping...including Maloof's techniques.
I will be making another set of dining chairs with tips and tehniques on SMC....about 6 weeks away

[Deirdre Saoirse Moen]

Unfortunately, I thought I'd have some room for power tools after we moved. However, what I discovered was that our garage actually has less power than the previous one (and only one outlet, which is overloaded).

Thus, functionally, power tools are quite simply out of the question.

[harry strasil]

Just don't mix glues.

Some things I have learned repairing old furniture.

1. Don't mix glues, most old furniture is put together with hide glue.

2. Use strips of cloth immersed in boiling water to clean up sockets and remove most of the old glue and renew the remaining glue residue so new glue will take.

3. For loose tenons on rungs and stretchers, use a cloth dipped in boiling water to renew the glue, then add glue and wrap a shaving from a plane around it and secure with a rubber band to dry, oversize is fine as you can work it down to fit.

4. The Franklin Liquid Hide Glue sets quicker if you put it in a small double boiler of some sort and heat it a little.

5. Hide glue joints often come apart easily if you use a rubber mallet to smack the mortise part, it breaks the brittle hide glue.

[tod evans]

The recent FWW magazine has an article on shaping with an angle grinder. This is good for shaped seats etc... Is you want to avoid power tools....the chairmakers, rasps and planes are helful....Power tools are common t\for seat shaping...including Maloof's techniques.
I will be making another set of dining chairs with tips and tehniques on SMC....about 6 weeks away

don`t forget the adze, makes quick work outta scooping out butt prints in a seat....02 tod

[Richard Wolf]

Micheal Dunbar's book, "Making a Windsor Chair" is great. A must read if you are thinking of going to the "institute". It is also a very imspiring book about hand building chairs.

Richard

[Deirdre Saoirse Moen]

It's on my list when I find a copy at a decent price. Current prices are $135-$311 on abebooks.com

[Alan Turner]

In terms of disassembly of hide glued joints, I have used a steam cleaner with much success.

[Steve Wargo]

Deirdre,

Dunbar's book is only $75 used on Amazon. A great book and worth every penny.

[Pam Niedermayer]

I highly recommend Bob Flexner's video called "Repairing Furniture," in which he treats glues, refinishing, making replacement parts and gluing them up with jigs. Masterful. Taunton has it for $20, at http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/store/pages/060019.asp


Pam

[Deirdre Saoirse Moen]

Wow, Pam, that looks like a great one. How did I miss it before?

Ordered. :)

[Deirdre Saoirse Moen]

So, thought I'd re-watch Boggs's spokeshave DVD (slow Friday night) and my mother comes in the room, wonders aloud how much said spokeshaves are. I told her, and she asks when I'm going to get them.

Mom, the great enabler. :)

Anyhow, in re-watching the video, he does talk a bit about low-angle spokeshaves and how the adjustment is different from some of the other spokeshaves. Somehow, I'd missed that he was speaking about a different spokeshave the first time through (when I got the video a couple of months ago).

Interestingly, I hadn't caught that he'd spoken about several LN spokeshaves not in their current catalog -- plus a drawknife.

[Pam Niedermayer]

Yes, and they're still not available, although Thomas says they will be soon. For a spokeshave, take a look at the LV low angle, a more than adequate substitute. In face the Boggs low angle reminded me very much of the Stanley 85/84, as you would expect with a LN product. I often see these on ebay, even bought one for cheap; but I prefer the LV aluminum version.

Pam

[Deirdre Saoirse Moen]

Well, I'm still not enamored with the low angle LV I already have, though I figure it's just a matter of time before I come to terms with it. I also have a Stanley 55 and a flat one but I can't recall the model offhand (other than it's also a Stanley). I'm planning to get the pair of currently-available Boggs ones before taking his class, so that should give me a fair assortment of spokeshaves.

With my luck, they'll release it on the anniversary (day before my birthday) when I'll likely be a bit shy on cash.

[Deirdre Saoirse Moen]

At the Woodcraft tool swap yesterday, I was able to part with enough of my stuff that I was able to buy the LN Boggs spokeshave (the one with the flat sole) without guilt.

Since we got done with our errands at 2 a.m., I haven't tried it out yet.