Sofa progres...I am starting to like teak a little

[Mark Singer]

I may have wanted to post this in Neanderthal Forum because of the hand made Joinery...although the general construction involved machinery...kind if a mix which seems to be my usuall thing. First coat of Teak Oil and it looks pretty nice. You can see the wedged through tenon with ebony and the mitered dovetails on the arms. Most of the construction is M &T . There are 3 long screws at the wide arms to the front leg and they are plugged flush. The most enjoyable part so far was the hand joinery... All that is ramaining is the matress suport which is very easy..

[Cecil Arnold]

They look great Mark. I've done a couple of things in teak, and agree with you regarding all its negatives, but the stuff starts to grow on you in the finishing stages.

[Mike Wenzloff]

Very nice, Mark.

fwiw, I like working Teak, at least Burmease Teak. I've made a few benches and tables for outdoor use as well as benches and accessory shelving for indoor showers.

Never tried a larger piece, though. And I do need to make us a new couch...

Take care, Mike

[Mark Singer]

Here are a few more pics...

[Dave Ray]

Mark, that sofa is shaping up nice, but I have to ask you a question. The two sides and back where they are connected at 90 degree angle seem to be just hanging there. I see support at each end and in the middle of the back but nothing around the 90 degree turn. I guess my question is... What am I missing?

[Jesse Cloud]

Love those mitered dovetails. And just because you used some hand tools, don't desert this forum - I think we all go to the hand tools when it really counts!

[Mark Singer]

Mark, that sofa is shaping up nice, but I have to ask you a question. The two sides and back where they are connected at 90 degree angle seem to be just hanging there. I see support at each end and in the middle of the back but nothing around the 90 degree turn. I guess my question is... What am I missing?

Dave ...it has unsupported or cantilever corners and do to selecting proper joinery they are very strong!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

As usual Mark.....your craftsmanship is astounding! Beautiful sofa!

[Frank Hagan]

Very nice! Is the planned home for this inside a house / boat or outside in the elements?

Are you planning for just the oil finish or is there a plan for a varnish over it? I'm partial to an oil finish on teak, but outdoors it quickly weathers to a silver grey if maintenance isn't done frequently. Varnish seems to delay that, and allow you to simply re-varnish once or twice a year and maintain the finish. I see a lot of boats where they have painted their teak with a "high solids varnish" that looks more like orange paint. Dastardly looking stuff, but I understand the sentiment when faced with a lot of teak and a lot of maintenance.

I did a bit with teak for my boat, and actually liked the way it machined. The oil content made it cut smooth, but I didn't do much with hand tools for my little project (some frames for existing teak cupboard doors).

That's a great looking design, but I keep thinking it will be a shame to put cushions on it!

[Dave Ray]

Dave ...it has unsupported or cantilever corners and do to selecting proper joinery they are very strong!

Thanks Mark. I get it now. Have a great weekend.

[Vaughn McMillan]

Great-looking stuff, Mark. I really like the way the mid piece floats with no apparent support, and the joinery looks flawless.

- Vaughn

[John Miliunas]

Mark, to say I was impressed would not be enough, my friend! :) The joinery is absolutely flawless and looks beautiful, as does the overall design of the entire piece! Very modern and very much to my liking and taste and, so consistent with the bulk of your own designs. Wonderful! :) Ever consider doing design work for a living??? :rolleyes: :D Awesome, my friend! :) :cool:

[Roy Wall]

Mark -

Your hand joinery is SO GOOD it looks like CNC tolerances.......NICE!!!

Question: ON the thru-mortise, is it "square" or angled a little to match any angle created on the tenon due to the ebony wedge......or is it so little it doesn't matter??? Also - is there a small "relieve hole" drilled in the tenons to accomodate the wedge pressure?

But a Reminder...........YOU STILL DO NOT LIKE TEAK!! DO not waiver...:cool:

[Mark Singer]

Mark -

Your hand joinery is SO GOOD it looks like CNC tolerances.......NICE!!!

Question: ON the thru-mortise, is it "square" or angled a little to match any angle created on the tenon due to the ebony wedge......or is it so little it doesn't matter??? Also - is there a small "relieve hole" drilled in the tenons to accomodate the wedge pressure?

But a Reminder...........YOU STILL DO NOT LIKE TEAK!! DO not waiver...:cool:

Thanks Roy!
The wedged mortise and tenon is cut so the final piece in this case the leg has a slightly larger mortise...that way the tenon locks it togther. It is just like a screw going through 2 pieces of wood...the second pice has a hole a slight bit bigger than the screw and a pilot hole in the first piece. The wedges are cut close to the edge of the tenon t allow for expanding the tenon to fit tight. When the wedges are tapped in , with glue...the tenon locks to the second piece...a clamp insures there are no gaps.

Mitetered though dovetail show all your errors usually on the miter and first pin... I start with the saw on the outside corner and watch the blade and lower the back ....the back you have full view of.... I cut a tiny bit fat and tap gently the pin board into the tail board...pare the shiny spots with a chisel and a knife...repeat... it will go in a bit farther this time...soon it will be the miter that is keeping the joint from closing.... mark and pare the miter . If the miter is open...throw the pieces away and start over! So always cut the miter a touch fat and make sure you hold at 45 degrees and saw perpendicular! After a couple of these you can do half blindes in your sleep:rolleyes:

[Jim Becker]

Veddy veddy nice!

[Bruce Page]

Mark, your joinery skills are remarkable. I wish you were closer so I could watch & learn!

[Dan Larson]

Wow Mark-- you set a standard for design & craftsmanship for us all to aspire to. Thanks for sharing!

Dan

[Bob Childress]

Awesome craftsmanship and an elegant design. A hundred years from now Antiques Road Show will be explaining to someone how that piece was part of the famous "Singer Movement" in furniture design.:D

Four thumbs up!!

[Mark Singer]

Thanks for all the wonderful comments! This piece was more difficult than it appears. My own sofa took half as long for example. Dressing the teak was hard on the knives in the jointer/planer and noisy! The most rewarding part was the hand cut joints...the teak chisels well and cuts well with a saw. It does seem to crack easily and you can't make the walls of a mortise too thin. Assembly of the thinner upper arms to the front leg and rear rail/stretcher was really difficult.....the joint was stressed to allow the tenon to enter....there was no choice since the dovetails were made first and that was a must.
Joinery is an important aspect of furniture making ....knowing the process allows you to pick the joint you want rather than picking the one you know how to make. Without the exposed joinery this piece could look production made and lose the hand wrought quality. Some joints are more difficult than others , but the tecniques are really all the same....dovetailing a drawer is very much like dovetailing the arm on the sofa as far as process goes. My father always said "Practice makes perfect" That is really the key is to try a joint ....then do it again ...then do it again... Look at your first attempt and your last....you will see a great improvement.
Well 2 more coats of teak oil and wax and make the mattress support (more machine planing:mad: ) and it is done...

[tod evans]

(more machine planing:mad: ) and it is done...

mark, the sofa looks great! but i`m not believin` that planing is such a chore with your new toy:rolleyes: . try the m-42 knifes if you continue working in wierd woods, i`ve got a set in my planer now that i`ve run several thousand feet of mahogany and oak through and they`re showing no signs of needing flipped.....02 tod

[Mark Singer]

mark, the sofa looks great! but i`m not believin` that planing is such a chore with your new toy:rolleyes: . try the m-42 knifes if you continue working in wierd woods, i`ve got a set in my planer now that i`ve run several thousand feet of mahogany and oak through and they`re showing no signs of needing flipped.....02 tod

Tod what are they made from and how much??? Are those carbide? Teak just destroys the knives....it is abrasive and the oil in the wood acts like a oil stone which dulls them.

[tod evans]

mark, they`re an alloy? kinda like the m-2 i grind moulder knifes from only tuffer. i don`t know the metalurgy behind them, cost wise they`re high but specified for abrasive woods such as teak and other exotics. when i bought my first set i figured anything taunted as tuffer than m-2 was worth a shot....so far (no teak) i`m happy with their life, about 2-3x the hss and still goin`...02 tod

[Mark Singer]

mark, they`re an alloy? kinda like the m-2 i grind moulder knifes from only tuffer. i don`t know the metalurgy behind them, cost wise they`re high but specified for abrasive woods such as teak and other exotics. when i bought my first set i figured anything taunted as tuffer than m-2 was worth a shot....so far (no teak) i`m happy with their life, about 2-3x the hss and still goin`...02 tod

I just checked the price at Laguna Tools and it is the same as HSS. I will get a set of 4 and try them....thanks!

[tod evans]

I just checked the price at Laguna Tools and it is the same as HSS. I will get a set of 4 and try them....thanks!

they`re sellin` m-42 for the same money as hss? never done business with them but i`m fixin` to.....you`re welcome mark, and thanks for the heads up! tod

[Dan Oliphant]

As others have stated, your work is outstanding, and beautiful. Makes me realize again machines won't win out over what our hands can do better.

[Frank Chaffee]

As others have stated, your work is outstanding, and beautiful. Makes me realize again machines won't win out over what our hands can do better.
Mark,
I echo Dan’s sentiments here, and add that in addition to your mastery of hand tools and machines, the designs you are creating are most wonderful as well.

Thanks for sharing your work with us.

Frank

[Mike Hill]

Mark: I am dying to see some good Teak Oil on your project. There is no wood I know of that comes alive better than Teak when finished with a quality oil.
Mike

[Mark Singer]

Tod,
I used the Watco satin Wax and you were correct....it was the best of the bunch...I tried the "Dark Wax" and the "Natural" couldn't see much difference. I made a sample with Howard Citrus Wax and another with Briwax...both were too shiney... I may post a couple more shots after another coat. The last oil coat , I wet sanded with 400 wet and dry and the Watco Teak Oil...waited 3 days and then wax

[Bill White]

the workmanship is excellent, but do you thinks that those joints will hold up more than 2,000 years? (My humor for the day.) Bet that sucker is heavy....
Bill

[Mark Singer]

Just checking my pic size....Here are a couple more with the floor in for the mattress...It was picked up yesterday and its gone...I miss it already:confused:

[Chris Dodge]

Beautiful work Mark! The design is great and the joints are fantastic! One of these days I will spend some time working on hand cut joints...one of these days. Awsome work!

[Mark Singer]

The finish was the Watco finishing wax over Teak Oil...Ed loved it and made me sign it! He just turned 70...

[Mark Singer]

Beautiful work Mark! The design is great and the joints are fantastic! One of these days I will spend some time working on hand cut joints...one of these days. Awsome work!

I may do a tutorial soon on cutting the mitered dovetails....there doesn't seem to be too much info on it and it is a nice joint for exposed frames on tables and cabinets....I know a few techniques that may help with hand cut joinery in general

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Mark .........you are a truly gifted and skilled craftsman! I've seen a lot of people who could design projects but didn't have the technical skills...the ability to make them. You truly excell in both fields! Beautiuful joinery and project!

[Lee DeRaud]

I may do a tutorial soon on cutting the mitered dovetails....there doesn't seem to be too much info on it and it is a nice joint for exposed frames on tables and cabinets....I know a few techniques that may help with hand cut joinery in generalIt seems like an obvious idea when I look at the pictures, but I swear I'd never even heard of "mitered dovetails" before, despite (mumble) years of woodworking shows and magazines. :p

Very nice!

[Jim Becker]

Wow. Just lovely!!

[Corey Hallagan]

Yikes...that really is beautiful...both the wood and the lines. Very nice Mark.

Corey

[John Miliunas]

Hey Mark, I'd have made you sign it, too!!! That's drop-dead gorgeous! :) Although I doubt very much I could achieve your skill level or the results you display, a tutorial would be most welcomed! :) Wonderful "work", my friend! :D :cool:

[glenn bradley]

I felt you pain on your earlier post but DARN, that looks good! I guess somethings are worth the suffering, eh?

[tod evans]

...Ed loved it and made me sign it! He just turned 70...

no better compliment! nice work mark. tod

[John Buzzurro]

Awesome work. Gives me something to aspire to.

[John D Watson]

Hey Mark, I'd have made you sign it, too!!! That's drop-dead gorgeous! :) Although I doubt very much I could achieve your skill level or the results you display, a tutorial would be most welcomed! :) Wonderful "work", my friend! :D :cool:

Ditto Mark, WOW!