Shaping a chair seat

[Mark Singer]

I thought I would show a few pics of how a seat is formed....First I make a template....1/8" melamine. Then draw the seat line and the leg curves on the edge. Using a Grex die grinder I chase the inside of the line to establish a groove. This is like painting the edges with a brush and then using a roller to blend. The die grinder is more easy to control then the angle grinder with Arbortech. Then the arbortech bulks out the seat working carefully to the grinder groove. By turning the seat in the vise I can keep in good position and control. Next I use the Rotex with 36 grit in the grinder mode to refine the form and blend the contours. Next the 2" Grex Pneumatic to bring down and define the "Hard edges at the perimiter and ridge. Then back to the die grinder... Then a 5" ROS with 60 grit to further contour. This is the general shape....once they are all like this I go back to insure consistency and reshape the edges and ridge. I will end up at 220 grit and then finer pads.

[Mark Singer]

more pics...

[Howie French]

Mark, very nice !. How long does it take to shape one seat from start to finish ? Do you complete one at a time ? or work on mulitples, performing the same step on all before moving on to the next step ?

thanks for posting this.


Howie

[Bert Johansen]

Thanks, Mark! That's a really helpful tutorial. A video would even be better!

Bert

[John Timberlake]

Thanks for the tutorial. Always love to see how people do things.

[Roy McQuay]

Thanks Mark for the tutorial. I have never worked with zebra wood. Did you have any splintering with the process ?

[Mark Singer]

Howie,
I mark them all and then go one at a time through this rough stage...soon I will line them up and fine tune the shape so they are as close as possible to identical....It takes 1 1/2 to 2 hours per seat to 60 grit as you see in the pics. I have done a lot of shaped wood objects with hand and power tools. I can make the same seat with gouges and a mallet in about double the time and I still finish with sanding

[Jim Becker]

Thanks for that, Mark! I need to get back to my chair project one of these days...and I'm less interested in doing it the "hard way" the way I did the first of six seats. Your method will get the nod, for sure at that point!

[Mark Singer]

Thanks Mark for the tutorial. I have never worked with zebra wood. Did you have any splintering with the process ?

Zebra is a wood that perfers sanding....it is very dificult to plane with a smoother. The Arbortech is a rough out tool and takes a little experience...it is like a rip blade with3 teeth and likes to be pulled with the blade parellel to the grain ... So I didn't have unexpected tear out...the Rotex with 36 grit blends the dips and hills into a level surface... It is a process of going from course to fine with care. One slip and you ruin the seat blank...which is about $80 each at $16 a bf. You need to stay in conrol and take little breaks...the hands and fingers tire from holding the tools...

[Stephen Stokes]

I cannot tell from the pictures, does the ArborTech create saw dust or chips? I have done a similar operation with an angle grinder, but I have to wait until good weather to finish my current project. I do not want to fill my basement with saw dust :( .

Stokes

[Ted Miller]

Mark, Nice work, glad you can keep the door open when working. Is your shop in the canyon so no problem with making noise.

I used to live right across from the Laguna police station on Ocean ave. right behind the Ivy house. I worked part time at the sawdust festival buidling sets for shows and human paintings long time ago...

[Earl Kelly]

Mark,

Have you tried the curved carbide disks that King Arthurs Tools makes? http://www.kingarthurstools.com/galahad.html
They work great with much more control and still remove lots of wood.

That zebrawood looks really good as the curved seat bottoms. I noticed you went to the side with the grain and some go front to back. Would you elaborate on your chair design? Or was that in a previous post and I missed it?

[Mark Singer]

Mark,

Have you tried the curved carbide disks that King Arthurs Tools makes? http://www.kingarthurstools.com/galahad.html
They work great with much more control and still remove lots of wood.

That zebrawood looks really good as the curved seat bottoms. I noticed you went to the side with the grain and some go front to back. Would you elaborate on your chair design? Or was that in a previous post and I missed it?

Earl
Which of those do you recommend? I have a Makita 4 1/2" grinder. The seats are for a barstool previously posted. When I recieve the Stianless frames I will post the completed project.
Mark

[Mark Singer]

I cannot tell from the pictures, does the ArborTech create saw dust or chips? I have done a similar operation with an angle grinder, but I have to wait until good weather to finish my current project. I do not want to fill my basement with saw dust :( .

Stokes

Mostly chips...a little dust

[Mark Singer]

Mark, Nice work, glad you can keep the door open when working. Is your shop in the canyon so no problem with making noise.

I used to live right across from the Laguna police station on Ocean ave. right behind the Ivy house. I worked part time at the sawdust festival buidling sets for shows and human paintings long time ago...
Ted I am up on the hill and really only have one neighbor....my shop is at my home. I have had no complaints about noise so far....knock wood:rolleyes:

[Zahid Naqvi]

informative and well articulated, as always. Perhaps one of these days you will publish a neander version as well.
I would also like to see how these chairs come out when finished.

[Earl Kelly]

Earl
Which of those do you recommend? I have a Makita 4 1/2" grinder. The seats are for a barstool previously posted. When I recieve the Stianless frames I will post the completed project.
Mark

Mark,
Evidently they've changed up their offerings and with a much better selection. Mine is red and a round profile looks like a medium grit. Woodcraft is where I found them. The round profile works best for concave shapes and the flat ones (I don't have one of those) I would think work best on convex shapes.

I used mine for filling the gap between the wood hogs (chainsaw cutterhead) and the sanders.

Earl