PROJECT: Walnut Dining Chairs

[Joe Unni]

Hey all,

My latest project was delivered about a week ago and the customer couldn't be happier!!

The project:
6 dining chairs (5 and 1 captains) - I had complete design control with the only requirement being to re-use (if possible) the old chair backs.
The wood:
black walnut with cherry dowel pins
The upholstery:
material provided by customer and cushions subcontracted out
The finish:
two step maloof style home brew
- 4 coats of a mix of BLO, McCluskys oil gloss varnish, and mineral spirits
- 3 coats of a mix of BLO, tung and beeswax rubbed very vigorously
- sore left arm :D

Here is the before group
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I decided to build a prototype to work out the basic design
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For efficiency I settled on same sized floating tenons for most of the joinery - here is the jig I created for all of the mortises
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For the legs I roughed out on the band saw and routed the edges clean with this jig - note the inside and outsite profile
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more...

[Joe Unni]

in the rough
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parts
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dust control may be in order
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;)
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more...

[Joe Unni]

I was losing a bit of time so I stopped snapping photos so fast forward to completion.

the completed group
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the captains
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side
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arm/back leg transition
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arm/front leg transition (yeah, I know - its amazing what a bit of hide glue and sanding dust will do :o )
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more...

[Joe Unni]

the curve of the arm (template, bandsaw, rasps and sandpaper)
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underarm
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split cherry dowel holding arms to front legs
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delivered
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A bit more info:
- double floating tenon to hold arms into back legs
- the reclaimed back panels (veneered ply) are let into legs by way of a shallow groove and then glued and pinned with cherry dowels.
- this is my first go at chairs

Any and all comments are welcome.

Thanks for looking,
-joe

[Carl Eyman]

That is some fine work, Ranks in the top tier of Sawmill projects. Congrats.

[Bill Huber]

Joe, those are very nice looking, I am sure the customer was really happy with them. If they weren't then they were nuts.

So to do the whole project how long did it take you to do all the chairs, start to finish.

[John Shuk]

Very very nice. Nice job with grain. The sap wood inclusion on the legs works really well. Very smart customer for choosing you!

[Joe Unni]

...So to do the whole project how long did it take you to do all the chairs, start to finish.

Bill,

Thank you for your kind words.

Though I didn't log the actual hours, I started pulling apart the old chairs at the beginning of April and I just delivered the new ones about a week ago. Mind you I was wrapping up this http//sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=57835 (http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=57835) during the first 2 or 3 weeks of the chairs.

-joe

[Charles Jackson III]

Very nice chairs.

[Jim Becker]

Very kewel. Nice work!

Question..."Spanish" style? The backs are intriguing...

[Joe Unni]

Very kewel. Nice work!

Question..."Spanish" style? The backs are intriguing...


Thanks Jim.

Not sure about the Spanish style. I'll have to ask.

My clients dad bought mom a dining room set for their wedding instead of a diamond (per her request ;)) around 1940. I learned upon disassembly that the backs were lumber core (poplar) veneered plywood and the frame was solid poplar stained to look walnut. I even discovered that the thin horizontal strip of zebra wood was actually some type of tape. Not wood tape, but a plastic or rubber of some kind. Though not apparent on the regular chairs, it seems (my guess) that the maker took the leftover strips from the other chairs and layed them out to complete the captains chair. Upon close inspection you can clearly see the different strips - and even some corners that had folded back. Amazingly none of the tape or veneer for that matter had loosened or delaminated in all these years.

Though the chairs were in disrepair the rest of the set was in fine shape so my customer really wanted to maintain the continuity of the set with all of its sentimental value. That's why she wanted the backs.

Without blowing smoke, I'm really pleased with the way the walnut frames the old backs and as a whole ties in nicely with the rest of the dining room.

[John Timberlake]

Very nice job. Stayed true to the original.

[Joe Unni]

Sorry, this is a bit late, but thanks very much everyone for your kind words. It's nice to be able to show off projects and their details to those who appreciate the work.

Thanks again,
-joe

[Gail O'Rourke]

Joe, I have been away so didn't see this thread. I am always so impressed when people makes chairs, and these I love!! I think it would be a perfect job for the Domino - I am currently making cherry dining table for a client, but told them I didn't do chairs. Why am I so afraid - these look gorgeous - so what advice can you give me?

Maybe I need to build a prototype. That would be the place to start -

Oh, I just noticed you are in Mass --- perhaps a shop visit is in order.


Great work!

Gail

[Roy Wall]

Fabulous work Joe!!

I like the old backs....that's a neat idea. You did a fantastic job!

[Jeffrey Makiel]

Joe,

This appears to be another difficult lookin' project. Lots of angles and nice joinery. They turned out really well. Really well, indeed.

It's interesting how your client gave you free rein on the design. Did you show them conceptual drawings or perhaps showed them similar pieces to make sure there is some level of agreement?

-Jeff :)

[Joe Unni]

Joe,

This appears to be another difficult lookin' project. Lots of angles and nice joinery. They turned out really well. Really well, indeed.

It's interesting how your client gave you free rein on the design. Did you show them conceptual drawings or perhaps showed them similar pieces to make sure there is some level of agreement?

-Jeff :)

Jeffrey,

Thanks for your kind words.

Free rein! The only requirements were to re-use the backs (if possible) and 'make them sturdy'. The old chair frames were dowel joined 3/4" poplar except for the front legs which were 1 1/2 poplar. After 60+

As she was an old high school teacher I think she trusted that I would come up with something special. Thankfully (I was scared to death) - I did. She loves them! Her rave testimonial should be on my website within the next week or so.

Thanks again,
-joe

[Joe Unni]

Fabulous work Joe!!

I like the old backs....that's a neat idea. You did a fantastic job!

Thanks Roy.

I too like the old backs. I'm especially pleased the way the walnut worked with the veneer.

-joe

[Joe Unni]

Joe, I have been away so didn't see this thread. I am always so impressed when people makes chairs, and these I love!! I think it would be a perfect job for the Domino - I am currently making cherry dining table for a client, but told them I didn't do chairs. Why am I so afraid - these look gorgeous - so what advice can you give me?

Maybe I need to build a prototype. That would be the place to start -

Oh, I just noticed you are in Mass --- perhaps a shop visit is in order.


Great work!

Gail

Gail,

I'm sure we'll discuss in more detail sometime soon, but I found that chairs were less scary than I thought.

Here is what I did:

- I bought a book by Taunton about making chairs. Lots of good info about construction as well as jigs and fixtures. I took advantage of one of the mortising jigs.
- I reverse engineered the old chairs paying particular attention to the angled mortises of the side rails as well as the angles of the back legs.
- built a prototype to get a feel on where the oops may happen
- jumped in with both feet!!!

I love to push my abilities really hard, but I find that I almost become a crazy man! When things are working out I talk smack to myself, "Joe, you are so good" :D , but when things hit the fan I start fussing and cussing :eek: . When I finally calm down I then concentrate on resolving the problem and when I do succesfully, I start talking to myself again. And so the cycle goes!!

Gail, seeing some of the work that you've done chairs should be a non-issue!!

Good luck and thank you for you kind words,
-joe