Rocking chair and footstool finished

[Kyle Stiefel]

Hello,

Well here are some pics of the new rocking chair and footstool. I am just waiting for the danish oil to cure to rub it out. The chair is padauk, ash, ebony plugs. I had made several similar rockers a few years ago for my wife and mother, I finally was able to get around to making one for myself which has been on the list of things to do.

The chair is based primarily of on Hal Taylor's plan with Sam Maloof characteristics as well. These are labor intensive projects for me but they make me smile when I am finished. I do hope in the next couple of years to make one for each of my sisters as well.

Have a good week.

Kyle

[Kyle Stiefel]

A few more pics.

[Gary Keedwell]

Kyle,
You have certainly impressed me. That is wonderful. Building a chair like that is on my to-do list.

Gary K.

[Greg Funk]

Beautiful work Kyle! I would like to make one of those one day. Does the 2nd one get any easier/faster?

Greg

[Bruce Page]

Beautiful craftsmanship Kyle. I think I would be afraid to sit in it.
How many hours do you have in it?

[Ron Jones near Indy]

Absolutely beautiful Kyle. I afraid I don't have the patience to do that. As Bruce asked, how long did it take to make one?

[Lewis Perry]

I can see why it makes you smile--absolutely gorgeous, Kyle. I'm afraid something like that is way beyond my abilities but congrats on a job well done.

[Scott Thornton]

How did you like the Hal Taylor plans? Were they worth it? Do you have any pictures of what you get when you buy a set of them?

Thanks.

[Kyle Stiefel]

Thanks for the comments guys.


Beautiful work Kyle! I would like to make one of those one day. Does the 2nd one get any easier/faster?

Greg

Greg,
Yes, the second and third chairs are quicker primarily due to the fact that you have now made all the jigs. On the initial chair it takes a bit of time to fabricate the jigs.


Beautiful craftsmanship Kyle. I think I would be afraid to sit in it.
How many hours do you have in it?
Bruce,
I think this chair probably took 80 or 90 hours. I spent the last month working on the weekends and a couple hours a night after work each day. I am by far not the fastest guy so I imagine there are many that could do it in less time.


How did you like the Hal Taylor plans? Were they worth it? Do you have any pictures of what you get when you buy a set of them?

Thanks.

Scott,
I bought the plans about 3 years ago and would buy them again in a heart beat. There is well over a hundred page manual with color photos and thorough explanations of each step. Also provided are full scale paper diagrams to fabricate templates for the small, medium, and large chairs. Hal does an excellent job of breaking down the process and on the initial chair it was a fantastic learning experience which I have been able to carry into other projects. I have a number of times referred back to the manual as I am working on other projects. At the time of the first fabrication it would not have possible without this information for me. Sorry, I sound like a salesman but that is the truth.

[Thomas Kila]

Beautiful! I can only hope to make something like that someday...

[Jon Lanier]

All I can say is, "WOW!" :eek:
Very impressive indeed you should be very proud of your work.

WOW!

[Joe Unni]

Well done Kyle!! The padauk looks fantastic! I guess I'd never thought of using it as the primary on chairs, but it seems to work. And it appears that the challenges you faced have paid off. Good on you.

Looking forward other projects from you.

-joe

[Jeffrey Makiel]

Nice! They sure looks difficult to make. Even if I had the time, I'm not sure I have the skill. I'm impressed. Well done!
-Jeff :)

[Tyler Howell]

Well Done Kyle,
That's awesome.

[Kyle Stiefel]

Well done Kyle!! The padauk looks fantastic! I guess I'd never thought of using it as the primary on chairs, but it seems to work. And it appears that the challenges you faced have paid off. Good on you.

Looking forward other projects from you.

-joe

Joe,

Yes, I had my reservations as well but felt much better after the oil was applied. It was actually the only wood in my shop that I had an ample supply of to make the chair at the time. I had an order that was placed two months prior awaiting their supply of walnut to come in, I was itching to get started so I said why not. Working the padauk leaves awful orange dust everywhere and it is an irritant to me which I became aware of. A third of the way into the project I was wearing a respirator at all times.

[Mark Patoka]

Great looking chair! With Hal's shop being just down the road from me I've been tempted to take part in his hands-on offer. With your recommendation of the detailed plans I may just make the plunge and go that route.

[Ralph Okonieski]

Beautiful job, Kyle! Excellent!

[Raymond Fries]

Looks like a real challenging project, but well worth it.

[Bill Wyko]

Kyle, you're a master craftsman in my book. That's 100% top notch:)

[Ron Hedrick]

She's awfully pretty but will she rock? I built a chair exactly like that once then I woke up. That really is awesome! I totally admire the abilities of many of the individuals on this site.