Maloof Inspired Rocker Plans

[Brian Kent]

…and I have another question about touching up the seat to leg joints.

I have a couple of places that do not fit exactly. I have deepened some places with a router plane, touched up with chisels, etc. a couple of the joints almost fit, but something is hanging them up inside.

My x-ray machine hasn't been working, and although my last name is "Kent", my x-ray vision is not what it used to be.

I have heard of using crayon or pencil or chalk on one side of the joint, tapping the joint together, and then seeing where it colors the other side to see what needs to be trimmed.

But I don't remember - should I use crayon or pencil or chalk or something else?

(And in the pictures, yes, I am also revealing mistakes where I need to fill in spaces when it is time to glue together. Sorry about the blurry photo.)

[Prashun Patel]

I had the same issue, Brian.

The crayon won't likely do you good at this point. That technique is best on the curve. I found it best to use pencil on the female side, and to rough the male side of the jt a little with a fine rasp. Then you really clamp the joint tight. It burnishes the rasp side, and transfers some of the pencil.

I assume you checked all yr shoulders and corners for buildup...

First thing: make sure yr prob isn't fixed by strong clamping. You're clamping the legs at 6 degrees, so the clamp wants to pull the joint tighter at the base of the legs and open at the top. You should make 6deg angle blocks lined with sandpaper to get the clamping faces parallel (and to protect the outside of yr legs).

If that doesn't work, yr prob could be that the mortise is not 100% square to the tenon. Check yr legs to make sure that altering the lean doesn't fix the problem.

On one of my legs, I had to cheat on the bottom to get the top to tighten 100%. I'm going to glue in a wedge made from the shaving of a jack plane at glue up. Oh who am I kidding. I'll end up filling it with sanding slurry during finishing.... SHHHHHH!.

[Brian Kent]

Thanks Shawn.

I'll try your suggestions and I promise not to look too closely at your "Jack Plane Shavings".

Brian

[Richard Dragin]

That joint has about ten faces so getting it perfect is not easy. I usually just look for the burnished part as a guide for where it's hanging up, I don't like the idea of dirtying up the joint with carbon or crayon. Having some natural light helps to see the burnished wood.

I have finally learned that having your jointer and table saw perfectly 90 and quality matched router bits makes a huge difference. My last go around required less adjusting than ever. Just a tip for your next chair.

Keep up the great work and posts!

[Tim Mahoney]

All of Sam Maloof's work has a number and a year. So if this dealer just has a number, it's not a Maloof. Sam said they make 50 plus pieces a year and not just rockers. I was in his shop back in June of 09 and saw all the hand tools they use also. Lost of saw dust, rasps, planes and files. Sam uses a 5 degree bit for his rockers and a 3 degree for his dining chairs. You can order them online with the matching straight bits. They work well and are matched. They still need a little adjusting at the corners. Lots of practice also.

[Richard Dragin]

Tim,
Your numbers make more sense than the numbers I was given. Even though I still doubt 250 hours per chair. The chair I mentioned was marked 1985.

[Prashun Patel]

Here's some pix of the spindles in various stages of completion.

The blurry pic is the rough 'crowned' profile on the front of the spindles that I'm going for.

The contour plane, microplane, block plane, and dragon rough/fine rasps are my weapons of choice. A 3/4" dowel wrapped in sandpaper is good for getting the shoulders clean. The contour plane and spokeshave are prone to chatter on depending on the grain direction. The Mplane is fabulous for dealing with that. I concur Brian - these tools leave a great surface even before sanding. For the greatest control, there's just no beating the rasps. They leave the roughest sfc, though, and require the most elbow grease.

I also rough cut the ears and headrest transition on the back legs. The top profile of the headrest feels too straight for me. I'll increase the swoop once I get some spindles fitted. Richard, thanks for the sanding block suggestion for smoothing the contour of the headrest. 60 grit worked like a charm.

Brian, one last thing: you'll notice my screws for the headrest are not centered and that I only used two. I could not make the spacing on three work without potentially driving through the #1 and #7 spindles. I hope two will be sufficient. I had the same prob on the front legs: Couldn't figure out how to get two screws in there without risking drilling through the seat scoop. I opted for one. The screws are not centered because I made the mistake of drilling them on center BEFORE cutting the 9 degree bevels on the front and back. I'm hoping to minimize this with some clever shaping...

[Brian Kent]

You are really doing well. I especially like the picture from the front that shows what it will look like assembled.

The headrest screws look even - same distance from the front. Shape if you want, but nothing in the photo told me that they wee supposed to be centered from to back. They look intentional right now.

You have a slightly shorter (6") headrest so 2 screws seems reasonable instead of 3.

I like the 3/4" dowel wrapped in sandpaper idea.

How well do you like the dragon rasps (especially the fine one)?

Lookin' great.

Brian

[Prashun Patel]

You seem to be doing fine without it.

I find that I'm constantly switching between my shaping tools. If I had to have ONE tool, I'd take the Dragon rough rasp. It can do everything every other in my arsenal does and more. It just leaves a rougher surface and creates more dust. I took the handles off my rasps because I like using them 2-handed (the microplane too). I find it gives me more control.

I really only reach for the fine rasp to smooth out the work done by the rough. Stewart McDonald (stewmac.com) sells them as a set if you feel the need to drop another $90.

[Brian Kent]

I really only reach for the fine rasp to smooth out the work done by the rough. Stewart McDonald (stewmac.com) sells them as a set if you feel the need to drop another $90.

I just checked my wallet. I don't see an extra $90 in there so I'll be happy with what I have.

[Brian Kent]

I followed the directions on the headrest, taking my 8/4 stock, cutting the curve, and moving the front cut-off to the back. More pictures here:

http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.p...=1#post1311609

It is ready to cut to width now.

One of the interesting consequences of this technique is that the grain pattern on the front and the back are almost identical, like you find in a book-matched piece, since the 2 surfaces are just a band-saw kerf apart.

I need try this on a piece of scrap from the same stock to see how obvious the glue line is once it is sanded and finished. If it sticks out, I may limit the shaping on the headrest so I don't sand through the glue surface - at least on the front.

[Richard Dragin]

Brian,
Does CB discuss cutting that headrest to fit in between the back legs? Those lines look like you traced where it is sitting and if you cut it there it will be to short. Those compound angles can really mess with your mind.

It is really starting to come together and looks like a chair!

[Brian Kent]

Thank you for the heads up, Richard. Those lines are just chalked in to find a center with the grain rings. Once the legs are screwed to the seat and in a fixed position, then according to Brock's directions, I'll take off a little at a time until it slides down to the exact height.

Could you post a link to your chairs again? I don't remember where those were - at Sawmill Creek or your own website?

Thanks,

Brian

[Prashun Patel]

Nice stuff! Remember too that the headrest swoops down an inch below the transition to the legs. I found it best to clamp a straight board across the back legs while fitting. Richard, in CB's design, the inside faces of the back legs are parallel. The headrest edges sides are also parallel to those faces. So, there's only the 6 degree angle in-out slope of the legs to contend with.

Make sure to line up the rear of the headrest with the rear side of the legs.

It's amazing how even the tiniest lean in the legs can affect the angle of the intersection of the hr to the legs... DAMHIKT.

See y'all in 2 weeks. I'm off to India for a while.

[Brian Kent]

Quick trip to Reel Lumber in Riverside for the wood for the rockers:

Straight grain Padauk - $5.79 per board foot

Straight grain Maple - $1.70 / bf

Straight grain Cocobolo - $33.00 / bf

If I bought black ebony for the dark stripe instead of cocobolo - $66.00 for a 24" x 2" x 2" piece, or $99.00 / bf .

They said that was the first time they ever saw somebody buy cocobolo because it was "the cheap stuff"!