New Chair

[ken hatch]

I've been in and out of the shop today between taking care of Casa Chaos and MsBubba's honeydos. But I've got the the new chair's seat blank almost ready for the legs.

seatBlank.jpg

And I'm shaping the leg blanks before cutting the tenons.

shapingLegs.jpg

The jig does a good job of holding the legs for shaping and with a sharp iron in the #5 it is pretty quick work. I've thought about making a similar jig to hold the leg blanks for running through the planer and may yet. Of course I'm always in the middle of shaping the legs when I think about making the jig and by that time it is easier to just continue doing it by hand.


The seat blank is Honey Locust and it was a pretty gnarly board but it was close to the right size and had been hanging around the shop for a few years. I haven't a clue what will happen when I knock the legs home. There is a good chance it will split, oh well stuff happens. If it does I'll go find a nice hunk of Poplar or maybe Red Oak, clean the hide glue off the leg tenons, and start over.

ken

[Frederick Skelly]

I like the jig! Thanks for the idea Ken.

I did a set of tapered legs in poplar and really enjoyed the process of using a hand plane for that work. It just "felt good". I don't know how else to explain it. (I was using an LV Low Angle Jack.)

Look forward to seeing the rest of your build!
Fred

[Jim Koepke]

Look forward to seeing the rest of your build!

Me too!

jtk

[David Eisenhauer]

Thanks for sharing Ken. To me, chairs are near the top of the hill.

[Prashun Patel]

That's the best kind of jig: The kind when I see it I wonder why didn't I do this a long time ago; so obvious.

That will also be great for securing round stock for drilling. I could easily see using it on the bench in conjunction with a bevel gauge when drilling by hand.

Thanks, Ken! I know what I'm doing at lunch now.

[ken hatch]

Thanks Guys,

I hope the jig works for you, I know it does for me. When you build one the biggest problem is securing the end cap "stop". The metal strap was a quick and dirty fix after blowing the end cap off a couple of times. I want a joinery fix but I expect the next one will still have a metal strap but with it flush in a rabbet. With the strap flush then the jig can be used on the bench top against a stop or between dogs.

The legs are shaped and two of 'em have been smoothed. I'm off to sit in a black box for four hours, gotta pay for the beans and tortillas someway. The other two legs will be smoothed once home from work, tenons tomorrow AM.

ken

[ken hatch]

Thanks for sharing Ken. To me, chairs are near the top of the hill.

Thanks David,

I'm baby stepping up the hill. My first chair was years ago. It was so bad it didn't even make a good smores fire. After that I've made a few other traditional chairs but never really enjoyed the process or results. While they were good chairs they didn't "work" for me. This will be my third stick chair and it has been love from the first mortised drilled. I like the process but even better I love the result.

ken

[ken hatch]

In spite of working a Initial Line this week progress is made on the chair. I've finished the legs and have test fitted to the seat. They look good, not perfect alinement but good enough.

From the side:

chairLegsSide.jpg

From the front:

chairLegsFront.jpg

Next is finishing the seat then four back slats/sticks and a crest rail. Not in the short rows but I can see the fat lady.

ken

[ken hatch]

The chair is in glue up. I haven't decided on paint or not. Four different woods and a seat that is a little difficult, my guess is it will end up painted. The only real question is is the chair worth the time and effort it takes to paint. It has been a great learning project but there are some design elements that could be done better. Again I think I will live with the chair for awhile before deciding. Whatever, building stick chairs is a hoot. I love the process and even better I love the results.

If I paint it will be milk paint with a red or black undercoat and either black, gray green, or blue finish coat.

Here is the chair in clamps:


stickChairA.jpg:

One more:

stickChairB.jpg

I found a hunk of 8/4 Poplar the other day that should yield at least five seat blanks. the next one will have thinner back spindles and I expect I'll form them with a drawknife and spokeshave. I like the octagon legs and expect the next chairs will continue with them. Soon I'll add a crest rail and arms, maybe the next chair or the one that follows.

BTW, I sat on it before glue up and it is really comfortable.


ken

[Prashun Patel]

Looks great, Ken. That 3-spindle back must be sturdy. Does it flex when you lean?

I would definitely paint it. There is a lot of learning in the application of milk paint. But the result is worth it. Layers and vibrancy that will take this from A to A+. It will unify the different woods.

Can’t wait to see the next build.

[ken hatch]

Looks great, Ken. That 3-spindle back must be sturdy. Does it flex when you lean?

I would definitely paint it. There is a lot of learning in the application of milk paint. But the result is worth it. Layers and vibrancy that will take this from A to A+. It will unify the different woods.

Can’t wait to see the next build.

Thanks Prashun,

I expect it will be paint. Here it is next to its little brother that was finished with oil. No flex and is very comfortable to sit on. This one is a little over built, The next should be a little lighter.

stickChair#1.jpg

ken

[ken hatch]

The last coat of the black Milk Paint undercoat is drying. I'll follow with a couple or three overcoats of Barn Red Milk Paint and either wax or oil. Milk Paint is different in that it is more like a pigmented stain than a paint and it wears off easily showing the contrasting color or wood base at the wear points. You either like that or not, I do.

chairUnderCoat.jpg

BTW, in the background is a hunk of Poplar that will make 5 or 6 seat blanks and two sticks of Beech to make the stretchers for the shop sized Moravian build. I finally gave up on finding some useable 12/4 Ash or whatever for the base. The wood store had a good stock of 8/4 Beech at a very good price. As much as I resisted going the glue up route for this base that's what it will be. I only need 7' for the stretchers so I may get one or two seat blanks or several sets of legs blanks off the Beech cut off as well.

ken

[ken hatch]

The chair is finished and out of the shop. I'm not sure where it will live but here it is in the front setting room.

chairFinished.jpg

Now that the chair is finished the new bench heads the to do list. The leg blanks are glued up with the stretchers next. Once all the glue ups are finished and dimensioned the joinery will not take long.

ken

[brian zawatsky]

Nice chair Ken. I haven’t tried my hand at making one yet, but it’s on my short list.

[ken hatch]

Nice chair Ken. I haven’t tried my hand at making one yet, but it’s on my short list.

Thanks Brian,

They are an enjoyable build. There is a lot to be said for vernacular furniture. In my house it fits better than most other styles.

ken