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Thread: Maloof/Morrison walnut bedroom bench

  1. #16
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    Feb 2010
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    All done now! The wife is happy and that's the most important thing

    walnut bench finished 1.jpg walnut bench finished 2.jpg walnut bench finished 3.jpg
    - Bob R.
    Collegeville PA (30 minutes west of Philly)

  2. #17
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    Dec 2004
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    Cincinnati, OH
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    Success! Thanks for taking us through the project, Bob.
    Rustic? Well, no. That was not my intention!

  3. #18
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    SE PA - Central Bucks County
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    That turned out beautifully, Bob!!
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  4. #19
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    Indianapolis
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    Picture me jealous.
    Brian

  5. #20
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    Thanks guys!!

    Some parting notes, in the hopes that anyone tackling this sort of build could benefit:

    - I would NOT build this from 6/4 lumber again... I will forever worry about the strength of this piece. Use 8/4.

    - I forgot to align the grain on the cherry plugs... damn.

    - I WOULD definitely use the router sled, followed by power carving approach for the seat. This really sped things along and increased uniformity.

    - Since my seat planks were glued up long ways (rather than many smaller boards glued the other way), I had to make a little plywood frame to contain my router while cutting the Maloof joints... this worked extremely well and I will take the time to build such jigs again in the future

    - It's really really really difficult to nicely sand contours such as the seat, rounded parts etc. I really really really tried hard and went slow and didn't skip grits... and still have some imperfections that will drive me nuts forever.

    - Lots of "stand back and eyeball" your work is needed on this project in order to get symmetry.

    - The Foredom rotary tool with Kutzall burrs was a necessity in my opinion. You could get there with rasps, but this really made the work much faster.

    - Respirator is a must, and I had to blow out my entire shop several times during this project.


    Other than these items, I thought the project was pretty manageable overall. I would definitely recommend this as a fun build.
    - Bob R.
    Collegeville PA (30 minutes west of Philly)

  6. #21
    Came out well.
    I like your grain choice and the rear legs have a great flair.

    Curved scrapers can be used to smooth the curved areas. They also assist in achieving a crisp line where the scoop starts.

    Many random orbital sanders can be re-fitted with a 'soft backing pad' which also helps.

    Last, you are a brave, brave man to do any power carving in the the shop. For my part, I will only nowadays do this outside - even if it means stooping over and tolerating extreme weather. It's just not worth the dust inside.

  7. #22
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    Nov 2013
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    Crozet, VA
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    Bob — The bench looks fantastic and very Maloof-esque.
    There is a very fine line between “hobby” and “mental illness.” - Dave Barry

  8. #23
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    Beautiful piece! And only you can see the “flaws”…

    Back to your question about the finish…. It is subtle but I find rubbing on a coat or two of hard wax w 0000 steel wool makes nearly any finish easier to the touch. Might wait a week for the poly to harden though.

    Thanks for bringing us along.
    "You can observe a lot just by watching."
    --Yogi Berra

  9. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by Joe A Faulkner View Post
    Rob, I tend to look at it a little differently. You clearly are producing results that are made to last, and while maybe not all of your results are premiere, master craftsman quality, you likely will be keeping these pieces for decades. For me, the big investment is time, so spending a few more dollars on lumber or even taking a couple of hours to source lumber are relatively small incremental costs of the project, especially compared to the amount of time I spend planning and working the wood. This is not to say I'm indifferent to lumber prices, but I've never regretted building a piece out of more expensive lumber. I am slow and generally only have to satisfy myself and the family members who will most benefit from my work, so again time becomes the biggest investment in nearly everything I make which frees me up to an extent to not worry as much about lumber costs.
    Bob, I’m super impressed with your project and the results. In particular, I don’t use a lot of abrasives in my work and learned a lot from your description of the rotary tools and abrasive you use to create the beautiful, organic curves in the bench.

    More generally, I completely agree with Joe; I’ve never regretted spending extra dollars on quality lumber, but have often had the reverse experience. For those of us with the blessing of building furniture without the pressure of economics, taking the time to find the specific individual stock that best meets your needs, is one of the clearest indicators of something handmade versus factory production.

    Thanks again for sharing!

    All the best, Mike

  10. #25
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    Thanks again everyone!

    Time to decide on the next project now...

    I have always wanted to try some upholstery and am thinking of a storage bench that has a leather cushioned area on a portion of the top.

    If it doesn't end up as firewood, I'll post it up
    - Bob R.
    Collegeville PA (30 minutes west of Philly)

  11. #26
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    Nov 2006
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    Northeastern OK
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    I like to finish furniture pieces with wax (Bri-Wax mostly) to further improve the "feel" of the part. I do this over poly all the time. FWIW...

  12. #27
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    Nov 2006
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    Northeastern OK
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bob Riefer View Post
    Thanks again everyone!

    Time to decide on the next project now...

    I have always wanted to try some upholstery and am thinking of a storage bench that has a leather cushioned area on a portion of the top.

    If it doesn't end up as firewood, I'll post it up
    LOL...real leather prices along with proper upholstery foam (if you can find it right now) will make your wood investment seem trivial. Faux leather can be more reasonable, though.

  13. #28
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Lewiston, Idaho
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    Bob, that is an instant heirloom! What a beautiful piece of furniture. I truly like everything about it, the gentle curves, the finish, everything! Very well done Sir!
    Ken

    So much to learn, so little time.....

  14. #29
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    Aww thanks Ken!! Really makes me feel good to hear such kind words. Much appreciated
    - Bob R.
    Collegeville PA (30 minutes west of Philly)

  15. #30
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    Quote Originally Posted by Joe A Faulkner View Post
    Rob, I tend to look at it a little differently. You clearly are producing results that are made to last, and while maybe not all of your results are premiere, master craftsman quality, you likely will be keeping these pieces for decades. For me, the big investment is time, so spending a few more dollars on lumber or even taking a couple of hours to source lumber are relatively small incremental costs of the project, especially compared to the amount of time I spend planning and working the wood. This is not to say I'm indifferent to lumber prices, but I've never regretted building a piece out of more expensive lumber. I am slow and generally only have to satisfy myself and the family members who will most benefit from my work, so again time becomes the biggest investment in nearly everything I make which frees me up to an extent to not worry as much about lumber costs.
    +1 to Joe’s comments. I’ve gotten older/more mature in craft, I am also come to appreciate the value of spending a couple extra dollars to get premium lumber that allows a bit more flexibility with design considerations . I’ve never regretted spending extra for quality lumber, but have had the reverse situation several times and ended up rebuilding pieces originally made in Pine out of nicer stock.

    Cheers, Mike

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