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11K views 33 replies 10 participants last post by  ruddhess 
#1 ·
Dreaming of the next project...

Computer keyboard Peripheral Input device Font Office supplies
 

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#4 ·
Dreaming of the next project...

Computer keyboard Peripheral Input device Font Office supplies
I've not had the confidence to try full size chairs yet. I made a child's mission style set from Stickleys plans for my granddaughter and was pleased how they came out. My goal is to make a set of windsors.
 

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#5 ·
Dreaming of the next project...

Computer keyboard Peripheral Input device Font Office supplies
You and I both, a chair is literally holding someone's life/health in it's hands--not to be too dramatic. Hoping Peter's book, research, and over the top joinery will save the day :)
 

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#14 ·
Sketch #2

Font Pattern Rectangle Drawing Design
@kaerlighedsbamsen - It's actually not my design, I'm just trying to modify some of the details so I can have a chance at building it with my tool set and limited skills :) I'll post where the design comes from. Also I've looked at your chair build, it was one of my inspirations!

@Luddite - Thanks, it'll either end up being a long or very short learning experience, but I'll try to document it either way haha
 

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#16 ·
Design Origins

Mid-Century furniture was one of the main reasons I even got into woodworking. Seeing the clean lines and rich wood colors made me more curious about furniture construction which rapidly took me down the slope to woodworking. Two years later, I now feel fool hearty enough to try to build an MCM chair.

I've browsed the web a lot for design elements, and I stumbled onto this one a while back that had a lot of elements I liked, here's the original blog (a furniture restorer I believe):



I couldn't find any more information on this, or other examples other than the restoring person's blog posts about it.



I'm trying to simplify some of the elements (reduce the number of compound angles), and the result might become more boxy than this one. For the dimensions, I'm trying to copy with slight adjustments the classic Wishbone dimensions, which are graciously provided on the official site of Hans Wegner furniture company.

I'm still trying to figure out what's feasible with my skills and tools, so the design is in flux, any thoughts would be appreciated!
 
#20 ·
Woodworking begins

Afraid to make a mistake, I kept procrastinating until my design was finalized to the mm, but I realized I was just procrastinating and I had to start. So I made some rough measurements, and the sawing began with cherry planks I had bought last fall.





This is going to be a lot of rip sawing. If there was only some kind of machine for this…I kid I kid!
 

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#21 ·
Woodworking begins

Afraid to make a mistake, I kept procrastinating until my design was finalized to the mm, but I realized I was just procrastinating and I had to start. So I made some rough measurements, and the sawing began with cherry planks I had bought last fall.

Wood Rectangle Flooring Floor Wall


Table Wood Cutting board Kitchen utensil Tableware


This is going to be a lot of rip sawing. If there was only some kind of machine for this…I kid I kid!
I am getting Peter G.'s new book, so I've started down yet another slippery slope. See you at the bottom!

Did you alter the design very much? The pic you posted in the last post does not look like it would lend itself readily to much change I will be looking forward to your build process.
 

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#23 ·
This is why they made machines...

Glad to say after two sundays, and three weeknights, I'm done rip sawing the main pieces of the chair. By far these were some of the longest rip cuts I've ever done, one was almost five feet long. It was intimidating at first, but after deciding that cheating is ok, I scored the lines with a marking knife, and then let the saw do the work. Considering this is also the most expensive lumber I've ever worked with, I'm ok with that decision :)

Wood Table Rectangle Wood stain Floor


I had to spend a fair bit of time doing the layout as I wanted to try to get the most straight grained pieces while also being as efficient as possible with the 8/4" cherry plank. As a result all the cuts were at a skew to follow the grain. I think and hope this resulted in strong and dimensionally stable pieces. "Freeing" these pieces from their stable plank makes me nervous what tension I've released on these smaller pieces. Time will tell.

Wood Building material Flooring Wood stain Floor


Wood Rectangle Wood stain Hardwood Flooring


On the long cuts, I resorted to waxing my Ryoba but that helped for just a little. The best trick was to wedge open the cuts to minimize binding as I did the cuts.

Watch Wood Wood stain Flooring Floor


Sometimes I felt like this guy in this old Japanese drawing.

Water Art Leisure Painting Adaptation


With the help of a couple advils I had the pieces I was looking for.

Wood Outdoor furniture Rectangle Wood stain Plank


Next up will be some more design work, and some dimensioning with the hand planes.
 

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#24 ·
This is why they made machines...

Glad to say after two sundays, and three weeknights, I'm done rip sawing the main pieces of the chair. By far these were some of the longest rip cuts I've ever done, one was almost five feet long. It was intimidating at first, but after deciding that cheating is ok, I scored the lines with a marking knife, and then let the saw do the work. Considering this is also the most expensive lumber I've ever worked with, I'm ok with that decision :)



I had to spend a fair bit of time doing the layout as I wanted to try to get the most straight grained pieces while also being as efficient as possible with the 8/4" cherry plank. As a result all the cuts were at a skew to follow the grain. I think and hope this resulted in strong and dimensionally stable pieces. "Freeing" these pieces from their stable plank makes me nervous what tension I've released on these smaller pieces. Time will tell.





On the long cuts, I resorted to waxing my Ryoba but that helped for just a little. The best trick was to wedge open the cuts to minimize binding as I did the cuts.



Sometimes I felt like this guy in this old Japanese drawing.



With the help of a couple advils I had the pieces I was looking for.



Next up will be some more design work, and some dimensioning with the hand planes.
Using a knife line for cutting makes the cuts first class cut. Any time i need to have a finished looking cut I will knife my line.

The longest rip I've done was 8' in 8/4 oak, a great quantity of ibuprofen was consumed!

As for the Japanese pit saws, I watched two guys in colonial Williamsburg cutting 12Ă—12x10'. The finished product looked damn close to perfect!
 

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#30 ·
A diversion

It's been a while since I posted on my chair build. Truth of the matter is it hasn't progressed very far. I had begun dimensioning some of the lumber I had ripped, but I was getting frustrated with not having a dedicated flat+true bench top. So I finally decided to build a planing beam out of some 2Ă—4's. It took a couple weekends, and it was nice not having the personal-pressures of having it come out "beautiful."

Brown Plant Wood Rectangle Wood stain


Trying my best to avoid knots on the top.

Wood Hardwood Varnish Flooring Wood stain


What's that thing about having too many clamps?

Wood Rectangle Floor Flooring Wood stain


Wood Flooring Floor Table Hardwood


I might as well just cancelled my gym membership.

Plant Couch Wood Flooring Interior design


Table Wood Brush Wood stain Hardwood


Getting my self situated in my "workshop" to set the layout on some sliding dovetails, my first!

Hand tool Wood Kitchen utensil Table Tool


Wood Rectangle Flooring Floor Wood stain


The great thing about big-store pine is that it compresses to fit any joint, the worst thing about big-store pine is that it compresses and makes clean joinery a challenge.

Wood Flooring Floor Wood stain Hardwood


Wood Rectangle Wood stain Flooring Floor


Wood Wood stain Hardwood Varnish Plank


Wood Table Creative arts Hardwood Wood stain


I debated the grain orientation of the dovetail, and whether I should be recessed or not. In the end it was all probably overkill.

I have two stops on either end (no glue, so I can hammer them out of the way if I need to) to accommodate both my push and pull planes.

Table Wood Flooring Floor Wood stain


And finally today, I finished up squaring some more chair pieces on the new planing beam.

Food Ingredient Wood Cuisine Recipe


Wood Flooring Hardwood Plank Wood stain


In parallel, I'm involving my dad on this build, by asking him to use his architectural skills to convert my sketches into some measured drawings on AutoCAD. Here's the first iteration from pops.

Parallel Rectangle Drawing Font Engineering


Will ask him for some tweeks and a top elevation next. I still have some dimensioning left, but hoping in the next month or so, I can start doing some layout. Slow and steady!
 

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#31 ·
A diversion

It's been a while since I posted on my chair build. Truth of the matter is it hasn't progressed very far. I had begun dimensioning some of the lumber I had ripped, but I was getting frustrated with not having a dedicated flat+true bench top. So I finally decided to build a planing beam out of some 2Ă—4's. It took a couple weekends, and it was nice not having the personal-pressures of having it come out "beautiful."

Brown Plant Wood Rectangle Wood stain


Trying my best to avoid knots on the top.

Wood Hardwood Varnish Flooring Wood stain


What's that thing about having too many clamps?

Wood Rectangle Floor Flooring Wood stain


Wood Flooring Floor Table Hardwood


I might as well just cancelled my gym membership.

Plant Couch Wood Flooring Interior design


Table Wood Brush Wood stain Hardwood


Getting my self situated in my "workshop" to set the layout on some sliding dovetails, my first!

Hand tool Wood Kitchen utensil Table Tool


Wood Rectangle Flooring Floor Wood stain


The great thing about big-store pine is that it compresses to fit any joint, the worst thing about big-store pine is that it compresses and makes clean joinery a challenge.

Wood Flooring Floor Wood stain Hardwood


Wood Rectangle Wood stain Flooring Floor


Wood Wood stain Hardwood Varnish Plank


Wood Table Creative arts Hardwood Wood stain


I debated the grain orientation of the dovetail, and whether I should be recessed or not. In the end it was all probably overkill.

I have two stops on either end (no glue, so I can hammer them out of the way if I need to) to accommodate both my push and pull planes.

Table Wood Flooring Floor Wood stain


And finally today, I finished up squaring some more chair pieces on the new planing beam.

Food Ingredient Wood Cuisine Recipe


Wood Flooring Hardwood Plank Wood stain


In parallel, I'm involving my dad on this build, by asking him to use his architectural skills to convert my sketches into some measured drawings on AutoCAD. Here's the first iteration from pops.

Parallel Rectangle Drawing Font Engineering


Will ask him for some tweeks and a top elevation next. I still have some dimensioning left, but hoping in the next month or so, I can start doing some layout. Slow and steady!
I'm guessing the front to back seat dimension is still in the works? I'm not a chair guru in the least but it seems a 5cm drop from front to rear would make for some long term discomfort on the underside of ones thighs. Wouldn't it make for a bit of pressure along the front seat rail?
 

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