| Project by bkap | posted 2422 days ago | 2694 views | 11 times favorited | 29 comments | ![]() |
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Here are sample pictures of three rockers to illustrate a few wood varieties and how they appear in a project.
The “Aloha Classic’ is made with Hawaiian Koa wood some of which is flame curl. I use five backslats instead of my usual seven. This allows a wider slat to carve a leaf like image (because this rocker is going to Hawaii). The wider backslat is possible because this rocking chair is wider and is what I call my Reader Rocker (mas grande) size. The arms have a more organic flair to the front of the arm. The use of Ivory and Ebony as accents seemed appropriate.
The “Deutsche Classic” is made using Black Mesquite with some exceptional and very unusual Tiger striping. Mesquite is one of my favorite woods for a number of reasons. I like the workability of this very hard wood. It is two and one half times stronger than Oak. Some woods have an allergic affect on me whereas Mesquite does not. You know they eat the Mesquite bean and make palatable flour with it. I recommend you try this unique wood that comes in some 43 species. Just as everything in life Mesquite has some peculiarities. It has a short grain, which is subject to snapping easily when thin strips are involved, but this can be worked around in most cases. It is harder to carve and requires a little more thought to eliminate delicate contours. You may notice the new style arm detail is incorporate on this rocking chair. I did this because it is so comfortable. I think I will use this more often.
The “Classic Ranch Estate” is simply a standard Tiger Maple wooden rocker. It does have the seven backslats shaped in the ‘crescent’ style. I used curly Bastogne walnut, burled Mesquite and Ebony accents. The Headrest is made with a Maple burl, which invokes a lot of comments. The hat was used for some other spot.
I enjoy using figured wood of many varieties and am always on the lookout for new samples. Discarding even small pieces of wood is a problem for me. My wife has asked when I will get rid of the scrap wood and I say, “what scrap?”
-- Rocking Chair Guy
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29 comments so far
dennis mitchell
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3994 posts in 2480 days
#1 posted 2420 days ago
Nice work rocking chair guy! Your lumber rep must love you. So how many rockers have you made? Care to guess.
bkap
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122 posts in 2423 days
#2 posted 2420 days ago
Thank you Dennis, for the kind words. Yes I do get wood from all over, as much as my storage can take.
Not sure Dennis how many. Maybe a hundred or so, just make them and then get them out of the way because my head is full of a new design and I can’t wait to get started on the new one. My wife says our house looks like an old folks home with all these rockers. I say have you looked in the mirror lately?
-- Rocking Chair Guy
Karson
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34367 posts in 2566 days
#3 posted 2420 days ago
Very nice chairs, since you are into strange woods you might take a guess at the wood I’ve asked for thoughts on. It’s posted in the forum. The pictures are at http://www.flickr.com/photos/karson/
-- I've been blessed with a father who liked to tinker in wood, and a wife who lets me tinker in wood. Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †
bkap
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122 posts in 2423 days
#4 posted 2420 days ago
Don’t know Karson, too hard to see sample and I am not an expert on woods. It has interesting inclusions.
What kind of wood does it feel like when you work it? Soft like walnut, hard like Mesquite; how does it finish? Glass like as doe Myrtle or reluctantly like Koa?
-- Rocking Chair Guy
Obi
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2202 posts in 2402 days
#5 posted 2402 days ago
Calling the chairs nice is like calling the Grand Canyon a ditch. Stunning work. One day I could only hope to create such fine furniture. GREAT JOB !!!
-- http://ye-olde-cabinet-shoppe.com/
bkap
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122 posts in 2423 days
#6 posted 2400 days ago
Thank you Obi, you are too kind. Obi, just download my instructions and follow same and you can make one of these rockers just as well as I do, anyone can do it. You can give your own flair to the style by varying the components, as I describe, so that your rocker is one-of-a-kind. You are a woodworker so don’t be shy to try it will workout better than you think. As you know the leg joints are the limiting element, but if you use the jigs, as explained in my instructions, you can make perfect fits every time.
Thanks to Lumberjocks for providing this forum it helps all of us woodworkers,
-- Rocking Chair Guy
Obi
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2202 posts in 2402 days
#7 posted 2400 days ago
I sent an e-mail and am awaiting further instructions
-- http://ye-olde-cabinet-shoppe.com/
Obi
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2202 posts in 2402 days
#8 posted 2400 days ago
And as far as scrap is concerned, anything 1” square or bigger and at least 2” long I can use. If it’s smaller than 1” but still square I use to make my own dowels. What Scrap? Oh, you mean the pine? O.K. I’ll burn that. All three pieces.
-- http://ye-olde-cabinet-shoppe.com/
bkap
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122 posts in 2423 days
#9 posted 2399 days ago
Obi, I didn’t get an email. Not sure what the scrap comment is about. I have a lot of what my wife calles scrap, but to me it is precious wood. I do give some to woodworkers.
-- Rocking Chair Guy
Obi
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2202 posts in 2402 days
#10 posted 2399 days ago
Thats what I was talking about … the stuff your wife referred to as scrap. What scrap?
-- http://ye-olde-cabinet-shoppe.com/
StevenG
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1 post in 2277 days
#11 posted 2277 days ago
RCG: artistry!
Would I be able to down load your instructions?
Thanks
-- Steven Mission BC Canada hobsons@shaw.ca
Don
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2592 posts in 2342 days
#12 posted 2277 days ago
Hi, Bill, these are terrific chairs.
You may be interested that I have started to repair my rocking chair as per your instructions. I’m fairly confident that I will be successful. Thanks for the advice.
-- CanuckDon "I just love small wooden boxes!" http://www.hillsbiblechurch.org/
Obi
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2202 posts in 2402 days
#13 posted 2277 days ago
We’ll expect to see it posted when It’s fixed, Don.
-- http://ye-olde-cabinet-shoppe.com/
bkap
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122 posts in 2423 days
#14 posted 2277 days ago
Hi Steven G, yes I do still give free rocking chair instructions. If you go to my web sit at www.kappelusa.com and choose a code number you are interested in, by clicking on the left side, I can then know the info you seek.
Good luck Don, with your repair.
-- Rocking Chair Guy
PanamaJack
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4472 posts in 2243 days
#15 posted 2226 days ago
Sweet!
-- Carpe Lignum; Tornare Lignum (Seize the wood, to Turn the wood)
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