| Project by Woodbridge | posted 434 days ago | 2474 views | 8 times favorited | 14 comments |  |
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This is the second of three Charles Rohlfs chairs that I am trying to reproduce. I have made a number of chairs following this style of this chair, but decided to try to make a more faithful reproduction of Rohlfs original 1898 desk chair.
The original versions of the chair were made from oak or mahogany. This chair is made from left over ash hardwood flooring, resawed and laminated to make the various parts of the chair. From a few pictures and the overall dimensions of the original, I scaled the photograghs to make the plans.
I enlarged photographs and made a templates to help reproduce the carving in the seat back and front panel. According to the experts, the carvings were inspired by the cellular structure of oak as seen under a microscope. My carving skills are pretty basic and this was the hardest part of the chair.
The X leg structure of the chair, made from 7/8 X 7/8 pieces, although fairly light looking, is surprising stiff.
The chair is 54” high x 15” wide x 17” deep and is finished with antique cherry analine dye from Lee Valley, several coats of MinWax Tung Oil and buffed with beeswax.
-- Peter, Woodbridge, Ontario
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14 comments so far
TopamaxSurvivor
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13179 posts in 1873 days
#1 posted 434 days ago
Nice work! I really like that chair design. I’ll put a similar one on my ambition list ;-)
-- "some old things are lovely, warm still with life ... of the forgotten men who made them." - D.H. Lawrence
Mark A. DeCou
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1948 posts in 2603 days
#2 posted 434 days ago
Three thumbs up. This is the chair I have wanted to recreate, it’s my favorite of all the Rohlfs work.
Well done.
Where did you find a good photo to duplicate the panels from?
Way to go!
m
-- Mark DeCou - American Contemporary Craft Artisan - www.decoustudio.com
doncutlip
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#3 posted 433 days ago
Excellent work, nice to look at
-- Don, Royersford, PA
Woodbridge
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#4 posted 433 days ago
Thanks folks
Mark, the photos I have used come from a recent book published on Rohlfs, The Artistic Furniture of Charles Rohlfs by Joseph Cunnigham, but these same photos show up when you google images of Rohlfs chairs. I’d be happy to share with you the tracings I have done based these pictures.
-- Peter, Woodbridge, Ontario
DocSavage45
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3020 posts in 1040 days
#5 posted 433 days ago
Guess Mark added one of my thumbs. LOL I’ll add one more. Oh Wow!
-- Cau Haus Designs, Thomas J. Tieffenbacher
Puupaja
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297 posts in 1298 days
#6 posted 433 days ago
Really beautiful…can´t wait those another five in your list
-- http://www.facebook.com/pages/Puupaja/357028681017482
michelletwo
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#7 posted 433 days ago
terrific repro..Only time I’ve seen this maker’s chairs was on antique’s Roadshow!
-- We call the destruction of replaceable human made items vandalism, while the destruction of irreplaceable natural resources is called development.
Lidiya Blaznina
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724 posts in 736 days
#8 posted 433 days ago
Your work, are always top notch!!!
-- Lidiya,Russia," I use wood to translate my mood".
Woodbridge
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1623 posts in 615 days
#9 posted 433 days ago
Thanks, Charles Rohlfs does not seem to have the same level of recognition as some of his arts and crafts contemporaries. His work is quite unique and it is fun trying to reproduce it. My next attempt will
be his Tall Back Chair. Lidiya any carving tips you can provide will be appreciated.
-- Peter, Woodbridge, Ontario
stefang
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9727 posts in 1532 days
#10 posted 433 days ago
Another super well done piece Peter. Rolfs designs are very creative and unique and well worth reproducing. I was glad to become acquainted with Rolf’s history which I found on the web after your last post.
-- Mike, American in Norway
PaBull
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915 posts in 1862 days
#11 posted 422 days ago
Very well done, it is a treat to see art work like this.
Thanks for the post.
PaBull.
-- rhykenologist and plant grower
rmadja
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4 posts in 346 days
#12 posted 346 days ago
The carving looks also very good. The mix of straight lines and some organic, cellular details is a nice combination
stefang
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9727 posts in 1532 days
#13 posted 346 days ago
Very finely done Peter. I’m sure Rohlfs would give his full approval to this reproduction. Amazing work.
-- Mike, American in Norway
Christophret
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76 posts in 199 days
#14 posted 196 days ago
Wow, Excellent work, I love it!
-- I really dont have time for all this, this nonsense.
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