# Jake's chair



## morningwoodworker (May 21, 2012)

*sticker shock! *

Holy shnikeys!

Let me start by saying that I really didn't think that it would cost me much for materials for this chair. I thought I could get everything needed for around 100 bucks. After I was done shopping for wood, hardware, and a couple tools I need I spent $177.00. Then I went to home Depot to check thier prices and ended up buying a few more tools I will need like a speed square, router bits and clamps. After checking out I spent a little over $70.00.

So now I've spent way more than I thought I would, and that was just buying the cheapest wood for my first go around. But it will be well worth the cost. I'm just suprised how spendy it gets  just wait till I make the set of chairs out of Bubinga!

So far I have printed the plans from jakeschair.com, and drafted all of the pieces onto poster board for templates. Now I have half of them drawn onto the poplar I bought. After there all transferred to the wood I've gotta get a resemblance of a wood shop going in the shed. We shall see, I might do a lot of the work at my work after work and use thier band saw and sanders.


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## chrisstef (Mar 3, 2010)

morningwoodworker said:


> *sticker shock! *
> 
> Holy shnikeys!
> 
> ...


Ya gotta pay the cost to be the boss. The first few projects will seem expensive especially when you have to buy the tools to go along with it, we've all been there, or are still there. Eventually you'll be able to buy rough sawn lumber at a much cheaper price and mill it yourself. Then you'll start upgrading tools lol.

Welcome to the gang James ….


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## davidmicraig (Nov 21, 2009)

morningwoodworker said:


> *sticker shock! *
> 
> Holy shnikeys!
> 
> ...


Welcome to LJ's James. I gave up thinking that building my own things was the key to frugality a long time ago.  I suppose it works out in the wash in the long term but can tell you right now that short term return on investment is minimal. As Chris already stated, though, the cost stretches out over time and it becomes less of a problem when you just need to pick up the lumber and not the tools to work it. Once I embraced the fact that this is a hobby and that I do this for relaxation and enjoyment, the cost pill was a little easier to swallow. After all, there is much worse things one can do with money 

David


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## Kindlingmaker (Sep 29, 2008)

morningwoodworker said:


> *sticker shock! *
> 
> Holy shnikeys!
> 
> ...


James, Seattle has some good woods up there so keep a eye out for them. Wood prices are really high on the west coast and shipping wood from the midwest and east coast is even worse. Look for some small mills take cut recycled wood, urban down trees and things like that.
Welcome to LJ's and may the sawdust be with you…


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## GrandpaLen (Mar 6, 2012)

morningwoodworker said:


> *sticker shock! *
> 
> Holy shnikeys!
> 
> ...


James,

Welcome to LumberJocks , a world of advise, opinions, and experiences, all shared without judgement.

Search the Estate Auctions and Yard Sales to pick up tools and shop equipment, even lumber, these can stretch your 'Woodworking Allowance' budget.

Work Safely and have Fun. - Len


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## JamesAustin (Sep 10, 2009)

morningwoodworker said:


> *sticker shock! *
> 
> Holy shnikeys!
> 
> ...


One thing that you need to remember is, that other than your measuring tools, basic hand tools, and basic portable power tools, you don't need to buy a whole shop for your first project.
And even among the basic stuff, there is no need to buy anything except what you need at the moment.
For bigger starter tools , shop estate sales.. Over the weekend I saw a nice older Craftsman 12 " inch bandsaw for 25.00. Looked like it had been used a dozen or so times.
I appluad your initiative in choosing a Chair as a first project. Have not looked at the plans you mentioned, but chairs tend to be rather complex.

Jim A.


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## morningwoodworker (May 21, 2012)

morningwoodworker said:


> *sticker shock! *
> 
> Holy shnikeys!
> 
> ...


Wow! I'd love to find a deal like that. I should look into some estate sales. I agree with you, I know I don't need a lot of stuff to get started, there is just more and more that I want haha. I just keep coming up with more projects I want to make, and keep thinking about what I can get to help me do things fast and easier.

Here is the link to the plans. It really is designed for a novice to be able to build it while still having a very advanced look. http://www.jakeschair.com/download.php


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## morningwoodworker (May 21, 2012)

*making the best of a messy situation*

So, today is Memorial day. Let me just say thanks to the lumberjocks out there who have served or are serving our country that may read this.

I wanted to clean out my shed today so I can get a work space going. Here are a couple pictures of what I'm dealing with. 

















I didn't get to it today though because I had to now the lawn and dig a trench to run some piping for drainage. That took much longer than I expected. Besides I doubt the dump would have been open today with the holiday. After I showered up and ate some dinner I couldn't help myself and went out and ripped some back slats for the chair and took my jig saw out of the box to cut the boards into smaller pieces.

I tried to cut on my lines from the template transfers but I think ill be better off cutting my curved lines about an 8th inch away and then use the belt sanders at work to get it down to the lives evenly. Even going extremely slow and carefully it still turned out to be a sloppy looking cut. It's hard to keep the cut square, but making a smooth curve seems easy enough.

I made a few cuts. I'm happy. After work tomorrow ill rip the seat slats, cut out the rest of the parts and take the rough cut pices with ne to work the next day to finish them off so I can put the router to them.

Baby steps


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## GrandpaLen (Mar 6, 2012)

morningwoodworker said:


> *making the best of a messy situation*
> 
> So, today is Memorial day. Let me just say thanks to the lumberjocks out there who have served or are serving our country that may read this.
> 
> ...


James,

I never could cut a straight line with a jig saw but if and when I need to I use a straight edge clamped to the work piece so that the saw follows the guide, just proud of the scribed line. This will help to keep you, well your saw, on the straight and narrow. Finish up with your sander.

By the way, any forward progress on cleaning up our shops, is a good day. - Len


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## morningwoodworker (May 21, 2012)

morningwoodworker said:


> *making the best of a messy situation*
> 
> So, today is Memorial day. Let me just say thanks to the lumberjocks out there who have served or are serving our country that may read this.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the tip Len. The day I learned to use a speed square to act as a guide to cut 2×4s straight and fast was a big day. I never trust my eye. I need a level almost every time!


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## morningwoodworker (May 21, 2012)

*It's official! *

Just a quick update…

I officially have a wood shop. Haha it may not be a nice one, or have a lot of special tools. But the sawdust in my hair and all over everything else means its legit. Haha









I finished cutting out my pieces after work yesterday. I have decided that instead of tracing the pieces from my templates and cutting them out every time. I am going to make plywood templates, then use the locations where the fasteners will be to screw down the template to the wood and cut my pieces for the char with a flush cutting bit on my router. I am a genius! Then I will be making no brainter cuts even with all the curved and rounded cuts. Then ill have pilot moles exactly where they need to be killing two birds with one stone.


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## morningwoodworker (May 21, 2012)

*Router rookie *

I really had imagined being able to grab some tools, get some wood, and slap this chair together in no time! That's not the case though 

As I mentioned in the last entry, I am taking my time to rethink my process on this first chair to make it as easy as possible to make more chairs. I thought I had the parts pretty close after using the belt sander at work to finish my curved cuts, untill I put the duplicate parts together and I could see how far off they really were from each other. Now I am making sure the pieces for this first chair are even and my curves are smooth and square. Then once I'm satisfied with the individual pieces I'm using those to make the templates out of the 1/2" ply.

But this has not been an easy task. Once I have all of these template pieces done the process will be much easier but a lot of them are fairly small pieces and its not easy to get my router to fit while having to clamp the pieces in place. Later once I fasten my templates to the wood a router table is going to be my best friend. Not only for cutting new pieces but for finishing with the roundover bits also. Other than the clamps getting in my way, I keep having trouble keeping my router flat on the part when I get near a smaller part or a thin corner. I have s couple indentations on the template piece from where the router tipped a little and the bit gouged the edge a little.

I bought this router used on Craigslist a few months ago, and im not sure if I might be missing anything like a plate to add surface area the the bottom? And I'm wondering if ill have any problems mounting this thing under a table down the road. Here ate a couple pictures if anyone knows something I should know feel free to let me know. I did find a flat wrench that works to unlock the bits from a pawn shop luckily.




























Also I just have to say I love how many different projects people post. I'm already accumulating free wood for the next projects I want to take a crack at using pallet wood. I'm going to build some raised planters for my deck, and I want to build a standing beer cooler. I've got great access to scrap wood and pallets around my work. Here is a picture of what I brought home from work yesterday! I feel like I made out like a bandit with all the 4×4 material I scored alone. 









Thanks for reading

James


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## chrisstef (Mar 3, 2010)

morningwoodworker said:


> *Router rookie *
> 
> I really had imagined being able to grab some tools, get some wood, and slap this chair together in no time! That's not the case though
> 
> ...


James, sounds like youve got a great plan going forward here. It does look like you might be missing a base plate for the router which might help it move a little more smoothly. When you get to the smaller widths and your router starts to tip a good move it to put a piece of wood the same thickness of your stock next to the piece to balance the router and keep it from tipping.


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## NateMeadows (May 11, 2012)

morningwoodworker said:


> *Router rookie *
> 
> I really had imagined being able to grab some tools, get some wood, and slap this chair together in no time! That's not the case though
> 
> ...


James,

That is a cool router. Unfortunately that base is, as Chrissef explained only good for doing well supported work! However, there is absolutely no reason you cannot make it work for you. Purchase a Milescraft Acrylic base and epoxy it on to that. You could also make on if you want, but Milescraft already has all of the rings. Once you do that, you will be good to go. Just make sure you center it. It comes with instructions on how to do that. But you will have to epoxy it on as the holes you do have were designed to hold rings, not the plate itself. It is an old craftsman design.

Which brings up the next topic, that base is not meant for a router table. The only table I know of that would hold it securely is the Lee Vally Router Table. That base was designed specifically for handheld use. I hope this helps.

Very Respectfully,

Nate


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

morningwoodworker said:


> *Router rookie *
> 
> I really had imagined being able to grab some tools, get some wood, and slap this chair together in no time! That's not the case though
> 
> ...


Yep, you need a base plate. Personally, I would make one from plexiglas and drill your metal base for attachment with countersunk machine head bolts. These could then be used to attach it to your shop made router table. At least that's the what I did it and it works well in my situation.


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## morningwoodworker (May 21, 2012)

*Mister sand man*

I came home from work today and went straight to the shed after listening to the shot of the day and got busy!

Now that I have made my templates for the chair, I routed all of the round over edges that are called for by the Jake's chair plans. I really do enjoy using the router, there is something satisfying to watching the edges go from raw cut edges, to pretty, smooth, and finished as the bit passes with ease. But on the down side, I really want that router table because bending over the bench for an extended amount of time gepainful quick when your 6'6". It will help when I build some taller work benches, but standing in one place working the wood is what I want.

I took a couple pictures as i was rounding over the edges of the pieces…


















I borrowed the palm sander from work today so I also finished most of my finish sanding. I have poplar boogers! I'm starting to like this wood more and more. So I would like to ask for some opinions on what finish I can use for really good protection with this being Seattle, but will also bring out the green in the wood, without discoloring it too much?


















Thanks for reading,

James


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## jumbojack (Mar 20, 2011)

morningwoodworker said:


> *Mister sand man*
> 
> I came home from work today and went straight to the shed after listening to the shot of the day and got busy!
> 
> ...


In doors or out?


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## morningwoodworker (May 21, 2012)

morningwoodworker said:


> *Mister sand man*
> 
> I came home from work today and went straight to the shed after listening to the shot of the day and got busy!
> 
> ...


Outdoor. Although I do have cover on my deck, they may get rained on occasionally


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## morningwoodworker (May 21, 2012)

*Erection *

My drive home from work turned into a big ordeal today, so made it home MUCH later than I wanted to. So when I finally did make it hone I went straight to the shed and got to work! I got so wrapped up in it I skipped dinner and all of the sudden its midnight!

Here are a few pics I took of the progress :b



























































































It's comin together, and its exciting to see it take shape.


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## SirFatty (May 5, 2012)

morningwoodworker said:


> *Erection *
> 
> My drive home from work turned into a big ordeal today, so made it home MUCH later than I wanted to. So when I finally did make it hone I went straight to the shed and got to work! I got so wrapped up in it I skipped dinner and all of the sudden its midnight!
> 
> ...


Nice work! If I worked until midnight, I would probably hurt myself falling asleep on my feet.


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## morningwoodworker (May 21, 2012)

morningwoodworker said:


> *Erection *
> 
> My drive home from work turned into a big ordeal today, so made it home MUCH later than I wanted to. So when I finally did make it hone I went straight to the shed and got to work! I got so wrapped up in it I skipped dinner and all of the sudden its midnight!
> 
> ...


Thank you, SitFatty. It's waking up that kills me!


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## Retsof (Apr 12, 2012)

morningwoodworker said:


> *Erection *
> 
> My drive home from work turned into a big ordeal today, so made it home MUCH later than I wanted to. So when I finally did make it hone I went straight to the shed and got to work! I got so wrapped up in it I skipped dinner and all of the sudden its midnight!
> 
> ...


Looks great. I like the curves in the legs and the back support. I just finished a set of Adirondack chairs over Memorial Day weekend. They are fun to build. The plans I built mine from were for the straight back style. I'd like to try your curved back style for the next time I build one. Can't wait to see your finished photos.


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## morningwoodworker (May 21, 2012)

morningwoodworker said:


> *Erection *
> 
> My drive home from work turned into a big ordeal today, so made it home MUCH later than I wanted to. So when I finally did make it hone I went straight to the shed and got to work! I got so wrapped up in it I skipped dinner and all of the sudden its midnight!
> 
> ...


Thanks Retsof,

I finished the chair, and I am going to post a final blog about it shortly. They are way fun to build, and I think it was a good first project for me. I've already got 2 friends asking to buy it haha. I have sat in the straight back ones, and the curved back makes the comfort so much better in my opinion. if it helps, here are the specs for the upper and lower back supports for this chair… Oops it won't let me upload the file from my phon. but you can get the plans for free at www.jakeschair.com if your interested. And the curves were freehanded


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## morningwoodworker (May 21, 2012)

*Drumroll please..........*

The other night I ate a fortune cookie and thought, hmm this one is accurate….









How did that cookie know I would be writing about accomplishing my first furniture build?

I had fun building this chair. And now I'm going to be focusing on making it easier to build the next ones. I would like some input on what everyone's opinions on what wood they think is best for outdoor furniture like this, and what looks best. I'm going to try cedar for the next one.

If you followed along with this as I built my first project, thanks for reading. The information on my router I received was very helpful. So here is the final product, and its already sold 









































































Stay tuned, I'm working on setting up my router table to make things easier, and a couple projects using used pallet wood that I have started hoarding!

Thanks again,

James Alberding


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## HerbC (Jul 28, 2010)

morningwoodworker said:


> *Drumroll please..........*
> 
> The other night I ate a fortune cookie and thought, hmm this one is accurate….
> 
> ...


If you were on the east coast I'd suggest either aromatic red cedar (also called eastern red cedar) or cypress. Since you're in Seattle those might be a bit pricey, so I'd try the western red cedar or perhaps redwood, although it would probably be a bit soft for furniture…

Nice job and congratulations on the sale. Hope you got paid a reasonable price and didn't just give it away because somebody liked it…

Good Luck and…

Be Careful!

Herb


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## Retsof (Apr 12, 2012)

morningwoodworker said:


> *Drumroll please..........*
> 
> The other night I ate a fortune cookie and thought, hmm this one is accurate….
> 
> ...


I think it looks great in poplar. Nice work!

I'd prime and paint it with some high gloss exterior paint if you are going to leave it outdoors all season.

Building a set in cedar would be ideal, but I can't get cedar here in Las Vegas without special ordering it as our lumber yards and big box stores keep it in stock. I looked a building with redwood, but it was very expensive and the quality of the boards at the big box stores was pretty poor (mostly sap wood or really warped and twisted stuff).

I just built a five piece set (three chairs, a settee, and a coffee table) out of kiln dried Douglas Fir, because I didn't want to spend more making my patio set than I could buy them for, and I was planning on painting them white due to the insane heat we get out here in Vegas. I figured out that with wood, screws, glue, paint, and primer, it cost me about $135 per chair (the table was almost free because I built it from the left over scraps). Redwood would have added about another $100 per chair.


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## morningwoodworker (May 21, 2012)

morningwoodworker said:


> *Drumroll please..........*
> 
> The other night I ate a fortune cookie and thought, hmm this one is accurate….
> 
> ...


@herb, I made out pretty good. I'll have a better idea f what it cost me to build one when I get the material for my next one, then ill know better what to sell it for in the future. I'm not making them to make any money, but if I have the opportunity ill take it. I already have someone who wants me to build a bunch for the beach house they are having built, and I've heard from a few others who would want to buy some. So hopefully I can make enoughto fund the 6 chairs I want for my own house  
I was told today that the western red cedar is probably too soft for furniture. But I was looking at this Tennessee, red cedar and it smelled soooo damn good! I'm thinking about using white oak for the next time maybe. But I really haven't made up my mind. Really its all about cost or me.

@retsof, thank you! At least I have a project you like almost as much as I like your planter boxes  I will deliver some cedar if dinner and drinks on the strip are on you LOL


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## Retsof (Apr 12, 2012)

morningwoodworker said:


> *Drumroll please..........*
> 
> The other night I ate a fortune cookie and thought, hmm this one is accurate….
> 
> ...


That's a deal! I don't make it down to the strip these days unless I have guests in town, and none of them have ever brought me lumber.

I discovered that the planters are the perfect size to hold two 16" pots ($9.38 each at Home Depot). I started working on three more yesterday. One of them, I'll be turning into a toy box with lid for a paying customer. The other two are for me. The three-piece legs take so much time to set up and cut out, that I figured I may as well make a bunch at a time.

You should build one yourself. They are great practice for cutting mortice and tenon joints and they are a lot less expensive to build than the chairs. I estimate that mine cost less than $50 each because they are mostly made from 2×4's.


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## morningwoodworker (May 21, 2012)

morningwoodworker said:


> *Drumroll please..........*
> 
> The other night I ate a fortune cookie and thought, hmm this one is accurate….
> 
> ...












I actually just finished building my own planter box. But I didn't have any plans. I just winged it. I'm going to put some sealer on it tomorrow before I post a project. its made completely of free wood that I have salvaged from round where I work, and pallets. It's roughly 4' long, 1' wide, 1'deep, stands 2' tall. the only thing I paid for are the coated screws and the landscaping fabric to line the inside with that I needed for my front yard anyway.


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