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Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge

Craftsman 12" Bandsaw – Fully Rebuilt + Turning Blanks

Design look back

Posts

Design look back

#1

Design look back

Jim O'Connor

When COVID hit our area I spent April making 3 chairs for the sanctuary at church. All had a tall Gothic arch shaped back of frame and panel construction. The principal chair was 6 inches taller and 4 inches wider than the other two and has arms. I design by using a full size drawing so when I drew my plans the extended front legs to support the arms were curved, complimentary to the curve of the top of the seat back.

Most of the time the 3 chairs are placed with the arm chair in the center. Recently it has been used by itself and then I noticed that it would have been better for a side view to have the front leg post match the back post and not be curved. I don't think that would make any difference to the front view. I really doubt if anyone will ever notice this but I'm not going to tell anyone that it bothers me just a little.

Re: Design look back

#2

Re: Design look back

John Jardin

Jim,

As an old man attempting to climb a new Mountain - Windsor chairs, I would be very interested in seeing pics of your chairs.

Re: Design look back

#3

JL

Windsor rocker 

JL


Re: Design look back

#4

JL

Re: Windsor rocker front view

JL


Re: Design look back

#5

Re: Windsor rocker front view

Paul Leuba

That is a very attractive Windsor rocker.

What joinery did you use to attach the rocker to the leg? And, is the rocker steam bent, laminated or cut from board stock by band saw?

Paul in Hunt Valley, MD

Re: Design look back

#6

JL

Rocker

JL

I turned tenons on the legs. I got the angle of the legs w/ a digital protractor. I drilled holes at that angle in the rockers. I was "sweating bullets"...

The rockers were cut from two 8/4 boards that I screwed together. After I cut the bottom curve and the center part of the upper curve, I removed the screws, clamped the boards together and cut the front curve, clamped again and cut the back curve.

Re: Design look back

#7

Re: Rocker

Paul Leuba

Thank you for the explanation. That really is a tricky challenge to drill mortises in the rockers with the rake and splay of the tenons on the end of the legs.

Looks vary good!

Paul in Hunt Valley, MD

Re: Design look back

#8

Re: Design look back

AZ in Colorado Springs

I'd also appreciate seeing a photo or two.

Re: Design look back

#9

Re: Windsor rocker

John Jardin

Outstanding, Thank You.

How did you make the spindles - green rivings or another method?

Re: Design look back

#10

Ellis Walentine

Second guesses

Ellis Walentine

I feel your pain. Designs are neither absolute nor strictly objective. They are snapshots in time, solutions that made sense in the moment. Afterthoughts are to be expected. The best we can do is to learn from these new realizations and bring these awarenesses to our next project.

I'd like to see some photos of what you're talking about.

Ellis Walentine, Host

Re: Design look back

#11

JL

Spindles

JL

They were made from "green" white oak.

Rough shaped w/ draw knife and spoke shave, dried, final shaped w/ spoke shave and chair devil (Lee Valley).

Re: Design look back

#12

Re: Design look back

Jim O'Connor

I have some pictures in my computer but I don't know how to get them from there to here. I will have to take a direct side view picture of the arm chair to really show what I'm talking about. Then I may be able to show you something

My computer skills are those of an 89 year old and we don't have any grandkids living close so any instructions have to be pretty basic.

👍 This page answered my questions

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