Now that all of the main chair components are fitted (minus the free-floating backrest), I can begin shaping the pieces to their final form. I started with the arms and legs. In the original chair, there is a slight side-to-side radius on the top surface of the arms. It's most pronounced at the center, and gradually tapers to flat at the ends. I made a template to mark a curve on the long edges of the arms.
I had hoped to use a spokeshave to do a lot of the shaping, but after many attempts, I was not able to keep it's throat from clogging after a couple passes. While I'm honing my spokeshaving skills, I switched to using a rasp to shape arms.
On the underside, I just made sure the surface was smooth using a combination of rasp, sanding, and card scraper.
There will be some fine-tuning of the shape after the side assembly glue-up, but the bulk of the arm shaping I completed on the bench.
The bottom ends of the legs is fully round, and I marked out the final shape with washer.
The legs have a rolling roundover that diminishes going up the leg, which I can't acheive on the router table. After resharpening the spokeshave blade, I still could not get it setup right. I'll get it one of these days. So, I switched to rough shaping with a block plane followed by a combination of rasp, scraper, and sandpaper.
One down, seven to go.
After completing two legs, I shifted to doing a side assembly glue-up in the jig. I had experimented with a test glue-up of the finger joint with TB Extend, and it gave me enough time to get the pieces glued and assembled. What was critical was to make sure I glued one front leg and one back leg. While the glue is drying, I can get a couple more legs shaped.
I'm pleased with that.
A second side assembly went just as well. I'll complete all four and then do some final shaping.
Chairs with no real straight, square, and flat surfaces and joints shivers me timbers 🏴☠️!
What I find most fascinating about these type of projects is the insight into all the jiggery required to make it easier to do multiples. They all need to be identical and of course easy to produce.
One trick when setting up a spokeshave is to set the blade heavier on one end than the other, so you can have varying depth of cut depending on which part of the blade you use. I did this a lot more when I was getting started, and do it less now, since I have multiple shaves which are all set up slightly differently.
This stage in a project is one of my favorites (after the initial designphase and prototyping). The shaping of nice details, getting the curves just right and sometimes shiftig focus from the eyes to the hands; making it not just look right but also feel right.
"The good chair is a task one is never completely done with" Hans Wegner
What I find most fascinating about these type of projects is the insight into all the jiggery required to make it easier to do multiples. They all need to be identical and of course easy to produce.
The details you post are a great lesson Ross!
Thanks, Splint. Each new chair project brings its own challenges, and engineers love having problems to solve. 😁 This chair hasn't needed as many jigs as others (like the Wegner deck chair project), but the curves and angles have had me scratching my head more on this project.
Steve Rasmussen commented 1 day ago The attention to the shaping details really adds a lot to this already impressive project. You're making great progress!
Thanks, Steve. Once I start rounding hard edges, I know I'm fairly far along with the construction. I should be applying finish later this month.
Thanks, Ron. Shaping freehand (as opposed to using a router) is something I need to practice until it doesn't feel foreign. No two legs out of the eight really needs to be exactly the same, and that should be liberating. But I'm still under the tyranny of the thought that they should be as identical as I can make them. I need to loosen-up!
Dave Polaschek commented about 21 hours ago One trick when setting up a spokeshave is to set the blade heavier on one end than the other, so you can have varying depth of cut depending on which part of the blade you use. I did this a lot more when I was getting started, and do it less now, since I have multiple shaves which are all set up slightly differently.
It’s coming together nicely!
Thanks for the comments, Dave. I bought the Lie Nielsen Boggs spokeshave, and I can't extend the blade to far before I've completely closed the throat. Backed-off so it's just catching the work I get a few nice curls until they start clogging the throat. I read a couple of places the some have filed the opening bigger to address this issue. I need to eliminate the possibility of user error before I start modifying the tool.
Kaerlighedsbamsen commented about 20 hours ago This stage in a project is one of my favorites (after the initial designphase and prototyping). The shaping of nice details, getting the curves just right and sometimes shiftig focus from the eyes to the hands; making it not just look right but also feel right.
I agree, Ty. When I'm checking for fair, I'll often look away as I'm moving my fingers over the wood to feel for irregularities. It's a pleasant shift in gears.
I agree, Ty. When I'm checking for fair, I'll often look away as I'm moving my fingers over the wood to feel for irregularities. It's a pleasant shift in gears.
That shift in speed and approach is such a great way to get different parts of the brain and your personality engaged. Projects that has both the rational enginer and the sensitive, emotional artist engaged feels more satisfying, at least to me.
"The good chair is a task one is never completely done with" Hans Wegner
