Keith Smith's Part 2 intermediate submission

[Keith Smith]

This project started when I was asked if I could repair a garden chair that had particular sentimental value, having been bought in Ecuador 40 years earlier. I said I could repair it and if it was too bad I’d make a copy, no problems.

When the customer brought it down it was way beyond repair but it had turned legs and spindles and I don’t turn!!

Next day Axminster had delivered me a nice new CCBL lathe.

After having a bit of a practise with softwood I started turning the oak spindles; I then discovered it’s a lot harder to turn oak that it is to turn softwood and it took me four hours to produce a spindle I was happy with. After that I sped up and by the time I was making the sixteenth I could produce one in twenty minutes.

I’m making two chairs by the way.

I should have cut the mortises in the legs before turning them but I expected to have a load of problems turning them, but in the end didn’t ruin any.

After I had finished turning I knocked the chair into its individual pieces so I could take measurements and see how it was made.

I was mostly dowelled but i was going to mortise and tenon all the joints, it had obviously been hand made as the chair was not symmetrical and I had to choose the best example of each piece and copy from that.

End of part one

 

[Keith Smith]

Part 2

The chair is a little more complicated than usual because it has curved arms. I cut one to shape then used it as a template to mark out the others.

To give a bit more strength to the legs I've offset the mortise and tenons.

The front legs are longer than the back and with all the various angles a dry assembly is a must.

I used a Forstner bit to drill out holes for the spindles

All the components laid out ready to glue up one side.

End of part two

 

[Paul Chapman]

That's looking good, Keith. I always think chairs are quite complicated to make.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[Keith Smith]

That's looking good, Keith. I always think chairs are quite complicated to make.

Thanks Paul

This ones a bit awkward to get perfect

Of course I'm just making it look easy :lol:

Keith

 

[DomValente]

Looking good Keith.
Hate making chairs.
But don't mind watching.

Dom

 

[tim]

Hate making chairs.
Dom

Don't like making chairs.... Don't like making bookcases (see my design entry for comment).


What do you like then??

:lol: :lol:

Anyway - looking good Keith.

Cheers

Tim

 

[DomValente]

Don't like making chairs.... Don't like making bookcases (see my design entry for comment).

Fair enough

Dom

 

[ByronBlack]

What do you like then??

Tim

Pasta and Godfather films I suspect!

The spindle looks very smart, I'm looking forward to seeing this one come together, nice work keith!

 

[Keith Smith]

For those that are interested this is how the chairs turned out

However I'm going to give the forum a miss for a while and therefore would like to be removed from the competition.

I have been very upset by the way the forum has been run of late and it is no longer a pleasure to look in.

Most of the people who actually know what they are talking about have left, but few seem to care :? it's beyond me

Keith

 

[Paul Chapman]

Excellent job, Keith =D> And I'm sorry to say that I share the rest of your sentiments - it's all very sad, particularly in that it could have been resolved simply and amicably, and without loss of face on either side

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[Chris Knight]

Keith,
They look great. I am very sorry that you won't be entering them in the competition.