For anyone who had been following the prototyping of the craftsman chair on ABPW, here is the end result of that semi-popular practice poplar prototype program:
For the "rest of the story":
Looks good.
It looked positively naked without the finish once you put that seat on it. Now it looks right. The missus should be happy to have it in her room now.
Since you are color challenged, I will let you know. You got the colors right.
Looks like a real substantial chair - nice work. Reminds me of the chairs in the old public library. Very sturdy but with butt carved hard seats. I'm sure the final version of your's will have a softer land pad.
Say, how do you like the Multi-router? Is it worth the money?
Dave
"She" got the colors right ... and if they're wrong too. ;)
It depends upon the type of work you do. If you make furniture, and particularly if you tend toward multiple, identical pieces, I would have to say you are really missing a good thing if you don't make a similar investment.
Alright... not THAT was a cool project. Really nice work. I think a lot of folks underestimate what it takes to build a chair that will "staind the ages". I wonder how many hundreds of tons your pattern chair has held over the years.
For anyone that hasn't looked at "the rest of the story", that is actually the fascinating part. Great stuff.
Thanks for taking the time to post the project - that is time consuming in itself.
Robert
Thanks for the kind words, Robert!
Keeping track of these little projects, in writing and as they develop, is actually part of the fun of woodworking for me and definitely scratches an itch.
Swing - I love you a whole bunch.
I am sure that the execution of this piece is immaculate.
I'd be willing to bet that the joinery is absolutely to the titts.
But, I am bored by the piece.
It looks like something out of the Ikea catalogue.
I want new designs.
There was a Russian playwright who, after he wrote about the, " Three "Sisters", said, "We need new Forms" - I'm with that dude. (even though he punked out)
I understand that you are trying to create something that can be easily replicated - but - this ain't it!
I would buy something from Karl that was an expression of Karl, even if the obvious intent was to multiply.
but i would want karl to sign it.
There is that dude in New England who sells variants of old designs and does them up right.
I'm glad that he has a market - but it ain't custom furniture.
You and I are too old to f*ck around with this.
You are smart enough to create furniture and sell it.
You are also smart enought to design furniture and have it manufactured for resale.
You need to deside which of these markets you want to address.
In any event, I'll give you $500.00 for the piece that you showed - if you sign it.
Contact me in the usual way.
tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet (real email)
LOL. I love you too, Tom ...
Tom, this is not a new design ... it is an attempt to make a lay down _copy_ of an existing chair, and for my own use. Read the story behind it.
If you could but see this 100+ year old, handmade chair (the original) and be able to touch it, heft it, examine how it is put together, see the obvious craftsmanship and knowledge that went into making it, consider its age, see the marks of the maker's tools, and imagine how many, and who, have sat on it, you would, despite its being as ugly as a mud fence, feel a bit of the same inspiration and appreciation from it that I have.
They say the devil is in the details ... sometimes, so is the beauty.
Just consider this paltry _duplication_ effort as a tribute to an unknown, but obviously skilled woodworker, who probably didn't have much but the wood in the chair, and whose love for what he has wrought is so damn obvious upon examination to those in the know ... and Tom Watson would know at once, I guarantee it.
BTW, SWMBO said the prototype is _her_ chair ... you ain't got enough money! ;)
But I'll make seven, instead of six, and you can have one.
"Swingman" wrote
I wasn't going to say anything....
But since you mentioned it, just how much would you have to charge to make it worth your while to actually make these chairs for the unwashed public?
Not that I am suggesting that you actually do such a thing.
It really depends upon how hungry you are.
The "unwashed public" wouldn't buy at all ... but the coddled and pampered will, and sometimes surprise you by ordering two sets at a time. But you must know where to reach them, and, even then, you could starve waiting for the next nibble.
As in all woodworking projects, and once jigged up, this particular style of chair is not all that time consuming to fabricate, and a multi-router is a big factor in the TIME it wouldn't take.
With the multi-router, and depending upon type of finish, (and whether I had anything else better to do, and how hungry I was), I'd estimate the bottom end of "worthwhile" (and not being too hungry) to be in the range of the usual 3 - 4 times material cost, plus a round, 25% markup for overhead.
So, with an estimated cost of QSWO at between $7 and $8 b/f for a set of six just shy of $1K, you're looking at a ballpark of $4.8K on the bottom, starting _negotiating price_ for just the chairs, and I'd probably pad that a bit if it was only chairs, depending upon how hungry I was at the time.
Now, not many folks would pay that, and not many of the ones who could would buy just chairs (it is not all that unusual for folks around here to pay well over $10K for a dining room set) ... but they don't do it very often, so have something to eat on while waiting for your cork to go under.
I can make more money doing other things than waiting on cabinets/furniture orders, but if you have the time, the know how, and the equipment, and the opportunity presents itself, the above is probably just as good a place to start as any.
And ... it really depends upon how hungry you are.
Hmmm.... don't know about all that conversation.
As I have gotten older and been doing this longer, I have gone from loving the old Federalist/Duncan Phyfe/NE traditionalist furniture with all its idiosyncrasies, doodad hardware, carved details and exotic joinery to liking the more simple, functional stuff that echoes times gone by.
I don't remotely see that as that as ugly as a mud fence, but truly appreciate the simplicity of form that belies its sturdy construction. I guess have seen so much outlandish joinery, bizarre designs, strange woods, and all manner of strange things that are possible now with today's machinery I am sick of most of it. I fondly think back to the guy (OK, the guy that I invented!) that made a chair like that with simple tools and ... are you ready.... skill. In some strange way I think that connects some of us that do this to some of them.
I personally like something like a chairs or tables that will be around and develop a history of their own, but I don't make things like that to sell, either. And the payoff for me on the chair would be this: is it comfortable? If so, shoots - scores - nothing but net. And that easily looks to be a design that could be passed down to someone that would appreciate the time and effort.
Just my 0.02.
Robert
FWIW, I recently _bought_ (8) genuine Stickley "Limestone Oak" QSWO chairs, of a design very close to this one, to go with a dining table and sideboard (along with a _room_) that I built. Two of the chairs have armrests.
I totally understand what you're saying style-wise... I don't see it as "boring", I see it as "clean".
Sorry for the late reply. I've been off Usenet for a bit, due to traveling and a POS laptop that I was carrying for the trip.
I did not express myself well in my previous post.
I'm trying to design some furniture now that hearkens back to an era that I am comfortable with but does not replicate it.
It is really freaking hard.
I admire what you are doing with your piece - and I still want to buy one!
I did not mean to denigrate the investigation or reproduction of the piece - I am just trying to get my head into what the next generation of "keepable" furniture will be.
What will be the next "Classic".
I am not making good progress on this at all.
I meant no disrespect, Swing, although I know that it looks like I did.
I'll tell you what - if you are serious about making the extra piece - I'll fly out to pick it up, listen to the band, take you and your gal out to dinner - and go home both poorer and richer.
(watson - who is having a hard time with this design thing...)
Regards,
Tom Watson
tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet (real email)
Tom Watson wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:
Of course you are.
1) It isn't easy.2) You MAY be somewhat of a perfectionist. ;-)
Be patient. Use lots of paper, pencil and mockups.
And keep showing up here every once in a while.
Patriarch
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.