Re: Chair Reproduction Saga - Can't see the forrest ...

... for the chair backs:

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those taking notes, beaucoup hours getting to this point:

Mill/Layout/Cut Parts on Cut List 24.25 Setup/route Mortises 32.00 Initial sand/surface preparation 11.75 Glueup 10.25 78.25

... or about 13 hours per chair thus far.

(Expensive wood (QSWO) makes for a careful fella ... and that's "spare" time, folks ... during the month of 9/06, between putting the finishing touches on one house, and getting another off the ground).

Gotta find something more relaxing to do for grins ... maybe pukey ducks, or sleep?

Too bad that now the _real_ work starts ... final sanding and finishing. (ugh!)

Reply to
Swingman
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I visited your site to get more detail on the reproduction chair project, very impressive and inspiring, as well as a dose of reality of how long it takes to make something.

Your prototype was stained? Have you considered fuming -- I think you ought to at least try fuming, if you already haven't, to see if you notice a difference in the appearance. I think having spent such amount of your time to create what will be heirlooms deserves the extra time it would take to make such a determination. And don't forget to stamp 'em with you name/brand mark and year.

I wish I had 80 hours!

Reply to
John L. Poole

Thanks for the kind words, John.

The prototype was made from poplar ... fuming requires tannin to work its magic, so there would indeed be a big difference in appearance. ;)

Actually, the finish on the _real_ chairs will be dictated by the finish on table that goes with them, which was not fumed due to lack of space to do something that big easily/safely.

They will, however, come close to matching some fumed pieces that I have previously done ... it is surprising how close you can get to a fumed look with ZARS Provincial 114 as a departure point.

Let's hope you do ... unless you're planning on not being around after the next 3 1/4 days. :)

Reply to
Swingman

To be fair, I think you ought to include prototype time. Even so, I don't find that time estimate to be out of line at all. If you don't mind my asking what's you wood bill look like for this?

Having just finished my table. I need to start thinking about the chairs too.

-Steve

Reply to
C&S

Sun, Oct 1, 2006, 9:17am (EDT-1) snipped-for-privacy@nospam.com (Swingman) doth showeth: For those taking notes,

Nice. What color you gonna paint 'em?

Notes, notes? Nobody said anything about notes. Will there be a test? Damn.

JOAT It's not hard, if you get your mind right.

- Granny Weatherwax

Reply to
J T

I've pretty well chalked up the time for the prototype as a "small shop production run" education. If the opportunity arises to amortize that R&D time, I'll try to do it over several projects

That was not an estimate, but _actual_ time spent to that stage ... to the quarter hour.

I have kept a very accurate account of the time it takes to do this set of six in the event I need to price it out in the future, and have a much more detailed, task oriented, time sheet than what I posted.

The Cutlist Plus price breakout is a shade less than $1K for material (QSWO).

That said, I was lucky enough to have a good deal of 5/4 left over from previous projects, and purchased an additional 65 bf of 8/4 @ $6.15/bf ... mostly for leg material and the back rest rails. I might have to get a little more to finish out the seats before all is said and done.

Had I spent less time thinking and more time doing, I'd of been finished with these chairs about a year ago.

Reply to
Swingman

I was thinking something along the lines of that pearlescent automobile paint, in maybe Mercedes anthracite grey?

That's OK, old man. You're exempt ... at our age the only test we have to keep passing is our physicals.

Reply to
Swingman

Nice chairs..! Amount of hours seems reasonable to me..

How did you get the curve in upper rail on the back of the chair? Bend, laminate or just bandsaw cut..? Nice to have a place near you that sells so much 8/4 QSWO. Place near me thinks 5/4 is sufficient for any project..

Reply to
Jim Hall

Thanks.

Both crest and intermediate rails have the same radius, done with "just" a bandsaw cut.

The radius necessitates 2 1/4" thick material to make the cut. Since QSWO limits out at 8/4 rough, it takes a glue-up to get the required thickness. An added benefit is that the curved bandsaw cutoff's make very nice curved, drawer fronts.

The new places around here (Houston) seem to have that attitude. However, there is one hardwood lumber dealer who's been around since the 50's who always seems to have a supply of rough 8/4 FAS, although you wouldn't know it if you didn't know who to ask, or where to look.

Reply to
Swingman

Good looking chairs. Also solid looking.

I wouldn't worry too much about the time input. I'm currently building a breakfront china cabinet. Just passed the the 75% finished point yesterday. Passed the 100% hour estimate some time ago. But it is for personal use, the only financial implication being I don't have to buy one.

And I concur, the final sanding and finishing are to be aproached with dread and apprehension. The China cab has to match a table and chairs that I did not finish and the factory is out of business so I can't get their schedule. I must have 30 samples sitting around with various finish schedules written on the back of them, and I'm still not satisfied I have an acceptable match.

Hey, it is relaxing on any day when things go well. On those other days, well......

Frank

Reply to
Frank Boettcher

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