*pics* Touchwood Sycamore Rocker *** IT'S DONE ***

[Shamrock]

WOW! That is fabulous-now I'm really itching to try my 1st rocker-thanks for the pictorial! That sequence was better than a whole issue of Playboy-keep um coming. WOW!


clamps-clamps-why don't I have as many clamps as
Touchwood?

[Touchwood]

Originally Posted by Dutchman

Very nice, thanks for all those pics!!
I was wondering why you chose to run the grain on the head rest vertical (glue up several pcs). Do you find this method easier than bending a horizontal piece?

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Hi Buddy,

Actually the head rest is "coopered"...like the way we used to make buckets...etc. We need to have the total angular curve match the angle between the two back legs...in this case 40 degrees. Each piece is cut at a fraction of that angle to match the total. I would not want to try and bend 1 1/2" thick hardwood to that shape even with steaming and forms...not a good idea long term for the wood. Also, we want the grain direction to match the back braces and the top of the back legs.

If you look in my gallery you'll see what I mean. Hope I answered your question,

Don

[Bigdog72]

Don,

When I visited your shop during the crawl I knew that I was witnessing my own limitations. Your work is beautiful. I can only hope for my simple work to look half as good.

[Rocker]

Wonderful work, Don. I love the grain of that sycamore and it really stands out on the headrest and seat. Was the sycamore easier to work that the utile?
John (Rocker)

[Touchwood]

Originally Posted by Bigdog72

Don,

When I visited your shop during the crawl I knew that I was witnessing my own limitations. Your work is beautiful. I can only hope for my simple work to look half as good.

Thanks Geoff...in fact thanks to all of you for the encouraging comments.

Geoff..I'm sure your work is fine...the important thing is getting the enjoyment out of creating your own thing. I work far too slowly..LOML says I'm too much of a perfectionist..I think it's just senility creeping in.

Don

[Steve W]

Another spectacular chair, Don! Can't wait to see the pics when it's finished. I like the look of the QS sycamore. Doing your own work means being able to use the "premium" cuts...

Steve

[woodguy1975]

Originally Posted by Touchwood

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John

Tried to send another PM, but they tell me your inbox is full

Don

It's clear now.

[Touchwood]

Thanks John,

The Sycamore is much easier to work with than the Utile. Utile is full of cross-linked grain, so planing is a real pain...tearouts all over. It's also somewhat brittle..I broke one of the flairs on the front legs just setting the chair down on an un-padded surface. Fortunately the repair is not noticeable (but I see it!)

The only problem with the QS Sycamore is that it wanders from QS to PS in the same board...so getting grain matched parts is a guessing game. On the other hand, I had some pleasant surprises once I started shaping. Mother Nature must be looking after me.

I can't wait to see the first coat of oil go on...probably 3 weeks away.

Don

[jeff...]

email from Don

"Hi guys,

First coat of oil on QS Spalted Sycamore chair. It will look a lot better after a couple more coats. There was no way to tell how this was going to look. The color is too dark in the pics....but it was sort of like opening a Christmas present as the first oil went on.

Don"








Let me be the first to comment

[DaveO]

Wow, that QS Sycamore really comes alive with an application of oil. Not to mention that is a beautiful chair. Let me be the second to comment :icon_ thum
Thanks for posting Jeff... and thanks for creating Don, you're an artist of the highest measure.


Dave

[sapwood]

It is:
divine, fabulous, fantastic, fantastical, glorious, marvelous, sensational, splendid, superb, terrific, wonderful, dandy, dreamy, great, ripping, super, among other things!

Roger

[jeff...]

Don't know about you guys... but I keep going back and looking at the arms and ray fleck all over the chair - I can't make up my mind which I like better The way Don caught the end grain on both of the arms makes it hard to decide... I don't know how many growth rings are showing on those arms but they sure are showing their age.

Thanks

[TV]

Jeff, you are right. Sycamore is definitely underrated. Wow, simply a beautiful chair.

tv

[Bas]

I can look at that all day. In fact, I have smudges on the screen where I try to feel the finish And it's not just the wood, the shape is...."organic". Best way I can think of to describe it.

Craftsmanship is being able to make a chair like that. Comfort is being able to sit in one of those. Wealth is owning one. Happiness is seeing it all here on North Carolina Woodworker!

[Ivey]

WOW! Now that is craftsmanship