Tag Archives | chair

You call that a form?

By reed on March 18, 2014 in Chairs

It has been quite the journey since proving the folded paper concept could work. I have gone through many, many sheets of particle board / mdf and more coffee than I care to admit. It has taken days to build, and days to refine and alter. This form could likely keep the building from flying away in case of a hurricane at this point.

I am not entirely sure how I managed to sort it all out, but somewhere amongst the caffeine and sleepless nights (possibly related) I sorted through the angles, and the angles where angles meet angles.

The form is composed of 6 separate torsion boxes. Together they give me the angles I require, or at least I certainly hope so.

With the form “complete” I needed to devise a clamping strategy (no way this contraption was fitting in the vacuum bag). A clamping caul system was the only way I could conceive making it work, and so the adventure of making an elaborate set of clamping cauls began. 1.5″ thick mdf formed the platens (compound angles meeting compound angles) that would sandwich the veneer with “sprung” beams running across them. Because I won’t be able to get a clamp into the center of the panel and I don’t own any 12″ deep clamps I needed to “spring” the beams. Basically the beams are touching in the middle (peak of the triangle profile) of the platen and around an 1/8″ high on each end where the clamping pressure will be applied. As the clamps get tightened they will close that 1/8″ gap creating more pressure in the middle of the platen. Simple stuff really.

This is the first of two forms that will be used to make the chair. This one will be used to create a bent ply panel that will form the back rest, arm rests and back legs.

The Indestructible Miter

By reed on October 29, 2013 in Chairs

Before you get into this, I am sorry, this post is long, it may or may not make a lot of sense, and I am sure a lot of people would argue with what I have said. Carry on.

Indestructible miter. A bold claim I know. Indestructible and miter are words that do not often go together. The miter opened up, this mitre won’t close, why did I choose to use these damn miters, all a lot more common to hear.

But bear (bare?) with me here, what you are about to see below is an adapted version of a joint that was introduced to me as “the indestructible miter.” Or if you would like to take it down a few notches on the “awesome scale” the plywood L-tenon. It is exactly as it sounds. Plywood and indestructible are again two words we are not used to hearing together, but it is the perfect material for an L-Tenon.

Why you may be asking? Alternating grain direction for maximum strength. It is really just that simple. Miters are difficult to join because of the amount of end grain in the joint (end grain has no glue strength). This is why typically we cut keys or splines in a miter joint is to gain some “face grain glue surface.”

But isn’t half of plywood end grain? Sounds like you are going against your own advice….

You got me, it’s true, but the other half is perfect face grain to face grain glue surface. And the end grain portion on the one side of the miter is the face grain on the other part of the board. Tricky no?

But there’s another part to this equation. Keys / splines and most other miter “joinery” has very little “depth” into the actual boards. This may be okay for little boxes, or a casepiece, but chairs are under stress, a lot of stress, and they need something a little more substantial. The “L-Tenons” allow me to route deep (in this case around 2″) mortises into both parts. What I end up with is a 2″ worth of tenon (and a longer bit could get me more) into either side of the miter. Quite a bit of depth all things considered. Couple this with the alternating grain and you have a joint that is “indestructible,” relatively speaking anyways.

This may be a lot to take in at this point, hopefully the pictures will clear it up some. For the record these are a bit of a variation on your standard “Plywood L-Tenon” as they are obtuse angles and canted as well. Testing as to the actual strength will commence once the stool is together. Stay tuned.

Drawing and Reality

By reed on October 26, 2013 in Chairs, Playing Around

So with the mock-up complete for Bar Stool No. 3 it was time to move on to a more detailed full scale drawing. Below is a drawing that the more I tried to simplify it the more complicated it appeared. The result was my brain getting pretty mushy and working on something else for the morning (see the post about dodecahedrons).

In the end I needed to trust the angles and dimensions I had laid out and went to cutting the compound mitred frames that will make up this stool. The picture at the bottom is with the angles cut and pieces of tape wrapped around the outside of the miter to see how everything fits together. I should have been able to visualize this from my drawing (maybe?) but was pleasantly surprised when I began piecing the parts together and revealed the “double mitre” joint that will be visible from the back of the stool.

Chair Making at the Center For Furniture Craftsmanship

By reed on October 19, 2013 in Chairs, Teaching

A couple months ago now I received a phone call from Peter Korn wondering if I would be interested in co-teaching a Chair Making class with Jeff Miller this September-October. Having been fortunate enough to have taught at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship (CFC) the previous two summers I thought I was being “given the summer off.” I was thrilled to be presented the opportunity and excitedly accepted the job offer.

It was a hectic two weeks but a helluva lot of fun. Seeing people starting to “get it” is a pretty remarkable thing to watch and even more rewarding when you played a part in getting them there. I had a great time teaching with Jeff Miller (check out his work and blog at www.furnituremaking.com) and learnt a lot from this chair making (and teaching) veteran. He was very encouraging to me as a teacher, I am still learning at this teaching gig so every bit of advice is helpful.

As for the students I couldn’t have been more impressed with what they were able to accomplish in just two weeks. Coming from a wide array of backgrounds these 12 gentleman powered through what is arguably one of the hardest challenges in woodworking, the chair. Kudos to all of the students who made the class what it was, Jeff, Karl the awesome assistant and the CFC for hosting. Here’s to good times and hopefully more to come.

Dining Chair No. 6

By reed on October 2, 2013 in Chairs

Dining Chair No. 6 by Reed Hansuld is in the process of being posted online, enjoy the taster down below. Shown in walnut with a black leather seat.

Photo Shoot Time

By reed on September 27, 2013 in Chairs, Out and About

Shooting Dining Chair No. 6 in Toronto. Always a relief when we get to this stage.

Dining Chair No.6 Awaiting Pickup

By reed on September 25, 2013 in Chairs

Recently finished the run of Dining Chair No. 6 with a matching bench. The version you see are about 1.5″ taller then standard to accommodate a tall family and accompany a 33″ tall dining table (3″ taller then standard). Made from local black walnut with black leather upholstery.

Marilyn?

By reed on September 16, 2013 in Out and About

Setting up to take some photos of the Dining Chair No. 6 mockup.

Snapped this Marilyn Monroe inspired shot by total fluke while adjusting/testing the settings on the camera.

Timing is everything, better to be lucky then good, isn’t that what they say?

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