Well I started cutting into my Claro I bought from our own member Rob Durfos's  Tule Peak Timber a few weeks ago, What I mean is, I bought the lumber a few months ago, and I was just waiting for the right time to start cutting into it, and I just started cutting into it a few weeks ago. So, I have been whittling away at another rocker while I have my current one almost finished.  Between glue ups and for a little break, I've been cutting and assembling the other rocker, with Rob's Claro. So I have a head rest roughed up, and a seat roughed up. I have all the parts cut out for the Claro rocker. The Claro rocker is going to be striking. What your seeing is pure unadulterated un-steamed air dried California Claro. You will see radical streaks of light wood, and wonderful fans of grain, and twisty grain interrupting the straight grain.

While at Robs awhile back, he explained to me how these Claros get their great figure and crazy rays of grain and warmth. Most Claro's are wild, they are not farm trees. They are subjected to the extremes of the heat, drought, cold, ice, rain, and back to drought again and the cycle continues. This causes stresses inside the tree and these wonderful trees because of their harsh life, yield some really cool grain and figure. What you see in the following pics might look a little too radical to you, but I assure you once you get a few coats of oil on this wood, it all blends harmoniously together and gives off a wonderfully warm tone. Did I get it right Rob? Regarding the stressful life these trees have?

 

First pic are the rocker lamination's I just finished ripping an hour ago, these lams are 1/8th inch thick.

 

The next pic is the head rest sitting atop the seat, they both are obviously rough, the headrest is coopered, and the seat is thicknessed and glued up.

The next pic is the rest of the parts laid out on the table saw. All parts are now cut out, and step by step I'll be assembling another chair as I build the existing rocker I am working on now.

The photos really don't do this grain justice, the wood is actually a bit darker, but the camera flash gives it a slight cold feel.

Thanks for looking, and thanks Rob Durfos, for your help in procuring this wonderful lumber. I went through hundreds of board feet of Claro Slabs that Rob cut, maybe even a thousand plus, to get the ones that were just right for me. Rob turned me loose on a couple stacks of slab and told me to knock myself out. I was there for a good 3 hours.

Thanks again Rob, this chair is going to be really incredible.

Wow ! You are really making the wood  " bloom " . Pretty stuff John - can't wait to see more shots of the chairs progress .This is the tree your wood came from -

Thanks for the tree shot Rob, that's a really cool thing to see the tree that the chair is being made from. That tree does look gnarly too. Just as the wood itself expresses.

Can you refresh my memory where the tree came from? Modesto I believe?

 

John  , This tree is from Rialto Ca . It is very old  "urban lumber " from the front yard of a home that does not exist any more. The empty lot was cleaned by a commercial grading company and I bought the logs from them .

Well looks like you really have been busy in the shop. And I thought all you did was check this forum and the others when you were home.

 

That is some fine looking wood. You need to print the tree picture and keep it with the chair when someone buys the chair. From tree to rocker and the process in between.

Exactly what I was thinking John, kind of like the chair's pedigree right.

John Moody said:

Well looks like you really have been busy in the shop. And I thought all you did was check this forum and the others when you were home.

 

That is some fine looking wood. You need to print the tree picture and keep it with the chair when someone buys the chair. From tree to rocker and the process in between.

That's it, Chair Pedigree!!

That is some great looking walnut. Nothing we have around here, that's for sure. It will be a wonderful looking chair  John.

 

Looked at your web site Rob. You do incredible work. bob