Well yesterday I was able to get in the shop and rough out my arms on the rocker. It really was one of the most enjoyable parts of this chair build. I got to grind away a lot of wood with reckless abandon, up to a point, and put my own artistic flare into the final style of the arms. I am almost there, the pics below are still showing it in the rough, but I think I almost got the arms to where I want them.

This first pic is the arm joint in the process of being shaped, the chair is turned upside down. I think one of hardest things I had to overcome while building this chair, was to not expect things to look great right away. Now I have developed some foresightedness and vision as far as what I want to look like, I don't get as frustrated as I did before when I look at a picture like this and think, yeegads!

The tool of choice for rough shaping these chairs into submission.

Before Arm

After Arms, not done yet, but close!

Thanks for looking guys, and I hope to get some more pics posted here soon.

The shaping really gives it that special look. That hand crafted look. Expensive look.

You are really doing a superb job.

John

thanks John!!! Well, if I were to charge my hourly rate it'd be up around 10- grand by now!!!! Naw, not really, but a few grand at least in labor. I'll never recoup my labor if I sell it, but that's ok, the first one I knew would go slow.

Thanks for the kind words.

 

Great looking, I love the hand molding that really puts a great touch to your work. I am not familiar with the tool you have in your grinder. It looks like it is doing a really good job. What is it called and where can I get one.

I really envy your shop, I had one that looked a great deal like yours. When I moved west, I had to down size a bunch and sure wish I had my old set up. The tool I miss the most is my old 10' cast iron table saw. I now use a contractors saw and it does many things, especially fold up. It sure don't give me the accuracy and I miss that a lot

Thanks

Ron

Thanks Ron, the tool I am using is called a Kutzall and it is the Dish Wheel, it cuts and carves contours very nicely and efficiently.

Thanks for the compliments on the shop, it is small, I get to use the two car portion of our 3 car garage, the other third is family stuff, bikes, boxes, and mamas stuff. My shop is not pretty either. Nothing matches, but it has a character all it's own that I enjoy. And I gotta say Ron, looks like you don't need fancy tools, you do beautiful work with what you got! And that speaks volumes about your capacity as a woodworker. I have perused your site, and the work is very nice indeed.

Thanks again for the kudos Ron

 

When you use the Kutzall, do you start with a coarse one and then come down to the finest one? I have been wanting to do some Halloween creatures and these look like they are just the tool I need.

Thanks for the kind words about my work and website. I don't usually make more than one of anything, unless it is for the grandkids and would rather make something new each time. Many things that I have made ended out as fire wood. However only God and I know and neither of us are telling. :-)

I didn't know it was suppose to match. Now I am going to have to get a decorator out there and see what I can do to color match. LOL