The front legs were started last night and this morning I was able to get them band sawn and roughed out. Earlier, not shown in other topics, I cut out the leg billets, cut the seat joints, and I glued an additional piece of lumber to each leg, as one piece. I'll need the additional material to accommodate the final shape and angle of the legs. I glued both legs up to one additional piece so that when they are separated, their will be a nice symmetry of grain when observed from the front or from the sitters position.

 

I scribed a line from one end to the next diagonally, this is my band saw line.

 

The legs are separated at the bandsaw.

 

 

The legs are now free.

 

 

I used a template to outline the rough shape of the front legs.

 

 

 

The legs are cut at the band saw to rough shape.

 

 

Once the profiles are cut, I scribe for the adjacent sides to be sawn.

 

 

Both legs are now ready for the band saw. I also roughed in some curves to the transition, you can see the light pencil marks extended from the straight scribe lines arcing out to the edge.

 

 

The legs are now cut one last time at the band saw.

 

 

Once the legs are cut, some rough shaping was done at the oscillating spindle sander to get the curves where I need them.

 

 

The rough fit, very rough I may add! But believe me, it all comes together eventually.

If anybody has constructed a Hal Taylor chair, you should be recognizing many of the techniques by now.

 

 

ohhhhhhh.. the talent....

 

Love that joinery.

Why thank you Stick!

Here are a few more pics of the process.

Routing a 5/8" round over on the flat side.

 

And below, using the custom router table to get close on the opposite sides.

 

I could not get all the way in even with the modified router, so I had to use a rasp and float to round over the remaining edges.

 

Now I have some very sexy legs don't I? The legs, and the tools I used to get them to the state they are in.

 

 

 

aren't you worried about the flanges on the legs splitting/breaking off because of the grain???

3 minutes ago, Stick486 said:

aren't you worried about the flanges on the legs splitting/breaking off because of the grain???

The flanges will not be exposed, the rockers will be glued up directly to them. I left the leg bottoms flared to give me some shaping room when I blend the leg bottoms into the rockers.

This is going to be one walnut's tree amazing legacy! Awesome work & patience John.

3 hours ago, lew said:

Love that joinery.

Thanks Lew, the joinery are the so called money shots, if they aint right, nothing is right. Creating those joints has a bit of a pucker factor, but when they are right, they are right and pretty.

10 minutes ago, Grandpadave52 said:

This is going to be one walnut's tree amazing legacy! Awesome work & patience John.

Thanks Dave, this tree is also showing some rebellion too, I have run into my fair share of voids in this air dried walnut, you just never know what's in a box of chocolates till you open it up, or in this case, you never know what's in a tree, till you start cutting and shaping. I have some challenges ahead of me that I am not going to worry about yet, but I do have voids, and scars, I am thinking some inlaid turquoise perhaps at the voids, I don't know yet.

 

Very nice work. That chair is going to be beautiful!

18 minutes ago, John Morris said:

Thanks Dave, this tree is also showing some rebellion too, I have run into my fair share of voids in this air dried walnut, you just never know what's in a box of chocolates till you open it up, or in this case, you never know what's in a tree, till you start cutting and shaping. I have some challenges ahead of me that I am not going to worry about yet, but I do have voids, and scars, I am thinking some inlaid turquoise perhaps at the voids, I don't know yet.

 

I know...I've seen the faces

The rest adds to the character, craftsmanship and personality versus production made in a factory over there somewhere.

Thanks for showing the saga.  The idea of using machinery and hand tools combined to bring out such flowing shapes has a kind of romance to it.  I am enjoying the novel/story.

I'm still amazed how the seat looks. Your patience most definitely brings out the best in the wood.

7 hours ago, HandyDan said:

Thanks for showing the saga.  The idea of using machinery and hand tools combined to bring out such flowing shapes has a kind of romance to it.  I am enjoying the novel/story.

Appreciate it Dan, I learn new techniques and a better way to do this job with each chair, the shop does have a special feel to it when constructing one. Not too mention the smell of walnut is really strong with the Claro. Even the family loves is when I come in out of the shop and my clothes are giving off walnut.

10 minutes ago, DuckSoup said:

I'm still amazed how the seat looks. Your patience most definitely brings out the best in the wood.

Ah yes the seat, you know Bob, I use a combination of grinders and shaping tools and sanders to get the seat in, I am kind of proud of the fact that the seat contours are by hand, free hand at that. Since CNC has made a big splash on the scene, many of the big name chair builders have even gone to CNC for the seat shape and contours. Little ol me is still plugging away at free shaping the seat. The CNC does sound appealing to me at times, there are many hours in the seat alone, but I pull back from that thought for some reason or another, cost the main one, enjoyment is another. Thanks Bob.

2 hours ago, John Morris said:

Ah yes the seat, you know Bob, I use a combination of grinders and shaping tools and sanders to get the seat in, I am kind of proud of the fact that the seat contours are by hand, free hand at that. Since CNC has made a big splash on the scene, many of the big name chair builders have even gone to CNC for the seat shape and contours. Little ol me is still plugging away at free shaping the seat. The CNC does sound appealing to me at times, there are many hours in the seat alone, but I pull back from that thought for some reason or another, cost the main one, enjoyment is another. Thanks Bob.

I'm silent but intently watching...great job!

 

I agree with the thoughts on the CNC's. There is just something transcendental in knowing that you created the beauty rather than a machine.

Now we have some rough transitions blocks that I glued on this morning. You'll notice with this chair there are a few add-on blocks to allow for the graceful transitions to the chair components. So rough blocks have to be glued in key locations to allow for a sweeping curve to flow into each chair component, these blocks will eventually be shaped to flow into the underside of the arm rests. These legs are shown upside down with the blocks actually glued to the tops.

My jig below cants the arm transitions out six degrees. When you get into these chairs, and really many other types of chairs, you'll find that a common thread angular measurement is "six degrees". I do not know why, all I know is that it looks good, if anyone has any enlightening words on the whole "six degree" thing with chair building, fill me in please.

 

 

Next image is just a close up of the arm transition blocks. The transition blocks are screwed and glued, the actual arm will be glued only the transition block pad.

 

Man John, the jig/ fixture is too complicated for me, let alone mating these sub-assemblies to the main component. The grain just never quits no matter what part you're making.

Love the week-ends when you have time in your shop! 

9 minutes ago, Grandpadave52 said:

Man John, the jig/ fixture is too complicated for me, let alone mating these sub-assemblies to the main component. The grain just never quits no matter what part you're making.

Love the week-ends when you have time in your shop! 

I always say Dave, us woodworkers are just a bunch of schmucks, we aint nuttin with out grain, the wood speaks for itself, we just help it sing a little. There is some wood you could just slab out, polish it, and hang it on a wall and your done, Claro is one of them, the Claro makes me look good. It's easy to make a successful project with beautiful wood.