For you rocking chair nuts....
- Thread starter bonsainut
- Start date
Holy mother of god that's gorgeous :drool:
bonsainut
New Member
I made this one for my dad
I think I have cost him enough over the years that he is still far from breaking even... Making the chair wasn't the hard part. Shipping it from California to Tennessee was what kept me up at night
33&athird
Turn on & Tune in
+5!...I honestly have no idea how you went from that before picture to after. It's so smooth it looks like you found the biggest tree, and sanded a chair out of the stump. Man, that's fine craftsmanship, while you may not have "broke even" with your dad i'm sure your a whole lot closer:yes:.
tom1356
Super Member
I made this one for my dad
Making the chair wasn't the hard part. Shipping it from California to Tennessee was what kept me up at night
Sure, favor your father over some stranger on the internet.
I see how it's going to be.
Well done.:thmbsp:
Nice Maloof rocker Bansainut. My best friend made his first one last year. It was a wedding present for his son. He crated it and shipped it to Boston from Huntington Beach. Lucky kid. I had the privilege of taking 2 all day classes with Sam through UC Riverside Extension a couple years ago. I've sat in real ones as well as his and what's truly amazing is that they are comfortable for just about anybody. I haven't made a rock yet, but I may do so at some point. He just got a 50% deposit ($3k) for his second one. I photographed the first one right before it was shipped.
https://picasaweb.google.com/teamo65/DougSMaloofRocker?authkey=Gv1sRgCLnogYjy5rTIPQ&feat=directlink
https://picasaweb.google.com/teamo65/DougSMaloofRocker?authkey=Gv1sRgCLnogYjy5rTIPQ&feat=directlink
clydeselsor
Lunatic Member
Truly remarkable work!!
bonsainut
New Member
Thanks! The design is actually Hal Taylor's. I guess you could say heavily Maloof-inspired - since he inspired so many American furniture makers. It would have been amazing to have had the chance to meet Sam and study with him; I am envious.
One big difference in the design is that Hal Taylor uses floating back braces. You can see how thin my braces are versus the ones in your friends chair. They are very flexible and bend to fit the contours of your back (the center of the back brace is a strip of ash). Because of this flexibility, the braces have to float in slots cut into the seat and the headpiece. If you look closely at the one photo of the back of the seat, you can actually see how the bottom of the braces are loose in the seat slots. You can see a little of the wax that is used to lubricate them.
With the exception of the ash in the back braces, I made the whole thing out of one board of sapelle. I had to have them cut it in half at the yard in order for me to get it into my SUV
Next chair I'm going to change the design a little and go with a heavily figured walnut. First I had to knock out some other small projects for friends and family...And I have a new amp to work on, too
Here's the scrap that was left from that big board after I finished:
And the forms I built just for this one chair. Hopefully the second chair will go faster without having to build the forms!
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Nice jigs and forms. It's all about the jigs. I see what you mean about the back, interesting variation. Sam would prolly be pleased. You know he's the only non-fine artists to win a McArthur grant? He started the Maloof foundation to advance craft with the $800k they gave him. He was a great guy.
voltcontrol
Fizheuer Zieheuer
I cannot imagine the level of skill required to execute something like this, a true masterpiece...
bonsainut
New Member
I've read some articles about him and seen some amazing photos of his workshop. They did a big expose on him in Fine Woodworking last year after he died. What I find more amazing than anything is that he was completely self-taught. His furniture design comes close to being "folk art" in terms of his designing what was pleasing to him, without reference to what other people were doing. A true original.
Thanks for all the other comments! My ego is getting out of control! Time for me to go mess something up to bring me back to earth
Fred Sanford
Addicted Member
Very, very nice!
:thmbsp:
je
:thmbsp:
je
Arkay
Lunatic Member
That looks gorgeous! Very nice craftsmanship. I haven't built a rocking chair in over thirty years, but still remember enough to really appreciate what you've done there - it looks outstanding! Your father should be thrilled to sit in that, especially knowing that his son made it for him. If you're ego is inflated, well, you deserve it!
Now go screw something up, so you can get that out of the way and then make the next masterpiece to show us, and start the process all over again!
Now go screw something up, so you can get that out of the way and then make the next masterpiece to show us, and start the process all over again!
Time for me to go mess something up to bring me back to earth
There's a Japanese craft philoshpy about incorporating a defect into your work so that one doesn't offend the gods by presumming perfection. Luckily everything I've ever made includes such an offering :yes:
tom1356
Super Member
It's called Wabi Sabi.
Mark W.
Nut house of the Universe
The American Indians had a similar philoshpy about incorporating a defect into your work so that one doesn't offend the gods by presumming perfection.
I have never pissed off any god anywhere.
That said Dude your workmanship does not SUCK at all.
Take it from some one with a huge amount of experiance making things from scratch. You sir have a talent.
I have never pissed off any god anywhere.
That said Dude your workmanship does not SUCK at all.
Take it from some one with a huge amount of experiance making things from scratch. You sir have a talent.
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