Rocking Chair

There are few more thing more inspiring than a clean shop.  Two weekends ago I reached my limit and spent a day sorting through all those scraps waiting for a project.  I ended up with 3 garbage cans full, and about 30 sqfrt of additional floor space.  This is the start of gearing up for a few big builds(at least in importance); a rocking chair, sideboard/changing table and crib.  The rest of the weekend was spent making a few jigs needed for the rocking chair; lathe extension, steady rest and a steam box.

Inside of the steambox

Lathe  extension.  I can now turn up to 48"

Last weekend I finished turning the rear posts and dimensioned the back rests.  These pieces then went into the steambox on Sunday (the 22nd).  The posts are about 1 1/2" so they got 2 hours, and the back splats (1/4" thick) only required 30 minutes.  I left them in their bending jigs overnight.

Posts in their new suana

Quickly apply clamps and wait (wear gloves).

I opted for lag screws instead of clamps on this one.

While they were bending I removed the extension, and put the lathe back where it belongs(so I can walk down that aisle), and finished shaping the stool parts, front posts and stretchers.

Lots of small round maple pieces

Last week I didn't spend much time in the shop, but I made up for it this weekend.  For some reason I woke up around 3 am Saturday morning, after an hour and a half of trying to sleep I gave up and went out to the shop.  The stool and base of the chair are 5/8" round mortise and tenons.  The stool is 90* all around, but the chair is a trapezoid (110 between the sides and back, and 80 between the front and sides.  After building a quick jig to hold the posts, and an angled piece to to setup the chair.  The rest is boring (oh woodworking puns).

Front post holes at 80* from each other.

Stool dry fit

By the time Christy was awake and back from her walk I had the stool and chair dry fitted.

Chair dryfit

After assembling the base of the chair I had to fit the back splats.  I uses spring clamps to hold them in place while I messed with the spacing.

Positioning the splats

Three done, five to go.  The bevel gauge is barely visible in the foreground

I set a bevel gauge to the angle the mortises needed to be to accommodate the bend splats, and took the chair apart.  By lunch I had all the parts for the first glue up(rockers and arms come later) dry fitted.  Christy was kind enough to indulge me for a test fitting.

She looks so excited for her new chair

Good thing she did too, due to our height differences the back splats hit our backs in different ways. The curve of the back rails didn't quite match the mortise, and the top dug in a bit for her.  For me it was the third splat.  To fix that I beveled the top of the splats with a spokeshave.  Then I sanded everything, again.  As I started to sand the back posts I found some areas where the clamps/bending jig dinged the work, so I set about fixing those with a wet rag and an iron.  I had some pictures I thought would show before an afters of the webbing patter from the ratchet straps, but I think the light angle wasn't shallow enough.  Sufficed to say it worked.

Ironing...not just for the wrinkles in your clothes

Because we want this chair a little darker than the bright white of maple, I decided to dye it with some Vintage Maple TransTint.  This will give the pieces a nice aged look.  The downside of water-based dyes, is they can raise the grain.  While some people disagree I have found the best way to deal with that is to pre-raise the grain with some water, then scuff sand the tiny ridges.  This also gives you a sneak peak of any tool marks or glue you missed.

Sunday, I slept in (as much as is possible for me), scuff sanded, and glued up the stool.  While that was gluing I started sanding the chair parts.  After a couple hours I unclamped the stool, and assembled the chair.

The chair required a couple extra clamps for it to sit level on my bench.

While the chair was in the clamps I started finishing the stool, I applied the dye, and then a oil/varnish blend a couple hours later.  That will cure for a few days, then a couple coats of shellac, and wax.

Bare wood

Vintage Maple dye

With a coat of 1/3 oil/varnish

With the chair in clamps, and the stool drying I started working on the rockers and arms.  I used some maple I had laying around that had some curl.  I started by laying out a grid, then using a flexible ruler to draw the curves.  For the rockers the boards started as 4/4 so I used SpecTape to tape them together, then cut out the shape on the bandsaw and then the spindle sander.  

Tracing the patter onto the rocker maple

The arms started life as a 6/4 board, so I cut and sanded them and then installed my new Woodslicer bandsaw blade (which I can't recomend highly enough), and cut them apart.  Inside I found a surprise

Outside, just a tiny streak on one side

Inside: Surprise!!

I decided to keep the streak on the show faces, and maintain the bookmatched appearance.  I only wish I had oriented the arms with the streak(that I couldn't see).  This week I will rewet the chair to check for glue, sand the grain again.  Cut the bridle joints for the rockers, the joints for the arms(more round M&T joints, this time on rectangular stock) and then start finishing the chair.  I hope to be weaving the seat by the weekend.