New Windsor Chair: update

Creating a new piece is, by necessity, a labor of love: it’s guaranteed to take 2 to 3 times as long as planned. That’s not good or bad, just the way development is. In this case, an opportunity to show my newest offering at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in NYC was the final impetus. Sometimes I’m grateful for deadlines.

Among the gnarly surprises I encountered, the crest rail could not be sawn from a solid piece of stock as planned. This would have put short grain where it is least welcome: at the joint. Rather I opted for a bent ply lamination using yellow glue. This yielded a part which is like Gary Cooper: tough and handsome. Another task which was more persnickety than I’d anticipated was boring the spindle holes at precisely the correct angles (each one different!) ...I love complex geometry, but can sometimes paint myself into a corner. The answer lied in the correct auger (by WoodOwl), which I found at http://www.traditionalwoodworker.com/, coupled with a steady guide system.

The rest of the chair is rather straightforward, consisting largely of turnings and wedged, through-tenon joints. The result is quite robust in spite of it’s delicate appearance. Aesthetically, while any two contrasting woods will work, I’m particularly taken with the Walnut & Figured Maple seen here.

I’ve got a settee in mind, based on this chair and will be posting about that soon.

Till then ...Rich

"New Windsor" Chair: modern treatment of a classic design

This is a project that bubbled to the surface a couple of months ago. Some designs come more easily than others. Anyway, since chairs are the "stock in trade" for most furniture makers, I'm always searching for new products to offer. While tinkering with a completely unrelated concept (my Flaming Poster Bed design-more later), I hit upon a strong & simple way to mount a leg to a seat blank. This required a hefty top which dictated a dramatic taper. After some sketches (see photo) I picked up a bit of Walnut scrap and lathe turned a 1/4 scale leg. The appeal of the shape was instant, so I made four and fastened them to some pine of a suitable thickness. The resulting contrast of materials was pleasing, but now what? After struggling for a week or two with the design of the backrest, I remembered my own words "bring this piece into the 21st century". My aha moment was a decision to honor the masters of the past with the use of Windsor Chair style construction rather than solid panels. The two tone chair pictured is the 7 inch tall model which resulted.

The next step was to build a full size prototype. I hesitated here, knowing that without comfort, I would not have a valid design. Can it be made comfortable? ...I took the plunge. A few days in the shop produced the result you see here: a 30" tall spruce sample. Fortunately, after some careful adjusting, I arrived at a low back design with user friendly contours. An early morning shard of sunshine inspired the snapshot (with untrimmed spindles). BTW, my good friend and NYC photographer John Gotman taught me never to hesitate with good lighting. "Everything else can wait!"

Well, this accounts for the lions share of development. A few tweaks to the joinery & such will prepare it for production. Next Step: select some Walnut and Maple stock then get to work on the real deal. It is my intention to have this completed this summer to be followed by a family of tables of related design. Till then... -Rich

The Wave Desk: a work in progress

After developing a full scale sample of my chair, I got to thinking, "where might this chair live?" And so I set about creating a family of objects with related a form. What I've pictured here is a model of a 5 legged desk in 1/4 scale, (actual size 32" x 80") which I've named THE WAVE DESK. Drawing on the meaty, tapered leg design, the desk and chair suit each other: the legs all working together visually. The desks 5th leg is unnecessary from a structural standpoint, but I find it adds life to the design.

The blond top is cut in a wavelike arc, with a complimentary walnut retainer board. This addition will prevent pencils and such from rolling off the back, much like a nautical table, but It is also a playful reference to the tail fins of 50's automobiles (a hotted up ‘57 Chevy was my first car) . The concave drawer front, angled toward the user for ease of use, also keys in to the geometric theme. With more people moving to laptop computers, I intend to offer a roll out keyboard tray as an option for those who still prefer desktop computers.


The choice of contrasting woods will likely be Black Walnut legs with a Curly Maple top. I have located some spectacular material, and as with my past designs, i will showcase the inherent beauty of the wood. Also in the works is a design for the WAVE dining table to seat 8. Even more legs! I will keep you posted.
...Rich

ELIPSE COFFEE TABLE: phew!

Although an improved business climate has kept me occupied with repairs (a good thing), I've finally completed the mate to my ELIPSE SIDE TABLE. among the challenges was selecting a finish that will do justice to the exquisite material AND prove durable enough for a tabletop likely to endure numerous insults.

In the end, I opted for tung oil (rather than dye) to deepen the grain & figure, followed by a conventional "short oil" varnish - padded on. I love this mode of application because it allows a flawless finish without the need to spray. The basis of this technique is the use of a French polishers pad or "tampon", which allows me to put down a number of very thin coats WITH NO BRUSH MARKS. The varnish yields a tough coating that adds a bit of amber hue, which unifies the piece and gives it a warm glow.

The pad is simply a piece of knit cotton (old t-shirt) with a wad of cheese cloth or paper towel as an absorbent core. tie it with some string, dab in your thinned varnish & wipe. Between coats, I sand (400 grit) and tack off the dust. The final coating requires very little polishing.

I think you will agree that the result has great clarity and adds depth to the QUILTED BIG LEAF MAPLE. Of course the CHERRY surround & legs will deepen in color over time, which will increase the contrast between the two woods I've chosen. The original EIPSE SIDE TABLE was originally finished in shellac which, while beautiful, is not suitably tough for a tabletop likely to see both hot liquids & alcohol (it's solvent!).

Coming soon: Bringing the WINDSOR CHAIR into the 21st century. -Rich

Ready At Last:THE WEDGE CHAIR

Luckily, the late day winter sun cooperated, and i snapped this recent shop photo (TOP). I think it shows the reason for an EBONIZED finish vs. black paint, in that the natural grain and figure of the wood is quite evident, rather than buried under a heavy film. I wanted the formality of black wed to the natural charm of solid hardwood.

After searching around a bit, I have decided on a Leopard pattern fabric to highlight the EBONIZED finish and POLISHED BRASS trim, as well as the Walnut finish of the WEDGE TABLE. Also, It helps to convey a sense of playfulness which is a counterpoint to the crisp geometry of the structural elements. Of course other fabrics, including an UltraSuede will also be available.

Also pictured (BOTTOM) is the same chair with a hand rubbed finish on natural American Walnut. Again, the finish is a subtle treatment that is intended to protect the wood while exposing the inherent beauty of the material.

Presently, the plan is for a photo session to produce an image of the WEDGE TABLE & CHAIRS as a set, to be posted at a later time both here and on our website.

'Till then. -Rich

Coming Soon:ELIPSE COFFEE TABLE

I have long promised to offer a Coffee Table that will coordinate with my ELIPSE SIDE TABLE, and that is getting closer. The photos i've included here show: how i've devised a long beam compass to create a proper arc for the apron boards - another shows the completed parts with jointery cut & lastly, a view of the dry fitted base in QUILTED BIG LEAF MAPLE (see august 23rd post) & CHERRY. I've struggled with finessing just the right curve for the legs, and am finally satisfied with the union of leg and apron curves. I hope you agree!
COMING SOON: the WEDGE CHAIR in EBONIZED WALNUT is complete, awaiting only the arrival of the correct fabric for the slip seat. Images will appear here shortly. -Rich

WEDGE CHAIR PREVIEW

Well, here is the long awaited WEDGE Chair (Whew!). As noted earlier, the somewhat futuristic design (Bauhaus meets Star Trek?) is intended to compliment my WEDGE dining table. After several last minute mods, I'm pleased with the result visually and the construction is quite robust. Most importantly, everyone who has sat in it so far thinks it is very comfortable.

These things just take time to sort out. After thinking I'm all done with a design (having done dozens of sketches and models and a full scale mock up ) final prototyping will usually point out a glitch or two which require adjusting something. In this case I fussed quite a bit with the size and shape of the back panels and brass trim. This shop photo shows the raw chair before any finish has been applied. I intend to offer this item in solid American Walnut & ebonized Walnut. ....Rich