Ken Hill and I were doing a job at the local high school a couple months ago and one of the teachers asked me if I thought I could build a chair to go with the three he had for a gaming table he bought at a yard sale.
“Simple design”, he says, “you can use another one as the pattern. Straight lines, should be a piece of cake.”
So I take a look and agree to give it a try.
It WAS a straight forward, simple design. And I made about 18 cents an hour. But it was fun and I learned a lot.
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dat's some artful craft there Blodgett - - congrats, at least you didn't lose money....
My dad would think that you were paid well . In later years he would tell me how he would make 10cents an hour. And of course he had to work from before sunup till sundown. Oh, Nice chair .
"Walk to work. Uphill both ways. Blinding blizzards and polar bears tracking their every step"? Must have worked the same jobs as my father.
And as a kid he had to pick corn in the fall by hand ,filling a gunny sack , on his way too school and on the way back . He never spoke of the polar bears , I think he didn't want to scare us youngens.
Nice match, Jim.
Just don't stick around and watch while the teacher beats it with a chain to distress it.
I was also admiring the clean floor in your shop. Where's my broom?
Jim, Great job.
I had a lady come to me and say that another person in town said I could do anything, and could I look at an antique.
She wanted me to make a foot to match this 100 year old desk that had the side kicked off and pieces missing.
It wasnt as complex in the wood department as yours, but this lady wanted me to do whatever it took to match the leg to the desk so that she could sell it in her antique shop as repaired. ahhh and yeah the distressing is the hardest part, especially after you just made the brand new component.
I think I made 25 cents an hour, but I also think I would do it again, on occasion.
-zen
nice Jim, and good to see ya back again. That's a dandy little design, ain't it? I kind of like that. I still have my first chairs. Made a set of 4. I don't know that proportionally they're much for the under 6' crowd, but they're durn sure stout. Bout 35lbs each. Oh well. Tall and strapping.
"If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man." - Mark Twain
Norm Blodgett. Nice job. I strive to one day do such nice work.
Who Dares Wins!
Watch out..some ONE will want 6 next..chairs get that way when ya make em.
Of all the things I made in my life..chairs become the most wanted, and my least favorite to make..wassup wid dat?
Good job..
what size is that flue on the stove? looks like a 12'' stack..
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Tommy, can you hear me?
Why look here?
Great Job Jim!
What kind of seat goes on top?
It doesn't look very comfortable now. Do you just upholster a piece of plywood or do you have to sand a butt shape into a thick piece of wood?
"Rather be a hammer than a nail"
Bob
The original has a leather seat, Bob. I built a frame for the new seat to match the old, I guess it's not in the photo I posted. The owner is going to have all four reupholstered.
There is a little dovetailed drawer I made to go with that chair, too. I guess there's one little drawer under the table at each player's place for chips, cigars, choclate chip cookies, whatever. I hope to get a peek at the whole thing one of these days, he mentioned something about some cabinetry.
Sphere - that's only a 6" flue in that little woodstove in the shop, but it's 7" metalbestos pipe I got a good price on cheap, so I used it. Don't use the woodstove much anymore, maybe 20 or 30 days a year. Gonna put some type of electric radiant heat in the new shop.
"The new shop" now THERE'S a good title for a thread, huh?
thanks for posting that, and for the 18 cent/hr chuckle (funny only because it wasn't me...this time!) I have a passion for old chairs, and since my wife sells antiques, I have a penchant for picking up antique chairs at yard sales, and rebuilding/refinishing them. I think it pays about the same as your venture. But there's something inherently satisfying about working on those rock solid old workhorses, esp. the mission style, or arts & crafts influenced, like your specimen. I have about 10 hanging in the trusses above my garage, just waiting for a break between jobs.