Publicity Helps

     Two really good things happened after the article about the Dovetail Chair appeared in the newspaper.  One was that I got a telephone call from a gentleman offering me some of his tools!  Without boring you with the details, basically he hasn't been able to use them for many years.  He's now retired and living in a condominium and wouldn't have the space to work anyway.  He was trained in Sweden and knew James Krenov.  If you're not familiar with him, Google his name as he was a great influence and educator here in the US.  Unfortunately he passed away not too long ago but his influence will last for a long time, he started the College of the Redwoods in Fort Bragg, CA which is a top notch woodworking institution.  In any case, I was given stewardship of several Swedish wooden planes, clamps, and a Stanley #4C.  I've already given some of it away to a woodworker I know that has the same philosophy towards the craft and using hand tools.  Really something -- a God thing I believe.  He told me he wanted the tools to go to someone who would use them so that's my mission.
     The other good thing is that I was contacted by a man who was wondering if I'd be interested in designing some bar stools for him.  Of course I was, we've met and I'm adding this to my list of projects.  As luck would have it I decided to take the prototype of the bar stool I designed for my own.  It was just about the perfect height, shape, and design and I probably could have sold it right then and there!  However, it's made of Poplar with a laminated Walnut back but not finished to the quality I'd let leave the shop, besides, he needs two of them.  We made some changes, it'll be made of Hard Maple to match his kitchen cabinets and island and have a laminated back and grid of Chakte Kok (aka Bloodwood).  Since two stools are needed I've been busy making the pattern for the legs and improving the lamination form for the back rest.  That's the kind of thing that takes an incredible amount of time.  It's probably taking 5 times more time to make the form as it will to laminate the backs.  There is a possibility of doing a set of chairs for him as well so it's worth it to make a quality form and not toss it like I did with the other.

The first thing I did was to make a pattern out of 1/4" MDF taking time to make the curve as smoothly as possible.  The screws used to attach this to a piece of 3/4" MDF will also mark the centers of the holes that will become pockets for the clamps.  You can see the plunge router with a bushing that I used to cut 4 pieces.  This will be a segmented, male/female form which I've found works the easiest.  I'll post more pictures as the work progresses.

Luckily there isn't a huge rush on the bar stools.  The TV lift cabinet needs to be completed first and I should be getting the compo for that within the next two days.  Once that's all applied I can get it to the faux finisher and concentrate on the other work.  What other work? well, besides the stools there are two picture frames I have compo coming for and also a Walnut frame for a painting Diane has entered into a show coming up.