Sellers Home Rocking Chair: Episode 11
Posted 21 April 2021
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The rocking chair could not be more blocky and angular, the exact opposite of comfort-looking and organic. Many modern makers rely on so-called biscuits, dominoes, and nuts and bolts to eliminate the need for skilled work in joinery. This new design rocking chair retains the proven technology of hand-cut joinery and thereby relies on 36 different joints. The square and blocky facilitates the solidity of good joinery and it’s from this point that we diverge to transform the final appearance to its ultimate ergonomic comfort. We use a range of standard hand tools used in the hand tool workshop: spokeshaves, rasps, files, scrapers and chisels, and planes. We think that you will find the transformative work using hand skills will equip you far beyond the rocking chair.
Mesmerising!
A true artist at work. Thank you.
It is a joy to watch you command the spokeshave, Paul. The attention to detail makes all the difference in the world on a piece like this.
I have to point out that the blade guard on the bandsaw is incorrectly set – way too high – posing both a safety risk and also contributes to the blade wondering in the cut.
I suspect that it was set that high to give a better view for filming…
Paul,
I’m missing a point regarding cutting out the center of the seat. If I understand, first dimension the entire seat so it fits the back assembly correctly and shape. Next remove the enter with 2 bandsaw cuts. making it 2x cut thicknesses narrower than before. Reassemble using a clamp to restore square . The video shows the center as too wide, but it seems to me that it would now be too narrow. Obviously I’m missing something. Can you straighten me out? Thank you
Hi,
Paul says:
You can make the seat wider than the distance between the shoulders will allow for assembly as this distance between the tenon shoulders is fixed and will never change. The distance in the width of the seat can indeed change according to humidity. By installing the two side ‘wings’ during glue up everything remains the same distance apart minus the two saw kerfs so approximately 1/16” to ⅛” will be the gap. If you do not want these small expansion and contraction gaps you must make your seat slightly wider to facilitate the kerfs plus some for planing. The chair becomes rigidly fixed and then you can fit the mid section to the recess angles either side.
Izzy
I’m thinking of making this chair, but getting hardware to make it a glider. It would still be beautiful, just not a rocker.
Does anyone know who makes the face shield/dust mask that Paul is wearing? It seems like a better solution than having to put on a separate dust mask and safety glasses plus it sounds like it has a fan that circulates air so it wouldn’t fog up like my safety glasses often do.
Don,
Look for the “Trend airshield Pro”
They are frightfully expensive at $430 USD, but may be worth it for some applications like wood turning and sanding.if you get one look into the plastic film protectors that stick to the polycarbonate face shield.
I think somebody should figure out how to put a filter on a Darth Vader helmet. 🙂
Great video to watch on an early Saturday morning with hot cup of coffee. The camera and editing work was fantastic. ( thank you Will and Natalie). This type of continual quality in product is what makes the cost of the site worth every penny.
In the last couple episodes Paul has made a couple of passing remarks about his dull bandsaw blades. I’ve seen some videos of people who use a dremel to resharpen their bandsaw blades. I know Paul is a big re-sharpener of things and doesn’t use the Japanese style saws because they can’t be resharpened. I am wondering if he re-sharpens his bandsaw blades; and if so does he use the dremel method, or if not, what does he do with the old blade once it dulls?
I admit I tried resharpening my blades with the dremel and the aluminum oxide grinder. I felt I got a slight improvement from dull, but it wasn’t like a new blade again. But then again I wasn’t paying a lot of attention to the geometry of the teeth, so maybe it was sloppy technique . . . just curious here.
wideout16,
The seat was 1/4″ wider to start with. This allows for the two cuts and any truing up. Paul explains this more clearly in episode 5.
Dear Paul and group;
Love the series. Not only is the detail much clearer but the audio is just right. Cheers to the production staff- they have really come a long way and it is a joy to watch. Paul I wish to know if you have any edited out video of how you fit the center part of the seat. Since it was new to you, I can imagine it is new to everyone including me. If you have it could you make another video specifically on this fitting?
I plan on building this chair and would definitely need the instruction, thanks.