Walnut Shaker Bench


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My company is having a Chinese raffle to raise money for a charity and I’m considering building  this shaker stool as an entryway bench for the auction.  I’ve already built it for myself out of poplar (since it comes real wide) and love it.  I use it every day when putting on/taking off my shoes.  I’m thinking of making the one for the auction out of walnut.  My questions are:

  1. Do you think a glue up of walnut will be adequate for strength for sides and top?  When I made my poplar one, my final thickness ended up being  ½” (got the wood at the home store) and it looks good and can support me standing on it but wasn’t sure about a glue up.
  2. What would you finish it with?  I was thinking Waterlox or Arm-r-seal (I have both lying around, albeit they sat in my 45 deg. garage all winter)
  3. Do you think it’s a little out of line to use walnut for a shaker bench?  Should I stick with a white wood.  If not walnut, then what, white oak?
  4. Any ethical reasons not to build this for a charity auction?  I emailed Taunton a while back about building this plan for profit once and they never got back to me.  I did pay Taunton for the actual plans when I first made it.

 

Thanks

 

 

 

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Thanks Mike, I think the thicker walnut will look good, I'll go with the 3/4".  I also forgot how long it takes for Waterlox to cure, so I'll go with the arm-r-seal.

 

Ace, the original design was a stool, I'm going to make a bench out of it like the attached photo.  No need for the rubber like feel, but I'll keep that stuff in mind for future stools! 

 

Barron, you're not serious are you?  I thought there were only 2 shakers left or something like that.  I do like poplar better as well.  But I figure more people will buy tickets if it's walnut.  The cheapest I've found walnut local is $4.95/bf, but I only need about 7 bf.

 

K Cooper, it was the Jan/Feb 2013, issue #231

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I don't see any ethical issues with using the plans. After all, they were published plans made specifically for their readers to reproduce. I don't think there would even be any issues with selling pieces made from those plans. Again, look at how and why they came about. If Christian Becksvoort didn't want people copying his version of a historical design he shouldn't have published plans for it in a woodworking magazine. As long as you don't resell his plans as your own then I think you can pretty much do with them as you wish.

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    4. Any ethical reasons not to build this for a charity auction?  I emailed Taunton a while back about building this plan for profit once and they never got back to me.  I did pay Taunton for the actual plans when I first made it.

 

I am not a data rights attorney, however I have over 10 years program management experience working with data rights, intellectual property (IP), patents, and trademarks.  Normally, I was involved with making sure the customer was properly using my company's IP.

Copyrights protect the copyright owner, in this case Taunton, against improper use of their copyrighted data (the plans).  Since you purchased a copy of the plans, you certainly have the right to use the plans for their intended purpose, which is to build the stool.

Can copyright owners put restrictions on use of their copyrighted data?  They most certainly can, and most do.  This is normally done through "Terms and Conditions".  For example, Software companies, like Microsoft, attach terms and conditions whenever you install their software...hit the <Agree> button.

So the real answer to question 4 has to be determined by finding out whether Taunton attached any terms and conditions to the plan.

Example of restriction:  "These plans are for non-commercial use only.  Use of these plans to build or manufacture a commercial item is strictly prohibited."

Simply read the plans and see if there are any restrictions.   If there are no restrictions, then you are good to go, even for making the stool to sell.  If there are restrictions, then you should abide by them.

 

Good looking stool...I look forward to seeing a picture in walnut.

Hope this helps.

FtrPilot

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  • 2 weeks later...

Looks like the plans don't have any Ts & Cs on them.  Great, maybe I'll make a few and sell them locally.

 

At any rate, not going to make it out of walnut.  My one supplier doesn't have it for $4.95/bf anymore.  The other mill I can get it from is selling it at $5.90/bf.  At first I was going to shell out the cash but then I decided that people might like it in poplar too  :P

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  • 2 months later...

So we finally had the raffle.  Waiting to hear how many tickets it generated, but it has already generated a commission for me (which I may have to turn down since we are in the process of purchasing a home and soon moving).

 

 

The wood used is poplar and I used cherry for the plugs.  Finished with with several coats of shellac.  I didn't have time for any other types of finish.

 

But as promised here are some photos.

post-14354-0-66130800-1433953912_thumb.j

post-14354-0-22391200-1433953913_thumb.j

post-14354-0-70838200-1433953913_thumb.j

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At any rate, not going to make it out of walnut. My one supplier doesn't have it for $4.95/bf anymore. The other mill I can get it from is selling it at $5.90/bf. At first I was going to shell out the cash but then I decided that people might like it in poplar too :P

If I could find walnut for $5.90, iD fill my truck bed with it. I'm at about $11 here locally

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