SeventyFix Posted September 6, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 6, 2017 It's hard to see, so I ran a pencil along the hard edge of the chamfer to highlight it for this blog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeventyFix Posted September 6, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 6, 2017 Then extend the chamfer upwards towards the center line, easing it into a gentle curve. It's a little harder to see here but I have, in very little time, created a gentle curve from the edge of the board (at the 1/8" mark) to the center line. Only shavings are made, less dust and much faster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeventyFix Posted September 6, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 6, 2017 Then onto the rasp. It only takes about 30 seconds per side to smooth over any imperfections and make the rounding completely smooth. This figured wood loves to tear out; the rasp removes any nicks. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeventyFix Posted September 6, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 6, 2017 Next, 120 grit sandpaper - total sanding time is about 30 seconds per spindle. A quick wipe down with mineral spirits reveals the wood grain. I use this method to judge the figuring and grain, to match the spindles up and decide which will be used for the chair and in what position. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeventyFix Posted September 6, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 6, 2017 The next step is to round the backs. It is a very significant roundover. Marc uses the angle grinder with the medium carving disk. This is the first project where I've used this tool and I'm loving it. Very easy to control and it removes a ton of wood in very little time. However, it makes a huge mess so I only do it outside. It looks like the weather seriously cools off on Thursday. I might wait until then to start. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeventyFix Posted September 6, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 6, 2017 BTW, my goal is to finish this chair by the end of September 2017. To meet that goal, I am starting to work in this project daily. Then, October 1st - November 15th - Amazon Web Services certification (for work). Next, December 10th, 2017 - BMW Dallas Marathon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheeset202 Posted September 6, 2017 Report Share Posted September 6, 2017 19 minutes ago, SeventyFix said: I love this Roubo (TWW Roubo) workbench. It makes everything easier. I have been building the rocker without a good workbench and it has been a royal pain at times trying to hold the pieces. The roubo bench is my next project! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheeset202 Posted September 6, 2017 Report Share Posted September 6, 2017 My next step is to start sculpting the spindles. I will try your method for the front curves looks like it speeds up the process. Your goal is a lot more aggressive than mine, I would like to have mine completed by Thanksgiving. I only get into the shop on weekends but I might take a week off to get it finished. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkinneb Posted September 6, 2017 Report Share Posted September 6, 2017 Thanks for sharing the spindle process that will come in handy when I do my rocker!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted September 6, 2017 Report Share Posted September 6, 2017 Great work so far. I like your determination to not settle for anything but your best work. Gonna be one hell of a piece. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeventyFix Posted September 6, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 6, 2017 11 hours ago, Cheeset202 said: I have been building the rocker without a good workbench and it has been a royal pain at times trying to hold the pieces. The roubo bench is my next project! My first project with The Wood Whisperer was the Roubo workbench. I was looking to build a workbench and Marc provided the plan and direction that I needed to get there. After that, I was hooked. Anyone who struggles with a sub-par workbench should give this project serious consideration. It's a beast of a bench and has changed the way that I work. The holding capabilities are vast. Total project cost, with wood and hardware was just north of $2,000. I used hard maple - yes it could have been executed with less expensive wood but how many of these benches am I really going to build? Might as well do it "right" the first time (plenty of woods will work). I shunned using any accent woods or anything fancy. I wanted this to be a workbench, not a piece of garage furniture as a friend of mine said it would become. It has all kinds of nicks, dents and scratches from various projects. I take care with it but it's a tool. I wouldn't have it any other way. As a side note, the Benchcrafted hardware is available through Highland Woodworking. Depending on where you live, you may not have to pay sales tax. Highland just had a free shipping event (not sure if it excluded Benchcrafted). That might be a way to save some money on the hardware. The wood in Texas is going to be somewhat expensive. It might be cheaper if you live closer to the source in the north. If I remember correctly, I was paying about $3.50 per board foot for hard maple. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post SeventyFix Posted September 6, 2017 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted September 6, 2017 54 minutes ago, Eric. said: Great work so far. I like your determination to not settle for anything but your best work. Gonna be one hell of a piece. Thank you. Can you imagine finishing the chair and a year later, looking at one of the spindles and being dissatisfied with it. I'd be always thinking "it would have only taken an hour or two to fix that problem and make it the best that it could be". I'd be kicking myself. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheeset202 Posted September 6, 2017 Report Share Posted September 6, 2017 8 hours ago, SeventyFix said: My first project with The Wood Whisperer was the Roubo workbench. I was looking to build a workbench and Marc provided the plan and direction that I needed to get there. After that, I was hooked. Anyone who struggles with a sub-par workbench should give this project serious consideration. It's a beast of a bench and has changed the way that I work. The holding capabilities are vast. Total project cost, with wood and hardware was just north of $2,000. I used hard maple - yes it could have been executed with less expensive wood but how many of these benches am I really going to build? Might as well do it "right" the first time (plenty of woods will work). I shunned using any accent woods or anything fancy. I wanted this to be a workbench, not a piece of garage furniture as a friend of mine said it would become. It has all kinds of nicks, dents and scratches from various projects. I take care with it but it's a tool. I wouldn't have it any other way. As a side note, the Benchcrafted hardware is available through Highland Woodworking. Depending on where you live, you may not have to pay sales tax. Highland just had a free shipping event (not sure if it excluded Benchcrafted). That might be a way to save some money on the hardware. The wood in Texas is going to be somewhat expensive. It might be cheaper if you live closer to the source in the north. If I remember correctly, I was paying about $3.50 per board foot for hard maple. Thanks for the advice on the roubo, I have been woodworking as a hobby for many years and could never understand the concept of spending $2000+ on a workbench. Over the years I have progressed more and more to hand tool work and now realize a great bench is essential to quality woodworking. It is definitely going to be my next project. I will probably have to source the wood from an online supplier because we are somewhat limited here in N Idaho, with shipping I can get hard maple deliver to my shop for about $4.75/bf. There is a hardwood retailer in Coeur d' Alene but their prices are rediculous and a couple of wholesalers in Spokane but they will only sell to contractors. I might be able to get my hands on some hickory but it will most likely be a similar price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheeset202 Posted September 6, 2017 Report Share Posted September 6, 2017 9 hours ago, SeventyFix said: Thank you. Can you imagine finishing the chair and a year later, looking at one of the spindles and being dissatisfied with it. I'd be always thinking "it would have only taken an hour or two to fix that problem and make it the best that it could be". I'd be kicking myself. Yep, I am experiencing that now as I work on the spindles, noticed 1of the spindles was lighter in color than the rest, put some water on them and it will clearly stand out as odd when you look at the chair. It came from a board that transitioned from sapwood to heartwood and will just not look right when it is placed with the other spindles. If I use it I know it will always bug me when I look at the chair, so I will be building another spindle, fortunately I found a piece of waste wood from another piece (rear leg) that I will be able to get another spindle of the right color. Unfortunately this is one of the downsides of ordering your wood online, you get what you get! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post SeventyFix Posted September 9, 2017 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted September 9, 2017 I have been working on the spindles for a few days now. They're a serious amount of work! I took a different approach to the tenons. I used planes instead of the rasp, when possible. Chock up a spindle in the trusty Roubo - what a bench. The leather grips the work piece tightly while I'm going to town with a hand plane. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeventyFix Posted September 9, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2017 Make a cross on the end to find the center (this is for the bottom 1/2" tenon, BTW). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted September 9, 2017 Report Share Posted September 9, 2017 By about the 3rd one, I actually switched over to power carving them down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeventyFix Posted September 9, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2017 Use an awl to make a center point at the intersection of the lines. Then use a compass, set to 1/4" radius, to draw the circle. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeventyFix Posted September 9, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2017 I used a sharp block plane to quickly rough out the front face. We're talking 45 seconds here. Then use a spokeshave to carve out the back face. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeventyFix Posted September 9, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2017 And in a couple of quick plane actions, you're 90% there. Throw on the tenon cutter. Marc's recommendations and directions were dead on. Measure the depth of the hole in your seat. By this time, you've assigned each spindle to a position in the seat. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post SeventyFix Posted September 9, 2017 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted September 9, 2017 Transfer that measure to the tenon. Easy peasy. About an hour and a half later: 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeventyFix Posted September 9, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2017 I finished all of this in one evening after work. Don't get too excited: there's still a lot of shaping and sanding to do. Today, I took everything apart, sanding the spindles down to 100 grit. I continued the roundovers to the top (3/8") tenons, again using the spokeshave. I cut the tenons with the nifty tenon cutter. Yes, the 3/8" tenons are much easier to cut than the 1/2" ones because there's less meat getting in the way. TL;DR: Don't use the rasp when a plane or a spokeshave will work. The job is faster, cleaner and easier with the plane/spokeshave. Don't worry, there's plenty of rasp work to do after the planing. This is especially true with the figured maple that I'm using as it tears out readily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted September 9, 2017 Report Share Posted September 9, 2017 Nice job! Hands a little tired after the work with the tenon cutters? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeventyFix Posted September 9, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2017 Before and After. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeventyFix Posted September 9, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2017 3 minutes ago, TIODS said: Nice job! Hands a little tired after the work with the tenon cutters? I worked all day on this project today - 7 AM - 5 PM with a short break for lunch. Yeah, a little tired, but not too bad. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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