Windsor Rocker


lewisc

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I've got the Guild plans and videos for the Maloof Rocker but I'm not quite ready to tackle that one. My next project is going to be a Windsor Rocker from FWW . Anyone made one?  There's a Furniture Maker near me that offers these as a week long project. It would be nice to go along to it for the process but it's around 10x the cost of the timber.

The timber I've chosen is Spotted Gum. It's a hard/dense timber that I might come to regret using (for carving the seat) but it looks pretty once finished. 

My first steps are to cut out a few templates and stick them on some ply. After that, I'll be picking up some timber to begin marking out the parts. I'll post a few photos as I go.

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I finally got to the timber yard. Man this stuff is hard. I picked up a few different pieces that will work for the various parts. The seat will likely be a bit darker than the rest. It was all they had in the dimensions I needed. I'll glue up a seat made out of pine to practice as I go. 

I'll start cutting up pieces in the next few days and start turning up a few pieces. 

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Im assuming the boards on the left are quarter sawn and the one on the right is flatsawn? That is a serious difference betweem the two. You will need to be extra careful with grain selection of you are mixing the two.

 

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1 hour ago, shaneymack said:

Im assuming the boards on the left are quarter sawn and the one on the right is flatsawn? That is a serious difference betweem the two. You will need to be extra careful with grain selection of you are mixing the two.

 

Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk

 

 

Left are quarter sawn and right is flat. Do you mean extra careful for colour matching, grain matching or wood movement? I have two thicker pieces of timber and the one that will be used for the seat is closer in colour but still a bit darker.

This is the one that I'm doing but it's colour:

 crestedrocker.jpg

In the plans, he (Peter Galbert) mentions fuming the chair with ammonia to darken the timber as it's a natural finish. I havent done that process before but it might be worth experimenting on some of the timber to see if it gives a darker result.

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What I think Shane is saying without saying is that with a project that is going to require so much of your time, money, and essentially be a practice round for the maloof rocker, you may want to consider thinking a bit more about shopping a bit more too find timbers that more closely match or coordinate with each other.  

There isn't anything wrong with either the qtr or flat sawn stock you showed, but to my eye, they don't look like they belong in the same chair. 

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I appreciate your advice, truly...but (and I honestly don't mean to sound like an a$$ but it probably will read that way) I'll probably end up making the seat to how it looks. 

 

2nd option is to work on the turnings and try to find a piece for the seat that is closer in colour/grain appearance. 

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  • 1 month later...

Funny that. I am taking the "same" class here in North Carolina in October with Elia Bizarri. Chatting to him, he mentioned Rundell and Rundell. So I checked them up and it turns out they are in Kyneton and we live in Woodend. Small World. B)

I think I have seen their shop but never went in. Will do when I am back "home" in December.

Good luck with the project.

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  • 1 month later...

Small world? Definitely. There's a timber yard up in Woodend that I been meaning to get to. I went up to Lost Trades Fair in Kyneton this year and there were some really cool things going on. 

 

I kinda put this one on the back burner. A few other projects taking place. I did glue up the seat and marked out the template a while back but never got further. I'm hoping to get back to it in the next month or so. 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Build started on Monday.

It is the continuous arm rocker version. (http://handtoolwoodworking.com/rockers/). Hand tools only!

Not doing a photo journal, need to concentrate on the build. Great class, Elia is in total control, amazing.

Started with the spindles, by splitting, splitting and re-splitting a log then draw knive. Easier than expected. Second day, a new log to create the continuous arm. That was not easy. Draw knife all day. Somehow managed to get the stock to slightly below the desired thickness. Really thought it was going to snap when we bent it after steaming. It did not, luckily. Day 3: starting on the seat: planing and smoothing the board, template to place holes positions, drilling for legs and arm stump. Must be very careful, but easy day.

Take home message: No news, need to understand "wood architecture", it determines orientation of parts, preparation of parts...take your time, it is not that difficult.

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