Curly Maloof Rocker


Bmac

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9 hours ago, treeslayer said:

Man that's going to be beautiful @Bmac its going on my "someday" list for sure, any thoughts on finish, dye, colored shellac something to pop the awesome grain

Yes, right now my plan is to use TransTint dye, I'll be testing it on a few scraps before putting it on the chair. After the dye I plan to use a oil/poly finish followed by an oil/wax finish. This will be the same finish Maloof used and I've had great luck with it on my previous chairs, but this will be the first chair I dye prior.

Here's a few questions to people that have experience with dye, I've used it occasionally in the past, but not extensively. I know if mixed with water it will raise the grain and I'll have to resand. Does prewetting the wood help? Or is it better to use something like lacquer thinner with the dye? Are there any issues using a solvent like lacquer thinner instead of water? What gives the best most even coloring?

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11 hours ago, Bmac said:

Here's a few questions to people that have experience with dye, I've used it occasionally in the past, but not extensively. I know if mixed with water it will raise the grain and I'll have to resand. Does prewetting the wood help? Or is it better to use something like lacquer thinner with the dye?

I would use a spray bottle to raise the grain on the whole chair and then sand back smooth. After you wet the grain and sand smooth the wood shouldn't raise again. If you want to play it safe you could try wetting the surface again to see what happens. You could use alcohol with the dye, the fumes will be pretty strong. I wouldn't use lacquer thinner, it will probably work but the fumes would be deadly.

11 hours ago, Bmac said:

What gives the best most even coloring?

Even coloring is going to be achieved by an even coat of a well dispersed dye. The dye mixes well in water and alcohol and not so well in oil solvents aka mineral spirits. If you want a perfect application I highly suggest to apply the dye via HVLP. Maple blotches in a not so attractive way sometimes so that is something that doesn't suit the best to wiping but isn't an issue spraying. I don't think you'd need something like a Fuji, a conversion gun would probably work great but I'd practice. Best part is you can practice with water and raise the grain at the same time.

Also applying dye with the shellac is possible but it can be tricky as well. If you get a dry edge and overlap you could get dark lines etc. Drips while applying on the chair may be very hard to manage.

That said Dave did a bang up job above.

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Great info Bmac! I really like that you used the router table vs hand held. When I did my bar stools it was very difficult to keep the router flat. So will you do 100% of the power shaping with the RAS? I really liked mine but still used a grinder to start, might have to try all RAS on my rocker.

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25 minutes ago, pkinneb said:

Great info Bmac! I really like that you used the router table vs hand held. When I did my bar stools it was very difficult to keep the router flat. So will you do 100% of the power shaping with the RAS? I really liked mine but still used a grinder to start, might have to try all RAS on my rocker.

I'm with you, I couldn't hold my router flat and it kept running on me. Using the starter pin is like an extra hand and I feel like I have so much more control.

I will not use the grinder at all on this build, all RAS. It's not that I dislike the grinder, a grinder does a great job and is a little faster,  but I do dislike the mess it makes. Also I feel like I have better control with the RAS. It won't run/jump on you and when you learn to use it you can be aggressive or really fine with it. Hopefully after this build I can make the case for the RAS and you'll give your RAS even more love. 

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4 hours ago, pkinneb said:

Great info Bmac! I really like that you used the router table vs hand held. When I did my bar stools it was very difficult to keep the router flat. So will you do 100% of the power shaping with the RAS? I really liked mine but still used a grinder to start, might have to try all RAS on my rocker.

If you do some of the shaping like Bmac points out before you glue the seat up it really speeds things up. I was able to get the seat carved more accurately more quickly using his method.

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34 minutes ago, wtnhighlander said:

@Bmac are dominoes really necessary for strength in the seat assembly, or are they primarily an alignment aid?

Using the dominoes are definitely for alignment first. The coopering of the seat makes the glueup very difficult without the dominoes, also the dominoes are critical to keep the correct orientation of the joints.

Maloof believed they added some strength also, perhaps they do.

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At the risk of starting some controversy, at The Marc Adams Scool last week they had an evening lecture from the Titebond (Franklin) chemist (Bob).  He addressed the very same question.  Now I have no horse in this race, but the company that sells the glue says that with properly prepared surfaces the side grain to side grain bond is so good that the Domino/biscuit/dowel does not improve, and may even weaken the joint.  

He also pointed out that the glue in the Domino joint will cause the adjacent wood to swell.  If the surface above the joint is flattened this will result it subtle divots when the swelling finally subsides.

Another interesting tidbit, PVA glues all bond to cellolose.  There is very little exposed cellolose with end grain, thus explaining the poor bond.  He also mentioned that burning or burnishing long grain surfaces alters the cellulose giving a poor bond.  

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This is going into the cost/return or diminishing level of impact realm. If glue is so strong, am I worried about weakening due to an alignment aid? That travels a curve with size of glue surfaces scaled against “loss” of integrity. Also, the swell bump is a known issue that has had many instructors to teach locating alignment aids “low” in the workpiece. Again, that’s on a benefit curve as thin items don’t allow much wiggle, but then, the smaller the piece...the less stress it typically comes under. All that to say that the issues you bring from the Adam’s school are valid, but you weigh those issues against your needs for the project.

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@Mark J, interesting info and I think @Tpt life made some good points. I've always thought long grain to long grain glue joints don't need reinforcement, but alignment is key here and the domino is awesome for alignment.

I think a lot of the older woodworkers considered reinforcement necessary because they didn't have access to the glues we use today. Perhaps with hide glues reinforcement helps long term, any thoughts on this theory? 

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@Bmac, the chair parts are shaping up nicely! (pun intended).

For those of us with grinders, but no Festool, I find that a 36 grit flap wheel removes stock rapidly, but leaves a surface comparable to 80 grit on a ROS. Almost as good as a round edge burr wheel for shaping, too. True, the flap wheels wear out, but at least they are an alternative to a somewhat pricey tool.

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