Popular Post joe mendel Posted January 8, 2022 Popular Post Report Share Posted January 8, 2022 Air dried walnut with a steam bent crest rail and rockers, curly maple spindles. I prefer to sculpt the seat with hand tools rather than a motorized grinder; it is less messy and noisy, and very satisfying. The first three coats were equal thirds BLO, turps, and vinegar. Since I used green and steamed material, the white vinegar acts as an anti-fungal. The remaining coats of finish will be 50/50 BLO and turps, at a rate of: once a day for a week, then once a week for a month, then once a month for a year, and finally yearly or as needed. This is the forty-third of this design I have built since 2017, so I have gotten the procedure and jigs/set-up down pat. The chair took 27 hours to build, and each coat of the finish takes me about 15 minutes to apply, and 25 minutes to wipe off and rub out. There is no way to speed the finish process, however, I do like the results. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted January 9, 2022 Report Share Posted January 9, 2022 Can't argue with that finish, it is beautiful! After 43 chairs, I bet you can just about make one blindfolded... Does the 27 hours include all the time spent laying out your sight lines on the seat, or do you have a template for that, too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted January 9, 2022 Report Share Posted January 9, 2022 That is SWEET! Turps being turpentine? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan McCully Posted January 9, 2022 Report Share Posted January 9, 2022 Absolutely gorgeous chair. I hope that my skills allow me to build something of that quality someday. Seems long a far off dream to me right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe mendel Posted January 9, 2022 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2022 On 1/8/2022 at 7:57 PM, wtnhighlander said: Can't argue with that finish, it is beautiful! After 43 chairs, I bet you can just about make one blindfolded... Does the 27 hours include all the time spent laying out your sight lines on the seat, or do you have a template for that, too? When I make them I make six at a time, two cherry, two walnut, and two walnut and curly maple. Everything has a jig/fixture to provide economy of time and repeatability. Every spindle has a very specific length and accurate angle of inclination which are drilled precisely. It took four practice chairs, (actually the forth came out right and got used), with multiple holes which got plugged and re-drilled until they were as they needed to be. Twenty-seven hours to make a rocker is: a month to make the six (6 x 27 = 162 hours or a month). I do this twice a year before the winter holiday season and the spring holiday season. On 1/8/2022 at 8:00 PM, Coop said: That is SWEET! Turps being turpentine? Yes. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan McCully Posted January 9, 2022 Report Share Posted January 9, 2022 Just out of curiosity, what do you sell those chairs for? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post joe mendel Posted January 9, 2022 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted January 9, 2022 On 1/8/2022 at 10:13 PM, Jonathan McCully said: Just out of curiosity, what do you sell those chairs for? Only those who buy my rockers seem to be good with the purchase price of this handmade chair. It has been my experience over the past 40+ years of doing this craft, that many people, (woodworkers especially), become indignant with my prices. I sell in three select locations where price is never the deciding factor in the purchase of a rocker. Lets just say that I get a comparable hourly rate as a top flight auto mechanic. 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted January 9, 2022 Report Share Posted January 9, 2022 And well you should!!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan McCully Posted January 9, 2022 Report Share Posted January 9, 2022 13 hours ago, joe mendel said: Only those who buy my rockers seem to be good with the purchase price of this handmade chair. It has been my experience over the past 40+ years of doing this craft, that many people, (woodworkers especially), become indignant with my prices. I sell in three select locations where price is never the deciding factor in the purchase of a rocker. Lets just say that I get a comparable hourly rate as a top flight auto mechanic. You should definitely charge what your time and talent is worth. No complaints from me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe mendel Posted January 9, 2022 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2022 On 1/9/2022 at 12:14 PM, Jonathan McCully said: You should definitely charge what your time and talent is worth. No complaints from me. I was not trying to be obtuse, but there is so much overhead involved with the process, that the bottom line price must cover. Shop rent, gallery employees, cost of materials, transportation, and don't forget my salary. Topics I have discussed openly in business groups, but this is a venue where I just show the results, not the business aspect. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan McCully Posted January 9, 2022 Report Share Posted January 9, 2022 19 minutes ago, joe mendel said: I was not trying to be obtuse, but there is so much overhead involved with the process, that the bottom line price must cover. Shop rent, gallery employees, cost of materials, transportation, and don't forget my salary. Topics I have discussed openly in business groups, but this is a venue where I just show the results, not the business aspect. I can respect that. It’s an absolutely incredible looking chair. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark J Posted January 12, 2022 Report Share Posted January 12, 2022 Beautiful chair (and your work in general). I admire your process, too. I'm guessing that with your skill and experience a power tool work flow wouldn't speed things up for you much if any at all? I'm glad to hear that you have found a market that will reasonably compensate you for your work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe mendel Posted January 13, 2022 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2022 The tactile joy of using a hand plane or spoke shaves really is enjoyable. I hate sand paper, and use if mostly as a finishing room process. The lack of sawdust by using a sharp card scraper is also infinitely better than particulates floating in the air. When I am making a half dozen or more rockers at a time, I will use a curved grinder to remove 90% of the material, then finish up with hand tools. Economy of time has to come before my enjoyment in an effort to keep the lights on in the shop. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeW Posted January 20, 2022 Report Share Posted January 20, 2022 Absolutely beautiful! One day I aspire to retire from my career and work full-time into my woodshop. Wow....just saw that you too are a WNY native. I would love to see your work firsthand and one of your venues. Go Bills! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe mendel Posted January 20, 2022 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2022 Yes, I am in the Buffalo area. However, I got my under graduate degree from The University of Michigan, so unless I want my degree nullified I am obligated to being a Tom Brady fan. That being said, I am a baseball fan. I have no idea why everyone was sitting outside last Saturday in Orchard Park freezing their collective fannies off watching a game when I was inside toasty warm watching on a high def 55-inch screen. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts