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Set of dining chairs

This is where we don't want anything but evidence of your finest wood butchering in all its glorious, and photograph laden glory. Bring your finished products or WIP's, we love them all, so long as there's pictures, and plenty of 'em!

Re: Set of dining chairs

Postby Woodbloke » 03 Jul 2022, 07:47

Cabinetman wrote:Coming on well Steve, will be buying my first Domino machine very soon so that was particularly interesting.

Late to the party! :lol:

Stuart wrote:Coming along nicely Steve.

I wouldn’t turn my nose up at dominoes at all. In fact we’re currently on holiday in the (very wet!) Lake District and as we were passing Peter Halls workshop I popped in for a look round and they were in the process of making a set of eight dining chairs using dominoes. So if the big guys can do it ………


I bought a secondhand Mk1 version years ago and it's still my 'go to' method of jointing whenever possible; the 'Dowelmax' jig comes a very close second for some applications - Rob
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Re: Set of dining chairs

Postby Steve Maskery » 07 Jul 2022, 14:51

I need to cut a load of laminates for some curve edging strips for my back panels. Thin strips can be tricky on a tablesaw. This is how I deal with it.
https://youtu.be/JcQ6oC2I2ao
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Re: Set of dining chairs

Postby BucksDad » 07 Jul 2022, 16:59

Nice jig and great to see you've now got a new website up Steve. I think the approach of selling jig plans separately is a great idea.
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Re: Set of dining chairs

Postby Cabinetman » 07 Jul 2022, 17:25

Yes good video Steve, liked the being able to use the last bit by using double sided tape bit and the jig Now you just have to run a hand plane over them for really clean joint lines, I always add a few inches to the length of the laminations for holding, wasteful I know but they come in as stirring sticks or kindling. Ian
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Re: Set of dining chairs

Postby Steve Maskery » 08 Jul 2022, 12:39

I'm gluing these strips up to make edging strips for the back splat of the chairs. One end is taped up firmly, then I'm taping in two more places with the sticky side out, to allow the strips to slide over one another in the bag, whilst keeping them aligned.
edging strip in bag (Medium).JPG
(69.87 KiB)


When they are cooked they look like this.
edging stip out of bag (Medium).JPG
(208.71 KiB)


And planed up
edging strip planed (Medium).JPG
(208.42 KiB)


edging strip closeup (Medium).JPG
(147.54 KiB)


I have two done and a third in the bag. So far, I am delighted with the results.
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Re: Set of dining chairs

Postby NickM » 08 Jul 2022, 12:41

Those look great Steve.
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Re: Set of dining chairs

Postby Pete Maddex » 08 Jul 2022, 13:39

Very nice Steve.

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Re: Set of dining chairs

Postby Malc2098 » 08 Jul 2022, 14:07

Nice.
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Re: Set of dining chairs

Postby Steve Maskery » 08 Jul 2022, 14:25

I've just had an astonishing phone call.

Yesterday I was loading one of these stacks into my Airpress and as I was sealing the bag there was a loud crack. The C-section of the clip had split, about 200mm. I wasn't being heavy-handed (actually I can't get heavy-handed these days, I don't have the grip). Now this kit is second-hand, I acquired it a few months ago. It's several years old but had never been used, I had to puncture the bag to fit the valve. It was virgin. So I was quite surprised that this clip broke.

So I wrote to Airpress.

I received a very prompt reply (good job I spotted it in my Spam folder), followed by a call from Peter, the MD. It turns out that this particular machine dates from 2005. We had a very nice chat and he is replacing the clip for me. Now how many companies do you know who offer a 17yr guarantee?

Customer service? Bloomin' marvellous.
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Re: Set of dining chairs

Postby Pete Maddex » 08 Jul 2022, 15:15

Thats very nice of them.

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Re: Set of dining chairs

Postby Phil » 09 Jul 2022, 09:36

Good work and nice vid :D

Like the off switch on the saw.
My Rockwell has a small toggle switch which is difficult to feel if there are wide boards on the saw.
Might just look at a push switch.
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Re: Set of dining chairs

Postby Steve Maskery » 19 Jul 2022, 00:42

A bit more done recently.

I paired up the lippings, left and right and discovered that, despite being very careful with my laminates, the top one of on of them had a couple of screw holes visible. I did try to drill 4mm and plug, but it didn't look good. This is what happens when you go down to the workshop late ant night to do the last one, which was already prepped, but put it in the bag upside down. Doing woodwork with only my specs on is not very clever and I should have known that. So I had to press a replacement.

Then it was time to run a rebate. I set up my rebate router cutter, switched on and there was a hell of a kerfuffle. I'd missed off the retaining washer, the bearing came off, hit the cutter, chipped the TCT and all was lost. And my phone broke. And there was trouble at t'mill, domestically. And...

So I had to buy a new rebate set. Amazon to the rescue. It's not as deep a cut as the CMT one. But the CMT one is spendy and it's difficult to find the right part number on the ScoSarg website. When I rang to ask for help, the bloke was very short, told me he didn't expect me to know which one to buy, email them and they will send a pro-forma invoice. He was short to the point of being rude, I thought. Sigh.

Anyway, when the dust had settled on all the tribulations, I finally got some rebating done.

rebating lipping (Medium).jpg
(139.61 KiB)


This was then glued to the edges of the pressed backs
clamping lipping (Medium).jpg
(181.25 KiB)


Despite being pressend on the same former, the backs and the lipping were not a great fir, becuase the backs had only 2 layers and had quite a bit of springback, whereas the lipping were 5 layers and had hardly any. So thats why I had to use so many clamps and a persuader.
clamping lipping 2.jpg
(177.74 KiB)


I have quite a lot of QS oak veneer. About 25 years ago I designed a rather lovely bedroom suite for some clients, so I bought enough veneer for the whole lot, so it would all match. I made the bed and wardrobe, then they got divorced, so the rest never materialised.

A couple of years ago I mad a wardrobe and intended to use that veneer, but couldn't find it, so I assume it had got lost along the way of Life. I spent a few hundred pounds on some new veneer and then found what I had been looking for...
So this veneer has been in store for quite a long time, but is, fortunately still in good condition. The grain is not very straight, but the flame is superb. This is a photo of one end (i'm actually using the other end, but this pic shows the figure better)
QS veneer (Medium).jpg
(158.21 KiB)


So I shot the stack, clamped to my bench

shooting veneers (Medium).jpg
(205.65 KiB)


I numbered them so that they didn't get out of order and taped them up in pairs

veneer tape (Medium).jpg
(170.81 KiB)


Then trimmed to be a tad oversized and put in the bag with a 3mm MDF platten (wrapped in cling film so it didn't stick)

pressing veneer (Medium).jpg
(146.27 KiB)


Unfortunately it all slipped in the bag and the seam is nearly 3mm off centre at at one end. Not so awful that I need to redo it, but certainly no cigar. So I've pinned subsequent ones in place with drawing pins and that has solved the problem.

A careful trimming and they are ready for the next stage.

I'd forgotten how much glue I use up when veneering. I was getting a bit low, so I ordered 5L from Amazon yesterday afternoon and it was on my doorstep at 1pm today. Lowest price I could find anywhere and free 24hr delivery. Brilliant.
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Re: Set of dining chairs

Postby Steve Maskery » 19 Jul 2022, 13:20

I've just glued my last veneer panel on upside down :(
S
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Re: Set of dining chairs

Postby AndyT » 19 Jul 2022, 13:30

Steve Maskery wrote:I've just glued my last veneer panel on upside down :(
S


Oh no!
I was just about to post a response saying how well this mammoth project was going, all things considered.

But when you say "last" do you mean

- you'll never make another of the ******* things again

- you don't have any veneer left

- Or that this was number 6 of the set?

I'm hoping it's the last one!
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Re: Set of dining chairs

Postby Steve Maskery » 19 Jul 2022, 13:43

AndyT wrote:
Steve Maskery wrote:I've just glued my last veneer panel on upside down :(
S


Oh no!
I was just about to post a response saying how well this mammoth project was going, all things considered.

But when you say "last" do you mean
- you'll never make another of the ******* things again

It's not what I meant but it is a true atatement.
AndyT wrote:- you don't have any veneer left

Fortunately I have lots, although I've had to go further down the stack to get two veneers that dont have a knot in exactly the wrong place.
AndyT wrote:- Or that this was number 6 of the set?
I'm hoping it's the last one!

Yes. Just when I thought this bit was finished. Total rookie error. Mind you, it is 28C in the workshop right now and I do feel a bit light-headed, but upside down? Really?
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Re: Set of dining chairs

Postby AndyT » 19 Jul 2022, 14:27

Phew!

I suggest sitting down quietly in a cool place and not doing any more until the current heatwave has passed over.
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Re: Set of dining chairs

Postby Steve Maskery » 19 Jul 2022, 19:50

Thank goodness for spare veneer. All sorted and now nobody will ever know...
S
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Re: Set of dining chairs

Postby Steve Maskery » 21 Jul 2022, 17:25

Leg work today.

Although I made the legs at the start of this project, I only cut the shape, I didn't do the joinery. You may recall that I am using the Domino for speed and ease. I'm not regretting that yet, not at all.

I have a couple of spare legs, which are not good enough to be used in the final chair, but make useful practice pieces. The rails are already done, so I can calculate that the center line of my Domino cut needs to be 15mm from the outside face of the leg (10mm into the rail plus a 5mm reveal). I can transfer the Domino reference point from the rail by laying the two out on my rod, then cut the mortices as before. Here I am marking the reference point from my practice piece onto the real thing

marking refence point (Medium).jpg
(179.9 KiB)


To make sure I got 6 lefties and 6 righties I marked them with coloured tape, red for port for left, green for starboard for right. The upshot is that I've got 6 nicely matching pairs of mortices.

pair of mortices (Medium).jpg
(133.31 KiB)


I've done half the next bit but have forgotten to take any photos, so I'll put that right tomorrow.
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Re: Set of dining chairs

Postby Steve Maskery » 05 Aug 2022, 00:19

I think I've lost some photos :(

Since my last post, I've sawn and planed the tapers on the insides of the back legs and made the rails - two at the back, top and bottom. These were all made with a template

planing rail template wide (Medium).jpg
(199.6 KiB)


bandsaw close and then flush-trim on the router table. The three rails are different lengths, but I was able to do them all with the same template.

Both back rails have a groove to accept the fixed back. I used my Ultimate Router Mortising Jig for the job.

routing rail groove (Medium).jpg
(209.91 KiB)


So far, so good. But at this point I discovered that my back panels were a bit bent, and not just in the direction I had intended. This picture doesn't show it very well, but there is over 1mm gap in the centre:

cupped back (Medium).jpg
(167.27 KiB)


What to do? I didn't fancy trying to make a curved tenon, so I straightened the bottom edge with a piece of scrap. The glue is along just the very edge, as this block has to come off again. At least, that was the idea...

straightening back edge (Medium).jpg
(206.34 KiB)


I could then rout the fist shoulder of my tenon

routing shoulder (Medium).jpg
(222.74 KiB)


That went very nicely, but then it was time to remove that temporary block. Ha!

Well it did come off easily enough, but it took the top layer of plywood with it. With the great benefit of hindsight, I should have put a piece of paper between the two, like I do every time I do a split turning... (actually, I have done a split turning job, once, and about 50 years ago).

Anyway, the upshot is that this was now a bare-faced tenon, quite a loose fit and as ugly as sin on the front. However, the front will be covered over and the back view is good.

fitting back into lower rail (Medium).jpg
(183.25 KiB)


I've done two of the six so far. The second one was less sloppy and definitely feels better, so I think I'll repair the ripped plywood even though it is not seen, just for the sake of a better fit.

You may have noticed that I have done a bit of finishing work. The back legs and the backs backs have all had a coat of boiled linseed oil. I love the colour it imparts, but the variation in color of the oak means that some of the legs are noticeably lighter than the rest, and the veneer on the backs is also on the light side. So the backs and the paler legs have have a coat of BLO withsome Jacobean stain mixed in. The result is much better. These are the backs at the mo.

oiled backs (Medium).jpg
(244.34 KiB)


Unfortunately I don't think I'm going to get back in the workshop until Monday now. I've got a friend coming for the weekend, got to clean the house, go shopping, do some washing, yada, yada, yada.
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Re: Set of dining chairs

Postby AndyT » 05 Aug 2022, 05:37

Really interesting to see your approach to this. I can admire your workaround with the glued on block so you could rout a straight tenon. With hand tools I'd have clamped the ply flat, worked the tenon to a line and shaved off the last few thou with a shoulder plane or chisel until a tight fit held it straight.
There's always more than one solution.

And I love the grain pattern and colour on those backs! Very well matched and symmetrical.
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Re: Set of dining chairs

Postby Cabinetman » 05 Aug 2022, 05:58

Yes that grain looks brill, you were lucky, those medullary rays can lift and split upwards sometimes.
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Re: Set of dining chairs

Postby Steve Maskery » 11 Aug 2022, 17:47

Assembly is a palaver.

I have all my components ready now. The crest rails are to be fitted one at a time, but everything else is ready for glue-up.
It's hard. Nothing is straight, except the ends of the back panels and their mating grooves, but even then I can't just clamp across, the back acts like a spring.

But after several hours of mucking about, I have one back assembled and I now have a better idea of how to go about the assembly.

So for now, I can offer you these:
back assembly rear view (Medium).JPG
(199.25 KiB)


back assembly front view (Medium).JPG
(208.59 KiB)


I do have a small gap, but nothing that a good wax won't sort out. The main problem with it is that the back panel itself is in wind and no amount of clamping would fix it, so I'll just have to live with it, I fear.

I't all screwed together (if it was good enough for Sam Maloof it's good enough for me) but the screws I have bought (4x60mm SS) are easily damaged. I piloted at 3mm but have had to start piloting at 3.5mm to keep the heads intact. I've lost a few screws already and I've only done this one.

I'm pleased with what it looks like, though.
Last edited by Steve Maskery on 11 Aug 2022, 22:42, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Set of dining chairs

Postby AndyT » 11 Aug 2022, 17:57

Looking good Steve!
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Re: Set of dining chairs

Postby DaveL » 11 Aug 2022, 19:00

Steve,

Have you got any normal steel screws of the same size and thread style?
If you have then using one as a tap in the hole before the SS one could limit the risk of breaking them. I would also wax the screws to aid inserting them.
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Re: Set of dining chairs

Postby Steve Maskery » 11 Aug 2022, 20:08

Thanks, Andy.
DaveL wrote:Steve,

Have you got any normal steel screws of the same size and thread style?
If you have then using one as a tap in the hole before the SS one could limit the risk of breaking them. I would also wax the screws to aid inserting them.


I do wax them, but I don't have anything similar to cut a thread. I've bought a long series 3.5mm drill for a pilot hole and that does seem to have helped matters. I'm just surprised that I need to go to 3.5mm for a 4.0mm thread. But it does still seem very strong.
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