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  1. #1
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    Feb 2003
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    back in Alberta for a while
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    Default Congratulations to Derek

    I haven't seen the issue myself, but this was posted on a US based forum

    I got my November Popular Woodworking Magazine today and learned Derek had been awarded an Editors Choice 2016 Excellence Award for his version of Hans Wegner's 'The Chair'. The judges called his work "a truly stunning homage".

    This is the information on Popular Woodworking's site

    Project Title: Hans Wegner's "The Chair".
    Description: Hans Wegner (April 2, 1914 - January 26, 2007) was probably the quintessential Danish furniture designer and most famous for his chairs. “The Chair”, as it is affectionately called, also nicknamed “The Round Chair”, was known to Wegner by its number, which was PP501. This had a corded seat. He later produced a PP503, with a solid seat.

    The Chair” is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful designs of its genre. It owes some of it fame as the Debate Chair, used when Kennedy and Nixon went head-to-head on TV for the US presidency in 1960.

    I decided to build an exact copy using hand tools, where the original is manufactured using copy lathes and CNC machinery. I am not aware of anyone else having attempted this to date. The challenge was to be exact. I was fortunate to have an original on hand for measurements.

    The seat was woven from Danish Cord, which is a departure from the cane used by the factory. However, Danish Cord is so synonymous with Wegner that it was chosen as a tribute to him.

    This work was completed in 2014.
    Maker First Name: Derek
    Last Name: Cohen
    City: Perth, Australia
    Wood Used: Fiddleback Jarrah
    Materials Used: hand tools (spokeshaves, rasps, backsaws, chisels)
    Finish Used: Livos Universal Wood Oil, and Howards Wax
    Dimensions: 30" x 24" x 20"


    What can I say?
    as one who followed Derek's journey, "congratulations" seems so inane.
    I feel like making the judges at the Perth wood show, eat their clothes.

    Derek, I'm proud to call you a friend.
    regards from Alberta, Canada

    ian

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
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    Little River
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    Default

    Where can we see pictures?

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
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    Perth
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    Default

    BIG Congrats all round to Derek.

    It will probably be the closest I get to winning a prize, Derek used some floats I made a few years ago on that chair.

  5. #4
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    May 2010
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    Not far enough away from Melbourne
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    Default

    Congratulations Derek.

    I did not realize until reading this that CNC technology was available in 1960.

    Cheers

    Doug
    I got sick of sitting around doing nothing - so I took up meditation.

  6. #5
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    Mar 2008
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    Townsville, Nth Qld
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    Default

    Congratulations on a job well done. The recognition is justly deserved, Derek!
    regards,

    Dengy

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
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    Sydney Upper North Shore
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    Default

    Congratulations Derek. I remember reading through the process and looking at the photos on your website and being amazed at the skills displayed.

  8. #7
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    Mar 2009
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    Sydney
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    Default

    Well done Derek, well deserved.

  9. #8
    Join Date
    Apr 2001
    Location
    Perth
    Posts
    10,810

    Default

    Thank you so much, all of you. It was a surprise because there were a number of other chairs in the running that I thought would win. If a piece of my furniture was to have received recognition, I thought it would be the Lingerie Chest.

    I have not seen the article in the current mag, but I gather that the category winners of the Pop Wood competition will be in the November edition, which is now out in the USA. I have a proof copy of the article but cannot post it here for reasons of copywrite. Ditto the photo that was used in the mag.

    Here are a couple of photos from my website ...





    The challenge to build The Chair was to make an exact copy of an original. The original is shaped by copy lathes and CNC machines. The challenge was to use handtools to complete the task. Even Wegner did not quite do this (although he was a very accomplished and trained cabinetmaker who built all the prototypes by hand) since the triangular finger joints were a later addition by the factory.

    The original (with a solid seat, which was an alternative version) is on the right ...





    http://www.pp.dk/index.php?page=gall...=14&id=189

    Regards from Perth

    Derek
    Visit www.inthewoodshop.com for tutorials on constructing handtools, handtool reviews, and my trials and tribulations with furniture builds.

  10. #9
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Horsham Victoria
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    5,713

    Default

    Nice job. Congrats on the recognition

    Dave TTC
    Turning Wood Into Art

  11. #10
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    Feb 2003
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    back in Alberta for a while
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Bohdan View Post
    Where can we see pictures?
    Link to Derek's website and the seat weaving step http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furnitu...gTheChair.html
    There are photos of the finished chair at the end.
    Derek's chair is on the left
    regards from Alberta, Canada

    ian

  12. #11
    Join Date
    Jun 1999
    Location
    Westleigh, Sydney
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    77
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    9,542

    Default

    Congratulations Derek, a well-deserved award.
    Visit my website
    Website
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  13. #12
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    Seattle, Washington, USA
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    Default

    People often ask me why I don't make and sell more mid-century style furniture, since it's annoyingly popular right now. I always bring up Derek's "The Chair" build as my justification, because it takes such extreme skill to execute that kind of joinery in a one off piece using hand tools, which is how I like to work.

    I'm still not convinced you didn't have help from aliens with those finger joints...

    In other words, nice work, Derek.

    Cheers,
    Luke

  14. #13
    Join Date
    Apr 2001
    Location
    Perth
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    10,810

    Default

    Thanks Luke.

    Those finger joints are a reminder that the design was intended to facilitate manufacture in a factory. Wegner describes the origin of this joint in the second video I posted (above). The original arm joint was a set of dowels, but this did not create a rigid enough fitting. The finger joint obviously works well, however would you have chosen a tapered finger joint if you were constructing this chair in your workshop? For the life of me, I cannot imagine this. It is just too complicated. It is, however, a simple matter for a CNC-driven saw. I think that it would have been preferable for a human being to have used a mortice-and-tenon joint, or perhaps even a box joint.

    Regards from Perth

    Derek
    Visit www.inthewoodshop.com for tutorials on constructing handtools, handtool reviews, and my trials and tribulations with furniture builds.

  15. #14
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    Feb 2003
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    Default

    Luke these are my observations

    The original factory made Wenger chairs used what looks to me like a finger joint cut with a shaper. My guess is the shaper cutters were probably a standard off the shelf profile, so nothing particularly fancy.

    Derek has built an almost exact replica and in doing so chose to recreate the original profile by hand. I applaud him for his attention to such a small detail, but if you were going to make a limited production run my advice would be to use what ever finger joint profile provided a satisfactory amount of glue area.

  16. #15
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
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    Paralowie SA
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    62
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    1,315

    Default

    really nice job
    regards Michael
    enjoy life we are only here a short time not a long time

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