CHAIR DESIGN 101

[FenceFurniture]

First, second or last design for the top fletty - the others are too, um, emphatic, bold or heavy.

Excellent progress, and an entertaining thread.

[fletty]

In addition to rethinking the design I'm also rethinking Australian red cedar for the slats. On Saturday almost every slat bent beautifully .... but not today!
Today's slats were cut from another plank but from the same tree. On Saturday, the slats came out of the steamer dark red and 'crusty' but today there was no discolouration?
I ended up with only 2 from 6. Interestingly, one slat that I had bent last week in the old former was re-bent today with no trouble so maybe I'll have to bend them in the shallow former first and then re-steam and bend in the full former later? I've only got enough bent for 2 of the 6 (or 8!) chairs so I would even consider starting again and changing the timber altogether?
I might take a bit of time and experiment with different timbers to see if I'm currently on a hiding to nowhere.....
I'm settling on a design (says he well in to the making stage....!) and latest sketch below
chair sketch06.jpeg

I have a busy work week ahead so the WIP may sleep for a few days...

fletty

[ian]

Well 'obviously' hardwoodii anonymousii must be a VERY POOR timber for steam bending so I cut a real blank, 25 x 8mm straight grained Australian red cedar, as will be needed on the chair, steamed for 40min, clamped in the former, left to cool and laid it beside the hardwoodii anonymousii ........ hmmmm .... I think I have greatly underestimated springback!

I'm sorry Fletty, but I haven't yet read the whole thread

however, kiln dried wood won't steam bend much, if at all. You need to use air dried wood.

Kiln drying sets the lignun -- with air dried, the lignun can be reactivated with heat and steam

[FenceFurniture]

......so maybe I'll have to bend them in the shallow former first and then re-steam and bend in the full former later?

Sounds logical, but you know how weird things can get with timber.

I'm settling on a design (says he well in to the making stage....!) and latest sketch below
chair sketch06.jpeg

Yeah, the top on that is much more in proportion and balanced.

[wheelinround]

Bummer that slows production down somewhat.

[RedShirtGuy]

At a recent meeting of Obsessive Compulsives Unanimous, where the roll was called and checked 7 times,

I've been a bit slow on this one, but your group should rename itself of COU...ya know...being properly alphabetical and all

"If I had a penny for every time someone called me anal, I'd have $147.63"

Carry on...

[fletty]

I might take a bit of time and experiment with different timbers to see if I'm currently on a hiding to nowhere.....

fletty

I found a list of Australian timbers "suitable for steam bending" graded from VERY GOOD to POOR ... Australian Red Cedar wasn't even listed!

Tonight is going to be a quiet night so I thought I'd start experimenting and started with Huon pine (HP).

The comparison with Australian Red Cedar (ARC)is listed below

CUTTING BLANKS
ARC, examine timber with a magnifying glass, avoid ANY blemish, thank the timber spirits continuously, carefully sand to a glass smooth finish so there are no tiny nicks to start a failure
HP, cut it

PRE BENDING RITUAL
ARC, consult astrological charts (both Western and Eastern), check tides in Botswanaland, practice loading technique with tongue in right side of cheek, check neighbourhood for bad luck charms, black cats etc, prostate oneself in front of the steamer, gently load making sure that the workpiece is EXACTLY North to South take up praying stance while standing on one foot (right!) for the whole period of loading.
HP, chuck into steamer

STEAMING
ARC, walk around the steamer in a clockwise direction while chanting to the spirits of the tree, step lightly so that the timber isn't disturbed and NEVER look at the steamer for at least an hour
HP, drink shiraz and try to ignore the timber shouting "I'm ready, I'm ready" after only 10 minutes

BENDING
ARC, gently carry to the bending former, place on the bench between the former halves and SLOWLY clamp the 2 halves together making sure that they remain EXACTLY parallel, advance each of the 3 clamps by less than 3 mm each before adjusting the other 2. keep tongue in right side of mouth and maintain one-legged stance
HP, chuck into former from the shed door and watch it wrap itself around the former

DRYING
ARC, remove from the bending former after 52.36 minutes and carry gently to the drying former ... whilst maintaining one-legged stance
HP, takes itself out of the bending former to the drying former while joyously muttering woohoo ... although quietly so it didn't disturb my shiraz drinking

SUCCESS RATE
ARC, about 50%
HP, 100%

POST BENDING
ARC, sand crust off outside with bobbin sander, re-examine for cracks, fail 50% more
HP, ADMIRE!

OUPUT
ARC, 16 slats after 2 weeks work
HP, 3 slats bent in 20 minutes after steaming!

20140612_174548_resized.jpg

hmmmmmm ..... fletty

[Glenn.Visca]

Still giggling !

Damn those timber overlords !!!

[pjt]

[FenceFurniture]

OUPUT
ARC, 16 slats after 2 weeks work
HP, 3 slats bent in 20 minutes after steaming!

20140612_174548_resized.jpg

hmmmmmm ..... fletty

Talk about giving in easily - where's your backbone? In the steamer? C'mon, the cedar will look better - you know it will.

[wheelinround]

You can always stain the HP to look like ARC

I guess now they will all be finished by Sunday afternoon in HP. This will save on water, electricity, shoe wear, but not Red wine.

[fletty]

You can always stain the HP to look like ARC

20140613_122225.jpg


where's Wally ..... errrr Huon ......there's more than 1?
fletty

[wheelinround]

So your now aiming for 32 Huon and 32 ARC all same shape now will that be to mix n match or one Huon chair one ARC?

[artme]

So your now aiming for 32 Huon and 32 ARC all same shape now will that be to mix n match or one Huon chair one ARC?

Cheeky twerp!!

[fletty]

where's Wally ..... errrr Huon ......there's more than 1?
fletty

20140613_122245.jpg

......there's 3 of them!

I can get a reasonable colour match, good enough to get away with i think, BUT the huon springs back less than the ARC so the ARC and huon slats are a different shape!
My conscience won't let me stain beeeeautiful huon pine so I either persevere with ARC or leave the huon in a natural colour and claim the contrast as a design feature. Another thing I COULD do is cover the cushions in a beige leather to be the 'same' as the natural huon and get the colour continuity of the slats leading to the cushion?

I'm going to the pub...
fletty