More on the Kitchen Chair

Every new design needs some figuring out, and this one did need some adjustments before I ran the first class, teaching this design.  I ended up with three different seat designs and students can add their own ideas to the seat and crest shaping or they can copy the chair that I have already made. So far, most students create a detail to make it their own such as in the understructure turnings,  outer profile of the seat and the outer profile of the crest rail. These two latest student chairs in the last picture were very close copies of my demo chair. Before the class, students can let me know if they would like to make a chair to be painted or one of cherry and ash to left natural. Take a look at my Classes website for information about this class.

My demo chair

Grouping of my demo chairs

Demo chairs

Finished student chairs from this most recent class.

Ziggy says, "I like it!"

Enjoy the fall!

Tim

The Kitchen Chair - Progress was made

 New chair designs, due to their many angles and complex shapes, can be a real challenge to 'get right' at the start. I need to see it together to know if it works or not. I am finally there with this one after a few starts and stops. That does not mean that I won't tweak it over time, but I am very pleased with this one now.

I named this the Kitchen Chair as it is on the small side of designs and reminds me of little traditional chairs that we no longer see very much of. These were seen at a country kitchen table and not a fancy dining room. At 160 pounds and around 5'9" tall, the chair works for me and it comfortable but not really a lounging chair.  It may not be the thing for a larger person. The seat is nice and the back is flexible but maybe not an all day chair. I love the look and how it gives an uncluttered look around the table. It is easy to move around and to get in and out of. Perfect for a breakfast table in a small dining area, or yes, the kitchen.

This chair will be a perfect teaching chair. I have been wanting a design for classes and do not like the idea of teaching someone else's design. Finally, I had some time to work out this new design and I think it will work nicely for a class where students make their own chair. Take a look at my Classes portion of my website to see this and other classes that I am teaching out of my shop. https://www.timothyclark.com/classeshome.html

You will notice that this chair is still rough looking. It is dry assembled but not glued together. The interesting thing about Windsor chairs is that you could use one like this indefinitely and never finish it, as sitting in it only pushes the joints together unlike a table that will most likely fall apart when used if joints are not 'finished'.  Still, I will finish it up soon with milk paint. 

Ziggy says, "Happy Spring!"

Actually, he said, "Put that camera away please"

The Kitchen Chair - Creating the Design

I have always loved little wooden kitchen chairs and finally had some time to work on a design.  What makes these chairs great is their simplicity and compact size.  The challenge also, is their simplicity and compact size.  I was inspired by a little wooden chair that I found last year but I did scale it a bit bigger and taller but smaller than my other designs. 

For this design, I used the a 3D CAD program to draw up and design the seat pattern and a hand held CNC computer guided router to cut out the pattern.  

The chair itself will be made mostly with hand tools. I will offer this design for sale but I also plan to create a class where students will build this chair.  Therefore all of the shaping of the seat will be done by hand.

The spokeshave and hand plane will work the outside of the seat and at this point, I am debating leaving tool marks or smoothing some sections further with sanding.

I chose to make the legs similar to my other chairs, but skinnier, as were the legs of many antique kitchen chairs. 

 

Stay Tuned for progress on this design.

Spring is coming,

Tim