Batch of mesquite dining chairs

[Kirk Constable]

This is the largest batch of chairs 10) I've done in several years, and will sit around an 8' table my buddy Randy built. Nothin' really special about them other than they're DONE. :rolleyes:

I like the upholstered seats because I've done enough wood seats to be sick of them. The upholstered model may actually take a bit more time beause nothing is really hidden by the seat, so there's more glue cleanup and more 'fiddling' with some joints.

Minwax Natural Stain/Sealant for a shot of 'oil' look, topped with Sherwin Williams Medium-Rubbed Effect pre-cat. I normally use the dull sheen, but Randy uses the semi-gloss, so we needed them to match. :thumb:

http://www.kcwoodworks.net/ch1.jpg


http://www.kcwoodworks.net/ch2.jpg

[Rennie Heuer]

WOW.

They look fantastic and comfortable. Beautiful work!:thumb:

[Frank Fusco]

Mesquite furniture? Unique and beautiful, great work.

[Ken Garlock]

You did good, Kirk.

The figure in the wood is a delight to the eye, a welcome change after seeing so many dull mono-color chairs. You hit the finish just right. I like to see some shine, and the stain you used complements the wood. If your budy doesn't want them, I will be down to pick them up.;) :)

[Vaughn McMillan]

They look great, KC. Did you bend the slats in the backs, or were they cut that way out of solid stock?

[Jesse Cloud]

Looking good! Only problem with chairs is you gotta make em in batches -huh:rolleyes:

I'll bet there were chair parts every where you looked for a while:D

[Kirk Constable]

They look great, KC. Did you bend the slats in the backs, or were they cut that way out of solid stock?

Thankee. :)

Slats are bent lamination (two pieces 3/16" each). I resaw the six pieces for one chair from one piece of 8/4 material so at least the slats will 'match' each other in a particular chair.

The upper and lower back support and rear seat frame pieces are cut from 8/4 also (nor laminated). I try to cut all three of these pieces from at least the same board, and if I get lucky, side by side. Hard to find good material that wide (8" or so) and thick, so I usually ionly get two side by side, and one in the next length. So I can get 6 pieces for two chairs out of a stick of 8/4 5-1/2" wide by 36' long or so. In this group of ten, I think I only had to 'cheat' and use mixed boards on one chair.

[Stuart Ablett]

KC, those are really nice, man, I bet the whole set is stunning to see! :clap: :D :bow:

[Jeff Horton]

Sweet! My wife has wanted a new Dinning room set for a years now. She knows exactly what she wants and as you know they are not cheap! I have been thinking that as my skill improves I might try this. The table is the easy part, making 8-10 chairs.... that scares me to be honest!

I tip my hat to you!

[Jim O'Dell]

KC, that's beautiful. I had missed seeing pictures of your craftsmanship over at SMC. Thanks for posting for the Family! Jim.

[Nancy Laird]

Kirk, these are really pretty chairs and look a lot more comfortable than my old school-room chairs. Just out of curiosity, how much would you charge for a set of, say, 6? You can PM me if you don't want to divulge in public.

Nancy

[Cecil Arnold]

K.C.

I didn't think there was room for your work to improve, but you proved me wrong. Really great looking.

[Ron Jones]

Great looking chairs KC! Thanks for sharing. I also am one of those who look forward to seeing your work.

[tod evans]

very nice kc!

[Bruce Page]

Wow, that’s a lot of chairs! I bet each one is equally beautiful!
How long does it take to make 10 chairs?

[Cody Colston]

Beautiful chairs, KC.

I've made the first (prototype) chair to go with a Mesquite dining table I made and I'd appreciate hearing some of your construction details.

Did you use integral mortise & tenon, loose tenon, dowels or what? Are the seats narrower at the back than at the front? Are the back legs closer at the bottom than at the top?

I'm waiting until I get some 8/4 stock before I finish making my chair set. I glued up stock for the legs on the prototype and don't want to do it on the rest. Meanwhile, I'd sure like to hear some more about yours.

Cody

[Kirk Constable]

Beautiful chairs, KC.

I've made the first (prototype) chair to go with a Mesquite dining table I made and I'd appreciate hearing some of your construction details.

Did you use integral mortise & tenon, loose tenon, dowels or what? Are the seats narrower at the back than at the front? Are the back legs closer at the bottom than at the top?

I'm waiting until I get some 8/4 stock before I finish making my chair set. I glued up stock for the legs on the prototype and don't want to do it on the rest. Meanwhile, I'd sure like to hear some more about yours.

Cody

Thanks for all the kind words, folks. :)

Nancy, I sent you a PM.

Cody, I use integral M&T. Loose tenons might make this design easier, because a lot of the cuts are angles, and some are compound. The seat is two inches wider at the front than the back. The legs are straight up and down...no 'splay out' at the top.

Bruce, when I was WW full time, I could build 4 chairs a week (start to finish, including spraying) and work on a table as well if I 'got after it'. Since I'm not doing it full time anymore I spin my wheels a lot :( . I probably have 13-14 hours each in these.

[Norman Hitt]

Well Bud, Yer Done it agin!! The Grain is Beautiful, and I must say, I REALLY like that Finish you used on them. It's got Just the Right Amount of shine to it to stand out without being too Glossy or looking like a Thick layer of finish, and I'm Certain that they look even better in person.:thumb:

Note that I didn't mention the craftsmanship, 'cause that's a GIVEN from you.:D

Have you made any progress on the new shop planning yet?

[Kirk Constable]

I do a lot of new shop planning when I'm out there in the hovel working. :(

No ground breaking yet, but I only one more 'deadline' project to get out... then I'm gonna get serious.

I had a couple days of decent weather while I was sanding parts for these chairs, and took advantage of the 'tailgate workbench' to keep the dust down inside. I'd forgotten how much cleaner it is to sand outdoors, so I'll be having a covered work area outdoors when the new place goes up. :thumb:

KC

[Jay Lock]

Kirk

Great work, thanks for the post! :thumb:

Jay

[Jason Tuinstra]

They're fantastic. Very, very nice.