allen levine
Member
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- new york city burbs
I tossed around the idea of posting anything else about the chairs Im building.
Its easy for the masters here to post amazing pieces of furniture and other woodcrafts, but its not easy for people like me with limited abilities, and limited knowledge to post their bloopers.
I knew the challenges and obstacles before I started, pooled and extracted as much advice and answers as I could from the good spirited people of this site, and decided to undertake this project.
If at anytime I came to a complete standstill, I figured Id remind myself its only a hobby, this isnt going to be some life altering event. Its only 6 chairs.
6 LOUSY CHAIRS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sorry about the nonsense, but to say Im frustrated, is an enormous understatement.
Its been a frustrating month, decompensated old fourth nerve palsey.
Sounds bad,(it isnt) but I cant blame my lack of skill on a bad right eye.
ONto the project:
I listened to Toni, decided to spend the extra time, Im in no rush, to do one chair first. I had cut all the front legs and rear legs already, rough cutting, and today I planed them all to same thickness, using Toms advice about doing them all at once and setting the final thickness so they all are same.
Worked out fine, selected some wood, jointed and planed it to right thickness for other parts, cut parts for one chair, and then the frustrations mounted.
I placed the first rear leg on the particle board template, using Rhino 2 sided tape, lining the entire template with tape, and placed the first leg on it.
Hand held dewalt router and 1.5 inch flush trim bit, not anywhere as easy as it sounds to hold that router on a 2 inch wide leg, but the first leg came out beautiful. Uh........the rhino tape, well, I spent 45 minutes rubbing it off first leg.
I then placed alot less rhino tape on the first leg I cut, and attached a second leg to it to get a nice match.
I made one slight wrong move, and the router tipped top over first, and I dug out a 1/2 groove 1.5 inches from the top of the leg. I believe I shifted my grip and when I used a bit more force, I tilted the router off,(or the two legs shifted a bit) and thats all she wrote.
I ruined the leg, and I dont have any extra thick stock, unless I either make 5 chairs or glue up, which I didnt want to.
I called in my wife, explained the 39.5 inches height, could be taken down to 38.25 inches, and it would be close to a high back chair, make one shorter, 5 taller, but I decided I will cut them all down one inch, it wont be a disaster, and I wont waste a leg.
I took a break, I was out there all day, and when I got up to leave, I hit a piece of wood I had on the table, and the second leg I finished, shot off the table, and landed on end, and yes, it cracked about 2 inches down from top.
So one leg was routed poorly, and the second perfect leg was now cracked.
I didnt throw anything, I reminded myself about my blood pressure, and said, hey, its only my hobby.
Its easy for the masters here to post amazing pieces of furniture and other woodcrafts, but its not easy for people like me with limited abilities, and limited knowledge to post their bloopers.
I knew the challenges and obstacles before I started, pooled and extracted as much advice and answers as I could from the good spirited people of this site, and decided to undertake this project.
If at anytime I came to a complete standstill, I figured Id remind myself its only a hobby, this isnt going to be some life altering event. Its only 6 chairs.
6 LOUSY CHAIRS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sorry about the nonsense, but to say Im frustrated, is an enormous understatement.
Its been a frustrating month, decompensated old fourth nerve palsey.
Sounds bad,(it isnt) but I cant blame my lack of skill on a bad right eye.
ONto the project:
I listened to Toni, decided to spend the extra time, Im in no rush, to do one chair first. I had cut all the front legs and rear legs already, rough cutting, and today I planed them all to same thickness, using Toms advice about doing them all at once and setting the final thickness so they all are same.
Worked out fine, selected some wood, jointed and planed it to right thickness for other parts, cut parts for one chair, and then the frustrations mounted.
I placed the first rear leg on the particle board template, using Rhino 2 sided tape, lining the entire template with tape, and placed the first leg on it.
Hand held dewalt router and 1.5 inch flush trim bit, not anywhere as easy as it sounds to hold that router on a 2 inch wide leg, but the first leg came out beautiful. Uh........the rhino tape, well, I spent 45 minutes rubbing it off first leg.
I then placed alot less rhino tape on the first leg I cut, and attached a second leg to it to get a nice match.
I made one slight wrong move, and the router tipped top over first, and I dug out a 1/2 groove 1.5 inches from the top of the leg. I believe I shifted my grip and when I used a bit more force, I tilted the router off,(or the two legs shifted a bit) and thats all she wrote.
I ruined the leg, and I dont have any extra thick stock, unless I either make 5 chairs or glue up, which I didnt want to.
I called in my wife, explained the 39.5 inches height, could be taken down to 38.25 inches, and it would be close to a high back chair, make one shorter, 5 taller, but I decided I will cut them all down one inch, it wont be a disaster, and I wont waste a leg.
I took a break, I was out there all day, and when I got up to leave, I hit a piece of wood I had on the table, and the second leg I finished, shot off the table, and landed on end, and yes, it cracked about 2 inches down from top.
So one leg was routed poorly, and the second perfect leg was now cracked.
I didnt throw anything, I reminded myself about my blood pressure, and said, hey, its only my hobby.
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