Lapidaryforum.net
Off Topic Area => Other Hobbies => Topic started by: ToTheSummit on June 24, 2015, 08:29:13 PM
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Of course what brings us all to this site is our love of stones, but another common thread we have is that we are all craftsman/artisans to one degree or another. And I'm sure that all of you appreciate fine works of craftsmanship in all things just as I do. So in that vein I would like to share my Dads work. I have shared my Dads woodworking skills in the past but I think its time to show off some of what he is doing lately since he never ceases to amaze me.
He started woodworking as a hobby about 15 years ago. Started with basic furniture and continued to hone his skills. It was when he started making rocking chairs that his true craftsmanship and skill reared its head. His chairs are reminiscent of the work done by the late Sam Maloof (who my Dad had the good fortune to meet a few years before he died). However my Dad has made many design and style changes along the way and really made these chairs his own thing. He has built somewhere close to 30 rocking chairs now and there are always about 5 or 6 in various stages of progress underway at any given time.
He started out building basic rockers out of common woods. Walnut, maple, etc. These were a couple early ones...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v521/ToTheSummit/Dads%20Chairs/chairs1.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/ToTheSummit/media/Dads%20Chairs/chairs1.jpg.html)
Soon he started trying out more exotic woods. This one is 'purple heart'. Keep in mind, my Dad uses no stains in his woodworking. All woods you see are finished to their natural colors. His motto is "You can't improve on what Mother Nature can do."
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v521/ToTheSummit/Dads%20Chairs/chairs2.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/ToTheSummit/media/Dads%20Chairs/chairs2.jpg.html)
The realization was not far behind that mixing different woods in a single chair could be a lot of fun. This one combined purple heart and something else (maybe cherry?).
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v521/ToTheSummit/Dads%20Chairs/chairs3.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/ToTheSummit/media/Dads%20Chairs/chairs3.jpg.html)
But a few years ago he wowed everyone when he turned out his first patchwork chair. Remember, there are no stains here. All woods are their natural colors.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v521/ToTheSummit/Dads%20Chairs/patchwork2.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/ToTheSummit/media/Dads%20Chairs/patchwork2.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v521/ToTheSummit/Dads%20Chairs/patchwork3.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/ToTheSummit/media/Dads%20Chairs/patchwork3.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v521/ToTheSummit/Dads%20Chairs/patchwork4.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/ToTheSummit/media/Dads%20Chairs/patchwork4.jpg.html)
He has since done a couple of these patchwork chairs, and right now is in the process of building two more (one for my sister and one for my step-sister). Here are the seats for those two as of last weekend.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v521/ToTheSummit/Dads%20Chairs/PatchworkSeats_zpsybxst03u.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/ToTheSummit/media/Dads%20Chairs/PatchworkSeats_zpsybxst03u.jpg.html)
But it didn't end at the patchwork patterns. My Dad is constantly dreaming up new ideas and this year he has wowed us all again. Right now he has two chairs under construction with plaid pattern woodwork seats. Thats right....I said plaid and woodwork together!
Here is plaid chair number one under construction. The headboard he just clamped on to show me how it looks. The frame is zebra wood and is one of the only woods with a lively enough grain to compete with the pattern of the seat. This chair is going to be off the charts when finished!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v521/ToTheSummit/Dads%20Chairs/Plaid1a_zps8uvmlrjj.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/ToTheSummit/media/Dads%20Chairs/Plaid1a_zps8uvmlrjj.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v521/ToTheSummit/Dads%20Chairs/Plaid1b_zpsaeq8gz6v.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/ToTheSummit/media/Dads%20Chairs/Plaid1b_zpsaeq8gz6v.jpg.html)
This is the other plaid chair under construction. This one has a very dark wood frame. The name of the wood escapes me at the moment, but he has done an entire chair from this dark wood.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v521/ToTheSummit/Dads%20Chairs/Plaid2_zpsxaigsc5k.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/ToTheSummit/media/Dads%20Chairs/Plaid2_zpsxaigsc5k.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v521/ToTheSummit/Dads%20Chairs/DadsShop_zps7y5gyjpu.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/ToTheSummit/media/Dads%20Chairs/DadsShop_zps7y5gyjpu.jpg.html)
Of course he hasn't stopped at plaid. Next thing I heard was talk of a 'hounds tooth' pattern. I thought "There ain't no way! This is getting ridiculous!!" But yes, there IS a way..and my Dad is always the one to find it! Here is the latest experiment for a seat. There is something like 1300 individual pieces of wood in this seat!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v521/ToTheSummit/Dads%20Chairs/HoundsTooth1_zps9oinpn4q.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/ToTheSummit/media/Dads%20Chairs/HoundsTooth1_zps9oinpn4q.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v521/ToTheSummit/Dads%20Chairs/HoundsTooth2_zpsslrlw30r.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/ToTheSummit/media/Dads%20Chairs/HoundsTooth2_zpsslrlw30r.jpg.html)
And so it goes on. I am always waiting to see what he does next. Just when I think he can't stun me he does it again. But thats not to say that all he does are crazy patterns these days. He still builds traditional chairs. He is just putting the finishing touches on one that he is giving to me. I am sorry to say that once again the name of the wood has escaped me (I should remember since this is to be my chair) but it is a stunningly beautiful wood that comes from somewhere overseas. I think the name starts with a "B". I'll share the name when I remember.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v521/ToTheSummit/Dads%20Chairs/MyChair_zpsdleocoin.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/ToTheSummit/media/Dads%20Chairs/MyChair_zpsdleocoin.jpg.html)
So thats a little tour through my Dads hobby. I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I enjoy bragging about him.
:thumbsup:
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HOLY SMOKES! :icescream: :love7:
I'll wager he probably doesn't do custom orders or anything like that. If he's anything like my 78 year old father-in-law he makes items just for family and that's it as he has gotten to that point where larger things aren't as easy for him to do.
My Father-in-law does woodworking as well and I own scroll saw Christmas Tree Ornaments created by him, beautiful wood trivets, and a gorgeous smokin' beading loom! I told him I was looking for one and told him the dimensions and gave him some images and next thing I knew I had a beading loom that rocks!
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OMG!!!!! Those are absolutely stunning! I would love to have one of those chairs gracing my home. You all are lucky, lucky ducks to have such a talented dad that can make beautiful rockers like that. Those are heirlooms to be handed down through the generations. :notworthy:
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Those are extraordinary! Oh my goodness, how wonderful!
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Fantastic work. Your pop is an artist!
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All I can say is WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
He is making some family treasures that will be around forever; and with his artistry, will probably get recognized outside your family. Great stuff
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He has given away most of what he has built so far. He has at least a half dozen or so finished chairs sitting around his house. A few were sold to people who either insisted on paying or asked him to make one special for them. But so far every chair, even those who paid, has gone to someone close (friend or family member). He has finally decided to sell some chairs though. Hes gonna show them somewhere and see if a few sell. He said it would be nice to recoup some of his costs for materials.
He just chuckles when he talks about the cost of his chairs. He doesn't even begin to factor in his time. It truly is a passion for him and he would do it even if nobody else ever saw them. But he spends ungodly amounts of money on exotic woods. Last weekend while showing me some amazing pieces of lacewood he was getting ready to start a seat out of he quipped "Nobody does furniture out of some of these woods, mainly because people scoff at spending $1500 on the wood for a single chair." But the cost of the woods never scare him, his biggest problem is finding them most of the time.
Oh, and the wood that my chair is made out of is Tazmanian blackwood and the dark wood on the second plaid chair is wenge.
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Purple Heart has been one of my favorites for over a decade. And Wenge probably the second. As soon as I saw the purple heart I knew that he was doing it for love. And the workmanship shows that as well.
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i just love working with wood.
I used to have a huge wood shop at my disposal, made many things but nothing that even compares to these chairs.
Just beautiful
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A nice addition to the world! A friend was a wood worker from generations of wood workers from England. He used traditional techniques that required a very hefty price tag and made his craft infeasible in the US. My friend turned his skills to boatbuilding because the wealthy need boats to show off their wealth and did well financially. I bet your father could make beautiful small craft . Prams ( boats not baby carriages ) are all the rage with certain groups of fly fishermen around the country who are keeping some skilled wood workers in business. A wonderful visual adventure for your Dad and the lucky folks gifted with his work.
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His work is impressive, someday in the future it will reside in some wealthy dudes impressive collection of early 21st century furniture collection. Enjoy it fully before he gets his hands on it.
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I brought my chair home this week and I wanted to share one more picture of a new chair under way. This is zebra wood but it is cut a certain way to bring out this pattern. He tried to describe it to me, but I don't fully understand, he just says that you don't see zebra wood cut like this very often because it wastes a lot of wood. If you can even find some it is expensive to buy. But I think the results are worth it. This will be my favorite chair to date when it is finished.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v521/ToTheSummit/Dads%20Chairs/zebra_zpsbozvzupg.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/ToTheSummit/media/Dads%20Chairs/zebra_zpsbozvzupg.jpg.html)
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just amazing workmanship....jaw dropping
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Truly an amazing artist and gorgeous wood. I do not want to start an argument, I am just throwing in a friendly reminder that the reason some of those woods are hard to get is because it has all been cut down and where some of them come from they do not replant. Your father uses a small insignificant amount of most of it but it adds up when a lot of people do the same thing. I would guess that with all the intricate design and tiny pieces every last piece of the wood is used leaving no scrap.
The really great thing about these is that you will never need to buy another one because they will last many lifetimes and possibly forever if they are cared for. I can see a hundred babies rocked in those without any significant wear. They are not something that you can run out and buy especially with the workmanship.
Few people reach his skill level and my hat is off to him.
Jim
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Those are some really stunning pieces. Gorgeous wood and a lovely pattern, and they look comfortable to boot! Not anything like the old back-stabbing rocking chair that's been in my family for a while.
A note on the woods- ethically sourced equatorial hardwoods can be an excellent source of income for indigenous peoples and is sometimes used as a cottage industry to teach and encourage sound forestry techniques. Unfortunately, it's rare for an indigenous tribe to keep control of valuable timber long enough to teach the next generation how to plant and steward trees that can take decades to mature, and the quick cash of selling the whole forest can pay for a lot of immediate needs. A presentation by a local lumber company recently pointed out how paying a high price for a rare hardwood from the right seller can really help people by encouraging a sustainable industry. There were certain hardwoods they refused to deal with because they couldn't guarantee an ethical supply chain, or verify the point of origin, but were proud to deal in others when they could demonstrate that the trees were harvested and handled in an ethical manner.
Either way, your father is doing some incredible artistry with those materials!
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Thank you for that information @kaljaia I have heard a little bit about it but probably need to do some research before opening my big fingers.
Jim
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WoW that is some great workmen ship on all them chairs.
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Is he mentoring anyone to carry on these terrific woodworking skills? It would be a shame to lose the knowledge and skills that he has developed over the years.
On another note, when is he going to start inlaying stones in his creations? Some turquoise would look great in the darker woods.
Bob