Just to bring things up to date, it is FALL here in the mountains and most of the leaves have turned and dropped. The temps have dropped too, but it is still real nice when the sun is out. Yesterday, we had a few minutes of sloppy snow during a shower and more is forecast for early next week.
We even fired up the wood stove in the shop yesterday.
There are many projects on line right now, one that has turned out nice is the painting of the Skiadirondack Chairs (vs. stained and sealed), which have added some color to the patio. Marlys has been matching the color to the skis...or vice versa. The oil enamel paint really puts a solid finish on the chairs for the winter.Pretty soon the fire pit will need to be moved in to place and replace the table, but we have a fire ban in effect right now.
We also have a new bench in process for visitors to use in removing shoes at the door. Marlys is doing some wood burning on it, but we hope to have it ready in the next few days.
I have also spent a few hours working on the design and measurements for a "Molesworth Club Chair". which has been pretty enlightening.
Thomas Molesworth who is noted for his Cowboy style furniture is also noted for never having used plans. So for those of us attempting to recreate his pieces it can be a real challenge. I have relied on information available from other builders and photographs. Using this info I have made a mock up out of OSB, and remade the mock up, and remade the mock up.
The first one nearly gave me a concussion, when I set down in it and it went right over on its back...I guess the back angle and center of gravity were wrong. Well that is what the mock up was for...testing the design, not ending up on my back in the shop...just missed smacking into the vertical vise on the side of the workbench.
I guess a clear space should be on the mockup check list...and maybe a mattress to land on.
25 degrees of back angle was too much. So, I went back to the web to see if there was a rule of thumb for back angle I should start with as my work with a protractor and photographs was not working.
Luckily, I found some good info at a Cornell University site. This got me into the ballpark, at least I wasn't tipping over. The second version of the mock up had a total back angle of 15 degrees. OK but not just right. Since, I hadn't flipped on to my back this time I could check some of the other dimensions. The arms were too low and the seat pan was too long, also the seat height was OK, but since this is a club chair (for lounging), it could probably be a little lower.
Marlys sat in it and blew the arm off. This was after all a mock not a real chair and was only held together with a few screws.
So back to the drawing board.
5 degrees was added to the back angle, the arms were raised 2 inches, the seat pan was narrowed 2 inches as was its depth.
I also sawed the uprights for the arms to check proportions and work out the log diameter for the back.
I am still fiddling with the dimensions, put this is what the mock up looks like right now.The coffee cans on the upright was to gauge different diameters for the rear milled log uprights.
The arm uprights are at two different setbacks from the front of the seat, as I am still looking at that.
The tape on the bottom was so that an accurate angle measurement could be made.
I still don't like the visual proportions of the seat base to the overall chair size, but that is for the next version of the mock up, at least this one didn't try and kill me when I set down in it...very gently.
As I began this post there was a deer sitting outside the office window. I stayed there for a few hours and didn't seem to be too bothered by the dogs or Marlys going out on the back porch (deck). As you can see we are kinda green...we (actually Marlys) sometimes uses a clothesline.
Next week, the milling of the boards for the dresser begins.
And the next chair mock up.
