Last week I finally purchased some wood! I bought a stick of ebony for the screw plugs at Woodcraft, and then I bought 21 board feet of 8/4 black walnut at Crosscut Hardwoods in Seattle. I’m always impressed with the vast selection of rough cut woods at Crosscut. The plans say that the chair will require approximately 40-50 board feet of wood. So, why did I only get 21 bf? For starters, I only needed this much to create the seat and the front legs. Also, these pieces were in the best shape and had the grain patterns I liked. The stock is always turning over, so if I go back another time, I can probably find some with grain I like better. A piece of furniture this nice deserves nice wood, so be picky and get wood without knots or imperfections.
The plans call for 10/4 wood for the arms and headrest. Crosscut doesn’t carry 10/4 in the walnut, but they do have 12/4. [For you newbies, rough cut wood is measured approximately in quarter inches. So, 8/4 wood is approximately 2 inches thick, 12/4 is approximately 3” thick, etc. A board foot is a measurement of volume consisting of 144 cubic inches. A board that is 1” thick, 12” wide, and 12” long is one board foot (12x12x1=144). A board that is 2” thick, 3” wide, and 24” long is also one board foot (2x3x24=144).]
I’ve watched the videos and read the plans several times now. I highly recommend this. Although I was taking notes and sketching during the videos, I still learned something new each time. Sometimes, as I thought through the assembly, I would have a question and have to go through the video again. There are several differences between the Maloof design and the design in the Brock plans, so I had to sort out those differences and then decide which method or design feature I was going to use. I will try to point out those differences as I go through the build.
One revelation I had was that the router bits required for the saddle joints are so large that they require 1/2” shanks. My router only has a 1/4“ collet. Darn…I guess I’ll have to buy a new router. :) The other thing I realized is that the front legs require turning and are 19” long. My Jet mini-lathe only has a 14” capacity. While this sounds like a great excuse for a new lathe, I really don’t have the room for a full-size lathe, and I don’t do that much turning. I think in this case, I’ll just try to find a friend that will let me borrow his/hers for a little while.
Speaking of friends… if you are new to woodworking, or just want to hang out with like-minded woodworkers, look into local clubs and guilds. I’m a member of the Northwest Woodworking Guild in Seattle. Besides being inspired by the other members amazing work, I also get to learn a lot at each monthly meeting. In addition, for the small annual dues, I get discounts at Woodcraft, Rockler, and Crosscut Woods.
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