Spring Chair Build-Completion Photos

 Hello All,

The chair build is done so here are the photos:

This is a very versatile chair-it can be used in or out of doors and with or without cushioning. I am going to use it indoors so it will have the blue cushion in place for comfort. 
The plans worked out very well and I'm planning on making two more chairs out of cedar to use as deck chairs. So if you're looking for a simple chair that wasn't very expensive or complicated to make, this chair is something you should consider.

Ok, I'm waiting for the music box mechanism to arrive and when that's done, I'm going to attach the lathe extension and make a serving tray so stay tuned.

VW

The Music Box Project, continued-Shaping the turning blank

 Hi Everyone,

Well, after a run of cool, rainy weather, the sun is out and it's warm outside. Perfect turning weather.

I glued up the turning block yesterday afternoon and here are the photos:

Here is the block in clamps. I used original Gorilla Glue for this as when it's activated with water, it foams and fills any small gaps or spaces:

Here it is this morning after I took off the clamps-it looks like a big sandwich with mayonnaise squeezing out the sides!

I then took the block and trimmed off the glue and the irregular surfaces:

And I also cut off the corners to make turning the block into a cylinder easier:

Then I placed it between centers and got out my roughing chisel and turned the block into a cylinder and I must say the colors look really cool: 

And this is where it stands now. 

The next step is to establish the dimensions for the music box and I'll think about that the next day or so.

Ahhh, the floor underneath the lathe, slowly being covered with wood chips. Love it!

Stay tuned, 

VW

The Music Box project-the turning block, continued

 Hi Everyone,

Well, I got several small pieces of wood-one piece of red heart and one piece of bocote-and brought them back and cut them into small sections. Here's where I am with the blank:

So from left to right I've got hard maple, red heart with white oak, Spanish cedar, furniture grade plywood, mahogany, and purple heart with bocote (the pieces aren't glued yet).

The block, when it's glued up, will be cut down on all sides and the top to prepare it for turning and the shape of the music box will look like this plastic cup:

So the round shape of the box will look different from the square shape.

Stay tuned.

VW

The Music Box Project-constructing a turning block

 Hi Everyone,

I've been thinking about the intersection of disability and craft. I want the music box to be functional-that is an object that will house the music mechanism and enhance  it's volume and also standout in a typical living environment so it will be noticed and hopefully picked up, wound up, and listened to. To that end I'm going to make a laminated block and try to make the block as colorful as I can with the wood I have available here. 

Let's take a look at this:

I began with several pieces of ash wood and a small section of Spanish cedar which would be used as a lid. This would produce a box that is basically yellow with a reddish brown lid. Not visually interesting.

Next, I tried re-arranging the block. Still no.

I tried adding some reddish woods to the mix. Getting better but still no.

This is when I decided to pull out my treasured piece of purple heart wood and some white oak. I cut them into sticks and looked at them:

Getting better. Then I placed the sticks together and alternated the colors to produced a checkered effect and placed it with several other different types of wood together in a block:

It's getting better. I think the addition of some dark brown or black wood would be a good idea so I'm off on Monday to find some walnut and then do more re-arranging.

Stay tuned, 
VW

The Music Box Project

 Hi Everyone,

The chair from yesterday's post has had more wood stain applied to it and tomorrow I'll put on a polyurethane finish. It's drying right now and you'll see it early next week. While I'm waiting for everything to dry, it's time to begin planning the next project, which will be a music box for a friend of mine. Here's the story:

I have a dear friend who has received a diagnosis of dementia, which for her is a terminal diagnosis. As probably all of you know several of the features of dementia such as memory loss and confusion can really alter a person's life and make old friends and loved ones unrecognizable to the person afflicted with this.

Fortunately my friend has family and neighbors who help her out but I've been wondering if there is a wood working project that might help her remember not only me but her other cat lady friends. 

Music it seems is one way to help a dementia patient connect with memories and so I put two and two together and decided a music box might help her remember her friends someday so a music box it is. 

Discussion and Plans

I made a music box on my old lathe some years ago for a cousin who was having a baby. I used a tree branch for the project and installed a mechanism that played "Teddy Bear Parade." It worked quite well.

For this project I'm going to make a laminated block out of different colors of wood so the resulting box will stand out in her environment both to her and or a future caregiver who hopefully will be prompted to pick up the box and wind it up. It's my hope she'll hear the music and have a happy memory enter her mind.
 

So I'm going to turn the box on the lathe in the shape of a musical horn, only not quite a flared and with a lid to keep out dust. The key to the mechanism will be underneath the box. Since I have the wood and everything else I need for the box, the only thing I'll need is the mechanism.

I'm going to glue up the box this weekend and I'll begin posting about this in detail then.

Stay tuned, 
VW

Spring Chair Build

 Hello All,

Sorry I've been absent for a while. I've been working on my home and very consumed with that. I have, however, finished the birthday chair present for my husband. It's very comfortable, stable, and it fits his measurements perfectly. Here's the photos and a brief discussion.

We had a lot of very worn out furniture here and over the past year we've given away or discarded almost all of it. We have a very small living room and we needed some chairs for it. I've looked online at numerous plans and designs and the one that impressed me the most and is the most doable with the equipment I have is this one from the Family Handyman website. It's titled Perfect Patio Chairs You Can Build. The plans are very clear and simple to follow and the chair can be build with good quality pine or cedar from a big box store. There are some angled cuts to be made but those can be made if you don't have a mitre saw if you're careful. 

The entire build can be seen on the web page above so I didn't think I needed to illustrate it here. I followed the plans exactly and the chair went together easily with just a few clamps to hold parts steady. I built the chair on my drive way which is very level and you'll need a level surface for this and also someone to help with assembly as needed. 

I've built many things from online plans. My personal favorite is Ana White's furniture plans which are easy to follow and I've always had great results. These plans are right up there. Easy to follow, not difficult, well illustrated, and free! 

Here's some photos that I just took:

The chair can be used with or without a cushion and the plans recommend the appropriate size cushion for this chair. I purchased one from Overstock.com with the recommended dimensions and the cushion fits perfectly. 

The total price for the materials, hardware, and the cushion came to $110.00. 

I recommend these plans if you are thinking of building a chair for your living room or for outside use.

I still have to work on the finish so I'll be posting the completion photos next week.

Stay tuned,

VW