I found a 8/4 scrap of Beech that I could just get the legs out of for both the chair and table and a piece of 4/4 Poplar for the aprons and stretchers. For now I'm planning on using some White Oak for the seat and table top but that is a maybe.
You can't tell much from either of these two photos but I have 'em and I control the mouse. The legs are rough milled and set in approximate position. Photos from the front and back:
I've since finished milling and marked out the mortices on the legs and the tenon on the stretchers:
Before going to work yesterday I managed to chop one of the twelve mortices for the chair. I expect to beaver away on the remaining mortices today as long as I can before my 16:00 day job "show".
The table will wait until the chair is finished so I can be sure they fit together.
BTW, yesterday morning before I finished final mark out I had a bit of re-design panic....."Only on the back did I 'complete the box,' oh shit it will fall apart at the first contact of kid butt." I went back and googled kids chairs and most of them had legs with only top stretchers. Re-design panic over, if it falls apart I'll just blame google. To add some strength I will use a slat seat screwed (thank you Bob) to the top rails.
More photos to follow as the build progresses, I hope they will be a little more interesting.
ken
Ahhh grand kids, all we have so far are grand critters:-)
ReplyDeleteI don't suppose a very young child need to be build like a tank, but heh, may as well over built it for parental safety. Besides you never know what the munchkind is going to do to it :-)
have fun with the built i am sure the little one is going to like it
Bob, with a long tradition of overbuilding everything to last, short of a thermo nuclear blast, that's what my school desk was suppose to protect me against :-)
Crap, that should read of course " a very young child chair need to be built..."
ReplyDeleteBTW could not help noticing in your first pic, out the open garage door that you have no snow!
ReplyDeleteAin't you glad I recently moved you back from Colorado to Arizona in a recent post :-)
Bob, who need to shovel Rudy's poop track, its getting covered back in snow...
Woodworking differs from flying in that flying blind without an "instrument rating" is almost never fatal, as you have just demonstrated. I think that making something with only a very general plan is a lot of fun and has the advantage that you are continually designing throughout the project. It surprises me how well it usually works out. Even if you make a major mistake, you can usually back up a little and work around it.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I still have the workbench my grandfather made for my 5th birthday 60 years ago and I treasure it. It has no stretchers and is just fine.
Exact plans are totally overrated ;-)
ReplyDeleteEven if I didn't got your complete idea I'm curious to see the build.
Cheers,
Stefan
Bob,
ReplyDeleteIt was in the mid 40F (7C) and raining the other day, does that count? The older I get the less I can do Winter.
ken
Andy,
ReplyDeleteI almost never build from plans and when I do it is usually such a disaster the project is never finished. But with most builds I have some idea of how big and what is needed to make it work. This time not a clue. I guess I will find out once finished if it works.
It would be nice to have something like your bench, most of my childhood things are gone as if with the wind.
ken
Stefan,
ReplyDeleteI agree.
I'm chopping mortices, and should be able to dry fit in a day or two. Then I'll see if the proportions are correct.
ken