Here’s a short video that shows how to use the Crucible Chairpanzee to work with photographs of furniture to create simple drilling settings for the compound-angle mortises.
In the video, I show how to convert a chair’s “rake” and “splay” into “sightline” and “resultant” angles using the Chairpanzee. Why would you want to do this? It makes the drilling much easier.
If you have only the rake and splay, then you usually use two sliding bevel tools to drill the mortise – one for rake and the other for splay – and have to obey both tools as you drill. It’s do-able, of course, as I worked that way for years.
By using trigonometry (or the Chairpanzee) to convert things to sightline and resultant angles, you have to obey only one sliding bevel tool. It makes drilling compound angles as easy as possible.
Here’s the video:
There are other ways to use the Chairpanzee. You can use it to design new chairs, stools and tables from scratch. I’ll make a video showing that process sometime in the near future.
The Chairpanzee is available in our store for $16 plus $4 domestic shipping anywhere in the United States.
— Christopher Schwarz
You forgot to insert the video on how to use the Chairpanzee
Nope. It’s there. Emails don’t show the embedded video. If you click through to the website the video will be visible. Or use this link:
Love the video (very helpful) and the music is awesome!
I don’t make chairs, but I may start so I can use a tool called a Chairpanzee. I laugh out loud, in my head, every time I see that word – I suppose because I reckon chimps must be lousy chairmakers.
Even with a, LOL, Chairpanzee.
Is this alchemy, could I be tried as a witch for using it?
Do you weigh more or less than a duck?
It’s a fair cop…… 🙂
I never miss a single seminar when attending Colonial Williamsburg’s annual Woodworking Conference. I am sad that it must be ‘virtual’ this year but I am elated that Christopher Schwartz is one of the keynote speakers for 2021!
Living in Virginia, we spend time at Williamsburg several times a year. I make the rounds talking to the craftspersons I have come to know, getting their opinions on the antique tools I collect and gleaning their working methods.
By the way, when discussing books with the Colonial Williamsburg craftpersons, I find that they are very familiar with the Lost Art Press books and the quality content and workmanship represented! I am not surprised.
I am a little disappointed. I was hoping that Doctor Zaius would be doing the demonstration.
Dr. Zaius is an Orangutan. Besides, he would hardly be seen teaching lowly humans.
Excellent demo, looks like a great product! I’m getting one for sure. Well done on creating this calculator.
Nice video, must be my next tool purchase. Happy to note that I’m not the only one sighting over the top of my glasses these days!
Looks like you’re using a folkier piece of wood for your seat there, like some of the chair chat, and other vernacular seats. As cut from the log, with some wane at the edges. I look forward to seeing the end product!
When you say it, is the accent on the “chair” or on the “panzee”?
It’s an open question. I accent the “zee”
In the proper English vernacular, I believe it’s pronounced: [chair-pan-zed], when emphasis on the “zed”.