Wally and I are in the shop all day to work on 10 Shaker trays (because someone feels guilty for stepping down from their neighborhood house tour committee and thus agreed to make thank-you gifts as self-imposed penance) and for Open Wire AMAAW&C (Ask Me Anything About Woodworking & Cats).
You know the drill: post your (succinct) queries in the comments field below, and we (Wally and I) shall do our best to answer. Christopher might also pop in with answers from time to time…though I hope he’s spending the day having a grand time with Lucy and friends in Germany, and not paying attention to the internet.
Comments will close at around 4:45 p.m. (Eastern).
And a reminder of the Open Wire dates for the remainder of the year (when both Chris and I – and no doubt Wally – will be in the shop):
August 10
September 14
October 19
November 16
December 14
– Fitz
I’m building an irishy stick chair that will go outside. I plan to paint it with linseed oil paint. Can I use hide glue or should I use Titebond III or gorilla glue?
Also, not sure why but I only get about half the LAP oats to my email?
I’d use Titebond 3 (I know polyurethane glue is also supposedly rated for exterior use, but I hate the way it foams up. I always put too much in then have to scrape it off when it bubbles out of the joint.)
Our new WordPress host doesn’t send an email every time a post goes out. Instead, we are sending “digest posts,” that list what we’ve recently posted… but those are manual, and Chris hasn’t shown me how to do it yet. And he’s on vacation.
Would your Piggly No Wiggly glue (or any hide glue) work for bent laminations? If not, any suggestions on what will?
There is likely too much “creep,” — I haven’t tried it, but my gut reaction is no. Jeff Miller, who does a great many bent laminations, uses Weldwood Platic Resin glue.
Hi Chris and Megan,
What are your thoughts on https://layout.computer/stick-chairs? It’s a tool that lets you quickly tweak a chair interactively and then shows the layout diagrams for sightlines, resultants, stick spacing, etc.
I haven’t tried it – so my opinion would be wholly uninformed.
any recommendation on a paint sprayer (not an all in one system) that can be used with an existing air compressor?
I’m afraid I’m familiar only with the two Apollo systems we’ve had.
This is mostly for Chris, but I’m keen to hear your thoughts too, Megan:
One of the reasons I’m drawn to building stick chairs–beyond their design and history–is the “vernacular” quality of them: the rustic nature that allows for small variations in the chair (somewhat wonky leg, weird stick, etc.). This appeals GREATLY to my lack of perfectionism!
I’m curious, though, if you’ve ever struggled (as I am now), in using that term as a “get out of jail” card for not being more exacting in your work? “Wonky leg? Vernacular. Spelchy mortise? Vernacular.”
You mentioned a few weeks ago that the John Brown chair you received is 5/8″ lower on one side, and that John Brown celebrated character like that. I guess my question is–what’s your tolerance for situations like that?
Sorry–this was longer than I wanted.
Jake
Good morning LAP. Quick silly question. I have a norton duel grit oil stone. One side is dark gray the other side is brick red-orange, and I can find bupkis about which side is couse/fine. I have an idea but….? Anywho my silly question is do I use oil when I flatten it? Thanks much!….oh also I only use it for knifes.
It does need lubricant for flattening (oil or water). As far as the grits…I’m not sure, but a little googling (a dangerous thing) leads me to guess orange is the finer side.
However, a Jeweller’s loupe is a useful – and inexpensive – thing to have. 20x mag is better than 10 x.
Run an edge along one side of the stone, and examine it through the loupe. Then repeat on the other side. The degree of abrasion on each should be visible and will tell you which is the finer.
I had to look up what ‘bupkis’ means…….
Norton stones are fairly soft composite material compared to some natural stones.
Unless the shape of stone’s edge is really distorted, a dead-flat surface for knives is not essential.
Good morning. I am kicking around the idea of starting to sell some of the tables, bookshelves, and (eventually) chairs I build. Not going to quit the day job, just potentially do this on the side. What insurance would you recommend I look into if selling my wares to people? Given that we live in such a litigious society, I’d like to make sure that I am covered as best as I can be. Thank you.
Mike, I’m neither Megan nor Chris, but this thinking is why I didn’t sell any of the turned table lamps I made years ago. (“Your lamp gave me a shock!”) These are very good concerns- the bookshelf tipped over, the chair collapsed… I’d talk to (ouch) either a lawyer or at least an insurance agent who specializes in commercial and/product liability lines of coverage. If you sell it, some lawyer out there will say you do it for profit and you are therefore a business. Get insurance. You don’t want someone going after your home because they got a sliver in their hinder.
I’m afraid I do not know. Any lawyers or insurance agents here who care to weigh in?
I am going to take a run at the staked bed in the ADB, but due to either my stubbornness or thriftiness (you can choose) I am working with what I have, which in this case doesn’t have a ton of stock thicker than 4/4. I think I have some decent pieces for the battens but they’re not quite as beefy as the book suggests. The big question really is does it matter if the battens are a little narrower or a little thinner than suggested in the book (4″ x 2 3/8″)?
I was also planning to do tapered tenons because I have the tools for it. That shouldn’t be an issue either I wouldn’t think?
You’re always generous with your time. And I’m nervous about a larger project. That I will then place my ever increasing in mass 10 year old upon.
Thanks Megan! I am sure you haven’t as it’s only been around for a couple of weeks 😅 Let me rephrase.
The Stick Chair Book has been a huge influence on me, and I made this tool in my spare time kind of as a tribute to LAP (and to help with my own chair). I was just hoping for some feedback, it would mean a lot to me! (There are no logins, downloads, installation, paywalls or anything like that.)
I totally understand if that’s not something you want to engage with or inappropriate for Open Wire.