The nice thing about geometry (aside from sitting next to Cris Titsworth) is that you can perform some operations that look difficult with surprising ease.
For example, let’s look at my “wireframe” model for my next project. With needlenose pliers I can adjust the rake and splay of the legs, which are made from 12-gauge wire, until I’m pleased with how the legs look from all directions.
This is the “grasshopper” method.
Then, using some formulas picked up from old books (see above, I can’t believe I am showing you this)…. I can dial in my angles.
Then it’s a cinch to knock out the finished piece:
Of course, I can adjust the legs to produce these simple variants.
Or, by simply changing the value of X, produce this:
Perhaps this is because my shop is small, but I don’t like building full-size mockups of projects during the design process. When I’ve built full-size models in the past, I felt bad about wasting materials. Cheap pine could actually be used in a piece of furniture, and pink insulation could be protecting Hello Kitty from the cold.
But building half-size models is OK for some reason in my head. I can cut most parts from scraps in my waste bin. I use wire (clothes hangers) and cardboard (waste from boxes) at times. And the components are large enough to make it easy for me to imagine how the piece would look.
Today I finished up a half-scale model of a staked-leg backstool I’m working on for my “Furniture of Necessity” book. After dialing in the rake and splay of the legs, I concluded that this piece of furniture was so unique that it should bear my name – the Christopher Schwarz (TM) Staked Backstool.
No one has come up with a Backstool like this one with these particular angles, and so I, Christopher Schwarz, would like to share it with you so you can feel the full-on Schwarz when it comes to Schwarz Rake, Schwarz Splay, Schwarz Sightlines and Schwarz Resultant Angles.
To lay this out, you’ll need to use a special technique that I have developed after more than 35 years of examining angles as they result to other angles, plus segments, vertices and Cris Titsworth, who sat next to me in high school geometry.
That technique involves setting the angle of a leg and determining its position in relation to line that is struck off the perpendicular axis of the spheres of influence that are tangent to the Titsworth Twins, who were nice and would play Lifesaver games on the band bus but were not as hot as their older sister, Cris.
You can sight this angle using an ordinary try square, laid flat on the bench and sighted so the leg looks 90°. Then you set your bevel gauge to an angle that appears in line with the leg and try square.
This three-legged Christopher Schwarz (TM) chair is fondly dedicated to Joe Kent Wagg. Thanks to its three legs, Joe would be unable to tip backward in the chair when Ms. Widemann would duct tape him to the chair.
Next month I’m conducting a two-day seminar on building a Dutch tool chest for the Alabama Woodworkers Guild in Maylene, Ala. During Feb. 14-15, I’ll build a Dutch tool chest and demonstrate all the hand-tool techniques so you can make one for yourself.
And if you are lucky, you might just win the tool chest and not have to make one. All the attendees to the two-day seminar get a raffle ticket to win the chest. But more importantly, they get to eat some really amazing food while some sasquatch shows them how to cut dovetails, dados and mouldings by hand.
The Alabama Woodworkers Guild is a special organization in a special place. Located in an historic old schoolhouse, the club could not ask for a more beautiful place to build stuff. Last year I did a two-day seminar on building a six-board tool chest there and had a fantastic time. The food (and I am crazy for good food) is crazy good.
If you live in the deep South, it’s totally worth the drive. I’ll also bring along some Lost Art Press books, postcards and who knows what else?
Registration for one day of the class is $100. Both days is $175. To register, contact Chris Mazur at 205-979-1593 or chrism1928@earthlink.net. Or Preston Lawly at 205-982-2828 or eventman@bellsouth.net.
Since 1996 I have had a public e-mail address for all things woodworking. I have – to the best of my knowledge – answered every e-mail people have sent me (except a few from Nigerian princes).
Today I shut down my public e-mail address: chris@lostartpress.com. Here’s why.
During the last few years, my e-mail volume has ballooned to the point where I spend two to four hours every day answering mail. This is interfering with my writing, editing, building and (apologies) sanity.
If you have a question related to my writing, I encourage you to search my two blogs, which have more than 4,000 articles on all-things woodworking, plus jokes about animal flatulence.
On this blog, use the search box at the top right of the page. On my Popular Woodworking Magazine blog, the search function is right above the most recent entry.
Plus, you can always query me by leaving a comment on my blog that relates to a recent entry.
I ask that you do not bombard John with questions related to woodworking or about getting in touch with me. He has his hands full with customer service for Lost Art Press and keeping fulfillment running smoothly.
I have enjoyed corresponding with readers during the last 19 years. But I have reached a point where I need more time to think, build, read, research, edit and write.
Thank you all for your understanding in this matter.
