The movie selection today does not adequately cover everything we did. It does not cover the empanadas. Or the pastries. Or the bourbon slushes.
It also doesn’t cover the fact that we made most of the sticks and tenoned them. Tomorrow we will shave all the sticks to shape, clean up the arms and assemble the chairs.
Then maybe some more bourbon slushes (and a well-deserved merit badge).
— Christopher Schwarz
None of these chairs are the same. Not the rake and splay of the legs or undercarriage. Not the arms or hands. Not the position of the sticks. So yeah, stick chairs are on the menu.
Today: stretchers, arms and shoes. And pizza. (Thanks to Jared Wayne from Taglio for an amazing lunch.)
This six-stick comb-back chair is inspired by two Welsh chairs – one that I inspected at Tim Bowen Antiques and a second chair that I have in my collection. The chair is built using 4,000-year-old bog oak that was harvested in Poland. All the parts of this chair came from one tree.
I am selling this chair for $1,500 via a random drawing. Details on purchasing the chair can be found near the bottom of this blog entry. Here are some more details about its design and construction.
This stick chair is a new design – a definite break from my previous chairs. It features new shapes for the seat, arm, hands and comb. The rake and splay of the legs are new numbers. But in the end, it is still just a stick chair, a humble and vernacular form found in many cultures.
This particular chair is set up for working or dining. The back is fairly upright at 11° off the seat. And the seat tilts at 4°, giving the chair an overall tilt of 15°. The seat is 16-1/2” off the floor to accommodate both short and tall sitters, and the chair is 40-1/2” high overall. So it has a nice presence in a room.
One of the goals with this chair was to make it a bit more roomy. There is 20” between the arms, and the arm shape is square-ish to accommodate stocky sitters.
The bog oak used in this chair is a gorgeous nutty brown, with hints of green and orange in it. All of the chair’s major joints are assembled using hide glue, so repairs in the (far) future will be easy. The chair is finished with a non-toxic soft wax, a blend of beeswax and raw linseed oil that my daughter cooks up here in our shop. The wax is an ideal chair finish. It is not terribly durable, but it is easily renewed or repaired.
Among the unusual design details of this chair are the through-tenons in the seat. The chair’s sticks were left long and protrude out the bottom of the seat. This feature is more common on Irish chairs, but I like the look, and it gives a sitter something to explore down there.
I consider this chair a prototype, and it is not perfect. On one of the arms there is a small bit of tear-out (3/16” square) that I filled with tinted epoxy. There are also tell-tale signs of handwork everywhere on this chair. You will find faint rasp marks on the arms. Scallops from the jack plane on the underside of the seat. Facets from a spokeshave on the comb.
I prefer these subtle marks to a homogenous sanded surface. Though some people would call them flaws.
How to Purchase This Chair
This chair is being sold via a random drawing. The chair is $1,500 plus domestic shipping. (I’m sorry but the chair cannot be shipped outside the U.S.) If you wish to buy the chair, send an email to lapdrawing@lostartpress.com before 3 p.m. (Eastern) on Wednesday, July 13. In the email please use the subject line “Chair Sale” and include your:
After all the emails have arrived on July 13, we will pick a winner that evening via a random drawing.
If you are the “winner,” the chair can be picked up at our storefront for free. Or we can ship it to you via common carrier. The crate is included in the price of the chair. Shipping a chair usually costs about $250 to $300, depending on your location.
— Christopher Schwarz
Despite the heat, Katherine has made a new batch of soft wax and posted it in her etsy store.
She has fully mastered her new mixing/filling machine and was able to create this entire batch without any assistance during the bottling process. We all offered to help, but she stubbornly resisted (I don’t know where she gets that trait).
This is the last batch that will carry her current label, which she designed in 2016. She’s designed a snappy new label that we are getting printed. It’s amazing to me that she’s made more than 1,600 sales of almost 2,000 jars of wax since she started this business in high school.
Notes on the finish: This is the finish I use on my chairs. Katherine cooks it up here in the machine room using a waterless process. She then packages it in a tough glass jar with a metal screw-top lid. She applies her hand-designed label to each lid, boxes up the jars and ships them in a durable cardboard mailer. The money she makes from wax helps her make ends meet at college. Instructions for the wax are below. You can watch a video of how to use the wax here.
Instructions for Soft Wax 2.0
Soft Wax 2.0 is a safe finish for bare wood that is incredibly easy to apply and imparts a beautiful low luster to the wood.
The finish is made by cooking raw, organic linseed oil (from the flax plant) and combining it with cosmetics-grade beeswax and a small amount of a citrus-based solvent. The result is that this finish can be applied without special safety equipment, such as a respirator. The only safety caution is to dry the rags out flat you used to apply before throwing them away. (All linseed oil generates heat as it cures, and there is a small but real chance of the rags catching fire if they are bunched up while wet.)
Soft Wax 2.0 is an ideal finish for pieces that will be touched a lot, such as chairs, turned objects and spoons. The finish does not build a film, so the wood feels like wood – not plastic. Because of this, the wax does not provide a strong barrier against water or alcohol. If you use it on countertops or a kitchen table, you will need to touch it up every once in a while. Simply add a little more Soft Wax to a deteriorated finish and the repair is done – no stripping or additional chemicals needed.
Soft Wax 2.0 is not intended to be used over a film finish (such as lacquer, shellac or varnish). It is best used on bare wood. However, you can apply it over a porous finish, such as milk paint.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS (VERY IMPORTANT): Applying Soft Wax 2.0 is so easy if you follow the simple instructions. On bare wood, apply a thin coat of soft wax using a rag, applicator pad, 3M gray pad or steel wool. Allow the finish to soak in about 15 minutes. Then, with a clean rag or towel, wipe the entire surface until it feels dry. Do not leave any excess finish on the surface. If you do leave some behind, the wood will get gummy and sticky.
The finish will be dry enough to use in a couple hours. After a couple weeks, the oil will be fully cured. After that, you can add a second coat (or not). A second coat will add more sheen and a little more protection to the wood.
Soft Wax 2.0 is made in small batches in Kentucky. Each glass jar contains 8 oz. of soft wax, enough for at least two chairs (probably four chairs).