More Cypress Chairs

If you notice there is a different design on the back from an earlier post on these chairs.

I also have been changing the height of the front legs. If I remember correctly then I usually make them 21 1/2" but these are 20 1/2". I think the legs might be better around 22 1/2". It may make the slope slightly less. They would still be very comfortable to sit in though. My next batch will be with the front legs about an inch taller.

This picture is of a child's adirondack chair. I made the design myself and I think it is fine. When I say I made the design, I mean that I figured the sizing myself. I looked at other pictures of chairs and piddled with it til it looked right. The seat part is not rounded like the adult chairs are nor is the back. I think the radius would be too tight for the size of the slats. I used the same size slats as the adult chairs and the same screws. I changed the lumber from 2x6's to 2x4's. It is still made of cypress.

These chairs can be made of any material. I like cypress since it ages nicely and does not really rot like other woods. I do not recommend painting cypress or cedar. Other woods would be fine painted and would probably cause it to last longer. The exact opposite would happen with painted cypress.

A Couple of Older Projects - Shelves and Computer Desk

My wife sent me a couple of pics she saved of these two projects. I did not have any pics of these.

I decided that I needed a new computer desk when I came up with this design. I used 1x12 Pine for the sides and I had some 1/2 inch birch plywood sitting around and used that for the desk top. The first picture is the front and unstained. The second is the back, stained. I built it a couple of years ago and am still using it. I built, sanded, stained and moved it into the computer room within 36 hours. I think it is a very easy project. I did not worry about screw holes and their appearance. I consider this a glue and screw project.

This book shelf is something my wife wanted. I was unsure how it would look after discussing it with her. I had some 1x8 poplar that I had not used in years and made these two shelves. Roughly speaking these shelves are 3 feet in height with the shelves being about 12 inches apart, just enough room for a hardcover book to fit in. After staining them and mounting them on the wall, I thought they looked great. To me, and I am not a decorator by any stretch of the imagination, it seemed to give depth to the room and walls. She liked these two so much, I had to build two more.

Boxes and Frames

Going to Mom's this weekend and she needed a couple of boxes for people to flip through her photos for sale. We will also be making some stretch canvas frames.

Well, we will be stretching the canvas anyway. The frames are built and she wanted to not use the standard sizes that can be bought anywhere. I have never made an artist's frame before, though it is quite simple. Neither of us has stretched canvas and put the gesso on before. It will be a learning experience. Maybe someone else will want to buy some if I can figure it out...

The boxes are just made of luan sides and bottom. I cut the corner detail out of some scrap cypress and used 3/4 plywood for the foot area. She will paint it. The boxes are 9x11x6.

I hope she sells photos out of the boxes.

This is the finished products. Pardon my ignorance on the "frames". I was corrected at my mother's gallery place. The uncovered "frames" were called stretchers. The dark spots on the stretchers is a little water to help shrink the canvas that is stretched on them. The first couple did not turn out very good. but after that they turned out well. I got wrinkles out before staples were put in. When I say wrinkles, I mean major wrinkles not little ones that could be taken out by water. I also got rid of wads of fabric that I somehow bundled on the corners. 

Cutting boards

Some cutting boards that I have made

The first one is one that I bought as a kit years ago. It was assembled but never finished. I finished it before Christmas.

The second picture was a gift for my wonderful in-laws.

The last 2 pics, which are 3 cutting boards. I call them cheese boards since they are smaller and are just the right size for cheese and crackers. They were gifts at Christmas time. The pics are after the first coat of butcher block oil was put on them and now you know the reason for the ladder in the pics.

I bought the wood as scrap pieces from someone that had a bunch of short pieces of Mahogany, dark walnut, maple, oak and other bits and pieces. I was so pleased with my small purchase, I bought more a few weeks later telling him of the great fun that I had with them.

I am actually working on 5 more boards but I need a planer to fix my small mistakes. It seems the thicker ones curl more when clamped. I have the boards not looking right. Once they are done, I will post those too.

Bench

One of my wife's friends wanted a bench.

She wanted something to sit on when she got inside to take off her shoes and a place to store them. Shoes / boots fit on the shelf and slippers / flipflops fit underneath. She painted it to match her decor. This is the bare wood before pic.

It is made with 1x12 pine and 1/4 inch plywood on the back. 

This is the finished product and she did a great job painting it.

A chair made of 2x4 spruce

I wanted to see if I could build a parsons type chair out of a 2x4. I did and here is the result.

The back legs are not straight. I cut them to the seat at about a 15 degree angle and the back I let run straight from there. I ripped the rest of the 2x4 to make the back slats and seat slats and the braces. It is not much to look at but I never attempted a chair like this before. I just kind of sketch things out and see how it goes. It sits level and I will paint it, eventually.

I would change the slat spacing on the seat and the band for the seat. I think the back looks fine. the leg bracing is quite adequate. I did some air nails, glue and sheet rock screws.

A little box

Here is a little box that I made as a present for my wife at Christmas. It is made of Cedar. I had pieces of a Cedar pallet sitting around and made a box. I used a hole saw for the inside. I made the dowel with a drill and sandpaper. I did not have a lathe at the time. It is a swing top and she wanted a darker stain on it. I thought it looked fine plain, but it was her present and she got to decide.

The dowel is glued to the top but loose in the box part. I also got rid of the scratch in the top by sanding the lid to bare wood and restaining.

Adirondack Chiairs

Here are some chairs that I built.

I make these out of cypress. 

The first pic lumber was cut about 3 years earlier and it literally sat on the ground for that time before I did the finish cuts. It is what the next two pics of chairs will look like a couple of years later. I think it gives a nice look as it ages.