My wife’s friend saw the Maloof kids chairs I made for the family and asked if I would malke her one for her grand daughter.
As I had all the templates and suitable material I accepted to make her one.
Then she added “but I want it bigger” Oh yeah I thought and asked just how much bigger?
She said about 100mm overall and I declined the request, she insisted saying she only wanted one, I thought was thats even more reason not to do it, ... then said so.
The conversation continued and without going into more details I eventually agreed.
After she left I thought about it and if I was to make one I may as well make a few so I checked my materials
I had enough bits and pieces to make the seats and then continue on with the legs.
So I started:
I designed some new templates and worked out what the overall size would be
The seat is about 400mm x 400mm and the front legs around 300mm and the back about double that.
Here is the sequence of events as the seats progressed.
I knew the material woul have to be thicker than my previous builds and I had very little Walnut left to do the job, so I used a composition of Tasmanian Blackwood Oak and Walnut.
I cut the pieces up removing the defects and shuffeled them around to see what was left.
It was going to be a deviation from the traditional Walnut but I could do it. So I jointed and thicknesses everything (or so I thought) and started to arrange the layout
Seat 1
Will comprise of all Tasmanian Black wood 
Seat 2
Will comprise of Oak sanwiched by Tasmanian Black Wood 
Seat 3
Will comprise of European and QLD Walnut with Tasmanian Black Wood
They will certainly maintain Sam’s unique one off style thats for sure.
So into the clamps they go.
Now it was at this stage I realised I had missed one piece in the final thicknessing so it got clamped up independently.
This goof caused me a bit of stress as I dont have any way of fixing it at the moment so I just left it for the time being.
-- Regards Rob
4 comments so far
Joe Lyddon
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10648 posts in 4474 days
#1 posted 03-04-2017 06:24 AM
Hi Robert!
I don’t think your ‘goof’ is all that bad… One thing about the Maloof seats is that a lot of the wood gets sculptured OUT… In your seat #3, the center piece looks a little thicker to me… Once you figure what is going away, you will see just a small amount that could be sanded (sculptured) away… I’m looking at it where the piece is sticking out the back as the Back which will be trimmed along the back edge… The seat will be sculptured away starting about 3”, or so, from the Back & go all the way to the front, clearing away your over-thick part… So, don’t sweat it… It is really very minor… I hope you can follow my brain drainage to paper as fast as I could type… :)
I started two Maloof lowback dining chairs a few years ago… have one seat sculptured (the one where the dust GOT to me)... the other seat is ready to be hogged out a little Before gluing it up where it will be ready to be sculptured out… I hope to get working on them soon… Shop is a mess & my back is killing me where I can’t spend much time DOING things before I must stop & rest… BUT, I will get back to it… I have to do it… I’m NOT getting any younger! :)
So, I think you’re doing good… and your thickness error is NO BIGGY… Just study my thoughts and I’m sure you will see it…
Good luck… Have fun… You WILL do it.
-- Have Fun! Joe Lyddon - Alta Loma, CA USA - Home: http://www.WoodworkStuff.net ... My Small Gallery: https://www.ncwoodworker.net/forums/index.php
patron
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13649 posts in 3763 days
#2 posted 03-04-2017 07:04 AM
not a big galoof from what i see
just another challenge to resolve
and as joe has so clearly stated
simple
we should all have some of those woods to work with
around here everything is pine
soon you will have templates for all sizes
maybe even a big one for lily tomlin someday
-- david - only thru kindness can this world be whole . If we don't succeed we run the risk of failure. Dan Quayle
crowie
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3099 posts in 2373 days
#3 posted 03-04-2017 09:06 AM
you got my attention sir, a mate did a rocking chair for his wife and new baby late last year…
-- Lifes good, Enjoy each new day...... Cheers from "On Top DownUnder" Crowie
Boxguy
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2828 posts in 2689 days
#4 posted 03-04-2017 04:27 PM
Rob, great start. Chairs are tough. I made one and that was enough.
-- Big Al in IN
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