Victorian chair steps - WIP

[AndyT]

Nearly there now - three coats of hard wax oil are nearly dry... assembly and demonstration pose in front of a tall bookcase are coming up really soon!

Jim, I had to check back and see which mallet you meant - I presume this one?

If so, the head is a bit of birch from a tree that used to be in our back garden and the handle at that time was holly from our neighbours' garden. However, although holly is nice and hard for a mallet head, it's no good for the shaft and this one actually broke half way through in ordinary non-furious use, so it now has a more suitable ash handle (all the way from Herefordshire). The big square one is American white oak left over from a table leg. The little white one is holly again, and the little brown one is beech, and was made at school when I was about 12.

 

[AndyT]

At last, the proof you've been waiting for. No more tools in these pictures. The finish is dry; the hinges are on - and they lined up just right. (I put a steel screw in before each brass one - a tip I learnt on this forum - and I waxed the screws as well.) I put a brass cabin hook on the side to hold the two parts together so you can pick it up and move it about. But you don't need pictures of that.

So here it is, in front of the 'problem:'

You'll see that there's an important shelf, almost out of reach:

How to get to it? - Flip the chair so it looks like this:

and climb up!

So, many thanks to all who said such nice things about it. It was a more challenging project than anything else I've made, mostly because of the odd shapes which needed to line up next to each other. Progress was slow and I made plenty of mistakes that I had to find ways of hiding. I hope now it just looks like a (somewhat quirky) chair.

I think that whatever I make next will have nice straight lines and right angles; that way it might take less than nine months to finish. But whatever it is, I'll carry on doing things the quiet way.

As for the problem of the important shelves being too high up - there is another solution to that :lol: :lol:

 

[jimi43]

Bravo indeed Prof!!

=D> =D> =D>

It looks the part right there! Although I would think the least you could do was demonstrate it!!

It's nice to see that you can reach that "important shelf"...though might I suggest you move those books down a bit! :wink:

And do I see a 3rd Edition of THE book there on the shelf...I'm up to page 55 on mine but I have a feeling the latter chapters may be designated "reference only"...they look a bit heavy going! May I ask you to confirm that the "router" book is indeed hand routers....or shame on you for populating the same shelf with a book on devils with tails!!! :mrgreen: (got to have ALF in spirit if not in person!) 8)

Anyway...are they KEFs there I see...? Or am I losing my touch?

Great project mate...very inspirational. I just have to get such a library and I might have a go! :mrgreen:

Jim

 

[devonwoody]

Every library should have one.

Its looks accurate and fit for purpose.

Congratulations on completion and to the high standard from me.

 

[adzeman]

These are the pictures I have been looking forward to seeing in front of a fine bookcase. Well done!

 

[AndyT]

And do I see a 3rd Edition of THE book there on the shelf...I'm up to page 55 on mine but I have a feeling the latter chapters may be designated "reference only"...they look a bit heavy going! May I ask you to confirm that the "router" book is indeed hand routers....or shame on you for populating the same shelf with a book on devils with tails!!! :mrgreen: (got to have ALF in spirit if not in person!) 8)

Anyway...are they KEFs there I see...? Or am I losing my touch?

Great project mate...very inspirational. I just have to get such a library and I might have a go! :mrgreen:

Jim

Yes, newly acquired 3rd edition, confirming yet again that there are some really nice helpful people on this forum!
The router book is about electric ones - I do have one, and will still use it when it makes sense to. I would have bought the book at the same time as I bought the router, back when there was no YouTube and no UK Workshop to learn from. I don't think there is a book about non-electric routers... :lol:

And yes, you're right on the speakers - 104 aBs - second hand from a neighbour. I'm not a hi-fi buff like some are on this forum, but they sound good to me. Trouble is they do take up rather a lot of space, and the room is rather crowded with them and the guitars and musical instruments and the guest sofa-bed and the ironing board and the other bookshelves not shown in the pictures...and now there's an extra chair in the way... #-o

 

[No skills]

Very very good.

Cant help thinking when I look at the front legs that you should make one of those Roorkhee chairs that Schwarz has been making, less the lathe of course

 

[condeesteso]

Very well done Andy - and quite a library you have there. This build thread has been excellent - thanks for making the effort to record it along the way.
[And yes Jim - Kefs indeed, recognise the bass unit a mile off (as Jim knows I once worked at Kef, many moons ago). And I suspect a B200 mid and T27 HF in there?]

 

[billybuntus]

Very nice work on the steps.

But its time to let go of vba 6 and office 2000 books. Its been 13 years already

I've just upgraded to office 2007 and I'm way behind the times.

 

[AndyT]

Very nice work on the steps.

But its time to let go of vba 6 and office 2000 books. Its been 13 years already

I've just upgraded to office 2007 and I'm way behind the times.

You didn't see the shelves before the latest clearout! :lol:

We could discuss the progressive decline in Word since its peak in Office 2003 but I don't want to sound like a grumpy old man, and this is a woodwork forum! And besides, if I got rid of woodwork books just because they were old there would not be so few left that I would not need these steps!

 

[wallace]

Very nice work. I would love to work to them standards. Where did the idea to use patassium permanganate come from. I use it for my koi sometimes to treat disease. It is really dangerous stuff (carcinogenic). It oxidises metals and and kills anything organic.
Mark

 

[AndyT]

Very nice work. I would love to work to them standards. Where did the idea to use patassium permanganate come from. I use it for my koi sometimes to treat disease. It is really dangerous stuff (carcinogenic). It oxidises metals and and kills anything organic.
Mark

I vaguely knew of it as a stain for mahogany from reading old ww books, but was reminded of it a few months ago when someone posted a link on here to a video of some Irish cabinetmakers in Cavan who used it. The videos are well worth watching - the finishing is in Part 3 at 5 mins 38 seconds in: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CM3OT66iTOs&feature=relmfu

 

[jimi43]

I make no apologies for bringing this topic up again.

My daughter would like to see more in situ shots...open and closed if you could Andy....

She wants something for a cottage library.

Cheers mate

Jim

 

[Harbo]

Lovely video - working in suits too

Rod

 

[AndyT]

I make no apologies for bringing this topic up again.

My daughter would like to see more in situ shots...open and closed if you could Andy....

She wants something for a cottage library.

Cheers mate

Jim

Happy to oblige Jim - but does this mean you will be making one? I can do a better scan of the design if you want and I do still have a full size drawing. The drawing is essential and I mainly only went wrong when I departed from it.

There is an alternative design in an old Popular Mechanics available on line which might be more cottagey. I think Chippendale did a nice steps/table combination too. Whatever you decide, I'm sure it will turn out well!

 

[jimi43]

Quality..pure quality!

You do realise that there might be a REAL danger of me actually having to make a piece of furniture now!! :?

Real woodwork instead of piddling around with tools! :mrgreen:

Cheers mate!

Jimi

 

[AndyT]

Quality..pure quality!

You do realise that there might be a REAL danger of me actually having to make a piece of furniture now!! :?

Real woodwork instead of piddling around with tools! :mrgreen:

Cheers mate!

Jimi

Well, now I've worked out the details for you, it should be a really quick project... :wink:

I look forward to your wip!

 

[Sheffield Tony]

I bought a recent copy of British Woodworking because it had a chair steps project in it, but it was nowhere near as nice as yours Andy. Having a vertically challenged DW, I think that a set should go on my (rather long !) projects list too !

 

[AndyT]

Hi Tony, I bought the same issue when I saw that project!
It's a somewhat simpler design, which while retaining the interesting angles, simplifies the joints and decoration.
Instructions are available from Popular Mechanics at
http://www.popularmechanics.com/_mobile/home/how-to-plans/woodworking/4226197

(I'm glad to see that the pocket hole screws are not compulsory :wink: .)

I wouldn't want to push anyone into taking nine months over the thing like I did but I'd love to see you and Jim both making one and sharing the fun!

 

[AndyT]

Talking of simpler versions of the step-chair, as part of the excellent "Doors Open Day" today, I went on a tour round some of the parts of Bristol Central Library that are not usually accessible.
I was very pleased to see that the Bristol Room has its own example:

According to the guidebook, these steps were made by a craftsman of the Cotswold school in 1906 when the library opened, so they must be sturdy enough.