Latest Hal Taylor chair

[Ken Vick]

I just finished this chair this week. It is Honduras mahogany with a water soluble mahogany dye. Grain raised before dying. Two coats Watco Danish oil after letting the dye dry for a couple days. Then a coat of brown furniture wax applied with 4-ought steel wool. I rushed the wax by applying it only 24 hr after the last oil coat but my wife needed to take pictures today so I didn't have any choice. It will have more luster after the next wax coat in a few days.

As I mentioned in a post here a few days ago, I had a lot of trouble with the grain raising step and then the paraffin coated back supports. I really like the color of this dye but I tried to find a non-grain raising dye to use instead but couldn't find anything that was even close to the color I get from this dye. It does add a lot of time and aggravation to the finishing step of the chair construction and in the future I will maybe stick to species of wood that look good without dye for the next couple chairs, at least. Here are some pics.



I think these chairs look best when the transitions are carved quite small. I also like the arms to be quite contoured with a significant upward lilt on the outside edge. I accentuate this by quite a bit of carving into the TS-formed cove for the arm blank.



Some detail of the joinery transitions.



Thanks for looking. Ken

[Martin S.]

Nice job, Ken.

I have never sat in one. Is it comfortable?

[Ken Vick]

Very comfortable. I had one at the recent Lewiston, NY art festival. A lot of people said it was was the most comfortable rocking chair they had ever sat in. The secret is the flexible back supports. It is my favorite chair in the house. Ken

[R Clark]

Great looking chair, Ken.

I'm going to pay particular attention to the arms as you have on my next chair. My first two used the plan, but I'd like to change it up.

[Belle City Woodworking]

Great Job!

[iublue]

Looks great. I bet you had a NUMBER of hours in that!!!

One question. Why use dye? Did the mahogany not have enough color? I guess that is two questions but they are tied together.

[Ken Vick]

iublue said:

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Looks great. I bet you had a NUMBER of hours in that!!!

One question. Why use dye? Did the mahogany not have enough color? I guess that is two questions but they are tied together.

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I especially like way the dye accentuates the grain. You get some of that with Danish oil but the dye really brings out the variation in the grain and color you see even in the same board. Mahogany takes dye beautifully without any blotching. Mahogany does change color significantly with exposure to air and you would get some of this effect just with age but it never gets to this level of color no matter how old it is. And you don't have to wait. I doubt if there is any commercial mahogany furniture that doesn't have stain or dye or chemical treatment to impart more color. Ken

[FrankAtl]

Great job Ken! Thanks for posting the pics.

Frank

[John Mihich]

Very nicely done. I like the smooth but crisp look to it.

[Aram]

That looks superb, and fantastic craftsmanship.