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I was eating lunch at the Leaning Pear in Wimberley, Texas and I noticed a table and chairs really looked nice. So I wondered over and took a closer look. Nobody was sitting there, best seats in the place right in front of the fire place. WOW! Very nicely done! The chair feel like one piece of wood, joinery is perfect, and it was a very comfortable feeling chair. The only comparable chair I have actually touched myself is one made by Paul Sellers.
If you happen to be near Wimberley Texas enjoy a good meal and take a look. I plan on visiting the shop soon.
Gary Weeks website 
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Cool. Might check it out this summer on a trip down to schlitterbahn and the direct tools store. Looked at pics of the town there on Google and it's a neat looking town. Other than the one misplaced pic someone posted of Carswell afb...
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Been to that very restaurant and did not notice the table/ chairs. Will have to make a point of it when I go back! Usually end up at the cafe on the square or the little Italian place around back...
Got Wood?
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You won't meet a nicer guy than Gary.
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post!
Ag
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Nice looking furniture, especially the tables. I find the chairs to be too angular for my taste. Also these legs connect directly to the seat with no stretchers to tie the legs together at the seat level. You could say that the seat serves that purpose but only if the leg to seat joinery is strong. I think he uses a through round tenon at the front leg but can't tell how he attaches the back leg although I see a plug on the back of the back leg. That might cover a screw or a dowel but if that is the only joinery, I would think this chair would have an Achille's heel. Anyone know how he attaches the legs? Ken
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Ken Vick said:
Nice looking furniture, especially the tables. I find the chairs to be too angular for my taste. Also these legs connect directly to the seat with no stretchers to tie the legs together at the seat level. You could say that the seat serves that purpose but only if the leg to seat joinery is strong. I think he uses a through round tenon at the front leg but can't tell how he attaches the back leg although I see a plug on the back of the back leg. That might cover a screw or a dowel but if that is the only joinery, I would think this chair would have an Achille's heel. Anyone know how he attaches the legs? Ken
I like style of the chairs, not so much the tables. Not sure what his joinery technique is, but he's made hundreds of chairs over the years, and gets a good price for them. I expect it's a well made and sturdy chair.
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Nice chairs. He's only about an hour from me, but until this thread I'd never heard of him. He's got a video on his website about the rocker he makes, and he talks a little about the joinery in it. Here are some screenshots:
Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently motivated fool.
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The joinery is strong, I'm telling ya, the chair feels like one piece of wood, it's incredible. It's hard to describe.
He has an awesome shop (on his website - hope to visit soon) and process:
linky
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The chairs are very attractive and comfortable looking but I, too, question the joinery. I see what is probably three screws in each back leg-to-seat joint. There may be a wee rabbet cut in the leg for support but it's hard to tell. The joint is end grain to long grain so it's not a glue joint. Maloof used screws in his joinery but they were in tandem with a butterfly joint which was the primary joinery means.
Also, the solid seats of the dining chairs are attached to the legs with thru tenons...good, but just under the seat front, there is a long-grain spindle. The round tenons on the spindles will eventually fail as the solid seat expands and contracts....or the seat will crack. I don't think the chairs will be around in the 22nd century.
If I had 8 hours to cut down a tree, I'd do it in 15 minutes with a chainsaw and drink beer the other 7:45 hrs.
