Furniture Making

You are not logged in. [ Login ] Why log in
(NOTE: Login is not required to post)

Crest rail makeup for contemporary settee

4/28/16       
Gene Davis

Am considering making a copy of a contemporary settee I saw in a model home near Phoenix. It was done in zebrawood, which I thought was a little extreme. What species might look better, and most of all, how would one do the circular crest rail. The one on the original was segmented into two or even three pieces.


View higher quality, full size image (612 X 612)


View higher quality, full size image (612 X 612)


View higher quality, full size image (612 X 612)

4/29/16       #2: Crest rail makeup for contemporary ...
rich c.

Zebrawood looks fine to me. Asking for help to knock off another furniture maker's design seems a bit bold to me. But then Michael Thonet beat most everyone to that type of rail.

4/29/16       #3: Crest rail makeup for contemporary ...
anon

For the crest rail I would do a long exposed tenon for strength. When cutting out the curve, leave a flat/square section to cut your joinery off of. On the seat joint to the vertical leg , I would have more dovetails showing. What wood to use is personal preference.

4/29/16       #4: Crest rail makeup for contemporary ...
Dave Nauman  Member

Website: http://www.dcnchair.com

I just finished something similar and I joined it in segments using double open tenons.


View higher quality, full size image (1280 X 960)


View higher quality, full size image (1296 X 972)

4/29/16       #5: Crest rail makeup for contemporary ...
Gene Davis

Thanks. I thought about laminating a two-sweep sandwich, the pieces sweeping 30 degrees, the lap half, or 15. West System for the glue.

Be nice if I could fine stock from a bend in the bole.

This is for a gift, not a commission. Will try things out by doing a prototype in SPF using $25 worth of 2x4s from the BORG.

And I did add more dovetails in my 3D model.


View higher quality, full size image (1412 X 797)

4/29/16       #7: Crest rail makeup for contemporary ...
Dave Nauman  Member

Website: http://www.dcnchair.com

That should work well, but it's a lot of exposed joints and glue lines.

4/29/16       #8: Crest rail makeup for contemporary ...
howard

Another way to approach this would be a bent laminate glue-up. Keep the pieces in sequence, use UF glue, and then get out the spokeshave, rasp and scraper to bring it to final shape.

4/29/16       #9: Crest rail makeup for contemporary ...
Foward

I am with Howard - a bent wood lamination is the way to go,

Whatever you do, do not use PVA glue - the joints will creep.

In the past when I did that kind of work I used Resorcinal - it dries rock hard.

4/30/16       #10: Crest rail makeup for contemporary ...
David R Sochar Member

One method would be steam bent so as to give continuous grain for strength and appearance. Like Thonet, this may take some effort and experimentation. Will Zebrasood bend with steam? Steam is the traditional solution, though not universal.

Another solution would be bent lamination, keeping the plies matched so as to produce a rail that is still attractive and strong.

I think the chair in the photo has a design derivative of the classic Chinese chair. Some of those had a complex interlocking joint that used the center back splat as a spline that locked the joint into place.

4/30/16       #11: Crest rail makeup for contemporary ...
Cbww

That bench has a strong japanese influence. Steam bending zebrawood or other exotics is questionable at best. I would research japanese joinery and go that route. Built up by brick construction will look poor in my opinion. A long tenon will be adequate combined with the tenon splat.

5/2/16       #12: Crest rail makeup for contemporary ...
howard

There are not that many woods that steam well. While I have not tried steaming with zebrawood, my hunch is this will not work. I don't think the grain structure will support this.

5/2/16       #13: Crest rail makeup for contemporary ...
glen

There is no way that is a glue up lamination. look at the grain. It was bent from a solid piece IMO.

5/2/16       #14: Crest rail makeup for contemporary ...
Dave Nauman  Member

Website: http://www.dcnchair.com

It's three segments. If you look closely you can see the joints.

5/2/16       #15: Crest rail makeup for contemporary ...
Gene Davis

Yes, the crest rail I saw and photographed was segmented, but I cannot say for sure it was in three segments. Two, for sure.

Looked at some zebrawood when at Austin (Denver) today and what they have looks exactly as all the stock in that settee. At their pricing, there is about $325 cost in stock for the project.

All theirs is kiln dried, which means some other source would need to be found for the curved rail, if steaming.

Mean time, just for fun, I'll try making up the rail by bricking it up from pieces cut from a doug fir 2x4.

5/3/16       #16: Crest rail makeup for contemporary ...
glen

I see it now. Didn't look at the top photo. Pretty cool piece.

5/3/16       #17: Crest rail makeup for contemporary ...
Shaun

Great looking piece. If I were making this out of a wood that wasn't so "busy" then I'd do a bent lamination. If I was going with spalted maple or zebra wood then I'd go with a tenon. Those dovetails for real or are they some sort of spline? Grain doesn't seem to match??

5/3/16       #18: Crest rail makeup for contemporary ...
Gene Davis

I believe the dovetails are real. I built my Sketchup model with six pins, while the one I saw has four.

If you examine the pics, you can see how the builder either cut a chamfer or a hollow across that joint's edge, which makes sense, when you see the joint apart. Those knife edges are delicate.

Back to the crest rail. The more I look at the photos the more I think the rail is not zebrawood, but something else. Something that either can bend more readily that zebra, or lent itself to a lamination buildup with less grain definition.

It is almost pure creamy color, with some brown streaking. I have seen northern maple with that kind of streakiness. We called it "brown" maple.


View higher quality, full size image (483 X 655)


Post a Response
  • Notify me of responses to this thread
  • Subscribe to email updates on this Forum
  • To receive email notification of additions to this forum thread,
    enter your name and email address, and then click the
    "Keep Me Posted" button below.

    Please Note: If you have posted a message or response,
    do not submit this request ... you are already signed up
    to receive notification!

    Your Name:
    E-Mail Address:
    Enter the correct numbers into the field below:
     

    Date of your Birth:



    Return to top of page

    Buy & Sell Exchanges | Forums | Galleries | Site Map

    FORUM GUIDELINES: Please review the guidelines below before posting at WOODWEB's Interactive Message Boards (return to top)

  • WOODWEB is a professional industrial woodworking site. Hobbyist and homeowner woodworking questions are inappropriate.
  • Messages should be kept reasonably short and on topic, relating to the focus of the forum. Responses should relate to the original question.
  • A valid email return address must be included with each message.
  • Advertising is inappropriate. The only exceptions are the Classified Ads Exchange, Machinery Exchange, Lumber Exchange, and Job Opportunities and Services Exchange. When posting listings in these areas, review the posting instructions carefully.
  • Subject lines may be edited for length and clarity.
  • "Cross posting" is not permitted. Choose the best forum for your question, and post your question at one forum only.
  • Messages requesting private responses will be removed - Forums are designed to provide information and assistance for all of our visitors. Private response requests are appropriate at WOODWEB's Exchanges and Job Opportunities and Services.
  • Messages that accuse businesses or individuals of alleged negative actions or behavior are inappropriate since WOODWEB is unable to verify or substantiate the claims.
  • Posts with the intent of soliciting answers to surveys are not appropriate. Contact WOODWEB for more information on initiating a survey.
  • Excessive forum participation by an individual upsets the balance of a healthy forum atmosphere. Individuals who excessively post responses containing marginal content will be considered repeat forum abusers.
  • Responses that initiate or support inappropriate and off-topic discussion of general politics detract from the professional woodworking focus of WOODWEB, and will be removed.
  • Participants are encouraged to use their real name when posting. Intentionally using another persons name is prohibited, and posts of this nature will be removed at WOODWEB's discretion.
  • Comments, questions, or criticisms regarding Forum policies should be directed to WOODWEB's Systems Administrator
    (return to top).

    Carefully review your message before clicking on the "Send Message" button - you will not be able to revise the message once it has been sent.

    You will be notified of responses to the message(s) you posted via email. Be sure to enter your email address correctly.

    WOODWEB's forums are a highly regarded resource for professional woodworkers. Messages and responses that are crafted in a professional and civil manner strengthen this resource. Messages that do not reflect a professional tone reduce the value of our forums.

    Messages are inappropriate when their content: is deemed libelous in nature or is based on rumor, fails to meet basic standards of decorum, contains blatant advertising or inappropriate emphasis on self promotion (return to top).

    Libel:   Posts which defame an individual or organization, or employ a tone which can be viewed as malicious in nature. Words, pictures, or cartoons which expose a person or organization to public hatred, shame, disgrace, or ridicule, or induce an ill opinion of a person or organization, are libelous.

    Improper Decorum:   Posts which are profane, inciting, disrespectful or uncivil in tone, or maliciously worded. This also includes the venting of unsubstantiated opinions. Such messages do little to illuminate a given topic, and often have the opposite effect. Constructive criticism is acceptable (return to top).

    Advertising:   The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not an advertising venue. Companies participating in a Forum discussion should provide specific answers to posted questions. WOODWEB suggests that businesses include an appropriately crafted signature in order to identify their company. A well meaning post that seems to be on-topic but contains a product reference may do your business more harm than good in the Forum environment. Forum users may perceive your references to specific products as unsolicited advertising (spam) and consciously avoid your web site or services. A well-crafted signature is an appropriate way to advertise your services that will not offend potential customers. Signatures should be limited to 4-6 lines, and may contain information that identifies the type of business you're in, your URL and email address (return to top).

    Repeated Forum Abuse: Forum participants who repeatedly fail to follow WOODWEB's Forum Guidelines may encounter difficulty when attempting to post messages.

    There are often situations when the original message asks for opinions: "What is the best widget for my type of shop?". To a certain extent, the person posting the message is responsible for including specific questions within the message. An open ended question (like the one above) invites responses that may read as sales pitches. WOODWEB suggests that companies responding to such a question provide detailed and substantive replies rather than responses that read as a one-sided product promotion. It has been WOODWEB's experience that substantive responses are held in higher regard by our readers (return to top).

    The staff of WOODWEB assume no responsibility for the accuracy, content, or outcome of any posting transmitted at WOODWEB's Message Boards. Participants should undertake the use of machinery, materials and methods discussed at WOODWEB's Message Boards after considerate evaluation, and at their own risk. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages it deems inappropriate. (return to top)


  • Forum Posting Help
    Your Name The name you enter in this field will be the name that appears with your post or response (return to form).
    Your Website Personal or business website links must point to the author's website. Inappropriate links will be removed without notice, and at WOODWEB's sole discretion. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links it deems inappropriate. (return to form)
    E-Mail Address Your e-mail address will not be publicly viewable. Forum participants will be able to contact you using a contact link (included with your post) that is substituted for your actual address. You must include a valid email address in this field. (return to form)
    Subject Subject may be edited for length and clarity. Subject lines should provide an indication of the content of your post. (return to form)
    Thread Related Link and Image Guidelines Thread Related Links posted at WOODWEB's Forums and Exchanges should point to locations that provide supporting information for the topic being discussed in the current message thread. The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not to serve as an advertising venue. A Thread Related Link that directs visitors to an area with inappropriate content will be removed. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links or images it deems inappropriate. (return to form)
    Thread Related File Uploads Thread Related Files posted at WOODWEB's Forums and Exchanges should provide supporting information for the topic being discussed in the current message thread. Video Files: acceptable video formats are: .MOV .AVI .WMV .MPEG .MPG .MP4 (Image Upload Tips)   If you encounter any difficulty when uploading video files, E-mail WOODWEB for assistance. The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not to serve as an advertising venue. A Thread Related File that contains inappropriate content will be removed, and uploaded files that are not directly related to the message thread will be removed. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links, files, or images it deems inappropriate. (return to form)