Well, I have two chairs more or less done. They have one coat of oil. Doesn’t this one look familiar? We’ve all seen dozens of captains chairs, in different versions. A friend commented that she was surprised I was willing to make chairs of this conventional design (as we sat in the kitchen on chairs, and at the table, of my own design). So why? One: It’s hard for me to say no. Two: I liked the man who wanted the chairs and didn’t want to disappoint him (related to One). Three: (We’re getting more positive now.) I anticipated a challenge, and therefore an occasion to learn. (This played out in a major way.) How about the pay? It hasn’t worked out all that well, but I didn’t expect it to. From his point of view, he could probably have bought at least five chairs made in Asia for what I charged him for one. But he wanted me to make them because he wanted them to be made with wood from his island. (The seats and arm bows are made of Sitka spruce.) And he wanted them to match the marble-topped table (marble from his island) whose trestle base I have yet to make, also of Sitka spruce. Below: detail of wedged tenon that holds arm in place.
