The Palo Alto -Crafting a modern chair...vintage style...

This is a short film following the process of building a "Palo Alto" chair for the first time. Inspired by Sesame Street process shorts and vintage shop films. Directed, photographed, and edited by David C. Thompson. Featuring Jared Rusten: furniture designer/maker. 8mm. 2005. Vetiver music used by permission.

Fellow woodworkers -please forgive the planing sequences that were edited out of order.


www.jrusten.com

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• modern
• furniture
• walnut
• chair
• woodworking
• building
• vintage
• saw
• chisel
• maloof
• dovetail
• wood
• eames
• nakashima
• design

[sumgai777]

Loved your furniture ever since the 2005 MercNews article - sweet video.

The joinery is just - amazing. I love your choice (& why) of walnut, cherry, & maple - I keep thinking you should make a flag (I joke!) ;-)

I've been working on a stool for my shop - the angle grinder for scooping the seat got me thinking (I've been using a surform and scrapers). But I was surprised that you went from plane to ROS and belt - do you do a final scrape?

Thanks - would love to visit the shop someday - AC

[jrustenfurniture]

thanks for the compliments... to answer your question... some of the milling shots were edited out of sequence (the filmmaker is not a woodworker). The normal order is: power plane, hand plane, planer, and then the glue-up. Of course, that was before I got a 16" jointer. I can skip a bunch of those steps now.

I don't usually scrape at the end -too easy to tear out over funky grain. Just ROS and then some sanding by hand at the 320/400 grit stages.

Thanks again for the interest and kindness.

[jrustenfurniture]

vetiverse dot com

[botasr]

zaebis

[KAMYZETA]

No me canso de ver este video, EXELENTE

im from Tijuana Mexico

[WrenthamAntiques]

Great video! Very captivating and visually instructional. Thanks

Chuck

Wrentham Antiques

[cudaclan]

There is something to be said about people who use their hands. Exceptional clean lines and design. I always look forward when the stain/oil is applied. Very therapeutic creating from nature.

[thinazzabird]

The discipline imposed by the cost of film is gone.

[sjscat]

NIce use of woods: the walnut seat and back contrast nicely with the lighter woods. I also love that in this chair style you can give soft curves and yet produce the piece without the very time consuming hand shaping. I appreciate the fact that this is a nice chair that would not cost an absolute fortune.

I also like the Kutzall on an angle grinder also to do concave work. Also, using the bridle joints is an elegant and strong way to go.

What is the finish?

Great job!

-a woodworker

[bsarnold1]

SWEET music and editing

[noxvet]

Gorgious! Why are not all videos so decently produced !