The Stool is Done

And other reasons to mull through existential crisis.

It’s finished and its beautiful.

The stool is oddly perfect. It is asymmetrical. It has endemic cracks and was made with exacting care and love. Metaphors abound. I am sad, and tired, and meditating on visions of future joy. The end of a project is a lot like the last day of school, or a break-up you don’t see coming. It has the capacity to cause reflection. What is a maker? What is a chair? A friend? What the fuck is happening? Finishing a project, putting it in the window to sit, giving it a final pass with a burnishing rag, I wonder if anyone will use it? Will anybody explore the curves and lines? Will the cracks remain stable? Will it still be functional in 10 years? Am I functional? I am 33 and I feel like am starting from the beginning again. There is a newness to today.

I have been experimenting with finishes. For many projects so far I have dallied with card scrapping and burnishing with shavings, and tree branches. All rustic, and callused methods. I felt noble, the chairs felt unfinished. I learned that in order to have a hope of bringing a project to the market and selling it as fine handmade furniture, it needs to be finished beyond the capacity of my poorly sharpened card scrapper. Enter Austin Heitzman.

I wrote a separate article on Austin because he is bizarre and very good at what he does. I think his impact on my work was particularly well timed. I have spent many hours trying to achieve a lasting finish that feels good under the fingers. Sandpaper is the answer. I have spent the last year caught up in the anti-sandpaper tradition espoused by builders like Schwarz and Alexander. Austin turns these traditions on their head. And now that I think about it Schwarz does too, I read recently that he uses a radial palm sander to finish his stick chairs. The man is a dynamo.

The point is; sandpaper makes a better surface for oil, and oil makes a better surface for “Oh La La” reactions. I am still developing my own methods, but so far, I like what I am seeing.

Here it is.

Enjoy.

I am gearing up to make another armchair. I am aiming to sell it upon completion. If you made it this far, and want to buy a handmade armchair, I’ll sell it for 500$ you may not know how to price furniture, 500$ is super cheap. Just trying to keep the lights on at the workshop, literally.