Cool furniture, design objects and desiderata

[SkinnyGoomba]

Glad I could be a service.

Musical instrument makers are similarly obsessed with grain runout since they feel that decreases tonal qualities in the wood. Its not as critical for me, I can use normally sawn lumber for the most part, but it does come into effect and as I've progressed I've worked to improve my eye for selecting VG (vertical grain) lumber, which is separate from the sawing programs like flat sawn or quarter sawn. At glance it seems rather easy, but digging through what is typically available in walnut....you become keenly aware that it is not so simple.

Joinery is obviously stronger where there is little to no grain runout.

 

[SkinnyGoomba]

Been on a framing and uikyo-e binge;

 

[Jr Mouse]

Nice work as always!

 

[SkinnyGoomba]

Thank you! I got accepted in the Wharton Esherick competition on framing, so I decided to make a few and bring the best of the bunch to be exhibited.

 

[double00]

Glad I could be a service.

Musical instrument makers are similarly obsessed with grain runout since they feel that decreases tonal qualities in the wood. Its not as critical for me, I can use normally sawn lumber for the most part, but it does come into effect and as I've progressed I've worked to improve my eye for selecting VG (vertical grain) lumber, which is separate from the sawing programs like flat sawn or quarter sawn. At glance it seems rather easy, but digging through what is typically available in walnut....you become keenly aware that it is not so simple.

Joinery is obviously stronger where there is little to no grain runout.

some luthiers will work from split billets and then plane down to spec.

then again, there are plenty of magic instruments that don't follow the ideals and end up amazing.

small arched instruments like violins and mandolins are hand carved, so there will be runout regardless since hardly any trees grow with pre-arched grain lol. don't forget also, there is always runout at the sound holes, f-holes, etc.

there are techniques for commanding tone via "tap-tuning", which i understand is a matter of using sand patterns on shaped wood to determine where the resonance lives

even with the other rules, like looking for winter wood, tight grain spacing etc it honestly seems like more a matter of playing the odds, executing well, and crossing one's fingers.

 

[SkinnyGoomba]

Good point about violins and such. I'm sure they must have some testing to minimize failures and then still, as you say, it is partially down to chance.

Working from split billets is also much more enjoyable than working from typically flat sawn material and saves the nuissance of realigning the grain.

 

[kasper007]

Do you guys have recommendations for euro or uk based furniture stores that offer reasonable international shipping rates. Given the strength of the dollar and new $800 min for duty, I am almost exclusively buying clothes and shoes from euro stores and I am in the market for some chairs so figured I'd have a look. It seems that the euro MSRP less VAT is often 30-40% cheaper than in the US. Specifically, I want to get some Grand Prix chairs with wooden legs and as per the Fritz Hansen website, the US price is $824 while they go for EUR 609 incl. VAT (ie. EUR 493 ex VAT or ~$548). It's quite a difference in price!! Just need to find a place that offer reasonable shipping (and it doesn't have to be fast) so hoping for some recommendations.

 

[Find Finn]

They are most likely not allowed to ship outside their region and could loose their rights if the manufacture finds out.

With that said try someone like Conran or Skandium.

 

[kasper007]



They are most likely not allowed to ship outside their region and could loose their rights if the manufacture finds out.

With that said try someone like Conran or Skandium.

Thanks, I had already checked out Skandium, but they charge £250 per chair, but Conran is only £50 per chair so unless someone suggests a better place, will likely order from there as it would come out to only ~$620 per chair.

 

[Find Finn]

It seems very unlikely for two equally spec'd chairs to be that far from each other in pricing.

 

[kasper007]

they are the exact same chair. When you exclude VAT, similar high priced goods made in Europe are 25-40% cheaper in Europe than they are in the US at the moment. To give you an example, I bought the following items at full price over the last couple months:
Herno Laminar jacket: paid ~$950 from Norse Store, was $1450 at Barney's
Margiela GAT: paid ~$285 from Tres Bien, they are $470 in the US
C&J Connaught: Paid ~$415 from Pediwear, they are $635 in the US
And the list goes on and on. I have heard of a lot of of US based apparel retailers complaining about being unable to compete with their European counterparts. The Euro has been very weak ever since the Greek debt crisis and the Pound is at a 35-year low so I am not surprised that you can find the same price discrepancy for furniture.

 

[Find Finn]

That is not the part I'm opposing. I'm talking about Conran wanting 1/4 of the price for the same chair as Skandium, which would land them in below wholesale land and Fritz Hansen wouldn't allow that. Also they are located within a couple miles of each other.

When I look at their websites, there's an entire pound in price difference and not 200.

https://www.conranshop.co.uk/grand-prix-chair-in-oak.html

https://www.skandium.com/grand-prixtm-chair-wooden-legs-quickship

 

[kasper007]

Sorry, I misunderstood you. The chairs are the exact same price, but the shipping costs are way different. One charges £50 per chair while the other £250. As far as I know, shipping costs are not something the manufacturer have a say in.

 

[Find Finn]

I'm pretty sure the difference is 4 days and 4 weeks.

 

[Medwed]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Early-Arne-...515179?hash=item464f61b92b:g:O88AAOSwepJXWJxf