1st Class Deck Chair Restoration and "Templatation"

     What is generally known as the 1st Class Deck Chair is a chair style that has been on the decks of cruise ships from the days of yore. These being vessels such as the Titanic and Normandie; or, in this case, the S.S. New Amsterdam.

 
   There are many types and styles of these chairs; most having the same badging as this one, "1st Class" on the head and "S. S. New Amsterdam" at the foot. Pictured in this post are two such chairs that I restored for a customer. If you click on any picture you can zoom in for the detail.....


    An added bonus was that while the chair was in pieces I made a template of each and every piece so that the chair could be reproduced for future clients.

More pictures and details after the jump:

The Caterpillar is Released!

   As of late much work has been done in the bench genre. Now I am up to my neck in them! I have completed another Wine bench, a trellis bench (post coming), a navy chair bench(also- post coming), and the newest, the Caterpillar bench.
   This little wonder was conceived spur of the moment and now that I try to remember I can't even place its origin. All the same, it is just brilliant and I have to share.
   Each piece is 18" wide by 16" tall by 9" deep- But that's not a bench you say.....and I say RIGHT! But!...check after the jump.....

The Dry Wine Bench, or just, The Winery Bench

   I would like to introduce a new little (not really, see dimensions at bottom) addition to the FilliQuist family, The Dry Wine Bench.

A wine barrel in it's previous life, the back of the bench is an unfolded white oak red wine barrel still stained by its former nectar and each screw hole plugged with fresh oak bungs.

The seat is a solid piece of white oak that is fit carefully into a notch made in each stave.

The top rail is finished with white oak as well which has been steamed into place.

Because of the solid seat surface, the bench should be turned over regularly to prevent warping. A task which shouldn't be much of a problem since after a rain or morning dew the bench can be flipped over to offer a dry seat and back. You see, the bench seat is exactly in the middle making the top the bottom and vice versa.

   Even though white oak is naturally rot resistant the whole bench is oiled and waxed for added protection. The bench pictured is approximately 7'6"L x 37" H x 20"D with a seat depth of 16" good for two shy people and 3-4 good friends. Retail for the standard two person 5' bench is $1150. Production and different sizes are available.

Getting what you want

I have seached for years for a certain beach chair, all to no avail. This is how it started-


    One day at a flea market/highschool benefit my parents bought a beach chair for me. For $15 I got a sling back chair that had navy blue cotton fabric. It was made of beech and stood around 4 1/2 feet tall when folded. I loved that chair, camped in that chair, slept in that chair, got sunburned in that chair, etc, you get the picture. Finally the sunbleached fabric gave out and ripped.  The chair frame became buried in snow and never recovered and tossed out in a moment of apathy or confusion. I have looked high and low for close to 10 years for a replacment and for what- NOTHING! I found a few companys bringing them in from France and other points European but finding them instock was hit or miss and the prices were anywhere from $125 to $300! Uh no thanks for a days work and some spare materials I'll make my own. So here it is!

       Made out of Poplar (I did two and the other is Red Oak), strung with natural untreated cotton, sealed with raw linseed oil, painted with four black stripes- it's DONE! Some spare wood and a bit o' canvas laying around and POOF! two new slingback chairs. Now if I can only get my price point under a hundred bucks I'll start selling these things state side!