A tree with a story

[Larry]

"I was a very large black cherry tree peacefully residing on the Pinnacle Golf Course in Rogers Arkansas. I provided food and shelter for wildlife along with lots of needed shade on those hot summer afternoons. In October of 2019 a tornado took me down. I was saved from the burn pile by a great grounds crew. They could see that I might have a future. I was taken to a local sawyer by the name of Larry Copas who milled me into furniture grade lumber. After drying, Larry has been crafting beautiful and useful furniture from me for the past few years. This is his latest creation, hope you like me."






Straight from the tree.

[Southside]

Larry you do amazing work.  That is incredible.  

[thecfarm]

Now that's a story!!
And stool!!!

[Magicman]

I love the story and the stool ain't bad.    

[doc henderson]

nice style and curves Larry.

[wudshp]

That's a great design executed beautifully.  Any chance it was inspired by Wharton Esherick?  How do you shape the seats and when?  Before or after assembly? Bandsaw and hand tools, grinder or some other method?  The end result speaks for itself.  Looks simple but I know its far from it.

[Larry]

My stools do resemble Wharton Esherick's stools.

Wharton Esherick cherry stool

One aspect of the design is the three stretchers at different heights. When used as footrests they can fit folks with short legs or long legs. Makes them more versatile.

Biggest difference is Wharton's stools sell for 30 times more $$$$$'s than my stools for some reason. Maybe the price will go up after I die.

I developed a method to drill and taper ream the leg mortise through the seat on my wood lathe. When I finish that operation I try to do as much shaping as possible on the lathe. After that I refine the shape with hand tools, mostly the draw knife. If I'm in a hurry and have lots of wood to waste I might use a right angle grinder with a Holey Galahad disk.

All of the parts are 90% finished before glue up. After glue up I have to get rid of the nubs of the legs and stretchers where they come through the mortise. A little finish sanding and than apply a hand rubbed oil finish.

[Ron Scott]

Very nice! A tree remembered.

[thecfarm]

$15,000 !!!! 
Some people have way too much money.

[SwampDonkey]

That's incredabie work, and I enjoyed the story as well.

[NewYankeeSawmill]

Absolutely gorgeous.
It's works like that, that inspire and drive me to learn more about woodworking, and hand tools, and old-school methods of construction.
I can recall maybe 20 years ago cruising OyTube when it was young, and there was a 20-min vid of this old timer chopping down a tree, making blanks, carving parts and pieces, then assembling a chair. I dunno why, but a part inside of me said "I want to learn how to do that!"
Would love to see a 20-min vid of you making one of your stools!