Removing the curse of the Chinese stool

In 2009, Christopher Schwarz and Bob Lang had a bit of a rough time making a little Chinese stool. Maybe the Year of the Ox was trying their patience? Nah. I bet it was simply the tricky joinery on this stool that caused things to go awry twice, and maybe three times. But they worked out the joinery, and Lang finished the stool in time for a photo shoot a little while later. The saga of the curse lasted from Spring to Fall, 2009 (take a peek here), when they finally declared victory.

One of our Guild members, and the current Guild President, is Tim Streeby. He recently completed the second copy of the Chinese stool; I am guessing that his wife got the first one he made. Tim told me both stools went together flawlessly. On hearing this, my jaw dropped, as I was familiar with the curse. I asked him again if he had any trouble putting together the stool. Yup; he had told me he had no trouble putting it together.

The fact is that Schwarz and Lang worked out the hard part: making the first one(s), and the working drawings. Schwarz told me via e-mail: “…If reproducing it is easy, then we’ve done our job…” Indeed, Chris and Bob! You did a terrific job! The fact that Tim is a terrific woodworker. and a master cabinet maker, helps a lot, I am certain.

Here is Tim, posing by copy #2 of the Chinese stool, during Arbor Day celebration at the Missouri Department of Conservation booth manned by the Guild:

Tim shows off his second three-legged Chinese stool.

I had to place this piece on the ground, to get a better feel for the form. It looked terrific; the wood just said “Touch me!”. This is a handsome stool:

The Chinese stool in walnut.

The seat on this stool is gorgeous. Tim found the black walnut at one of the two local saw mills. It is just spectacular:

Stool seat in black walnut, from local saw mill.

My thanks go to Tim for sharing the not-cursed Chinese stool with us during Arbor Day. Tim, you did a terrific job on this beauty!

— Al Navas