Highland Woodworking will host chairmaker Charles Brock of Columbus, GA for a seminar in Atlanta February 28-March 1, 2009. During the two-day event, Mr. Brock will demonstrate the intricacies of replicating the style of rocking chair made famous by woodworking legend Sam Maloof.
Mr. Maloof, who recently celebrated his 93rd birthday at his home in Alta Loma, California, is widely regarded as the most respected furniture maker alive today. His elegant chair designs are admired and sought after by artists, world government and business leaders, as well as craftsmen of every skill level. His signature walnut rocking chairs are on display at the Smithsonian and in use at the White House.
Charles Brock combines his skill as a craftsman with outstanding teaching and communication skills to make this challenging project approachable for the amateur woodworker. A Maloof-inspired chair combines the rich beauty of walnut lumber with the subtle grace of line and curve, using joinery techniques perfected long ago by Mr. Maloof.
Students attending Mr. Brock’s weekend demonstration will learn how to sculpt the saddle of the chair, how to attach the legs utilizing Mr. Maloof’s unique visible joinery techniques, and how to carve the hard and soft lines of the legs, arms, headrest and back spindles using bandsaw, spokeshave, rasp and scrapers. Mr. Brock will take the mystery out of creating the signature cyma curved laminated rockers with ebony and maple highlights, and will demonstrate preparing surfaces for an extraordinary oil and hand rubbed beeswax finish.
A separate Friday evening design lecture, “Form Follows Function” precedes the weekend seminar, and is included for those enrolled in the weekend event. Registration information for both the Friday lecture and weekend seminar is available at highlandwoodworking.com, or by calling 800-241-6748.