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The Craftsmanship of Kevin Seigworth
I first saw a Sam Maloof rocking chair in a museum in Washington
DC. I had never seen anything like it before and it was a
spellbinding experience. I never forgot the flowing lines and
graceful curves. At the time I knew I did not have the skill and
experience to attempt to build such a challenging piece.
When Sam Maloof died in 2009, the spark was lit to attempt to build
one of his iconic rockers. I began to read all I could find about Sam
and his work while looking for a set of plans for the rocker. I could
find none. Then a woodworking friend pointed me to Charles Brock
who was offering a set of plans based on his time with Sam in a
workshop. I bought the plans and built the rocker you see here.
This rocker begins as rough sawn two inch thick Black Walnut, Sam’
s signature wood. The band saw is used to do the rough shaping
but then there is a tremendous amount of hand work required with
rasps, spoke shaves and sandpaper. There are very few straight
lines on this rocker with its combination of flowing and curving hard
and soft lines.
The Maloof rockers are known for their beautiful exposed joinery.
Sam thought that if a woodworker was going to work so hard to
make a joint perfect, why hide it. He originated using a set of
router bits to make the exposed bridle joint that joins the seat and
legs. Sam also developed his signature finish which is a blend of
tung oil, boiled linseed oil and varnish. This is then top coated with
a similar mixture except bees wax is substituted for the varnish.
The result is a silky smooth surface that invites you to touch it and
have a seat.
This is a very comfortable rocking chair that would be a great
addition to and could become the center piece of any room
DC. I had never seen anything like it before and it was a
spellbinding experience. I never forgot the flowing lines and
graceful curves. At the time I knew I did not have the skill and
experience to attempt to build such a challenging piece.
When Sam Maloof died in 2009, the spark was lit to attempt to build
one of his iconic rockers. I began to read all I could find about Sam
and his work while looking for a set of plans for the rocker. I could
find none. Then a woodworking friend pointed me to Charles Brock
who was offering a set of plans based on his time with Sam in a
workshop. I bought the plans and built the rocker you see here.
This rocker begins as rough sawn two inch thick Black Walnut, Sam’
s signature wood. The band saw is used to do the rough shaping
but then there is a tremendous amount of hand work required with
rasps, spoke shaves and sandpaper. There are very few straight
lines on this rocker with its combination of flowing and curving hard
and soft lines.
The Maloof rockers are known for their beautiful exposed joinery.
Sam thought that if a woodworker was going to work so hard to
make a joint perfect, why hide it. He originated using a set of
router bits to make the exposed bridle joint that joins the seat and
legs. Sam also developed his signature finish which is a blend of
tung oil, boiled linseed oil and varnish. This is then top coated with
a similar mixture except bees wax is substituted for the varnish.
The result is a silky smooth surface that invites you to touch it and
have a seat.
This is a very comfortable rocking chair that would be a great
addition to and could become the center piece of any room
Maloof Style Rocker
