This past Friday I visited the production facility and viewed the parts for the first 20 rocker kits before packing and shipping to Highland Woodworking. Quality control is very important as well as a relationship with the craftsman (Barry, Keith and Donnie) making the parts for a product that bears my name. I saw the quality of the kit, joinery and the people involved first-hand. In my estimation they are all excellent. American craftsman can compete with anyone in commitment to high quality at an affordable price. Even the packing is first rate. Each part is encapsulated by a kind of "French Fit" of foam making sure your rocker parts arrive at your shop in great shape.
Selecting boards for the various parts is always a tedious task and I was thrilled to see much thought had gone into everything from color matching of seat boards to choosing grain orientation for strength and beauty. We also went through all the culled parts and we all agreed why each one was sent to the heap.
Many more woodworkers can now make their Maloof inspired rocker a reality. For example, a "father to be" can make a fine rocker for the "mother to be" without spending over two hundred hours on the project. Woodworkers, new and experienced who have been reluctant to build it from scratch using my instructional bundle will be legged up in no time and be able to spend their woodworking time carving the parts (which is great fun) instead of worrying about the seat to leg joinery. The kit will make it possible to more quickly craft a dream rocker in less time and without the worry of making mistakes executing the signature exposed joinery, also with less time and expense selecting wood and preparing stock. The beautiful coopered seat has tremendous strength from the insertion of 3 Festool Dominoes in each seat board joint allowing the woodworker to sculpt the seat thin without worry about strength. The side profiles of all seven spindles have been cut and sanded. In addition, all the laminations and transitions for the "S" curve rocker skids have been sawn ready to glue up on the form. If a part fails or even fails to meet expectations, we will send you a new one.
Another important part of the value of the kit is savings. You won't need a big and expensive 8" jointer or a Festool Domino! The expensive walnut 8/4 and 10/4 (hard to find) wood alone is $550 plus shipping.
If you need help with sculpting the parts you can even take a class this February 26-27 that will demonstrate the methods and tools utilized to make those beautiful hard and soft lines "pop" on your rocker.
Within a few weeks a non-stick form for gluing up the skids will be available for purchase as well as the "Ultimate Beeswax Finish" for your beautiful Rocker. Wow!
The kit will make a great Christmas gift that will be a prize in your family for years to come. If you would like to read more about the kit click here!
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