Sam Maloof

Sam Maloof was an icon of American furnituremaking. He crafted over 500 original furniture designs during his career. WOOD Magazine spent time with Sam a few years ago. Here's what we learned. Download the entire article for free at the end of the slide show.

"I don't have to look for lumber, it finds me," Sam Maloof says. As a result, he neeeds four buildings to store his stash. Luckily, southern California offered ideal storage conditions: low humidity and moderate temperatures.

You won't find any jigs in Sam's shop, but you can't miss the plywood templates that hang everywhere space allows. Some are decades old, and still see regular use. Many bear the name of the original buyer of that style chair and provide a unique record of his clients.

Carefully eyeing his layout lines, Sam begins shaping the blank for a chair arm. He pivots and turns the arm as he works to follow the lines and create compound curves.

After about five minutes, Sam has transformed a rough blank into an arm that is ready for installation. He'll create the mirror image from the other blank, deftly matching the shapes as he works.

Beveling the edges of each seat board creates a contour that yields a more comfortable shape while requiring less shaping. Keeping the edges at 90-degrees simplifies leg joinery.

This unique joint attaches the front and back legs to the seat. The pieces interlock to form a twist-resistant joint with lots of glue surface.

A couple of screws, covered by plugs, add strength to withstand long-term use. After assembly, rasps and files blend all the surfaces together.

Traditional hand tools get a workout in Sam's shop. Sam and the boys commonly use rasps, files, riflers, sandpaper, and scrapers to refine the rough shapes into finished form.

David Wade applies Sam's special finish to a decades-old chair sent in for refurbishing.

Larry White, left, and Mike Johnson shape new chairs still under construction.

Download this free WOOD Magazine article about Sam Maloof.