opinions on this design  

Also, just for a fun...
Also, just for a fun exercise consider making the dining table version in a different material even. Could you do molded plastic? That way it is large visually but weighs a lot less. I think it would be great in a high gloss finish.
Look at this Marcel Wanders photo. I think this is great use of materials .... it can be large and light simultaneously.
Don't get me wrong I love it in wood!

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Nice rendering or photo, too perfect for a photo? I think the design might be a little bland without the use of wood, and difficult if not very expensive to execute in plastic, Fibreglass would probably be the cheapest but *yuck*
The chap I am buying the lathe from isn't returning my calls to confirm a pick up time, I think he has changed his mind. You know when you want something so much you think about stealing it? Its like that.
Somehow a Jasper Morrison chair turned up in the loading dock at the back of my local supermarket and the forklift driver does his bookwork on it and leaves it outside undercover at night. I've looked for a security camera and couldn't see one but the last thing I'd enjoy is being caught at 2 am with a piece of injection molded plastic under my arm trying to explain to the men in blue why I would steal such a thing.

LIBERATE IT
for arts sake...its not stealing if its for ART...

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theft as performance art? That might hold up in court 🙂
Perhaps I could do a jig as I walked away with it and claim its all just interpretive dance.

I
read what you said about vintage steering wheels on the other thread, and immediately saw it in your design; it got me thinking today-
wouldn't the seat be beautiful in a perforated leather, like vintage car upholstery, or driving gloves?

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I wish it wasn't 4 am and I could go down and take some photos of the stearing wheels in the garage. They are really really beautiful. Isn't glove leather the most expensive you can get?
I bought some reclaimed rosewood yesterday (local pseudo variety) but there was only a little of it, enough to do a top and hub but not enough for legs, so I might try using some left over polished stainless tube I've got for legs, something like this mod repro wheel. There were these really beautiful burls there too which would make lovely little tables but they were very expensive and its probably cheaper to get a permit to go cut them off the trees in the state forest (it does them no harm).
Wandering around the bush with a saw, how fun.

SEE
the simple beauty of this stool...sets, the mind free...like classic jeans,oh, the myriad possibilties...waffle/quilted/stone washed / ice washed/stained/scrubbed/patched & pummled....

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thanks, though I have to say I don't think its that good, not compared to the 3D model anyway.
The myrid possibilities indeed, I pick up the lathe on Sunday, I much prefer an old fully cast iron one than a wobbly vibrating piece of chinese complete garbage for twice the price.
The carbuncle growths that make all those wood turned bowls that everyone has seen are pretty common in my area, I'm not really interested in turning platters etc but think the larger pieces could make great little side tables, especially when I can attach mirror polished stainless legs, call it a cocktail table and charge more.