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Bob Glenn
01-12-2010, 10:40 AM
I've built about ten Windsor chairs in the last 7 or so years. I'm self taught, mostly from Dunbar's book. The first chair took me over eight months to complete due to the learning process and acquiring the necessary tools. I'm currently working on a settee and a writing arm Windsor.

I just fell in love with look and feel of the Windsor chairs. The engineering of the chair design is amazing, and they are quite strong despite their fragile look.

Jimmy Williams
01-12-2010, 11:22 AM
I'm glad you posted these. I saw the one in your bookcase post and was going to make a comment there but didn't want to steal the bookcases thunder.

Don't get me wrong, I like the bookcase, but I love that chair. Definitely something I aspire to build one day. Great work on these.

D-Alan Grogg
01-12-2010, 12:06 PM
Nice work! I agree with your comments. I've built one so far, but I'd like to build more.

David Gendron
01-12-2010, 12:50 PM
i also build one in a 5 day class i took a few year back and always wnated to make more... Your's look great, realy well made!

Sean Nagle
01-12-2010, 12:59 PM
Excellent work Bob. You've shown us three styles and it sounds like you're working on other variations. I love Windsor chairs. In my opinion, there is no furniture design more elegant than the Windsor chair.

Jim Rimmer
01-12-2010, 1:34 PM
I like the finish on the dark chairs. Is the distressed look something you did as part of the finish or is it really from use? How did you get the reddish color under the dark final finish?

Sean Hughto
01-12-2010, 1:51 PM
I aspire to make some as well as you have. I've taken some baby steps - learning the lathe; made Dunbar's windsor stool; got some tools. Next, I'm going to make a shave horse and make a stick Windsor. Then, no doubt it will be time to take on steam bending! Yikes!!

Great work.

John Keeton
01-12-2010, 2:44 PM
Beautiful work!! Not sure on terminology, but I like the tall chair the best by far. Very refined in its look. The finish looks like milk paint, with stained wood or a painted wood underneath - with some distressed areas. Just an excellent job!

Bob Glenn
01-12-2010, 2:56 PM
I like the finish on the dark chairs. Is the distressed look something you did as part of the finish or is it really from use? How did you get the reddish color under the dark final finish?

I usually finish my chairs as follows..... After the chair is completely built, I wet it down to raise any fibers, then knock them down with a light sanding. The finish is milk paint which will, over time wear away, so I stain the whole chair, so the wood won't show white when its worn through. If you do this, don't use an oil based stain. If you do, the milk paint will flake off. I made this mistake with the black crested comb back in the picture and it started to flake a couple weeks later. It looked like it had been in the top of a barn for two hundred years. I showed it to an antique dealer, and he swore it was over a hundred years old. I kind of like the look, but stripped down after about a year and refinished it.

After staining, I put milk paint over the stain. The red you see showing through the black paint, is barn red milk paint. I let the base color dry completely, then apply the top coat, in this case black milk paint. Shortly after applying the top coat, I use a wet cloth to remove the black paint in the wear areas until I get the look I'm after. After the milk paint dries completely, I rub the finish down with steel wool to burnish the paint. Next I apply several coats of boiled linseed oil, turpentine and varnish mixed in equal parts. Be sure to wipe off the excess several times after each application or you will end up with shinny spots.

The black sackback chair next to the red chair in the picture has a lot of wear from use. I sat in that chair in my office for eight hours a day for the last two years I worked before I retired. It is absolutely the most comfortable chair I have ever sat in. I make these chairs at eighteen century reenactments, and it's pleasing to hear the remarks about how comfortable they are when people sit in them, as I toil away on the shaving horse and spring pole lathe.

There are lots and lots of variations on these finishes. I know of at least one person that actually sets the fresh finish on fire! Others apply paint stripper or wax to the wear areas before painting. Another nice affect is to fog the top coat over the base coat with a spray gun. This gives a deep transparent look to the chair.

Thanks for looking. Bob

Bob Glenn
01-12-2010, 2:57 PM
Thanks, John, You hit the nail on the head. Just posted the finishing process.

Jim Rimmer
01-12-2010, 4:28 PM
Thanks for the finshing tips. I may try to use that process on a project but I'm not quite ready to tackle a Windsor chair yet.

Very nice chairs!

Kevin Adams
01-12-2010, 4:36 PM
Bob, very well done. I'm a Windsor guy myself! Do you turn everything on the pole lathe or just for the demos and you have a power lathe hidden back in the shop? The turnings are excellent, so I'm just curious.

Great work!

Kevin

Mark Stutz
01-12-2010, 9:09 PM
Trust me guys, pictures do not do these chairs justice. They are even nicer to look at as you relax in one. I think the secret to making these isthat one needs to wear funny pants!:D:D;)

Mark

gary Zimmel
01-12-2010, 9:22 PM
Beautiful work on the chairs Bob.

How many hours to complete one?

Baxter Smith
01-12-2010, 9:32 PM
Great chairs! Nice job.

Bob Glenn
01-12-2010, 10:44 PM
Thanks for all the comments guys. I only use the pole lathe at demo's. I've not been able to master turning a good leg on the spring pole lathe, whereas it only takes me about thirty minutes to go from a log to a leg on a power lathe. I am getting better on the pole lathe, but am far from competent. I just can't imagine the bodgers in England making a living doing that in the woods. So yes, I have a secret power lathe hidden away. The spring pole lathe is a popular attraction at the reenactments though. It takes about 40 hours to make a chair if I don't screw anything up.

Mark, thanks for the compliments, I really enjoyed our conversation at the last reenactment.

Kevin Adams
01-13-2010, 7:38 AM
Thanks, Bob. I'm with you on the pole lathe, just can't turn with the same boldness and crispness...but it can be done if you see Don Weber's work and many of the other traditional chairmakers out there still today, particularly over in the UK. It's just a matter of probably turning 12+ hours a day for many years!

Seriously, great work and please share some more photos when you can.

Kevin

Bob Glenn
01-13-2010, 9:17 AM
Thanks, Bob. I'm with you on the pole lathe, just can't turn with the same boldness and crispness...but it can be done if you see Don Weber's work and many of the other traditional chairmakers out there still today, particularly over in the UK. It's just a matter of probably turning 12+ hours a day for many years!

Seriously, great work and please share some more photos when you can.

Kevin

Kevin, I actually went down to Paint Lick, Kentucky and visited Don Weber. He's a real character and gave me the full tour of his shop. I was curious about the lathe tools he uses, as I had heard they are different from the tools used on a power lathe. Basically the bodgers, whom Don studied with, used only three tools, a sort of V tool, a short chisel like skew that looks more like a one inch wood chisel, and a gouge. I think we just need more time on the pole lathe to get proficient.

Jim Paulson
01-13-2010, 10:19 AM
Thanks for posting your Windsor chairs and congrats on the fine work, especially the finishing part that really makes the chairs.

God bless,
Jim


http://www.chairsbypaulson.com

Kevin Adams
01-13-2010, 11:58 AM
Bob, I always wanted to take a class with Don, but never got around to it. However, I have watched him work at many a show in the past and he is a character...and obviously very talented. What I found so neat (and refreshing) is that he can pretty much do it all from woodworking to making whatever tools he needed (eg., drawknives from leaf springs from his truck, etc.!), all the while keeping us entertained. It will sound funny I'm sure, but for a "poor country guy from Wales" he is a real renaissance man! I have a photo of one of his Welsh stick chairs up on my shop wall (as well as one from John Brown) as inspiration.

Take care,
Kevin

Kevin Adams
01-13-2010, 12:17 PM
Jim, I have meant to comment in the past that your chairs and other work are also first rate. I'd love to commission you to build me a tool chest like you have...any other photos of it (I searched, but couldn't find any, especially with the tools inside).

I've also seen your treadle lathe on your site, too...do you do all your turning on that or do you also have a power lathe?

Take care,
Kevin

Jim Paulson
01-13-2010, 1:27 PM
Kevin,

Those were kind words and I appreciate it. I will look for some additional photos and send them to you in a PM.

Like Bob, I often resort to using my electric lathe for cranking out chair legs in my shop. But I can tell you whether it is jointing boards or turning spindles I am striving to free myself of power tools. I use my pole lathe more than the treadle lathe right now. It is definitely more fun doing woodworking without all the power tools, if you are in condition LOL. I'm working on that too;).

Take care,
Jim

John Thompson
01-13-2010, 2:02 PM
Beautiful chair work and I absolutely love the finish you created on the darker ones. That finish grabbed my attention as soon as I clicked on.

Extremely well done...

Martin Shupe
01-17-2010, 4:48 PM
Can you share the finishing schedule for the red chair on the left in the first photo?

I have a chair that is almost complete, and my wife does not like the traditional black over red. She wants it to look more like cherry.

Thanks!

Bob Glenn
01-18-2010, 1:18 PM
Can you share the finishing schedule for the red chair on the left in the first photo?

I have a chair that is almost complete, and my wife does not like the traditional black over red. She wants it to look more like cherry.

Thanks!

Martin, that one is easy. Just do the finishing process up through the staining, as described earlier in this thread, then mix up some barn red milk paint. Several coats then at least two coats of boiled lindseed oil, varnish and turpentine in equal parts. Rub through the paint if you want to have it show some wear before applying the linseed oil mixture. Be sure wipe off any excess oil after thirty minutes and do this several times to avoid any shiny spots. Good luck.