continuous arm windsor

[Michelle Rich]

Back in the wagon train days, when I began turning, everything was spindle work..the idea at the time was to turn to make things for oneself or to sell. The few books that were available mostly covered spindle work. Today, you lucky youngsters have an amazing amount of info available, and forums to get help. I see spindle work today is just about non-existant. Everything is hollowforms and bowls. It saddens me a bit as we are not passing on the love of all forms of turning. This chair has to be the hardest I make, because of the bending of the wood in 2 planes. I have had this chair many years in my home and the milk paint is starting to wear through to the second layer and taking on the "antique" look antique hounds seem to love.

[Fred Perreault]

Michelle, that is a lovely chair. I was a big fan of Michael Dunbar in the 70's, and had his Windsor chair books. I made the bending forms for the "sack back" chair, and whittled the rods for the back with draw knives and spoke shaves, steam bent the arm and back hoops, and turned the legs and arm spindles on a used Craftsman mono-tube, all from native (Cape Cod) red oak and hard maple. I got some full 8/4x18" ponderosa pine from the local lumber yard, when they still carried in stock an assortment of wood species and dimensions. I used a gutter adze and scorps to create the seat saddle, and assembled the whole thing as green as possible. The chair is still used today, is very sturdy, and the pieces have retained the tension of a well coiled spring. By the way, I was so nervous about the kind of finish to put on the chair, that 40+ years later it is still just an oiled, natural finish.... but with an aged patina.

[Michelle Rich]

hooray for you..I too read Dunbar's book..a treasure trove! I never fell for the bulbous tenons he was hawking, but the rest was very useful. I make sackbacks & bird cages , and shaker chairs too. Keeps the mind active to keep up with all the angles. I bet your "unfinished" chair looks grand. Thanks for your comments

[Sean Hughto]

I'm jealous. That's a beautiful chair. I'd love to make one someday.

I like spindle turning a lot. I've made Dunbar's windsor stool, and am gearing up for some stick windsors (a la John Brown) that may include some turnings. I've also been experimenting with some spindles for use in case work recently. I only mention that to let you know that not all turners here are exclusively HF or bowl makers. That said, I've only been turning for a bit less than a year, so I've been trying out lots of stuff and definitely turned my share of bowls. Nice thing about bowls is quick gratification and no duplicating!

[Michelle Rich]

Hi Sean: glad to hear people are still spindle turning..maybe they aren't sharing?? All they see are art bowls, so they hesitate to share their spindle work? When I started turning bowls, it was to eat out of & not much else..today most everything is for art. Times change, people change & art changes. It's been interesting, but I do miss seeing real good spindle turning.

[Roger Chandler]

Michelle,

Thank you for posting the picture and info on your windsor chair. Here in the Shenandoah Valley, a lot of the doctors offices have windsor chairs as the seating in their waiting rooms.

I have always thought that functionality should be the purpose of all woodworking. While I do not diminish in any way the skill it takes to turn some art piece, my inclination is towards functionality [some call it utilitarian].

Combining turning and wood working to make tables and bedposts, and pilasters, etc. is why I purchased my first lathe, and while I like doing an "artsy" turning once in a while, I still think there is nothing like looking at a functional project such as a table or a clock, or chair and seeing the turned piece mated in with the rest of the project and seeing the two kinds of wood working complimenting one another.

The windsor chair is a classic indeed and is highly prized for obvious reasons. Very nice work indeed! :)

[Wayne Spence]

A very impressive and intimidating chair. Have you ever heard of the Brewster chair? It is in a book on antiques by a man named Sack if memory serves me right which it probably does not. I want you to make one.

When I started woodturning 3 years ago I wanted to get away from the silica and stone dust of stone sculpture knowing full well the wood dust problem. My initial aim was to incorporate turning into sculpture- the only person I know who did this was Mark Lindquist. His large turnings are basically large spindles. I have been working on a wallhanging for sometime that is based on the bamboo sculpture of Cal Hashimoto and the paintings of Piet Mondrian. It is basically an assemblage of simple spindles. But you are right, bowls and vessels have taken over and I must say I turn a few myself-they are quite addictive. If we put all the wood bowls and clay pots together we could clean up the oil in the Gulf of Mexico.

[Mike Minto]

It saddens me a bit as we are not passing on the love of all forms of turning.

Funny, I started out with bowls and hollow forms, and as time has gone by (3 1/2 years or so) I find myself turning more spindles than I did in the beginning!

[Thom Sturgill]

Michelle. I've only been turning two years, but started with spindles for some (still unfinished) shaker tables. I would like to make some chairs, but need a design that would allow my wife to insert cross-stitched panels. What is a good resource for chair design?

That is a beautiful chair by the way. I took a course with Alan LeLand this past weekend. Alan describes himself as a spindle turner. The course was on ornaments. Alan says that if one wants to make a name for themselves in turning today, they should look into spindle turning as no one is currently doing much.

[Michelle Rich]

Thanks Roger..good to know the art of spindle turning is still alive & appreciated. i used to live outside Front Royal, high on the Blue Ridge..gorgeous (but Hot!!) area..

[Michael James]

Again, I admire your work. I think all of us are here for whatever reason, and I think they are all good. I did a lot of heavy lifting doing furniture and coutertop work a long time ago and have no interest in doing more. I have been in my career (2nd?) for over 20 yrs, and I play with wood as therapy. I used to play music for a living, but dont go to bars anymore. I have a room full of guitars and recording equipment that I use to amuse myself. It's who I am, and how I express my creative nature. I tell everyone who will listen, of any age, go find something to do that you love, and get passionate about it. No one can ever take that from you!
So, Im a putzer, and I appreciate you and all the other fine folks here who welcome us, and are available to mentor us, in whatever vicarious ways that happen online. This is a community that I want to belong to.
Thank you.
mj

[Michelle Rich]

check my posting under addiction..a brewster is there!!! Ask & I provide!!! :D

[Michelle Rich]

Thom..what style of chair? If you want windsors, check out : make a windsor chair Dunbar Shaker chairs? Making authentic shaker furniture : Shea or Jack Hill's Country Chairs and lastly one of my favorites is from the countryworkshop..in the carolinas..I think his name is Drew Langsner . These books took me from a good chairmaker to a better one. Good luck

[Joe Aliperti]

Beautiful chair! I'd love to learn how to make one like that someday.

[Sean Hughto]

Funny you should mention that your bowls were for using - mine too. I had the pleasure of giving one of mine to a relative on a recent trip and was immediately rewarded with a delicious watercress salad:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4076/4784002901_a08b09a5f5.jpg

Have a good one!