Jake Darvall
01-23-2013, 4:14 PM
Windsor hoop backs and continueous arms should have bentwood backs
This, I believe, is an improvement to hoop back and continueous arm windsors, which I hope won't annoy too many traditionalist chair makers. But I don't see any way around showing an improvement without showing the negitives first.
I'll try and describe it without being overly wordy(my tendency).
The problem I've always had with hoop back chairs is that the bow(or hoop) are bent in 2 dimentional planes only. Primarily because the timber is prepared in squarish cross-sections and their straps really only want to bend either one way or the other and generally this kind of bending is easier to do. But this means you end up with a bow that doesn't match the sitters back. Not ideal. Our backs are curved not straight. And it doesn't, in my opinion, look as good either. Can see this when looking from the top. Picture one is a continueous arm(I don't have a hoop back on hand). Very squarish looking.
Bentwood chairs(Thonet) have always looked more elegant to me, because the bends are 3 dimentional. Round cross sections are used allowing the strapping to twist about in a 3rd dimention. Its harder to do , but this means you can end up with a top profile more conducive to comfort and not so squarish looking. Try and show that with a bentwood in Picture two.
So this is what I've done. I've made a former, turned a bow (round cross section) and bent the bow in a way very similar to thonets methods, but instead of bolting it up to a seat, as you find in bent woods, I've jointed the bow normally to the seat as you find in windsors. Picture three shows my first windsor hoop back chair. Not glued up yet, but there's enough to see to describe the point.
It changes the look from all directions. Side profile is another angle that hoop backs look too rigidly straight as well. With a bentwood bow the tip whips over more. (Picture four). Doesn't look anywhere near as squarish in my opinion.
Hope I don't look like I'm showing off too much, but its a big deal for me. I've put off making hoop backs for quite a while because of these comfort and aesthetic issues. And this bend has delt with the problem I had with them. thats it.
This, I believe, is an improvement to hoop back and continueous arm windsors, which I hope won't annoy too many traditionalist chair makers. But I don't see any way around showing an improvement without showing the negitives first.
I'll try and describe it without being overly wordy(my tendency).
The problem I've always had with hoop back chairs is that the bow(or hoop) are bent in 2 dimentional planes only. Primarily because the timber is prepared in squarish cross-sections and their straps really only want to bend either one way or the other and generally this kind of bending is easier to do. But this means you end up with a bow that doesn't match the sitters back. Not ideal. Our backs are curved not straight. And it doesn't, in my opinion, look as good either. Can see this when looking from the top. Picture one is a continueous arm(I don't have a hoop back on hand). Very squarish looking.
Bentwood chairs(Thonet) have always looked more elegant to me, because the bends are 3 dimentional. Round cross sections are used allowing the strapping to twist about in a 3rd dimention. Its harder to do , but this means you can end up with a top profile more conducive to comfort and not so squarish looking. Try and show that with a bentwood in Picture two.
So this is what I've done. I've made a former, turned a bow (round cross section) and bent the bow in a way very similar to thonets methods, but instead of bolting it up to a seat, as you find in bent woods, I've jointed the bow normally to the seat as you find in windsors. Picture three shows my first windsor hoop back chair. Not glued up yet, but there's enough to see to describe the point.
It changes the look from all directions. Side profile is another angle that hoop backs look too rigidly straight as well. With a bentwood bow the tip whips over more. (Picture four). Doesn't look anywhere near as squarish in my opinion.
Hope I don't look like I'm showing off too much, but its a big deal for me. I've put off making hoop backs for quite a while because of these comfort and aesthetic issues. And this bend has delt with the problem I had with them. thats it.