Bent Willow Chair

[Richard Friesen]

Hello all. I am a new member with a question. This winter I will post pics of some of my woodwork.

My question today relates to a bent willow chair I am wanting to build. I want to make the chair frame of cedar which is slender rails of cedar with the bark on.

Does anyone know where to source this material?

[Richard Wolf]

Welcome to the creek Richard. I wish I could help you but all willow chair builders I have ever meet harvest their own materials and they only do that certain times of the year. There are some great books on willow furniture, one that comes to mind is, A Bend in the Willows: The Art of Making Rustic Furniture.
It's in paperback and under $20.00.
I tried some willow chairs a few years ago, takes some practice!

Good luck.

Richard

[Richard Friesen]

Welcome to the creek Richard. I wish I could help you but all willow chair builders I have ever meet harvest their own materials and they only do that certain times of the year. There are some great books on willow furniture, one that comes to mind is, A Bend in the Willows: The Art of Making Rustic Furniture.
It's in paperback and under $20.00.
I tried some willow chairs a few years ago, takes some practice!

Good luck.

Richard
Thank you Richard for your reply. I have three good willow bushes in my back yard and these will do fine for the bent members of the chair. I guess I'll have to take my chainsaw out to a wilderness area to find the cedar.
I am planning to use mortis and tenon joints on the frame. Winter is coming on and the willow may not remain flexible enough in this season. In that case I'll build the frame this winter and add the willow in the spring. I won't cut the willow until I am ready to apply it.

[Jim Dannels]

Had a long visit at family reunion last Sunday with a cousin who makes his living building twig furniture.
He says you want to harvest in months with an R to assure the bark stays on.