Windsor Chair

[lowell holmes]

I have Michael Dunbar's book "Make a Windsor Chair"
I like to occasionally look at it because I enjoy reading his books.

I made a Windsor Chair at Homestead Heritage in Waco, Texas many years ago.
It is black and still in use. As I recall, it was a pleasant experience.

IIRC, it was a Paul Sellers class. I had forgotten the class, but I learned to use a lathe in that class.

Do any of you have lathes? I have nearly all of the tools other than that, but maybe . . . .....

[Bruce Haugen]

It’s my goal to make Windsor’s, too. If you haven’t seen Curtis Buchanan’s videos (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uEwjnEsj63o), I highly recommend them. One guy I know of used the videos to teach himself the craft and now makes them for his customers.

[Mike Henderson]

Perhaps the biggest problem I saw in Windsor chairs (when I made a couple) was getting set up to steam bend the back. The other issue is knowing the angles to drill the holes for the legs and the spindles in the back.

Mike

[Prashun Patel]

Lowell, Make your way to the turners forum. You will be sucked into the vortex.

I have a lathe and it is a whole other world. Just be prepared, it gets speedy...

[Bob Glenn]

You don't have to measure the angle to set the spindles. I mark the spindle locations on the seat deck, then set the arm bow using a shop made devise similar to the one CS just blogged about to hold the arm bow in the desired position above the seat. Then drill the spindle holes in the arm while aiming at the corresponding spindle hole target on the seat deck. After all the holes are drilled in the arm, I use a long shaft 5/8 spade bit with the shaft through the arm hole to drill the holes in the seat deck. Perfect alignment. No math, no angles, no trouble. I use the a similar method for drilling the angled stretcher mortises in the legs.

My spring pole lathe below. Bob

[Brian Holcombe]

I recently acquired a Minimax duplicator lathe. Currently outfitting it for a DC variable speed motor.

[brian noel]

I think there was a good point made at the beginning. Curtis Buchanan making those videos has been a tremendous gift to everyone who ever wants to make a chair in any style. I would recommend watching them all. He made them to entice people into taking his classes which I don't doubt worked, but they are so comprehensive that he has enabled anyone who wants to make a Windsor chair the tools needed, besides a lathe and steam-box of course. I am not a big fan of the lathe, but that might have something to do with the fact it is an old harbor freight POS that wobbles all over the place. Only recently have I made a banjo long enough to turn a leg without having to move it back and forth which is nice. The other thing that isn't talked of enough is the hot box, which is good to have if you don't want to wait a month for your steam bend to set before sticking it in place. I am blathering on, but I love talking chairs and this is a great thread to do it in.

[Mike King]

I made a Windsor chair in a class taught by Elia Bizzarri at Anderson Ranch. My experience was written up here: https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?258242-Velda-s-Chair-Elia-Bizzarri-and-Windsor-Chairmaking

It was very satisfying. Curtis Buchannan's videos were suggested as a background before arriving, and they were quite useful. I've bought the material to make 5-6 more chairs and intend to do so after ski season and finishing a couple of other projects that are in progress. All that being said, it was incredibly useful to be guided through the process by an expert. Elia certainly is one.

Mike