Books and articles on making a Windsor Chair

[Mike Henderson]

I'm looking for recommendations on books and articles on how to make a Windsor Chair. The ones I've found so far are

Make a Windsor Chair with Michael Dunbar (extremely expensive - got it from the library)

Traditional Windsor Chair Making by Jim Rendi (ordered from amazon)

Bowback Windsor Step by Step by Harriet Hodges published in FWW #109

Anyone have any other recommendations - books, articles, web sites, etc?? I'm specifically looking for things that tell you how to build a chair, not tool selling sites. I've found the Green Woodworking, Windsor Chair Resources, etc. sites.

Mike

[Tom Stovell]

I'm looking for recommendations on books and articles on how to make a Windsor Chair.
Mike

Take a look at Drew Langsner's, The Chairmaker's Workshop. It's got some good information in it. At one time he had a site up for tools and information.

Another book I like is John Kassay's, The Book of American Windsor Furniture. This doesn't have construction information but does have some really pretty, measured plans for a variety of chair styles.

What type of Windsor are you interested in building? I've alway thought one of those really early Philadelphia comb-backs would be fun. Maybe some day.

Tom

http://www.countryworkshops.org/

[Mike Henderson]

Take a look at Drew Langsner's, The Chairmaker's Workshop. It's got some good information in it. At one time he had a site up for tools and information.

Another book I like is John Kassay's, The Book of American Windsor Furniture. This doesn't have construction information but does have some really pretty, measured plans for a variety of chair styles.

What type of Windsor are you interested in building? I've alway thought one of those really early Philadelphia comb-backs would be fun. Maybe some day.

Tom

http://www.countryworkshops.org/
Thanks. "The Chairmaker's Workshop" is out of print and expensive - I'll have to get it from the library. The other book is in print but a bit expensive - I'll have to see if I can find a used copy.

Mike

[Tom Stovell]

Thanks. "The Chairmaker's Workshop" is out of print and expensive - I'll have to get it from the library.
Mike

Criminy. You are correct about the price of that book. I went to an auction site to see if it was available--it is expensive! I had mine down in a box in the basement with some other old books. I need to be more respectful in the future.

Good luck in your search.

[Jim Nardi]

John Alexander has a few good articles on making chairs. He also has the video Making a chair from a tree. John has studied thousands of chairs and has proven methods for making a chair that will never fall apart.

[Mike Henderson]

Criminy. You are correct about the price of that book. I went to an auction site to see if it was available--it is expensive! I had mine down in a box in the basement with some other old books. I need to be more respectful in the future.

Good luck in your search.
Yeah, it can surprise you sometimes. I bought a book titled "British Campaign Furniture" a while ago. And while it was interesting, it wasn't fantastic. But I saw a copy on eBay go for $400. I'm now seriously thinking of putting my copy up with a BIN of $350 or so. But maybe I'd do better to wait till the economy improves and people have money to spend.

Mike

[lowell holmes]

I paid the price for the Dunbar book. I'm glad I have it.

[Dave Anderson NH]

I wouldn't spend the money for Mike Dunbar's book. About half of the techniques he shows and talked about in the book have been modified, dropped, or outright changed based on many additional years of experience.

[Mike Henderson]

I wouldn't spend the money for Mike Dunbar's book. About half of the techniques he shows and talked about in the book have been modified, dropped, or outright changed based on many additional years of experience.
Would you expand on that, Dave? I have Dunbar's book from the library. What should I look out for as far as changes in technique?

Mike

[Kevin Adams]

Mike--

Drew's book is back in print. Please see:

http://countryworkshops.org/

I have Dunbar's (bought it before it became mucho expensive), Rendi's, John Alexander's (good luck finding it!), and Drew's, and I think Drew's is far and away the best for all types of chairs. Actually, I think JA's is the best for learning green woodworking and he does have a DVD that walks you through building a post-and-rung chair that is extremely helpful and highly recommended. It is available from Joel (I believe) and L-N. It's a good way to start with just the basics of riving wood, shaving chair parts, and doing the joinery.

I would take a pass on Dunbar's book for the reasons Dave cites. Rendi's is not bad for the sequence of photos, but he learned under Dunbar and I think his chair style is lacking.

Other choices for great ideas would be John Kassay's book that someone mentioned and Santore's "Windsor Styles in America" for some photos of antique chairs for when you want to start making other ones not features in the "how-to" books.

To sum up, I would get John Alexander's DVD and Drew's book. That will give you the basics and then you can decide how far you want to take it. One last item, Windsor Chair Resources used to have a message board, but it was discontinued about a year ago. In it's place, you can check out the forum on Drew's site (although not very active) and this one, which is very good:

http://www.chairnotes.blogspot.com/

I hope this is helpful, but if you have any other questions, please let me know.

Thanks.
Kevin

[Mike Henderson]

Thanks, Kevin. I'll check out Drew's book.

You echo Dave's comment about Dunbar's book, but can you tell me what has changed over what's in the book? Is it the style of the chair made, or the way the joints are put into the seat, or what? Since the Windsor goes back hundreds of years, it would seem that most of the issues would have been resolved long ago.

Or is it that new tools allow new techniques?

Mike

[Robert Rozaieski]

Thanks, Kevin. I'll check out Drew's book.

You echo Dave's comment about Dunbar's book, but can you tell me what has changed over what's in the book? Is it the style of the chair made, or the way the joints are put into the seat, or what? Since the Windsor goes back hundreds of years, it would seem that most of the issues would have been resolved long ago.

Or is it that new tools allow new techniques?

Mike

Mike,

What Mike Dunbar has said is that the techniques he uses and teaches in TWI differ from when he originally wrote the book. The actual chair itself hasn't changed. He never specifically states what is different about the techniques, presumably because he wants people to take the class.

I have not made a chair yet, but I have a scanned copy of Mike's book and a scanned copy of Drew's book and I am confident that using both of those books I could make a chair. I think a lot of discussions tend to overcomplicate Windsors similar to any other part of woodworking (hand plane setup and saw filing come to mind). Both are easy tasks when you don't over complicate them and just try it. I have a feeling these chairs will be the same way. I am planning to test this theory after the holidays.

I suggest going through both books, watching John Alexander's video Make a Chair From A Tree (not the same kind of chair but very similar principles of working with green wood) and also watch the online video of Roy Underhill and Curtis Buchannan making a fan back windsor high chair from two 2006 episodes (2605 and 2606) of the Woodwright Shop available here:

http://www.pbs.org/woodwrightsshop/schedule/26season_video.html

I still watch these two episodes online all the time. They are two of my favorites.

I know you are a talented woodworker Mike and should have no problem making a windsor from these resources. In my mind, the turning of the legs will be the most difficult part because I've never turned. I know you turn so you should have no problem with that. The rest is just simple good woodworking, i.e. paying attention to grain directions, riving straight pieces, proper application of kiln drying and air drying depending on where the part will be used, etc. If you take it slow and think about each step and application of each part you should have no problem.

If you do, let me know so I don't make the same mistakes when I try mine :D.

[Mike Henderson]

Thanks, Robert. I bet Dunbar regrets writing that book now that he teaches the same subject matter:). And while his techniques may have changed, the ones he has in the book obviously work.

Thanks for the PBS reference, also. I'm much more of a book person than a video person (I can skip ahead in a book when I hit material I'm not interested in much easier than a video) but I'll check them out.

I think the most challenging part of the chair (for me) will be the steam bending since I haven't done that before. But I'm pretty sure I can do it if I follow the directions.

Thanks again. I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Mike

[lowell holmes]

I attended a windsor chair class in 2007. The techniques we used were very close to what Dunbar had in his book.
I'm sure there are many ways to make the chair. I think there may be another book or two on the market now. I think Amazon has one.

[David Keller NC]

MIke - I've the author's reprint of Drew's book - it's superb, and well, well worth the $50 it takes to buy it. When I ordered mine, he had a deal that included the book and a sheaf of full-size plans for the chairs in the book - same price as the book. The website noted that the deal was only good for the length of time that the available copies of the plans lasted, so you'll have to call him and ask whether they're still available.

His book is quite large compared to Dunbar's and Rendi's - there's a ton of information in it. I can see why used copies of the first edition went for so much before he reprinted it.

[Ken Werner]

Mike, I've done a bunch of steam bending. It is well within your capabilities. Building a Windsor is on my list too.

[Tom Stovell]

I think the most challenging part of the chair (for me) will be the steam bending since I haven't done that before. But I'm pretty sure I can do it if I follow the directions.

Mike

The bending is the best part. Watching that wood take shape on a bending form was one of the most enjoyable things I've done in wood. The compound curve of the continuous arm was pretty cool.

I haven't kept up much with Dunbar's changes but I think he no longer uses warm sand to dry his tenons and he now recommends using a bending strap for the steamed/bent parts. There may have been some others but, like has been mentioned by others of my age, "I don't have trouble with memory, the trouble is in recall".

He used to publish and mail a small flyer about his institute and chair construction. For a price he'd send you a year's worth (5-6 'issues'). It seems I read about those discrepancies from book to class in there. I'll look and see sometime, if you're interested.

[Mike Henderson]

The bending is the best part. Watching that wood take shape on a bending form was one of the most enjoyable things I've done in wood. The compound curve of the continuous arm was pretty cool.

{snip}

He used to publish and mail a small flyer about his institute and chair construction. For a price he'd send you a year's worth (5-6 'issues'). It seems I read about those discrepancies from book to class in there. I'll look and see sometime, if you're interested.


Mike, I've done a bunch of steam bending. It is well within your capabilities. Building a Windsor is on my list too.
I'm looking forward to the bending. It's time I learned to do that - so far, all I've done is laminate bending. I'll let you know how it goes.

If you find that article, Tom, I'd be interested in it, but don't make any special effort. Between the books I have and the ones I ordered from the library and Amazon, I think I'm pretty well covered.

Thanks for your notes.

Mike