I've been thoroughly enjoying this project, so I thought I'd share...
I'm a big fan of Curtis Buchanan's work. His videos have a humble, 'golly-gee' quality that is endearing.
His latest offering, the Democratic Chair is really on a different plane though. I have never seen such an accessible way to approach Windsor Chair making.
He offers the plans as 'pay what you can' on his website.
The chair is designed to be made with a minimal number of tools. Windsor chair making can be daunting because you need reamers and a way to cut tapers and shape edges. But he finds ways to keep that to a minimum. Even the steam bending and drying of green parts is approached with a view towards economy.
Many of the parts are made from green wood; so it's a good entry into selecting logs, riving them, and making good chair parts. Again, this is done with a minimal number of tools; no need for a froe. He works all the parts down to the finishing with a drawknife. He pushes the drawknife past the point that most of us would typically stop using it. This has really improved my appreciation of grain direction and layers of the wood as well as the tool.
Contouring a seat can be very non-intuitive (for anyone who's tried to follow plans can attest). But this chair has such simple, elegant, and easy-to-follow lines.
The simple design really lends itself to being a springboard for a more personal design. While I did a lot of the rough work with the drawknife, I did much of the shaping on the lathe. The plans and videos rely less on exact measurements and lengths and more on dynamic adjustments and fits. I love that style of woodworking, and it really gives you license to adapt the design.
All the while, the basic principles of Windsor chairs are preserved: tapered, socketed joints, stretchers that stretch the legs instead of holding them together; super drying tenons before mating them.
I'm making this one from a pin oak we had to take down at work. The spindles and posts are from that tree. The seat is sycamore and the lower assembly is red oak.
I happen to have a lot of the tools like reamers and a carbide carving wheel for an angle grinder. But some of my past efforts at Windsors have stalled because they have tricky crests, arms, or rockers. This chair is just distilled down to the bare elements.