I am a traditional windsor chairmaker and my techniques differ little from those of the original windsor chairmakers hundreds of years ago. Chairs are built from several species of wood, each being chosen for it’s special attributes. The legs are most often maple that I’ve split directly from a fresh log. White oak is my favorite wood for the upper section of the chair. Those pieces are split directly out of a fresh log and immediately shaped on my shavehorse with drawknives and spokeshaves. Many of those pieces are are then steam bent to create the graceful flowing curves that have become synonymous with windsor design. I hand carved the seat using traditional tools and, poplar and white pine are ideal woods. After final assembly the chairs begin a wonderful and labor intensive finish process. Most receiving a layer of stain, followed by multiple colors of milk paint applied over several days, culminating with many coats of a hand rubbed oil and varnish mix. The final chair is a piece that has sculptural beauty, unbelievable strength and durability, and is most certainly destined to become a family heirloom. Each chair is built to order but, feel free to check with me as I try to keep several pieces available for craft shows and customer meetings.
