The chairs I make are all in the Windsor family. A Windsor is made by socketing the back and legs of the chair into a solid seat. The Windsor style is hundreds of years old, and is so durable that some individual chairs in use today are over 250 years old.  

Scroll down to see how it comes together. 

​​

​Wood is split from straight hardwood logs. Unlike in sawn boards, splitting ensures the wood fibers run the length of the piece for maximum strength.

---

​


​I source my wood from local loggers and mills near my shop in Athens County Ohio.

​A Windsor chair is defined by its solid seat, into which the legs and back are socketed.

Care is given to drill holes in the seat blank for all the parts at the correct angle.

​The seat is carved by hand. The coarse shaping is done with a tool called a scorp.

I prefer to use traditional hand tools, mostly because they are quieter and safer than modern power tools.

​A travisher is used to refine the shape of the seat.

​Many of the pieces in the back of a chair are cut with a draw knife and spokeshave.

​Legs and other round parts are shaped on a lathe.

​Curved parts are created by heating wood with steam and then bending it around a form.

​Assembly requires precisely shaping all the pieces and drilling holes at just the right angle.

​Theres still a lot of work to be done after assembling the base, but its stating to look like a chair...

---