Simple arms Arms that are not connected into an armbow are easier to make and somewhat easier to assemble. The following is excerpted from “The Stick Chair Book,” by Christopher Schwarz. “The Stick Chair Book” is divided into three sections. The first section, “Thinking About Chairs,” introduces you to the world of common stick chairs, plus the tools and wood to build them. The second section – “Chairmaking Techniques” – covers every process involved in making a chair, from cutting stout legs, to making curved arms with straight wood, to carving the seat. Plus, you’ll get a taste for the wide ..read more

What follows is a broad overview of historic styles, by Henry R. Birks, who was an instructor in cabinet work t Regent Street Polytechnic in London. He earned City and Guilds first-class honors in cabinet work. This article is from Vol. IV (which covers Furniture and the Workshop) of our compilation of “The Woodworker: The Charles H. Hayward Years.” It was first printed in The Woodworker in 1938. Modern furniture fashions and current production methods have obscured from the young cabinet-maker much, if not all, of the wide traditional background of his craft. At various periods during the hi ..read more

Chris is getting ready for a chair class that starts on Monday, and if all goes as planned, I’ll be gluing up panels for a Shaker project…but we’ll be also be online off and on until 5 p.m. to take your woodworking questions. So post ’em in the comments below (as always, brevity is appreciated). Also, if you’re interested in taking a chair class with Chris, we have two late additions to our Covington Mechanicals Summer/Fall schedule that go on sale Wednesday at noon (Eastern): an Irish chair, Aug. 12-16 and a Welsh-style comb-back Sept. 30-Oct. 4. – Fitz ..read more

For more than two weeks, our blog has been hobbled by problems with our Domain Name Servers (DNS). Basically, the majority of our email subscribers weren’t receiving updates when we posted something new. Also, our RSS feed took a dump. So even fewer people knew we were posting anything. If you missed us, here are the highlights: Backwoods Chairmakers Event June 2 in Berea We still have tickets available for this magical event on June 2 in Berea. Andy Glenn, the author of the book “Backwoods Chairmakers,” is bringing more than a dozen of the chairmakers featured in his book to Berea for a day ..read more

This stick-back armchair is designed for reading and relaxing. It is based on Irish examples I’ve studied during my travels, and I have gradually tweaked this design to get it right where I want it. I’m offering it for sale for $1,700 via a random drawing. The price includes crating and shipping to your door anywhere in the lower 48 states of the U.S. Details on the sale are at the bottom of this entry. First, some details about the chair. While the chair has a spartan appearance, it is remarkably stout. That’s thanks to the fact that the legs and sticks are rived out of tenacious Southern re ..read more

The parts for a comb-back stick chair. Several people have asked my permission to teach classes in making stick chairs using my designs. My answer is always: Please do. All my designs I give freely to the public for any purpose, including commercial uses. My book on the topic, “The Stick Chair Book,” is a free download for everyone (you don’t even have to register or give away your email). So here is what students find on their bench when they start a five-day class in making a stick chair. After years of teaching these classes, we’ve struck a balance between “too much Donkey work” and “not en ..read more

Plate 278. The Way to Split Veneer Wood, and Its Explanation The following is excerpted from “To Make as Perfectly as Possible: Roubo on Marquetry,” translated by By Donald C. Williams, Michele Pietryka-Pagán & Philippe Lafargue. It is the first English-language translation of the most important woodworking book of the 18th century. While the title of this work implies that it is about marquetry alone, that is not the case. “To Make as Perfectly as Possible” covers a wide range of topics of interest to woodworkers who are interested in hand-tool woodworking or history. In addition to venee ..read more

Irish Armchair in red oak. We’ve gotten many requests for more stick chair classes this year, so we added two more to the calendar. Both classes will be held at our Covington, Kentucky, storefront and the cost includes all materials and hearty lunches – plus pastries, coffee and tea each day. Some students have remarked that my classes are equal parts food tour and chair class. You will not leave hungry. Registration for these classes opens at noon (Eastern) on Wednesday, May 8, through our page at TicketTailor. If you fail to get into a class, I encourage you to get on the waiting list. A cou ..read more

As Megan and I mentioned yesterday, we are having serious problems with our WordPress site. We have a technical expert working on it. WordPress has mostly ignored our pleas. In some ways, we are still trying to find out what is wrong with our Domain Name Servers (DNS). Some readers are not receiving email updates when we post new blog entries. Some are. Some are receiving an e-mail update, but it is only the digest form of the entry. Some people can see our posts in their RSS feed. Others are denied access to it. So, if you are so inclined, could you leave a comment below telling us how you s ..read more

Many scrapers make light work. Thankfully, things have calmed around here since the madness of last week’s multi-day move of inventory from storage to Anthe. With all books now on site we’ve been able to focus our energy towards the vision for Anthe (as well as packing and shipping orders, of course). Gabe, Mark and I began our day with scrapers and wire brushes, removing layer after layer of loose paint from the bricks in the front room so that we can paint what will eventually become a retail space for LAP. This project has a long way to go, but with the front room of Anthe facing a main ave ..read more