with Drew Langsner

Nobody knows when the first Windsor style chairs were made, but it’s certain that chairs utilizing legs and spindles for a back-rest fitted to a solid plank seat have been crafted for centuries. In rural Wales, Ireland and the west counties of England, folk art vernacular Windsors were produced throughout the 1800’s that often have a sculptural presence and informal visual appeal that is very different from more sophisticated professionally produced Windsors. These “rustic Windsors” were generally made by part-time chairmakers who were also farmers or perhaps boat builders or wagon makers.
The rustic Windsor made in this course utilizes a large, comfortable seat and a four-piece sculpted arm-bow. The legs are octagonal in cross-section, with a wide foot that tapers into cylindrical tapered tenons fitted to mortises in the solid plank seat. A low-back or high-back version can be made during the course.
For this course we utilize green oak rivings (carefully split out stock) for the spindles and air-dried sawn stock for the composite arm-bow, legs and seat. The tenon ends of the legs, which are turned on a lathe, will be kiln dried at the time of assembly.
Making this chair serves as an excellent introduction to Windsor chairmaking. This includes a major lecture/demonstration that will solve the mystery of the compound angles for the legs and spindles found on all Windsor chairs.
Summer workshop tuition $800. As with our other classes, this includes all materials, meals and accommodations. Specialty chairmaking tools are also provided.

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E-mail:
Drew Langsner
Phone:
828-656-2280 (M-F, 9-6 Eastern time)