Chairmaking: The Bones of a Windsor
6 Days, Open to All
Fall 2024
October 21-26
Many new woodworkers dream of the day when they can gain the skills and confidence to construct their very own chair. Join guest instructor Aspen Golann, who will help to demystify this classic form and guide each student through the process of designing and building this time-tested piece of furniture in this six-day course.
Popular in 1600 and 2021, this ancient chair style is the darling of the contemporary furniture field. In this six-day class we will cover the essential techniques required to build a classic Windsor side chair, but we will also go over the surprisingly simple steps of drafting your own design, creating original patterns, and making a full scale or miniature mockups from a stick drawing. Whether you are new to woodworking or an experienced maker, Windsor chair making will deepen your appreciation for the strength and versatility of wood and the design tools you’ll practice in this class will give you the confidence to fabricate your own designs.
In the process of building a chair, this course will cover:
Shaping and shaving of parts
Precision drilling and boring techniques
Seat carving and shaping
Stem bending
Making patterns
Layout techniques and strategies
Efficient hand tool and machine techniques
Also covered in this course:
Plans and techniques for building a small kiln, steam box, bending forms, and a shave horse.
Required Tools
Personal protective equipment
Notepad
Pencil/pen
Recommended Tools
Drawknife
Spokeshave
Travishers
Reamer
Rounders
Tenon cutters
Layout tools
If you have any chair making tools, please feel free to bring them along.
Prerequisites
Open to all skill levels.
Class Information and Registration
Class runs from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Saturday in Building 304 at Fort Worden. Map
Please read our What to Expect page for general information about the school.
Please also read our Registration Policy.
Please sign up for the waitlist if the course is full.
Class size: 10
Cost: $1,075
Materials Charge: $250