Learn the Craft of Windsor Chairmaking

Classic Windsor side chair that incorporates all aspects of Windsor chair building.  The class focuses on hand tool skills and green woodworking techniques.

This class will take you, step-by-step, through the process of hand crafting a Windsor Fan Back chair. It covers every aspect of making a Windsor style chair, beginning with lumber selection, chairmaking tools, hand shaping parts, working with compound angles, all the way through final assembly.

The building of this Windsor chair will be primarily with hand tools. (all turned parts will be provided) with a concentration on the making of a strong chair joint.

Classic Windsor side chair that incorporates all aspects of Windsor chair building.  The class focuses on hand tool skills and green woodworking techniques.  

This  course will take you, step-by-step, through the process of hand crafting a Windsor Fan Back chair. It will cover every aspect of making a Windsor style chair, beginning with lumber selection, chairmaking tools, hand shaping parts, working with compound angles, all the way through final assembly.  Concentration will be on the making of a strong chair joint.  The building of this Windsor chair will be primarily with hand tools. (all turned parts will be provided.) 

LEARN HOW TO

• Use hand tools: drawknife, spokeshave, reamer, scorp and scraper

• Steam-bending 

• Layout and drill compound angles

• Use of tapered mortise and tenon joints

• Use moisture content and grain orientation to make a long-lasting joint

• Assembly using hide glue

Building the 6-slat rocking chair is the ultimate achievement for woodworking fans of Brian Boggs. Beautiful and comfortable, it’s a chair you’ll want to sit in every day. And, it’s a chair you’ll want to pass down to your children.

This seven day class will take you, step-by-step, through the process of hand crafting a Brian Boggs designed Rocking Chair. Because class size is limited to three students, you get personalized instruction and can work at your own pace. Every process is broken down into small, manageable steps so that you can concentrate on mastering one task at a time before moving onto the next. Whenever a new process is introduced, especially for hand shaping, you are given the opportunity to practice on spare material before working on your actual chair part. In addition to showing you how, I always explain why, so that you will understand underlying concepts and how each step fits into the big picture.

In this advanced class you’ll build on the skills you acquired in the introductory class. Because of the complexity of this chair the rear legs and slats are steam bent and most parts are rough milled prior to your arrival (these tasks are described in detail in the manual if you want to build this chair in your own shop). This allows you to spend all of your time working on the many parts of this chair — shaping the curved rear legs and slats, mortising for slats and rungs, shaping the arms and runners, assembly with hide glue, and installing and balancing the runners.

LEARN HOW TO

• Hand shape curved and straight parts using a drawknife, spokeshave and scraper

• Prep and turn the front legs

• Shape and install the arms

• Work with angles and curved parts

• Use moisture content and grain orientation to make a long-lasting joint

• Assemble using hide glue

• Sharpen chairmaking tools

• Weave a seat

REVIEW HOW TO

• Select lumber and mill parts for chairmaking

• Steam bend the rear legs and slats

American chairmaker David Douyard is coming back to teach at the Field & Found Chairmakers Workshop in Red Hill, Victoria.

To coincide once again with the Lost Trades Fair, David is travelling to Australia to teach a 6 day masterclass in Greenwood Appalachian ladderback chair making where 6 students will learn how to make a Jennie Alexander style ladderback chair using traditional green wood-working techniques. Starting with a log on day one and finish weaving a seat by day 6.

Opening the Field & Found workshop again and to have David back in Australia to teach these wonderful little JA ladderbacks is such an exciting way to kick off 2024. Following the completion of the class David will be demonstrating alongside over 150 other artisans at the Lost Trades Fair in Bendigo on the 9th and 10th of March.

• All tools for the week are provided, however feel free to bring your own to use if you like.

• Both classes come with cottage accomodation offerings on the Birch Creek farm, places are limited so be sure to book in quick!