It’s been a long time since I’ve been in the shop; there have been many changes and obstacles that we’ve overcome in the last two years; but nonetheless, we finally have a new project coming out of the shop!!
Needless to say, I am very excited to put this post out!!
This project started as a thought that I would love to make a Windsor style rocking chair meaning that I wanted to work with green wood as much as was possible; to use the tapered mortise/tenon that is the hallmark of Windsor joinery, to shape as many of the parts by hand on the shave horse as I could; and generally produce a chair in the Windsor tradition.
There were, as one could imagine, many challenges along the way: the shave horse had to be completely remade after the move as the other one did not survive, riving and hewing presented their own challenges; but at the end of the day, the whole project started to come together and take shape as each of those obstacles was overcome and overall, the chair itself guided each step of the process.
Of course, makers do not make in a vacuum, I certainly have to give credit to those who helped me along; specifically, I give a great Thank you to Peter Galbert, author of The Chairmaker’s Notebook, and a wonderful article for Fine Woodworking entitled Windsor Rocker without Special Tools (FWW, 2011, Taunton Press).
So, now with all of that being said, let’s get to some process photos…
This chair was given to my Mom as a birthday gift and the finish allowed it to live outside on the deck as a summer rocker. (Don’t all Southern Porches need one?)
I hope you enjoyed the process!!
Take care
Sawyer Custom Furniture and Fine Woodworking 