Yet another chair

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Sheffield Tony

Ghost of the disenchanted
Joined
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I don't know if you are all bored of greenwood chairs yet, but perhaps its a break from discussing the merits of the new look forum :D

Some time ago, I was speculating - a bit doubtfully - as to whether Joshua Klein's method of making the back slats for his banistair back chair was actually what you would have done in the era of the pole lathe. I made some of my own by my alternative turn and saw in half the hard way approach:

joshua-klein-s-banister-back-chair-t109758.html

Well, seemed a shame to waste those bits. So, some more bits. Steaming the back legs ... We've seen some quite nice steamers on another thread, just to show you can get away with something a bit more expedient:
bb1.jpg

I've got a length of 4" aluminium pipe in there, wrapped in a blanket. Steam is from a wallpaper steamer.

This chair was done in bits at various events, so it has a bit of an identity crisis. The back legs are from Cambridgeshire and the front ones from Shropshire ! And the ash is different; the younger coppiced Cambridge ash is kind of stringy to work.

As well as that, these back slats are not something I've seen done on this side of the pond in a greenwood chair. And they pose the question of how to join them to the back rails; I quickly discounted the idea of half-moon shaped mortices, and went with rectangular ones. But with green wood, I didn't want to use a sharp shoulder; getting them all tight without gaps opening during drying would be tricky, I thought. So I carved the ends down to a rectangular tenon thus:

bb2.jpg


The rails then join the legs using an oval mortice and tenon made by boring a pair of holes. I just whittled the tenon to fit with my Flexcut carving jack.

Front view:
bb3.jpg


And round the back:
bb4.jpg


Just oiling and weaving to do now.
 

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Superb job!

The cupid's bow on the crest rail looks terrific, getting a clean and tidy finish right down in that central cleft isn't easy, so congratulations on a fine job well done!

=D>
 
Agreed - that looks lovely!
It looks really light and strong - efficient use of materials.
 
To misquote a once well known advert. 'You do seem to make exceedingly good chairs.' Keep them coming, your posts are a delight to read.
xy
 
Finished ! I only know one way to weave a seat, so that it is the same as the others.

bb5.jpg


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The middle bit of the Cupid's bow Is a bit awkward isn't it. Hard to get in with a scraper, I found a sharp knife was the best tool, on green wood at least.

Having now made a "set" of four, this one, the lath back, ladder back and spindle back, I'm left looking at them - and sitting in them - and contemplating which I like best. This one and the spindle back have a fairly sharp bend in the back legs, to keep the top part straight to match the straight spindles. I think I prefer the gentler curve through the whole leg that works better with the ladder and lath backs. I think for the look, I like the ladder back best, but the lath back is the most comfy :D
 

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