Timber choice for seat

UKworkshop.co.uk

Help Support UKworkshop.co.uk:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

merlin

Established Member
Joined
7 Nov 2010
Messages
480
Reaction score
3
Location
Oxfordshire
I am going to have a go at making a smokers bow type chair but am unsure of the best timber for the seat.

The main timber will probably be Oak so do I join some Oak or source some Elm if that is still an option?

I would be grateful for any suggestions on timber or suppliers.

Thanks, Merlin
 
Elm would be nice if you can get it. I personally would use sycamore as its more readily available (I think), is stron and looks quite nice when finished.

Matt
 
Elm is the classic choice, as it used to be readily available in wide boards and is unlikely to split.

But have a look, if you haven't already, at Sheffield Tony's chair, which features a lovely bit of walnut.

wip-a-smoker-s-bow-t94506.html
 
I used to make quite a few windsor chairs in the 80's when the market was flooded with Elm that had been felled due to Dutch Elm Disease. I kept a few thick, wide Elm seat blanks, enough for half a dozen more single board windsor seats, but so far I've never gotten around to them. Elm is still available, mainly from some Scottish timber yards. It tends to be Wych Elm rather than English Elm, but from a practical user's perspective the difference isn't all that great. However, the majority of the Elm that I'm seeing now is planked to a maximum thickness of 50mm, where as for a really deeply saddled windsor you're better off starting with a 55mm or 60mm billet.

If your plan is to paint the seat then Tulip Wood (Poplar) is a good choice, or if not Alder, but you might get lucky and find thick boards of Tulip Wood that are a creamy white without the signature green streaks. At a pinch you could use Sycamore, but that's getting a bit hard for deep saddling with hand tools. Ash and Oak are harder still. It really is one of those timber selection jobs where you want to get down in person to the yard and pick your own boards.

Good luck!
 
Sorry, I was going to reply to this yesterday but got distracted. But it looks like the traditional choice is well covered - ash for the spindles because it rives easily, elm for the seat because it doesn't ! Having said that at 2" thick I think quite a few choices will be strong enough for a chair seat. I went for walnut because I saw it in wide boards and liked it. The ash came from NT Wimpole estate where I hang about with the green woodworkers. They have some elm, but not many large trees now. They must be still to be had somewhere, because I see a fair few elm seats on competition entries at the Bodger's ball.

You didn't say whether you plan on using hand tools or power tools which might have a bearing. Working seasoned oak and sycamore entirely by hand might be hard, easier if green, much easier with a power lathe and arbortech !
 
Thanks very much for the replies, I will start contacting a few timber yards and see what I can come up with.

Does anybody have any views on using American black walnut as I could end up joining the seat, I've not used it before so am unsure of how it would work or behave?

I will be using as many power tools as I have but I am quite keen to have a go at shaping the seat by hand.

Tony, your seat looks very nice and I will be looking at the different stages closely as your pictures will be of a great help.

When I get on with it I will let you know how its going, the design will be a bit different so we'll see what happens.

Thanks, Merlin
 
merlin":1zi3ci4e said:
When I get on with it I will let you know how its going, the design will be a bit different so we'll see what happens.

Thanks, Merlin

Please do ! I'll look forward to it.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top