Thread: Hepplewhite chairs

Travo

Have you made any chairs before ?
And do you know the basics of mid to late 18th century style chair making.

All can be learned if you haven't. I'm wondering where your starting from to be aiming so high

There are books to look for that show this sort of thing . But none that I have seen on specifically Hepplewhite that I can think of. It doesnt mean it is not possible though.

Rob

Hi Rob,

Thanks for the post.

You are correct, and it would be fair to say that I am starting from the bottom, or very near it from an experience point of view.

That said, I am keen to start the journey towards being able to produce period furniture such as the chair mentioned, and I particularly like that style (as well as the sheraton style, albeit to a lesser extent).

You mention books in terms of learning some of the skills needed - are you able to suggest any that you've found good yourself? Appreciate I may need to lower my sights a little and start off with some more simple concepts before moving into hepplewhite and other period stuff. Anything you can suggest would be appreciated.

Cheers,

Travo

I'm not sure what exactly you mean by a Hepplewhite chair as there seems to be many interpretations thrown up by a google search.

This book by Charles Hayward has several different chairs profiled with measured drawings and some construction details. The book includes descriptions for a French-Hepplewhite chair that looks like a Louis XV to me. Other styles include Sheraton (depicted on cover) and another described as Hepplewhite, but looking like a Splat Back Chippendale to me.

Where is Woodwould when you need him?

Hey Fuzzie,

I must admit that I'm not an antique expert, but if you look at this one (link below - hopefully I've done this properly and its not against the rules):

https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=i&r...21099656256441

That is more or less what I'm looking to build (eventually - when the skills are up to scratch).

I think some of the key features are the shield style back, thin construction (sure there's a better way to explain this, but basically I mean they haven't used great slabs of wood), the use of stopped tapers, minimal carving (only on the back splats) etc...

I'll take a look at the book you mentioned, I've not had much luck finding what I'm after to date.

Cheers,

Tarvis

I am going to my workshop today which is where I have most of my books , I will see what I have . I'm sure I have the Hayward one and can have a look through it , if I find it.
And there is one I have on a Chippendale style build. Its may have some good points in it .
Other chair books I have are on post and rung construction , a much faster way to build a chair, no Hepplewhite"s in there though.

Books are a good start, but I think laying out your own full size plan is the only way to go though . and having chairs of a similar construction type in your hands while your doing the plans helps a lot . I keep two 1760's chairs around and go to them every time I have to build similar chairs or sofas of the style.
Rob

The Hayward book doesn't cover the Shield backs styles. The only other book I have which might be of some use in working out construction methods is Taunton's Period Furniture Details which has a section on shaping and carving details for a Federal style arm chair (An ornate evolution of Chippendale?).

The ultimate source for Shield designs would be reference to Hepplewhite himself. http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi...ts.FurnDesHepp

Thanks guys,

My understanding (which may well be not correct), is that the federal style is to an extent a combination of the Hepplewhite (early Federal) and Sheraton (late Federal) periods. That said, I don't know what relationship this has to the heavily inlayed/adorned pieces that are often associated with Federal. Perhaps this is not as relevant to chairs? I'm sure someone more knowledgeable about such matters can help clarify.

When you break it down I've probably got two problems
- no experience building chairs (hence need to consider some projects that will help familarise myself with the joinery used);
- no specific measurements around which to build the style of chair we're discussing.

With the first issue I think I'll try to find a couple of easier styles to begin with that use the same (or what I imagine is the same) style of joinery. Any suggestions on this would be great.

The link you provided below Fuzzie to the book by Hepplewhite's wife I had found, and is very useful to select styles and perhaps will be useful when it comes time to design the style of the back, but doesn't really help me with overall dimensioning. I am also going to look into that Taunton book too.

Maybe my best bet will be to find someone who has one such chair and take a ton of photos and measurements. Any suggestions as to where I might do this in Melbourne would be greatly appreciated as I don't recall ever seeing on in the flesh...

Given the age of this style of chair I assume I will have more luck in a museum than an antique store?

Thanks for the discussion guys, I'm enjoying learning more about this.

Cheers,

Tarvis

Here is some good books , Hayward doesn't do a Hepplewhite chair but is a book worth having , lots of good hand tool techniques. Rob

more.

Rob,

It looks like there is some good information in those books. I'll have to look into them closer. They more or less look like exactly what I'm after.

Cheers,

Tarvis

I had a nice on in for repair a few months back , I couldn't get over the quality of it . Pictures couldn't really capture what it was like to handle the chair. It was so well done .

Looks like a nice piece Rob - what timber was it constructed from?

Did they tell you anything of the history of the piece?

Cheers,

Trav

Mahogany Trav,
It would be a chair they picked up in an auction in the UK most likely .
The owner traveled and bought a lot of furniture there.
Rob

Originally Posted by Fuzzie

I'm not sure what exactly you mean by a Hepplewhite chair as there seems to be many interpretations thrown up by a google search.

This book by Charles Hayward has several different chairs profiled with measured drawings and some construction details. The book includes descriptions for a French-Hepplewhite chair that looks like a Louis XV to me. Other styles include Sheraton (depicted on cover) and another described as Hepplewhite, but looking like a Splat Back Chippendale to me.

Where is Woodwould when you need him?

Hi,
You might find him here
Pegs and 'Tails | Seventeenth- and eighteenth-century English and Irish furniture & co.
Regards