Thread: chair backs

Boy you're not afraid of a challenge are you?

I'm not a turner, but my underatanding is that barley twists are not turned but rather carved.
I think there is a jig that you can get to use with a router to do it also.

Those ones in the picture were probably hand carved though.

No doubt others on this board will be able to give you more information.

Craig

When you do work out how to make them, make sure you make them all the same. The one on the right is different to the one on the left. I wonder how that happened?

I've never done barleycorn twists, but a colleague in the USA carves them. He draws the helix crests and troughs in the turned post, then cuts the troughs to depth with a tenon saw before hand carving.

I think you'll find the barleycorn posts and the curved legs are separate pieces, joined by a turned tenon in a drilled mortise.

Good luck...let's see some pics when you've finished.

Yeah, I realise the barley twist itself is not turned (it is handcarved) but you do need to start with a plain round (turned) blank.

Mortise and tenon join just sounds weaker to me, but I might give it a go.

Actually, since last night I have redesigned the basic chair, and it will be upright rarther than having the legs and back bent back.
I'm using one of my 70s chunky pine chairs as a template to measure from, and I'll just extend the back much higher.

Upright looks more "regal" anyway (well that's the excuse I am using - hehehe)

I will let you know how it goes.

Thanks Guys.

Cheers!
Wendy.

The chair legs are probably made from 1 piece of timber. After the turning is done the lower section of the leg was then cut to profile.

The reason chair legs and backs slope is ergonomics. Suitable angles and proportions make a chair far more comfortable.
If you are going to the effort of making barley twists it seems a shame to eliminate good ergonomics from the chair.