Thread: Making an English Comb-back Windsor Chair

Ryan -
Have to agree with you.

While we wait for WW to pull the finger out (that the French cut from the captured archers of the English bowmen... giving rise the the great one finger salute) ... (and my greatest respect WW)... the sideways discussions/opinions are of value.

Of course, if WW would like to put up one complete thread per day, we would not need the sideways discussion... but whilst we wait on the master, we have to fill the time somehow.

Come on WW... YOUR retirement doesn't suit US. Hurry up, I learn so much from your posts, and I'm wanting more. (bow down smilie inserted here)
Seriously, keep it up WW... please

Originally Posted by rhancock

Is there a benefit in using Yew in the comfort of the chair? Would the springiness of the Yew be apparent when sitting in the chair?

No, the legs are bound by stretchers and the back is quite inflexible due to the curvature of the crest rail.

Also, Yew loses its elasticity as it ages. Ash is probably more elastic than Yew, but isn't suitable for bows because it doesn't recover as quickly as the latter.

Originally Posted by Sebastiaan56

Ive tried to pull and fire a 120lb longbow. Its amazing how your knuckles stay attached to your hand at those forces. I can understand why they were so accurate over a couple of hundred yards. King Henry VIII was reputed to be able to hit a bulls eye consistently from 100 yards.

'Tried to pull and fire...' how far did you get (I'll also add that i'm jealous)? When you consider that a 120lb pull was on the mild side for a warbow, you realise the years of training and use that made an archer. Pulling apart ten plus stone with the arms is quite a feat. In Hardy's later work, The Great Warbow (2005), Simon Stanley, his practical tester can draw a 190lb beast - but would rather not, as it twisted his spine. Although on a less permanent basis than those archers found on the Mary Rose!

Originally Posted by Clinton1

Ryan -
Have to agree with you.

While we wait for WW to pull the finger out (that the French cut from the captured archers of the English bowmen... giving rise the the great one finger salute) ... (and my greatest respect WW)... the sideways discussions/opinions are of value.

Of course, if WW would like to put up one complete thread per day, we would not need the sideways discussion... but whilst we wait on the master, we have to fill the time somehow.

Come on WW... YOUR retirement doesn't suit US. Hurry up, I learn so much from your posts, and I'm wanting more. (bow down smilie inserted here)
Seriously, keep it up WW... please

It was the two-fingered salute, not one.

Woodwould, I trust that the skies were clear and sunny over your workshop, and the MOT allowed photography time today?

Originally Posted by springwater

Are all English Comb-back Windsor Chair seats made from a single "lump" of wood or are there some made from several lumps joined together? If so, what do you reckon the best method of joining this rather important factor of the chair is

Sorry, I seem to have missed a few posts; I mustn't have noticed they ran onto another page.

Anyway, all English/Welsh Windsor seats (bomb-back or otherwise) were traditionally made from a single lump of Elm up until the late nineteenth century, but even then, non-factory-made chairs would have been solid. I try not to have anything to do with much after January 29th 1820, but I believe the factory-made chair seats were dowelled together much as the Septics do.

Originally Posted by Clinton1

Ryan -
Have to agree with you.

While we wait for WW to pull the finger out (that the French cut from the captured archers of the English bowmen... giving rise the the great one finger salute) ... (and my greatest respect WW)... the sideways discussions/opinions are of value.

Of course, if WW would like to put up one complete thread per day, we would not need the sideways discussion... but whilst we wait on the master, we have to fill the time somehow.

Come on WW... YOUR retirement doesn't suit US. Hurry up, I learn so much from your posts, and I'm wanting more. (bow down smilie inserted here)
Seriously, keep it up WW... please

No, no, no, you lot carry on; I'm enjoying the detour as much as the rest of you.

Originally Posted by Blue-deviled

It was the two-fingered salute, not one.

Yes, it was the first two digits from the 'strong arm' that were amputated.

Originally Posted by Blue-deviled

Woodwould, I trust that the skies were clear and sunny over your workshop, and the MOT allowed photography time today?

Sorry, I was enjoying myself too much in the shed this afternoon and forgot to take any photos. Work on the chair will now cease for a few days, but I'll see if I can at least take a few pictures of what's done to-date.

Originally Posted by wheelinround

Chatter chatter let the poor man speak and us listen or I'll get some chrisps
Now anyone for cheese dips and crackers a red or port maybe a Glenn would warm me up.

Don't watch a lot of commercial TV BUT:
I noticed tonight that the Gobbledock is back!

Originally Posted by Woodwould

Sorry, I seem to have missed a few posts; I mustn't have noticed they ran onto another page.

Anyway, all English/Welsh Windsor seats (bomb-back or otherwise) were traditionally made from a single lump of Elm up until the late nineteenth century, but even then, non-factory-made chairs would have been solid. I try not to have anything to do with much after January 29th 1820, but I believe the factory-made chair seats were dowelled together much as the Septics do.

Are we talking of the last great appearance of Tom Cribb, or the fat bloke who also attended and ended the Regency?

Originally Posted by Blue-deviled

Are we talking of the last great appearance of Tom Cribb, or the fat bloke who also attended and ended the Regency?

Wasn't Tom Cribb a 19th century fighter? My reference is to the first English Hanover who saw out the true Georgian era.

Yes, one and the same. Cribb was one of the pugilists (although he had retired undefeated by this time) assembled to, it seems, stop Caroline of Brunswick, George's wife from attending his coronation. I just thought that this was more interesting than the coronation itself!

Regarding the baluster legs, how did this style come about? Were there turners making parts for staircases that started using them in chairs, or was it just a style of leg that became common in the Thames Valley?

Last December I transcribed some of my old and fragile paper and card patterns onto MDF and by no coincidence whatsoever, one of them was a seat pattern for a mid eighteenth century Thames Valley elbow chair!

I used the pattern to lay out the seat outline and leg locations on the underside of the Elm blank. When cut out, I planed the upper face of the seat and then shaved the edges and lower arris.


The Elm seat blank cut out and planed.

I think most Windsor chairmakers would hollow out the seat at this stage, but I find the flat seat surface indispensable for placing set squares, sliding bevels and arm jigs on for setting up the back and arm, so I'll leave the 'toe hoe' aside for the moment.

I prepared four 56mm (2-3/16in.) square Ash blanks for the legs and turned them on the lathe to the specific shape for this class of Windsor. The cylindrical spigots on the tops of the legs will eventually be glued and wedged into the seat, but for the moment, they are only rough-turned until I'm satisfied they're dry enough to proceed with. Since turning the legs, I've been keeping them indoors and carefully measuring the dimensions of the spigots. Once they're stable, I'll turn them to 1in. diameter.


The four Ash legs.

The Ash back and arm sticks were shaved to 9/16in diameter, tapering to roughly 1/2in diameter at their ends which will be further trimmed to fit tightly in their holes.


Hmm… sticks on their own aren't very interesting.

The three pieces of Ash for the arm were sawn to shape on the bandsaw (actually, the arm ends were profiled as one and then sawn in two). I will screw the three arm sections together with slotted steel screws before tidying up the whole with a spokeshave.


Slightly more captivating; the three piece arm.

I'm enjoying the pics WW, keep 'em coming.

thanks

Riveting stuff WW, can't wait to see the arm jigs. Jeez it'd be good if video was able to be thrown around the internet like type or still shots, I'm sure many people would like to see you shape the seat, for instance.