Thread: Making an English Comb-back Windsor Chair

Originally Posted by derekh

I finally got a round to modifying my Stanley 51 into a Travisher with a 5" radius, as per mic-d's earlier post. After some thought about a jig to get a consistent shape on the radius on both planes, it didn't take too long at all. I did the blade freehand after marking out the shape and it probably needs some refinement. I gave it a tryout on a seat made from pallet timber and I gotta say, I'm thrilled with the result and it works like a charm.

Thanks mic-d for the idea and next time I go to the markets I'll buy another '51 for maybe another one.

p.s. If I get the windsor / George Nakashima inspired chair using pallet timber finished I'll post pics in another thread

So only readers of this thread will understand the reason behind the first great run on the number 51 spokeshave for many decades: Superb!

Originally Posted by apricotripper

ta. and that sabortooth thing. reakon that speeds the process much? costly ? never tried.

I have the coarse (red) Saburr Tooth donut and I'm mightly impressed with it. I think it was around $80 from Jim Carroll.

Originally Posted by Woodwould

I have the coarse (red) Saburr Tooth donut and I'm mightly impressed with it. I think it was around $80 from Jim Carroll.

ta. sounds like a good fathers day gift. might have to accidently leave a catalog open around the house with it circled.

Originally Posted by Woodwould

The grain is running side to side. It doesn't matter one jot which way the grain runs, but historically, with most side chairs, the grain runs from front to back. However, the sheer breadth of many styles of armchairs dictates the grain runs side to side as planks of Elm that width are scarce.

Looking fantastic WW, you are making good progress

The crest rail was sawn from the solid; the front face is vertical, but the back face was tapered to 1/2in thick at the top using a drawknife and spokeshave. The mortices for the back sticks were bored prior to cutting the top profile.


The tapered crest rail.

Windsor chairs from other regions of England can be identified by their highly ornate crest rails. On this type of Thames Valley chair however, crest rails were invariably unadorned, or exhibited restraint in their decoration; the 'bear's ears' shape being virtually the only profile employed. On the bandsaw, I cut the bear's ears profile into the crest rail and then tidied up the edges with a spokeshave and scraper.

The arm posts were swabbed with glue and hammered into their mortices in the seat. The seat was then turned over and wedges were hammered into the saw kerfs in the arm post tennons. All the sticks were similarly glued into the seat and the arm bow was threaded onto the back sticks and suspended at a convenient height above the side sticks and arm posts. More glue was applied to the arm sticks and mortices and the arm was then lowered into place. Two more wedges secured the arm to the arm posts.

Glue was applied to the top of the back sticks and the crest rail mortices and the rail was tapped into place. Finally, I drilled 1/8in (3.2mm) diameter holes right through the crest rail and through the two end and two centre back sticks. I split some short pieces of Ash from an off-cut and then hammered them through a dowel plate to make four 1/8in diameter pegs. The pegs were dipped into the glue and then hammered through the crest rail and back sticks.

When the glue had dried, I trimmed the arm posts and the crest rail pegs and washed the entire chair down with hot water to remove any residual glue.


The Thames Valley comb-back in-the-white.


Ready for staining and polishing.

Very enjoyable thread this one. Chair is fantastic, well done WW

Originally Posted by Lignum

Very enjoyable thread this one. Chair is fantastic, well done WW

Thanks. Windsors are so easy to make and so many people like them and enjoy making them, you should add them to your curriculum.

I'll echo Lignum's sentiment.

Look forward to seeing the chair with the finish applied.

Nice WW! There's something very appealing about a freshly-done chair 'in the white' - almost a shame to finish it!

You set a high bar. For some time I've been getting around to doing a continuous-arm Windsor rocker, but your comb-back looks so spiffy, maybe I will divert & do one of those instead - little bit easier than wrestling with all that complex bending.

Re the urea & glue-strength: All the key joints are wedged & the remainder are under little stress except the stretchers, which you have pre-loaded (as I always try to do, too) so glue-strength seems rather incidental to me - its main purpose would be to deny small creaturs a place to hide, wouldn't it?

Derek - might have to try modifying a 51 myself, but this is what I've been using to clean up chair seats for many a year. A small double-radiused plane like this takes very little effort to build & I find it a bit more controllable than the alternatives I tried. Blade is a bit of very heavy industrial hacksaw blade, which cleand up to about 1 3/8" wide - holds an edge very well, too.

Edit: I think the main radius is about 6", in case anyone asks - it's so long since I made it I've forgotten!

Cheers,

Good stuff WW. Very inspirational and just a little bit depressing. What's next? Georgian knife box please...

If one has a broken down old coffin smoother, this can be rebirthed into a useful little compass plane too.

Cheers
Michael

Originally Posted by IanW

There's something very appealing about a freshly-done chair 'in the white' - almost a shame to finish it!

I concur. I often think of leaving chairs especially to get all sweaty and greasy from handprints and shiny from being buffed by clothing. This one will definitely be finished.

Originally Posted by IanW

For some time I've been getting around to doing a continuous-arm Windsor rocker, but your comb-back looks so spiffy, maybe I will divert & do one of those instead - little bit easier than wrestling with all that complex bending.

My glove lies before you Sir!

Originally Posted by IanW

Re the urea & glue-strength: All the key joints are wedged & the remainder are under little stress except the stretchers, which you have pre-loaded (as I always try to do, too) so glue-strength seems rather incidental to me - its main purpose would be to deny small creaturs a place to hide, wouldn't it?

Hmm... since you put it like that... But what would I supplement Shed Dog's diet with if not the glue drips?

I like the plane idea. If I ever make another Windsor, I might make a 10" or 12" radiused plane.

Originally Posted by mic-d

Good stuff WW. Very inspirational and just a little bit depressing. What's next? Georgian knife box please...

I have some pistol-grip three-tine Georgian silver forks and knives and they'd look well in a Hepplewhite knife box, but I just don't have the space for dedicated storage for them.

Originally Posted by mic-d

If one has a broken down old coffin smoother, this can be rebirthed into a useful little compass plane too.

Cheers
Michael

That would do me!

Its finished already? :knockmedownwithafeather: You don't muck about do you.

Just gorgeous.