Woodwright’s School Day 6

Things are starting to come together now. With the seat blanks complete we began adding parts. First we needed to bore holes in our legs for the stretchers. Not an easy feet with compound angles intersecting round surfaces that are unique at each corner of the seat. The layout of these mortises takes 5 times longer than the actual drilling but once you put the auger bit to wood, your pulse rate quickens just a bit. With the under carriage complete, it was time to glue and wedge the legs into the seat. Then it was on to cutting bridle joints for the rockers and making sure they were co-planer and level so the chair will rock without walking. Like most things in Windsor construction, a few simple techniques come into play to ensure a seamless fit between rocker and leg with no math and heavy thinking.

With one day left in class, I must admit I really enjoy working with all of these vintage tools. It makes me think about ditching some of my modern hand tools for their vintage brethren. Then I think again and pull out my Lie Nielsen spokeshave to remove tearout on my spindles.