My Background

For the first time ever, I've been commissioned to build some chairs by someone who I didn't know previously. They are interested in seeing the process by which I make chairs - hence this blog.

I've been interested in making Windsor chairs since I took a class with Mike Dunbar in the early 2000s. That class was a good introduction to Windsor chairmaking, but did not really enable me to make one on my own. As you will see, the process is complex, and requires a number of specialized tools, jigs, and other things.

Years later, I discovered Peter Galbert while he was still living in Sterling, MA, which is right around the corner from me. I immediately took a class from him, which brought me much closer to being able to build on my own. What finally put me over the top was the publishing of Peter's book, The Chairmaker's Notebook. In this book Peter shares so much of his expertise - it is really a complete recipe book for building chairs - absolutely priceless to me.

2 Balloon-backs and a Continuous arm in their natural habitat

A c-arm which I recently sold to my friend Dave