I’ve started getting my act together for my book project and I have a couple puzzles to figure out. As a reminder, I’m building two-dozen copies of this chair in Independence Hall’s collection, hopefully in about 140 hours: The…
Blog Archives
I’m Writing a Book
I just got back from a three week trip, equal parts vacation, research trip and photography experiment. Last winter I signed a book contract about early 19th. Century chairmaking with Lost Art Press. This trip was the first step on…
Posted in Built for Speed Book Project
Chair Stories: A Tree Crew
This afternoon Edward picked up a set of four custom walnut and oak swivel bar stools that his wife Phyllis had helped design. Here’s a story about their chairs: Note: Nobody was hurt in this story. Other than a plastic…
Posted in Chair Stories
Trugs and Hoops
Here’s a few more shorts from the British Pathe: Bentwood trug baskets being made in 1929. They have some sort of a square steam box. What was this made out of? I assume there was no CDX plywood at this…
Posted in Craft Films
Steam Boxes: Doors, Racks, Extensions and More
The first part of this series talked about heat, what to make you box out of and whether you really need a box at all. On to other details: Box size: The box should be as small as possible to…
Posted in Steam Box
Chair Stories: My Friend, The Bluesman
The phone rings. I put down my red chair-order book, lean forward in my chair, lift the receiver. “John Dee died last night.” What do you say when a 92 year old man dies? I mumble that I am…
Posted in Chair Stories
Reject Baseball Bats Turned Chair Legs
Brian Boggs called one afternoon a couple months ago. “There are two 18-wheeler loads of green hard maple baseball bat blanks and scraps at this mill in Pennsylvania I just left,” he said. Alexa spouted directions in the background as…
Posted in Chairmaking Tools and Supplies
A Day in Curtis’s Shop
I spent two days with Curtis Buchanan, Marilyn and Summer last week, visiting and hanging out in the shop. This was my first trip playing with my new fancy-pants camera – here’s some photos I took. Share: FacebookTwitterLinkedinemail
Posted in Chair Stories
