by Elia Bizzarri | May 8, 2022 | Built for Speed Book Project, Sprinpole Lathe | 2 Comments
A few days ago I picked up the spikes for my new lathe from blacksmith Peter Ross. He seemed to enjoy making them: "People don't want work this rough very often, but I was trained to make reproductions like this." Peter thinks the hardware was make by the Dominys -...
by Elia Bizzarri | Apr 25, 2022 | Built for Speed Book Project, Sprinpole Lathe | 1 Comment
Last fall I had the joy of spending a couple hours in the Dominy shop at Winturtur to measure their Springpole Lathe. I've finally started building a copy of it, for use in the book on early 19th Century chairmaking that I'm writing. A local sawmill gave me a pine...
by Elia Bizzarri | Mar 30, 2022 | Chair Stories | 4 Comments
This is a story for John and his family. It's also for Scott, who's Comb Back Arm Chair and Windsor Table were delivered last month. I wrote the story in the middle of January, when it happened: John Braxton died a couple weeks ago. A Quaker gunsmith, he machined...
by Elia Bizzarri | Feb 25, 2022 | Chair Stories, Classes | 5 Comments
As most of you know, I'm at Curtis Buchanan's designing a Loop Back Arm chair. On the second day we had a visitor from NC, Reid Gamble who has been apprenticing with laddarback chairmaker Lyle Wheeler. First we bored for the bent stretcher. Curtis had to climb...
by Elia Bizzarri | Feb 23, 2022 | Chair Stories, Classes | 3 Comments
I am spending the next few days visiting with Curtis and Marilyn Buchanan. Eric Cannizzaro is here too. During the day we're working an a new loop back arm chair design for which Curtis hopes to publish a set of plans. At night, we are eating Marilyn's good food and...
by Elia Bizzarri | Feb 5, 2022 | Steam Box | 1 Comment
The size of steam-generator you need is related to the size of your steam box, how well insulated it is and the temperature of the air around the box. It is probably cheaper and easier to insulate your box thoroughly rather than increase the size of your steam...
by Elia Bizzarri | Jan 13, 2022 | Built for Speed Book Project | 1 Comment
This is one of the most popular questions I get asked. I never know how to answer it. Usually I say, "About 30 hours for a Continuous Arm chair, including 8 coats of finish." But the truth is I haven't a clue. I have no interest in tracking my...
by Elia Bizzarri | Jan 2, 2022 | Built for Speed Book Project | 1 Comment
In the months after I last posted about my book project, I read what remains of Samuel Wing's account books and spent some time comparing measurements. I compared my tracings and measurements of the red loop back labeled "WING" at Independence Hall with my...
by Elia Bizzarri | Dec 27, 2021 | Chair Stories, Classes | 2 Comments
Yesterday, my father-in-law and I delivered a set of five chairs for Josh and his wife's new house. We met at a horse park and transferred the blanket-wrapped chairs into Josh's car. As I wrapped the chairs last week, I remembered this story: It was a...
by Elia Bizzarri | Nov 5, 2021 | Chairs For Sale, Classes | 0 Comments
I've never offered chairs for sale at a discount, but I find myself drowning in chairs. Many were built in classes, both online and in-person, while others I made by accident. I am offering a discount on them for the month of November (except for the last...
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