by Elia Bizzarri | Jul 26, 2024 | Chairmaking Tools and Supplies | 0 Comments
I sold my first reamer in 2004 or 2005 for about $40. Compared to the reamers we make now, it was a pretty rough affair; I ground the blade from a Stanley compass-saw blade and made the body from a maple blank for a Windsor chair leg. Since then, the price of our...
by Elia Bizzarri | Jul 14, 2024 | Chairmaking Tools and Supplies | 20 Comments
These tenon cutters were donated by a former student who has retired from his chairmaking hobby. We'd like them to go to someone who would have trouble affording them and would use them a lot. If you know someone like that, please nominate them (or yourself) in...
by Elia Bizzarri | Jun 3, 2023 | Chairmaking Tools and Supplies, Chairs For Sale | 7 Comments
I've been rooting around in my shop's attic and I found this partially finished chair, abandoned by a student in one of my classes long ago. I can't remember what happened - maybe he got sick or something. I've been tripping over it long enough, so I'm selling it for...
by Elia Bizzarri | Jul 5, 2022 | Chairmaking Tools and Supplies | 3 Comments
I've been turning a lot lately. Five weeks ago I got an order for 40 chairs (28 loop backs and 12 Continuous Arm chairs) for a Michigan hunting camp's dining hall. I've turned 250 legs, arm stumps and center stretchers on my 1800# pattermaker's lathe. Seth...
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 | Jul 27, 2021 | Steam Box | 1 Comment
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 minimize the amount of steam you need. The longest standard part...
by Elia Bizzarri | Jun 22, 2021 | Chairmaking Tools and Supplies | 0 Comments
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 he made his way back to the...
by Elia Bizzarri | Dec 25, 2020 | Chairmaking Tools and Supplies, Classes, Craft Films, Kiln | 3 Comments
Where do you get green wood? I get this question regularly and it's a hard one to answer. Seth and I sell oak splits for chairs, but it's not exactly cheap if you need a bunch of parts. My blog has general suggestions for where to look, but wouldn't it be nice if...
by Elia Bizzarri | Nov 6, 2020 | Chairmaking Tools and Supplies, How-To | 3 Comments
Bob Simmons put together this spreadsheet of Green Woodworking books. Feel free to add your favorite books and edit however you see fit - this is truly a communal book list, by you for you. Happy reading! GreenBook
by Elia Bizzarri | Sep 2, 2020 | Chairmaking Tools and Supplies, How-To | 7 Comments
After seeing Bob Simmons space-saving shaving horse ideas, Jason Gallagher send me photos of this modified Tim Manney horse that Jason made with his buddy Tommy. With a few wedged joints, it knocks down nicely into a small bundle of parts. In his...
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