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Mar 31
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Class: Post and Rung Poynor Chair

By decommission

Poynor Side Chair

With Robell Awake and Charlie Ryland

February 26 - March 2, 2024

$1,675

Poynor Side Chair

During this six day class students will build a traditional ladderback side chair based on the iconic chairs of Richard Poynor and his family. Parts will be split from a freshly felled log, shaped using drawknives and spokeshaves, and joined through a combination of traditional and modern techniques. Throughout this process students will gain in depth, hands-on experience understanding and working with wood’s natural structure and movement to maximize its strength and flexibility, and will gain perspective on designing and building objects without the need for straight, flat, or square reference surfaces. While most work will be done using a small set of hand tools, Robell and Charlie will discuss options for working with floor standing power tools, and demonstrate processes for using standard, kiln dried lumber for times when whole logs are either unavailable or impractical. Seat weaving with paper cord will be demonstrated at the end of class, and students are welcome to bring their own weaving material, but we prefer to focus on the core skills, techniques, and tools of chair construction while in class together. No previous experience is necessary, students of all skill levels are encouraged to join us. Continued below…

Class Description:

During this six day class students will build a traditional ladderback side chair based on the iconic chairs of Richard Poynor and his family. Parts will be split from a freshly felled log, shaped using drawknives and spokeshaves, and joined through a combination of traditional and modern techniques. Throughout this process students will gain in depth, hands-on experience understanding and working with wood’s natural structure and movement to maximize its strength and flexibility, and will gain perspective on designing and building objects without the need for straight, flat, or square reference surfaces. While most work will be done using a small set of hand tools, Robell and Charlie will discuss options for working with floor standing power tools, and demonstrate processes for using standard, kiln dried lumber for times when whole logs are either unavailable or impractical. Seat weaving with paper cord will be demonstrated at the end of class, and students are welcome to bring their own weaving material, but we prefer to focus on the core skills, techniques, and tools of chair construction while in class together. No previous experience is necessary, students of all skill levels are encouraged to join us.

Tool List:

All tools will be provided for students during the course. If you do have tools of your own that you would like to bring, please see the list below. And if you are interested in purchasing your own, we encourage you to come to the class, try what is available there, and discuss options throughout the week.

Personal Tool List:

  • Drawknife
  • Spokeshaves (metal bodied, flat and round bottom)
  • Folding rule with extension
  • Handsaw
  • 3/16” mortise chisel
  • Card scraper
  • Handsaw
  • Eye protection
  • Ear protection
  • Grippy gloves
  • Pencils/pens

Lunches provided.

Register
Oct 24
Love0

Class: Windsor Chair

By decommission

Dates: February 27 – March 3, 2023.  Five class days.

Instructor: Aspen Golann

Class Description:  Popular in 1600 and 2022, this ancient chair style is still a darling of the contemporary furniture field. Starting from a green log students will learn to split, soak, and shape their way to a finished piece of furniture. In this class we will cover the essential techniques required to build a classic Windsor side chair – we will also cover a variety of approaches to furniture design including maquettes, drafting and creating original patterns. The instructor will share plans and techniques for building a small kiln, steam box, bending forms, and a shavehorse so that students return home empowered to design and build their own chairs. Whether you are new to woodworking or an experienced maker, Windsor chair making will deepen your appreciation for the strength and versatility of wood and the power of hand tools.

Materials and lunches covered within the cost of the class.

Aspen and Pine Croft will provide the necessary tools for this class.  No tools required.

Dec 20
Love0

Class Spotlight: Modern Chair with Dawson Moore

By decommission

I’m excited to welcome Dawson Moore to Berea next spring over April 25-29 for his modern ladder back chair class.  I’ve followed his work for the past few years (you can follow his craft on Instagram @michigansloyd).   I jumped at the chance to work with him at Pine Croft.

His chairs are a combination of modern lines and traditional handwork.  They’re a perfect bend.  The chairs show the makers hand (which is something I look for when enjoying handmade chairs).  But it’s the detailing that keeps me coming back to it.  Each detail is considered.  The lower rungs are lifted, which gives the chair a lighter appearance while providing the necessary strength.  The upper slats are wide enough to provide support without any unnecessary bulkiness and they catch the sitter is just the right spot.  He finishes the chair with the envelope pattern danish paper cord seat.  Perfect choice: clean, uniform, and complimentary to the handmade chair.

The way Dawson utilizes the straight grain may not be apparent to a new maker, but is vital for both the durability and appearance.  I love how the grain runs across the slats.  It’s a minor part of the the chair, but one that gives it a feeling of balance and harmony.  Simply put: It is right (actually, that’s how I feel about the entire chair).

I also like that Dawson’s using traditional skills and techniques with an eye towards modern design.   This isn’t a purely green woodworking, or a machine-centric build, but a blend of the two approaches.  A considered approach that uses the precision and repeatability of the machines when their strengths are appropriate and the uniqueness and personality of hand work when it adds to the character of the design.

All chair makers have their tricks and surprises that sets their work apart.  Some are free flowing.  Others are engineers, working towards precision.  I’m looking forward to seeing Dawson’s approach to chair making.  There’s consideration for each detail.  It’s a gorgeous chair, that much is apparent.  It’ll fit perfectly into a week-long course.

I’m thankful he’s sharing it with us in Berea.

–Andy Glenn

(please reach out with questions about Dawson’s class or any other we offer in early 2022: glenna@berea.edu)

Dec 09
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Class: Green Wood Chair Making

By decommission

Date(s): March 13-17. 9am – 5pm. Five class days

Instructor: Andy Glenn

Price: $1,500

Description: In this class, we will begin the week with the log to collect knock out parts and end the week with a completed chair. Green wood chair making starts with moisture content; the wetter wood of the posts shrinks around the dry rungs. That’s what holds the chair together, as these chairs were traditionally made without the use of nails or glue (though we’ll use a little glue, it’s nice to use for the peace of mind ).

We’ll use primarily hand tools in the class, to shave and shape our parts. We’ll split the log with a froe and maul. Then shave the posts and rungs at the shavehorse. We will steam and bend the back post, which both adds to the appearance and increases the comfort of the chair.

This class is ideal for someone making their first chair or their 20th. It is my hope that someone can take this class and feel confident returning home to make a chair in their shop. We’ll cover all the relevant topics: moisture content, materials, tools and techniques, form making, seat weaving, and finish.

The chair design is characteristic of a traditional Appalachian post-and-rung. Shaved with three slats, bent upper post, and a woven hickory back seat, this design is commonly found around the region.

Lunches provided.

Students: please bring your tool kit and seating material*

* A couple seating options (I’ve listed a few and there are plenty of others )

Tool List:

Needed:

  • Drawknife
  • Spokeshave (Flat or Round bottomed, flat will be a little easier)

Recommended: (please bring – especially the first eight on this list – but don’t run out to purchase if you don’t own one yet)

  • pencil
  • utility or pocket knife
  • tape measure
  • sliding bevel gauges
  • tenon or dovetail saw
  • sharp chisel
  • pocket knife or (small) straight carving knife
  • claw hammer
  • handsaw (smaller crosscut saw – ideally a tenon saw, though most anything will do)
  • framing square or 24″ straight edge
  • deadblow or lump hammer
  • block plane
  • compass (scribe)
  • card scraper

We’ll use/cover, but not needed (please bring if you have them):

  • froe, maul and wedges
  • hatchet
  • power tenon cutters
  • bevel setting gauge or protractor (a way to find angle for the sliding bevel gauge)
Dec 07
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Class: Modern Ladder Back Chair

By decommission

Class Date(s): Monday, April 25 through Friday, April 29. 9am – 5pm.

Class Title: Modern Ladder Back Chair

Cost: $1400

Instructor: Dawson Moore

Class Description: This chair blends inspiration in both construction process and design from the likes of the more traditional Jennie Alexander and Brian Boggs, to the more modern Danish designers Hans Wegner and Borge Mogensen. The chair’s joinery relies on the foundational concepts outlined in Alexander’s well known book “Make a Chair from a Tree” while also exploring modern efficiencies by using a lathe, drill press and router. The idea is to gain some increases in joint accuracy and to skip over some of the mundane aspects of a purely hand tool build, while still embracing the fun of splitting parts from a log and shaping with hand tools like spokeshaves and drawknives.

In this class we will:

● Watch and get to practice splitting a few parts from a log.

● Shape provided front and steam bent back leg blanks with a drawknife and spokeshaves.

● Add a spokeshaved surface to provided rung turnings.

● Watch a demo of turning parts and sizing tenons on a lathe.

● Watch an alternative method of milling some parts from dried lumber.

● Learn some of the concepts behind the chair’s design and its jigs to be able to apply to other designs.

● Layout and bore rung and back slat mortises using simple and adaptable jigs.

● Shape and fit provided steam bent back slats using spokeshaves, a sloyd knife and block plane.

● Learn about proper grain orientation that ensures longevity of chair joints.

● Learn how to use a shop made kiln to take advantage of the shrinking and expanding properties of wood.

● Watch a steam bending demo and get to perform a couple practice bends.

● Assemble the chair.

● Apply an interesting new Japanese ceramic wood finish.

● Weave a “rush” pattern (also called envelope pattern) danish paper cord seat.

Tool List: Participants should bring a small kit of tools for the class. We’ll have extras of the recommended tools if your kit isn’t complete, but you’ll definitely need to bring the required tools.

Lunch provided.

Required:

● Gloves for Seat Weaving (I like something like these gloves that are form fitting for good dexterity, leather soled for protection, and fabric backed for more comfort and breathability. I would recommend trying on in store to ensure a close fit.)

Recommended:

● Pencil

● 6” Ruler

● Tape Measure

● Folding Ruler

● Sloyd Knife (Mora 106)

● Spokeshaves (flat and/or round bottom)

● Drawknife

● Card Scraper

● Block Plane

● Ear & Eye Protection

● Side Cutters (for trimming Danish cord)

May 05
Love0

Other “local” offerings

By decommission

We’re excited to offer our four October classes and hope you’ll join us in Berea.  It’s been a long time coming.

But if the timing or content doesn’t work out for this fall, please check out a couple other places offering great woodworking workshops in our area.

  • Greg Pennington is hosting chair making courses in his Hendersonville, TN shop.  I believe Travis Curtis is planning a ladderback class there for this summer as well.  Greg and Travis make beautiful chairs and I hear great things about their classes.
  • Lost Art Press is opening the storefront for a couple of classes this fall as well.  Megan Fitzpatrick (who is joining us at Pine Croft in October) is teaching a couple of tool box classes.  Peter Follansbee visit’s LAP in October for a weeklong class.

 

 

Apr 29
Love0

Chair Design

By decommission

With the school quiet right now as we await and adjust to the current situation, we thought we would highlight some of the good woodwork happening around us.  Brian Boggs, chairmaker (among many other things) of Asheville, NC recently posted a video in which discussed his the evolution of his chair designs.  In the 27 minute video, Brian talks through three chairs he’s built over his career- the iconic Jennie Alexander chair, his Berea ladderback and the chair he’s currently focused on – the Cio chair.  He connects the thread of continuity  from his earliest chairs up to today’s contemporary designs.  It’s fascinating to hear his approach, as he’s dedicated decades to thinking through chairs, their designs, and how to push forward with new ideas.

I’ll need to rewatch his short demonstration once more about the Cio chair – there’s so much new in the construction and approach that I didn’t take it all in the first viewing.  In a way the approach reminded me of David Savage’s work, captured beautifully in The Intelligent Hand, in the way Brian uses new materials and techniques to make this wooden chair truly different from his previous post-and-rung designs.

There’s a lot packed into the 27 minutes.  If you’re interested in chairs then there’s something in there for you.  I’m hoping this becomes a more frequent series and am looking forward to the next installment.

Link to Brian’s video. 

–andy glenn