Question For Pam and others very LONG

1000 bf of figured maple?

Matt Williams Marysville WA

>Do you plan on building that many chairs or is it just the love of wood, or a retirement plan? Rumor is someone around the Pacific Northwest has done just that and plans on selling it off (huge stash of figured wood) to supplement his retirement.

I could have read the message wrong and you already have 1000 bf.

Just curious.

Re: Question For Pam and others very LONG

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>I'm concentrating on rocking chairs right now, getting a lesson plan ready for a class I'll be teaching this summer. Also, they sell for a pretty good price around here these days. I do plan to try carving them in various places. The Craftsman rocker is very comfortable.

I also plan to make a Queen Anne stool (thanks Garry and Greg for the book recommendations) starting next week, have to make a lumber store trip for the leg mahogany.

I don't know how good maple would be for the chairs. I'd probably prefer cherry, walnut and mahogany, save the maple for table tops and the like, or at least tone it down a bit; but others with more period chair experience may advise otherwise, there's an awful lot I don't know.

Pam

Re: Question For Pam and others very LONG

Greg B�tit, Vergennes, VT

>Hi Jim,

You didn�t say what style chair you are interested in making. There are several folks out there who teach Windsor chair making. Some types of Windsor chairs have carved top rail ears and arm knuckles. The most comfortable wooden chair I have sat in is the Philadelphia High Back (comb back), which has both carved ears and knuckles. But I would not necessarily consider this style of chair �carved�, compared to Queen Anne, Chippendale, etc., which might go better in a Victorian home.

The Windsor Institute (http://www.thewindsorinstitute.com/index.html ) probably teaches more people how to make a chair by hand than the rest put together. They require that you attend their sack back class before you can go to a class that teaches any of the other styles. The sack back they teach does not meet your requirement that the chair have carvings, however (I think they are pretty comfortable, though). I have attended three Windsor Institute courses and find them to be excellent. To find a fairly complete list of the other chair instructors go to Windsor Chair Resources (http://www.windsorchairresources.com/index.html ). Look in the �Find a Chair maker� page and search for those who are listed as �instructor�. Fine woodworking also has advertisements from other people who teach chair making. There are guys out there that will teach you one-on-one, and focus their instruction on what style/features you are interested in.

Maple, particularly figured maple, is not considered a good wood for carving. Clear maple carves �well�, in that the grain structure is very well behaved, but it is so hard that it makes carving pretty difficult. I have carved a few spoons out of figured maple (birdseye or flamed) and find that it brings back some of my old sailor vocabulary. It always wants to tear out right where it shouldn�t, some kind of Murphy�s Law corollary.

Spalted maple should not be used on any structural part of furniture, especially chairs. Another word for spalted is �rotten�. It is pretty when featured in a turned bowl or perhaps a door panel, but don�t go making chair legs or table tops out of it.

The makers of classic ornately carved styles such as Queen Anne used softer hardwoods such as mahogany or black walnut. I carved knuckles in cherry (almost as hard as maple) a couple times and each time I swear it will be the last. Hard headedness is in my genes, and it sure looks nice when you�re done...

Greg

Re: Question For Pam and others very LONG

Gerry Mayberry

>Phil Lowe in Beverly, Mass. teaches chairmaking as does Lonnie Bird in Dandridge, Tn. It all depends on what type of chair you want to build. They teach primarily period style furniture, Queen Anne, Philadelphia style Chippendale, etc. Crest rail shell and knee carving on cabriole legs is taught in Lonnie Bird's classes. Check his website. There are likely others of whom I am not aware. There are a number of Windsor chair classes. In the ad section of Fine Woodworking, you can find descriptions of schools.

Re: Question For Pam and others very LONG

Tony - Memphis

>I've taken classes from both Phil and Lonnie. I took a ball and claw carving class from Phil, and the side chair class from Lonnie. Matter of fact, I just stained my chair this weekend (a bummer as the end grain on the leg turned black! live and learn and hopefully apply next time). Anyway, I learned a bunch from both. I found Phil a better instructor, but his chair class is 2 weeks I think (not practical for me). PLus, I can drive to Lonnie's easily. I used mahogany for my chair, though a lot of folks used walnut purchased through Larry ???? already roughed for the project. The 18th century chair is a very challenging project. Mine is obviously a rookie's work, but I'm sort of pleased. I was a bit put off by Lonnie, but his concern for us to learn and make a good chair was 100%. Even called us all to check progress and offer help. Phil showed the same eagerness to teach. The chair class was the following week after my class and when he spoke of it, he got excited and talked about how it was his favorite to teach. I'd love to do it someday. That part of the country is a nice place to be in the summer. We stayed in Marblehead and had a big time. Sorry to ramble!

Tony

Hey Pam, When&Where

Derrell in Austin

>Pam,

When and where will you be teaching a class?

Re: Hey Pam, When&Where *LINK*

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>At American Sycamore Woodworkers' Retreat in Indiana, week of July 19th we'll be making a Stickley rocker, the day before I'll teach a one-day workshop on Japanese hand tools (buying, tuning and using planes, saws, and chisels), and August 7th and 8th I'll be a team leader for a bunch of women building tables.

I see you're also in Austin. If you're interested, maybe we could put together a class here. I've been thinking of some sort of local hand-tool-mostly effort.

Pam


American Sycamore Calendar

Re: 1000 bf of figured maple?

Jim in Burlington Ontario

>Don't have a 1000 bf yet but have about 250 bf and really plan on using it all. Retirement at 51 is just 11 years away. There are at least 10 sawmills within a 2 hour drive. Loads of menonites around here.

Re: Question For Pam and others very LONG

Jim in Burlington Ontario

>That's the biggest problem I have is figuring out what kind of chair to build. John Robinson teaches Windsor chair making in Canada for alot less money. But they are not that comfortable to sit in at the dining table. As for any kind of figured maple tearout I think was named because you tearout a little piece of your hair every time you use it.

Re: Question For Pam and others very LONG

Jim in Burlington Ontario

>I really like the idea of making a vacation out of going to take a Lonnie Bird course but as always fear that my skills are not up to it. The other problem I have is both knee's are shot and standing for any period of time is nearly impossible. Sure would love to hear from someone who went to a Lonnie Bird seminar.

Re: Question For Pam and others very LONG

Jim in Burlington Ontario

>Tony that was great to hear. Forgive my ignorance but Phil is who and does he have a website? How much carving experience did you have before going on the carving course. I agree why would someone buy pre formed pieces? Perhaps some of the greatest info is how to begin and what wood grain patterns to look for. Much appreciated thanks Jim

Re: Phil Lowe *LINK*

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>Phil Lowe has also made a couple or three excellent videos for woodworkers: how to carve a ball and claw foot, installing hinges, and measuring furniture for reproduction. All of them provide a lot more very useful information than hinted by the title.

I've never taken a class in person, but not because I don't want to.

Pam


Phil Lowe's videos

Are you teaching the Stickley rocker class?

Don Thompson, Cutler Ridge, South of Miami FL

>

Re: Are you teaching the Stickley rocker class?

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>The title is actually "Fine Furniture Building with Traditional and Japanese Hand Tools", but we'll be building a Stickley rocker.

Pam

Brian Boggs

Ron in Kokomo

>He is an incredible craftsman and a superb teacher.

Do not miss a chance to learn from him

Ron

Cool.

Don Thompson, Cutler Ridge, South of Miami FL

>

Re: Cool.

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>I'll say, you can't imagine how excited I am for getting this opportunity, now just have to work real hard to make it an especially great experience, thus the six or seven months elapsed time for doing the plan.

Pam

Re: Hey Pam, When&Where

CBT

>Pam,

I am in Austin and would also be interested in hearing more about a class you are considering teaching locally. I am very interested in A&C.

Curtis

Re: Hey Pam, When&Where

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>Cool, I'll email you.

Thanks,

Pam

Re: Question For Pam and others very LONG

Gerry Mayberry

>I took the 18th Century carving course a couple of years ago and enjoyed it very much. There were all levels of experience from not having picked up a carving chisel to reasonably good carvers. There are stools at the benches so you can use them for activities that don't require standing. I suggest you contact Lonnie Bird and discuss your situation with him to see which class might fit you best. The class setting is in a beautiful area, not far from the Smoky Mountains and,in my view, Lonnie is an excellent teacher. He is particularly knowledgeable about period furniture. He has an incredible eye for proportion and detail. I plan to take another class this spring.

Course?

GolfSteve in Calgary

>Pam, do you plan on making the chairs entirely with handtools, or will most of the grunt work be done with power tools?

Also, how long does it take you to make the chair, and how long do you think it will take your students to complete the chair (excluding finishing)?

The reason I ask is that I recently took a course where the students required three to four times as much time to complete a project when compared to length of time required by the instructor. ie. with 40 hours of instruction available, you have to be able to build a chair in 10-20 hours if you want most of your students to finish the project in the time available.

I'm sure you've thought this all out, but I'm curious about your experience.

The above numbers were for a project done entirely with hand tools; power tools should even out the spread.

Re: Course?

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>Most of the basic milling will be done in advance, otherwise we wouldn't stand a chance of getting it done in 5 days. The other things I'm doing are making sure the whole course is documented and that I have an assembly plan that can accommodate someone who's behind at bit. And even then it will be very close, may have to hold some night sessions. It's unlikely that I'll be able to do more than demonstrate the finishing. One thing I've suggested is that we work in teams of two when possible.

I suspect your numbers are right on, thank you. I work pretty fast in class, tend to do a lot of standing around waiting, and know that I work even faster when alone; so it's going to be very interesting to accommodate students of all different levels and still have everyone finish. The students are required to bring their own tools, that should mean something. :)

Pam

Pix & Report

Don Thompson, Cutler Ridge, South of Miami FL

>I imagine that you will be pretty busy, but if you have time for yourself or a helper (Jack?) to take some photos, I am sure that lots of we Centralians would like to see them, and to read a report on the experience.

Good luck!

Re: Question For Pam and others very LONG

Gerry Mayberry

>Jim: The "preformed pieces" you mention are not formed to a pattern. They are rough cut pieces of wood furnished by a person who sells kit lumber cut to rough dimensions, usually 1/4 heavy and an inch or two long . For those who don't have easy access to hardwood or the facilities to get ready for a class by bringing rough cut close to finish size, it is helpful.