Appalachian Post and Rung Chair Workshop
Appalachian Post and Rung Chair Workshop
March 7 - May 9, 2024 6pm - 9pm (10 Thursday evenings) ＊registration is now closed for the chair class. We’ll be scheduling it again
PFW’s Appalachian Post & Rung Chair workshop is an excellent introduction to chairmaking and the techniques related to traditional mortise and tenon chair joinery.
In this 10 evening workshop, each student will make their own post and rung ladder back chair inspired by the work of Jennie Alexander and Drew Langsner. Students begin with roughed-out rungs, posts, and back-slats, and work through the steps required to make a beautiful, comfortable chair. Our class differs from Alexander’s chair by using air-dried wood cut to size on the bandsaw instead of green wood that has been riven (split).
The beauty of this chair - besides its good-looking design - is that it can be made in the simplest of settings with very few woodworking tools. While challenging, it truly is an accessible and satisfying chair-making project. The skills gained in this workshop can easily be applied to future chair-making projects. Also, consider making your own Shave Horse in our weekend class a few weeks prior to this chair class. Students taking this Appalachian Post & Rung Chair class may use PFW’s shave horses or BYOSH (bring their own).
Techniques covered in the project:
- using a drawknife and spokeshave at a shave horse
- steam bending back posts & back slats
- joinery layout
- applying the time-proven principles of wet/dry mortise and tenon joinery.
- chair glue-up sequence
- applying an oil finish
- weaving a shaker tape seat
This post and rung chair can be made with very few basic woodworking tools at a workbench or a traditional shave horse. Also, it’s recommended (but not required) participants bring their own hand tools for the project. In particular, it’s particularly helpful to own a drawknife and spokeshave, as they are the most-used tools and would allow students to do work at home in between classes, which many students found helped them finish the project on time.
Students may choose the shaker tape color for their chairs, which is included in the class fee. Class size is limited to 8 students.