About
Join other woodworkers and those new to woodworking for the monthly general membership meeting (open to Members and Non-Members).
January 12 Meeting Highlight will feature speaker, Peter Eddy
In the world of handmade chair-making, Mike Dunbar is a legend. Beginning in 1972 with his yard sale purchase of “the little black chair” – a rod-backed side chair made in the early 1800s by Samuel Stickney in Beverly, Mass. – Dunbar led a renaissance in the art of the handmade Windsor chair. After a number of years as an itinerant teacher of chairmaking, Dunbar and his wife, Susanna, founded The Windsor Institute in Hampton, New Hampshire, in 1994. They billed it “the only school in the world dedicated to teaching Windsor chairmaking.” Over the course of the last 45-plus years, Dunbar published numerous articles and several books on chair-making, including a 2013 update of “Make a Windsor Chair with Mike Dunbar," originally published in 1984.
The Dunbars closed the school and retired from teaching face-to-face classes about three years ago. But the chair designs they refined, the tools they re-discovered and popularized, and the techniques they honed and taught live on in the more than 3,000 woodworkers who attended Dunbar's classes – including BARN member Peter Eddy, who will be the speaker for the meeting on Saturday.
Several years ago, Peter spent a week-long working vacation at The Windsor Institute. He returned with a finished chair. Peter also returned with the hope of building more chairs on his own; the wonderful BARN benches, the steam box for bending wood, and the lathes have made this possible. Peter will display his first chair and his almost-complete second Windsor during the talk.
He will describe the three parts of any Windsor chair, be it a sack back, a side chair or a settee: 1) the seat; 2) the legs and stretchers and 3) the chair back and arm assembly. He will describe the processes and show the tools used to create each. He will play a short segment of one of the YouTube videos that Dunbar is posting to create an on-line curriculum that will eventually include instruction for building all the Windsor models taught in Windsor Institute classes.
The monthly woodworker meetings always offer an informative presentation on an aspect of woodworking, plus a short business meeting. It's a good opportunity to meet other woodworkers of all skill levels, learn what's new in the shop, and share your thoughts on class offerings and studio operations.
In the world of handmade chair-making, Mike Dunbar is a legend. Beginning in 1972 with his yard sale purchase of “the little black chair” – a rod-backed side chair made in the early 1800s by Samuel Stickney in Beverly, Mass. – Dunbar led a renaissance in the art of the handmade Windsor chair. After a number of years as an itinerant teacher of chairmaking, Dunbar and his wife, Susanna, founded The Windsor Institute in Hampton, New Hampshire, in 1994. They billed it “the only school in the world dedicated to teaching Windsor chairmaking.” Over the course of the last 45-plus years, Dunbar published numerous articles and several books on chair-making, including a 2013 update of “Make a Windsor Chair with Mike Dunbar," originally published in 1984.
The Dunbars closed the school and retired from teaching face-to-face classes about three years ago. But the chair designs they refined, the tools they re-discovered and popularized, and the techniques they honed and taught live on in the more than 3,000 woodworkers who attended Dunbar's classes – including BARN member Peter Eddy, who will be the speaker for the meeting on Saturday.
Several years ago, Peter spent a week-long working vacation at The Windsor Institute. He returned with a finished chair. Peter also returned with the hope of building more chairs on his own; the wonderful BARN benches, the steam box for bending wood, and the lathes have made this possible. Peter will display his first chair and his almost-complete second Windsor during the talk.
He will describe the three parts of any Windsor chair, be it a sack back, a side chair or a settee: 1) the seat; 2) the legs and stretchers and 3) the chair back and arm assembly. He will describe the processes and show the tools used to create each. He will play a short segment of one of the YouTube videos that Dunbar is posting to create an on-line curriculum that will eventually include instruction for building all the Windsor models taught in Windsor Institute classes.
The monthly woodworker meetings always offer an informative presentation on an aspect of woodworking, plus a short business meeting. It's a good opportunity to meet other woodworkers of all skill levels, learn what's new in the shop, and share your thoughts on class offerings and studio operations.
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Special opportunity this day:
Here's your chance to have a warm and delicious ready-made lunch waiting for you in BARN's Commercial Kitchen after your meeting is over. Local resident and entrepreneur Myra Zocher will be offering tried and true recipes that are sure to please. Through Myra's business, A Woman Sconed, you may purchase a fresh sandwich or salad. Please place your order in advance by clicking here: A Woman Sconed.
