How to Make Windsor Chairs

The bow-back windsor chair looks fragile, but is extremely sturdy.

The Windsor chair had its humble beginnings in the 16th century, when a version of the chair was used on the grounds around Windsor Castle. Its design was imported to America from England, and has been honed brilliantly over the past 250 years. This chair may look delicate, but it is extremely durable and comfortable. What sets a Windsor chair apart from its competitors is that the grain of the wood is continuous through its many parts. That, plus the combination of hard and soft woods, form a simply lovely chair with symmetrical lines and balance.

Things You'll Need

• Oak or ash wood log for bent bow back, arm rail and spindles
• Wedge
• Maple or birch for legs
• Poplar or pine slab for seat
• Shaving horse or vice
• Drawknife
• Steambox
• Form for shaping
• Pegs and wedges
• Lathe
• Coping Saw
• Adz
• Planer
• Scraper
• Hand drill
• Carpenter's glue
• Chisel
• Sandpaper
• Milk paint
• Polyurethane

Instructions

Assemble the Sections of the Chair

1. Split a length of oak or ash lengthwise with a wedge. Split it again lengthwise to form the pieces for the bent bow back, arm rail and the spindles. Shave the wood to size on a shaving horse or in a vice, using a drawknife to plane the back, arms and spindles.

2. Place the wood for the back bow and arm rail into a steambox until the wood is pliable. Bend it around a wooden form to shape it into the desired curvature. Position pegs and a wedge to hold the wood in place. The wood is then cooled on this form.

3. Detail the spindles with a drawknife or on a lathe, if you want them all to be uniform in size and shape.

4. Glue a piece of wood on either side of the arm rail, and use a coping saw to shape it into a curved detailed design.

5. Using straight-grained pieces of maple or birch, form legs on the lathe.

6. Form a seat from a two-inch slab of pine or poplar, shaped in an oval or shield. Using a variety of woodworking tools, shape a seat contour. If you want a real touch of authenticity, add a thin groove around the edge of the seat. This is a rain gutter, since the original seats were used outdoors.

Put the Seat Together

1. Drill tapered holes in the seat for the legs, which will extend through to the top of the seat. Position the legs in place and align them. Cut stretcher bars to fit between the legs. Unlike most chairs, these bars push the legs away from each other, they don't pull them toward one another. Add an extra 1/4-inch to the measurement to compensate for the stretch. The legs are glued and wedged in place to the seat.

2. Drill tapered holes in the seat for the arm posts. These are glued and wedged to the seat from beneath.

3. Drill holes for each spindle, through the arm rail and on the back side of the seat, extending into the bow. These spindles are glued and wedged into place.

4. Trim off the excess wedge wood and spindles with a chisel. Even out the legs with a chisel, if necessary.

5. Sand the entire chair, then paint with a milk paint formula. Finish with polyurethane.

References

• Windsor Chair Resources: Windsor Chairmaking Process
• Amelianow: Sitting Pretty: The Timeless Beauty of the Windsor Chair
• Jeff Trapp Windsors: Specializing in Windsor Chairs