The Windsor Chronicles Blog

How many times have you said “I’d love to take a chair class, but that date just doesn’t work for me?” Then, this one’s for you. I’m adding something to our annual schedule of  Windsor chairmaking classes that will accommodate you. Now, you can take a  one-on-one class with me  at your convenience.  

            One-on-one has some attractive advantages. With only one person, we can usually make a chair in less time. You can also divide the class into segments. You can make as much of a chair as you have time for. When you can again spare the time you can return and pick right up where you left off.

            In the past, everyone had to take sack back as the first class.  That is because during this class we teach chairmaking.  One-on-one I can teach you the fundamentals while making any chair you choose. In fact, you don’t have to make a chair.  You can choose the subject – for example, finishing with milk paint, sharpening, you name it. We just need to work out the details in advance.

            The fee for one-on-one classes is $500 a day. You can choose to bring someone else.  In that case, the fee is $750.  Bringing someone else is your option. Otherwise, it will be just you and me. I will not have anyone else during your time.  

            It has been a while since I posted anything.  It was not because I didn’t have any news. It was because I didn’t have any time. As soon as the school year ended I had two photo shoots for up coming articles in Popular Woodworking. Two horrible storms followed the photo shoot. You have probably seen news stories about the ice storm that knocked out power throughout northern New England.  We were without electricity for two days.  We huddled around the fireplace and burned a lot of the oak left over from our bending logs. I heated water for coffee on our steam box burners and we listened to the radio. We got off easy. I read this morning that a home here in New Hampshire just got power restored after 17 days.

            The ice storm was followed by 16 inches of snow.  My son and I spent two days shoveling out the house and The Institute.  The holidays followed close on the heels of the photo shoot. Then came a warm stretch.  We set a record temperature in the mid 60s.  Most of the snow has since melted. However, another 12 inches is falling as I write.

            The storms and the long Christmas weekend brought work on the house to a stand still. The siders and plumbers are there today. The rough wiring ended yesterday. I guess we won’t be done in time for Christmas (unless it’s 2009.)

            The other news on the personal front is that I have started the middle grade third novel in my series. I’m writing Chapter 4.  I’ve been outlining the fourth book.

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            We raised five new knights during the November 17 NYC bow back side chair class: Sirs Travis Butler, John Bocksnick, Stig Brandvik, Dan Janke, and Brent Blackwell. It was the largest group to enter the Royal Orders in some time.

            The event was even more noteworthy in that we inducted another First Knight.  Sir Stig Brandvik is now the First Knight of Norway.  The first chairmaker from another country inducted into the Orders becomes that country’s First Knight.   All and any other chairmakers from that nation serve under the leadership of the First Knight, unless someone ascends to a higher rank.  We also have First Knights from Canada and

            We had a bit of fun with Sir Stig.  I placed the plastic knight’s helmet on his head and then asked the assembled multitude if they thought it looked proper? Being in on the joke, everyone agreed it was not fitting. I reached into the box next to me and pulled out a Viking’s helmet.  I put that on Stig’s head instead.

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            Sir George Wright became Lord George during the December 1 Balloon back class. Lord George told us a fun story.  His lady friend raises quarter horses. A while ago, one of her mares went into labor.  The colt was turned the wrong way and could not make it out.  George’s friend called the vet, but he did not have the muscle to pull the colt out.  The job fell to Sir George.

            The colt was born live, but badly stressed.  The vet managed to bring him around. George’s friend named the colt after his rescuer; Sir George. We all had a good laugh when we learned that Sir George (the colt) was gelded. Sir George (the knight) did not mention his situation one way or the other.

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            The December 1 class was the last class of the year.  We held the traditional ceremony The Burning of the Backboards. After dark the class went out to the incinerator behind the main building.  We started a fire, and as we read the 2008 class rosters we tossed in the boards one-by-one.  The name of everyone who has studied with us this year was read and the person remembered.

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            I received an interesting email from Sir John Schmidt. The message will make all you pros envious.  He started by responding to my posting about the Berea conference. “Your posting makes this chairmaker’s stomach turn to know I missed it!  I had a good reason though. Thanks to everything I learned at The Institute; and thanks to the message of persistence that you preach to pros, I was feverishly completing an order for 11 chairs while this conference was going on. The order had to be delivered by the customer’s deadline: Thanksgiving Day dinner. He wanted to show off his new chairs to his guests. The chairs were to be delivered to his home one mile from Norm Abrams’ residence in a

            “When I took the order in June of this year I was going to contact you to tell you about this exciting prospect. I was also excited as the order was a remote hit to my website. I thought I better wait to make sure it wasn’t a prank. When I calmed down (and after I received my down payment in the mail and the check didn’t bounce) I realized I had landed my first big fish. Not only that, but it was from a customer who lived in the heart of Windsor country.

            “The order consisted of 8 NYC side chairs, 2- C arms and a three-person Boston settee. Your 20″ extension worked out perfectly. I completed all the chairs myself without any help, but I was exhausted when it was over. All of this was going on while you were drinking scotch in Berea.  My biggest problem was not starting the project early enough; I had been backed up with other furniture orders. But the good news is that by the time my 8th NYC side chair was completed, muscle memory was in full force and I completed it in a record time of 12 hours (leg turnings, seat blank and bows had been bent). My only problem with an order like this is now my wife Jennifer wants a new settee for our house.

            “Mike, you know that there are two so called chairmaking schools here Ohio, one right here in the Columbus metro area. They are a joke. Their techniques and styles are much different and hybridized. Needless to say I will be attending The Institute next year. The next class I need is the Writing Arm December 7. My 90 year old mother moved in with Jennifer and me early this year and the adjustment made it difficult to attend a class this year. Hopefully, my recent order contributed to The Institute’s stated purpose: ‘for  handmade Windsor Chairs to take over the World.’”

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            Sir Joel Jackson sent us this email as a follow up on the Iraq War vet turned woodworker.  “Hi, Mike. The box with the tools you donated for Nathaniel arrived today. I had to keep slapping my face to remind myself that these were for someone else. It felt kind of like Christmas. You were very generous, and I wanted to thank you for that. I know Nate will love them, use them, and let you know how much he appreciates them.

            “I also heard from Sir Mike Lynch. I will now email him and fill him in on the tools that remain on Nate’s list. I have also included his trimmed-down wish list. If you would care to put it up in the shop, and maybe students in the upcoming classes can find something they have that would fill a need. If so, and they would like to send the tool to me, I will then forward it to Nate with their name, etc.”

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            We stay in touch with Sir Ron Tatman, who is now in Iraq. Here is an update on him. I have strung together several consecutive emails. By the way, for those of you who have never eaten at Widow Fletchers, a Windsor Chair is the name of their martini. “I just landed in

            “Fortunately I got to spend several days with the family before departing. In four short days I flew home; went to the Easton waterfowl festival; went to my 30th reunion;  helped Kaila finish carving a Swan that she had been working on; and prepared  a Franklin desk for finishing. There even was some time to mix and drink some Windsor Chairs before a long dry spell. When I email next time I will be in Kuwait.

            “I’m in Kuwait. It’s good to read your blog. If I was not deployed I would have been one of the lucky ones in attendance at

            “The problem with emailing pictures is that the internet provider screens for porn, which slows and degrades legitimate transmission. This camp is on the grounds of Saddam’s kingdom. The palace and grounds are beautifully landscaped with manmade lakes. There many planted palm and locust trees. The lakes and drainage ditches are lined with marsh grass. Ducks, loons, and other shore birds are plentiful. There are fish in the lakes. The palace and other buildings are finished in marble imported from Italy along with fine woodwork in the many large doors. Much of the wood work is carved. The electrical and plumbing are the only short comings.

            “There is still some evidence of the bombing that took place during Shock and Awe. It does feel odd working in another man’s palace. We have never invaded and conquered in this way. We now have taken over and destroyed a city that was far more beautifulthan say Baltimore. I don’t think that

            “The challenge will be to contain or destroy tyrants like Saddam without the expensive process of nation building.  Jill will send a thumb drive with more pictures. The pictures may portray a different image than what was imagined. I know that seeing this is much different than looking at the images on CNN.

            “I hope to come home for 2 weeks R&R in March. If I find out that we are coming home in time I will sign up for the rocker class in September. Hope all is well and stays well in 2009.”

            Ron has sent me lots of pictures. I have gotten to see things they won’t show you on the news. Ron took pictures of the furniture Saddam’s palace. I liked the plush, upholstered settee Yassar Arafat gave him. It’s not really big enough for two people.  I just concluded the guy had a fat a**.  He certainly had a fat head.

            Ron’s wife Jill keeps us updated, as well.  Her emails are fun, as she gives us details Ron doesn’t include.  “Just an update on Ron. He is now in Kuwait on his way to Iraq.  He spent almost 24 hours in Bangor Maine. Something was wrong with the plane’s radar. Since it was chartered, they had to get a whole new plane. Had a two hour layover in Germany and then, on to

            “He wants me to watch the blog for anything new. He doesn’t have access to his laptop right now and he can’t keep up with your site. His other favorite site is the Mt. Washington weather observatory.  He always likes to see what the temperature is and how fast the wind is blowing.”

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            I got some sad news.  Mike Sherman, who took two classes here died. Those of you who were in those classes probably remember him.  He was very friendly, and we enjoyed his company. His wife Gloria emailed us this notice:  “As you know, Mike was clear of cancer for 3 1/2 years; years that enabled him to develop new skills in Stephen

* * * *              Sir Lyndon Gallagher, First Knight of Canada sent us this note. By the way, the newspaper article he mentioned was published and he sent us a copy.  It was a nice write-up. “Hi Mike and Sue. Thanks for showing me how to make Windsor chairs and bringing a new hobby into my life….one I am very passionate about. Because of you, I decided to make a kids chair to be auctioned off at the annual Fireman’s Auction. My chair was auctioned off for $700 DOLLARS   …..WOW !!!!               “Because of you, many needy families will have a better Christmas this year. You touch people in other countries without realizing it. I told them that if my chair got enough money, I would make them another one for next year’s auction…I CAN HARDLY WAIT!! I think they are going to do a write up about me in one of the local papers…..I’ll let you know.

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      Sir Jim Droesch dropped me this note and observation of brad point bits. To answer his question, we use the standard length. Sir Jim and his friend Sir Peter Nisen are both returning for the settee class November 2. The have attended every class together and were knighted at the same time.  “Hi Mike et al; I’m getting ready to order some new drill bits. For the 3/8 & 7/16 inch bits do you use the extra long 9″ bits or the standard lengths? BTW, tell anyone who asks not to waste their money buying any drill bits other than the Colt brand from Woodcraft. The German bits are vastly superior from the get-go. 

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              Sir Mark Ferraro lives in California, but had an experience with our recent ice storm. Kristen is Sir Mark’s daughter.  While I did not attend Woodstock, my wife Susanna did. I was invited to go by a rather cute girl who worked with me on the college newspaper. I stayed home because my boss offered me overtime work. “Hope the recent ice storm and adverse weather hasn’t been too much of a hardship for you and your family.  With any luck, you were out of town, on a well deserved vacation to someplace warm.  Kristen’s university, Franklin Pierce in Rindge, got walloped.  Lost all power with no hope of regaining enough power to resume classes, so the administration cancelled the finals and sent everyone home.  As an employee, Kristen had to stay and wait out the blackout with no heat, no running water and no hot food for almost three days.  They got enough power back on by Tuesday that the staff could return to shut down the place for the winter break.  So instead of getting to get back to California by Wednesday, she has to wait until Saturday of this week to get a flight out of Boston. 

               “I really enjoyed your post about Berea.  It sounded like a lot of fun.  Wish I could have attended.  As I was just a pre-teen at the time of Woodstock, I guess another generational movement passed me by.  By the way, my favorite quote about Woodstock goes something like this:  ‘If you remember being at Woodstock, you really weren’t there.’  I saw some of the video on the web of Roy Underhill’s hilarious story about the Williamsburg axes and their use to dig the wells, rather than chopping down the trees.  You two should have an act and take it on the road.” 

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            If you didn’t make it to the Woodworking in America Conference in Berea, KY two weeks ago, too bad.  I did.  For the rest of my life, I’ll be able to say I went.  You won’t.  This conference is like Woodstock was for the 60’s generation; either you went, or you didn’t. If you didn’t, you missed out on a defining moment. The same with this conference. If you missed out then, you really missed out.

            I have been speaking at conferences since the State of the Art West conference in 1980. I have been at just about all of woodworking’s defining moments.  This was the best. The conference had a magic, an electricity that will never be duplicated.  It was such a success Popular Woodworking will likely hold more similar conferences. In doing so, they will iron out the wrinkles.  They will make the next conference even bigger and smoother.  However, they will never recreate the magic that happens when a lot of talented people are flying by the seats of their pants.  As good as future shows will be everyone at Berea this year will always talk about how it was at the first show. Because you weren’t there, you’ll feel left out. 

           The conference lasted two and a half days.  It was a series of seminars led by names you know; people whose articles and books you read. That happens at every conference. This time, it was not who was there.  It was what was not there. You could walk around this conference and never hear a router screaming or a table saw whining. You could hear every word the speakers said, because they were working exclusively with hand tools. You saw everything the speaker did, because it was projected on a huge over head screen.  I felt like a rock star.

            With this conference, hand tools finally stopped being woodworking’s ugly step child. Hand stool skills walked out onto the stage as Cinderella. Speakers showed the attendees how to make these tools sing; how to get the very best finished surface on their woodworking; how to cut joints by hand as fast as with a machine. Above all, hundreds of woodworkers who have never used hand tools because they lacked sharpening skills are now slicing wood effortlessly and cleanly.

            My stint began at 9:45 on Saturday morning with “Using the Drawknife and Spoke Shave.” Whenever I have spoken at other shows I would watch a parade of guys walk into an auditorium to see a router being used. Meanwhile, I would be stuck in a small room talking to a handful of guys clustered around me.  This time, I had the packed house.  Guys left there knowing how to rough wood to shape and get a finished surface with two of woodworking’s least understood tools.

            The next presentation was great fun. After lunch, Clarence Blanchard of Fine Tool Journal and I spoke together.  This session was hands on.  Everyone brought a used tool for us to look at.  Clarence evaluated the tool.  He told the owner what it was, who made it, when it was made, its relative worth, etc.  I took the tool and explained what I would do to put it back in service.  I had brought a lapping plate, so I was able to touch the tools up; show how to flatten a sole, etc.

            My last gig of the day was with Adam Cherubini and Deneb Puchalski of Lie-Neilsen Tools.  I have always wanted to meet Adam. I am a great fan of his. I think the guy’s column “Arts and Mysteries” in Pop Wood is a hoot.  When an issue arrives I turn right to Adam’s article.  I don’t even bother to look for my own.  

          Adam is very, very tall. I never realized that from looking at pictures of him. Saturday morning I walked around a corner in the dealer area and found myself at his booth. He recognized me and greeted me.  I found myself looking upward getting a crick in my neck.  When you meet someone, you maintain eye contact.  It is rude to size them up from head to foot.  From my lower peripheral vision, I could see Adam was standing on something and figured it had to be a platform. When I could politely look down I discovered that that something was no more than a rubber mat.  Adam really is that tall.

            Adam, Deneb, and I did a hands-on plane clinic at the end of the first day. Everyone had brought at least one plane.  We each did a brief presentation.  Then, we walked around from bench to bench coaching the guys as they planed a short board.  I think each person learned more in the 10 minutes we spent with him or her, than in a two hour presentation. The time flew by for me.  It was a great way to wrap up the day, helping and chatting with a group of fellow woodworkers.

            That evening, Pop Wood held a social hour for us with wine and snacks. I had a cold so; I went back the motel early.  I could have partied.  There was enough of that available later in the evening.

            My Saturday morning presentation was fun.  I showed a packed room how to sharpen using sandpaper. One guy had a new plane blade he had bought at Lowe’s (not best quality.) I sharpened it and crested its cutting edge. I popped it into my Stanley #5 and it cut beautiful shavings. Another guy had a $12 yard sale drawknife.  I tried to cut wood with it as found. It crushed and scratched the wood. I went at it with 80 grit. In the time available I couldn’t get rid of all the nicks and pits in the edge. Still, after working it through a series of finer grits I got it so it cut wood so cleanly the surface gleamed like wax.  The audience gave an audible gasp when the camera came in tight to show the surface.  

            The highlight of my weekend was cutting mortise and tenons with Frank Klaus and Roy Underhill. I have known these guys for years. They are a riot. Roy had brought a mini-cam and a small pane of Plexiglas.  He clamped it to piece of douglas fir so the audience could watch Frank chop a mortise with a mortise chisel.  Think of an ant farm and you get the idea.  It was a great show.  Next, I made a mortise with an auger.  Ever the jokester, Roy gave me a two inch block of maple with a large knot. He also gave me a 7/8 inch auger and a brace with only a four inch throw.  The audience howled as I struggled to turn the wide bit with the short brace into the very hard wood. The end of the mortise was open for the camera and  Roy got some great footage to show the audience on the large screen.

            Our presentation was more than two hours of nonstop jokes and quips. The audience loved it so much Roy, Frank, and I decided that we would form a woodworking comedy act.  Roy is the youngest, so we named our act Underhill & Over the Hill.

            My last presentation on Saturday was to make a Windsor chair seat. It was the easiest thing I did all weekend.

            The show provided the attendees with a barbeque dinner that started right after my last presentation.  Roy Underhill was the featured speaker.  I don’t know how to describe his speech.  It was a manic comedy routine.  It was rapid fire, with Roy changing characters and voices on a dime. The room was in stitches, but if you laughed too long you missed the next change in character and got lost. I can only hope someone has it on tape and makes it available to the public.

            Talking with other presenters and the attendees, I found unanimity.  The creative energy in woodworking has shifted to Pop Wood.  They are taking over. The competition is stuck with its old predictable formula. The result is a tired, worn out, elitist publication that is out of touch with its readership. Pop Wood is fresh, alive, and exciting.  It is the magazine to read. It is also the magazine to write for, and that is why you find all the best and biggest names there.

            I hung around on Sunday morning and visited with people. I didn’t have any more presentations and it was nice to relax. I rode back up to Lexington in the early afternoon with my editor and some other folks from the show. While I was waiting at the airport lounge, in walked Ellis Wallentine and Don Schroeder.  They had both been at the show with me.  Ellis is my old editor from the black and white American Woodworker days.  Don worked for AW and now is the advertising director for Pop Wood. We knocked back and few scotches and caught up on our lives since AW.   By the time the plane left I was feeling fine. It was a great way to end a great experience.  I will always be able to say was there. You weren’t. Eat your heart out.

To receive my eNewsletter of periodic updates, tips, tool reviews, and new sources, that are outside the scope of this blog, join our mailing list by emailing me at mike@thewindsorinstitute.com Help us spread the word about this blog. Tell others.

            The November 3 Writing arm chair class is in session this week.  As occasionally happens, this class is real heavy on members of the Royal Orders.  In fact, it is the first class we have had in a long time when we did not have a Raising. That means that everyone in the class has been here previously, and has already been Raised to Master Chairmaker.  It’s too bad, as those are fun ceremonies.

            Still the week will have some great moments. Dick Cowan and his son Rich became the 144^th and 145^th Knights of Windsor.  Sirs Dick and Rich are only the third father and son in the Orders.  They are second father and son to be knighted together.

            There were nine knights and a duke in their honor cordon. That means the Assembled Multitude was made up the remaining six students and Sir Lyndon Gallagher’s wife Patsy. With all the knights gathered by the band saw in their royal regalia, the rest of the shop floor was pretty sparse.  This caused one wag to observe that ever since Obama was elected its gotten harder to find peasants.

            After his father’s Long Kiss, Sir Rich puckered up to plant his lips on the enormous red bauble I wear on my left hand. Sir Jim Tenpenny decided the ring should be washed. In the middle of Sir Rich’s Long Kiss Sir Jim poured water on the ring. When he returned, a dismayed Sir Rick saw he had a bottle of Hot Stuff in his hand.

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            I like when guys bring me gifts. Dick gave me an autographed copy of his book Wildfowler Decoys.  Dick is currently working on a second book about Long Island cork decoys.  He has also been writing a lot for Decoy Magazine. 

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            While this is not a gift, it sure is interesting.  Sir Dan Santos brought with him an original Nantucket fan back he purchased at auction. Sir Dan was commissioned by Winterthur to make an exact copy of a Charles Chase Nantucket fan back in their collection. Sir Dan went down Delaware to photograph and measure the original.  He also brought his first prototype for us to see

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 I received the following email from Roger Brooks. He was commenting on the post about Sir Ron Tatman going to Iraq.      “What a kick it was to read on your Blog that there is a wood shop now at Camp Liberty, Iraq. Nothing like that when I was over there (as a contractor). Reading the blog reminded me of my feeble woodworking attempts at Camp

            “We nailed the box to a tree next to our row of tents. We distributed the power to AC units we bought from local Iraqi friends to cool our tents.  It’s no fun trying to sleep in 90+ degree heat all night long. The only cooling you can get is by rolling over every fifteen minutes to let evaporation cool the sweat laden side of your body - a discomfort we learned to live with during our first two months in Iraq.

            “As far as tools for woodworking, all we had was a circular saw, handsaw, and a drill. We scrounged or bartered several sheets of plywood and some screen material. These ended up as functional (if not craftsman quality), winter and summer doors for our tents.

            “Winter does bring rain showers, nasty mud, and a few cold nights to ‘ol Baghdad. At least one night it got down to the freezing mark. The solid doors were cut out of the middles of single sheets of plywood. The middles then reattached with hinges (also scrounged) to the frames left by the cutout. This eliminated zipping and unzipping flaps all the time, and did a good job keeping the varmints out (our tents had no integral floors of their own). We made the tent floors out of big aluminum pallets normally used to load equipment onto transport aircraft like the C-130. We do owe the U.S. Air force a debt of gratitude for allowing us to, um, borrow them. They made excellent flat, stable flooring for our digs.” 

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Sir Mike Lynch recently emailed me.  Although he didn’t say so, I now know why he didn’t make it to a class last year.

“Hi Mike,

            “I used the web site to reserve a spot in next year’s November settee class. As I told you a while ago, my wife Juliana and I were expecting a new baby. Well, Evan Michael was born last March 19th. So, we have Mark age 6, Sarah age 3, and Evan. Things around here are pretty exciting.

            “Unfortunately, now I have to live to be 100 years old to see the kids through college. I draw inspiration from people like Sam Maloof, who is still making chairs at 89. Jules and my doctor are making sure I take better care of myself in the second half of life.”

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Commenting on our October 15 eNewsletter Sir Joel Jackson sent me this report.

            “How ironic that you would send a picture of the “cats in a chair.”  I just recently delivered a special order chair to a woman in Midland, Texas. She wanted the seat to be 4 inches deeper than a standard chair. I moved the front legs of a sack back up 2 inches to allow for some of the added cantilever. The reason for the added depth…she wanted her cat to be able to sit behind her while she worked at her computer.

            “I promised to report on the show I did in Houston. It was a tremendous success! I have never seen more people at a show. A constant stream of customers walked by and into my booth. I add Arts and Crafts pieces to my Windsors. I had made a Greene and Greene hall bench in cherry, as well as a couple of Stickley and Limbert tables.  I ended up selling my large tavern table, and hunt board with hutch, two of the G&G benches and a Stickley table. Orders are coming for several more pieces.    

Oddly, I didn’t sell any chairs, but I did get some future potential orders for those, as well. Overall, it was the second most successful show I have done in the 5 years I have been making furniture. Prior to the show the organizers had suggested this might happen.  They said  Houston was ready to get out and enjoy a day of art. We did have a pretty tough month (Hurricane Ike and the credit crunch).

            “The weather was perfect, so out the buyers came. I ran out of business cards mid-afternoon on Sunday (the second day). I had printed an extra 150 (making 500, total). Needless to say we were stunned. My wife was especially pleased since we did not have to load the large table, hunt board/hutch and bench back into the trailer. It just shows that there is still money out there, you just have to be in front of them at the right time.”

            Sir Joel added the following to his report.  Perhaps some readers will be generous and help out with a disabled vet. I have already sent Joel some tools.

            “I have been a member of the Old Tools list for a long time. Over the past few months I have gotten to know a young man who served in Iraq and was seriously injured. His name is Nathaniel Meadows. He was introduced to the List by the owner of Adria saws, who also checked out his legitimacy.

            “Nathaniel was a medic and actually did some of his training here in San Antonio. After his injuries, and his return to the States, he suffered from severe depression. At one point he was suicidal. He remembered many pleasant times in his youth when his grandfather would include him in his woodworking projects. Those memories helped pull him out of his depression.

            “However, Nathaniel has few tools. In talking with him, he cherishes the used tools, and imagines the hands that have used them in the past. The list and I got together and sent him a good number of tools. Because he sounds like a great young man I have continued my communications with him. I prodded him into sending me a “wish list” of tools he doesn’t have, yet. As you can now guess, the list included chairmaking tools.

            “Nathaniel would greatly appreciate any tools any of your reader might want to send him. This kid is SO patriotic and humble.  He doesn’t understand that we owe him so much. He thinks it’s the other way around.”

            If you want to send Nathaniel tools, contact me and I will give you Joel’s address.

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            Pat Hamilton sent me some sample wooden medallions he had made.  These  may interest you.  Pat recently acquired a laser engraving and a laser cutting machines. He used them to engrave and cut out the medallions.  On mine, he engraved a Windsor chair with my name.  He also made one for Fred Chellis.

            Pat’s idea is to offer woodworkers customized inserts for their furniture. The idea is to replace branding your work.  Instead, you drill a shallow insert with a 2 ½ inch forstner bit and glue in the medallion.  I think it would look nice.

            I suggested to Pat that by adjusting the diameters he could offer customized drink coasters and poker chips. If you want to contact Pat use his web site www.themakersmark.com

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To receive my eNewsletter of periodic updates, tips, tool reviews, and new sources, that are outside the scope of this blog, join our mailing list by emailing me at mike@thewindsorinstitute.com Help us spread the word about this blog. Tell others.

            My life is undergoing a major change. In fact, it may never again be the same.  To see the change happening, all I have to do is look out the window. I see a large excavator and lots of logging equipment.

            Sue and I are putting on an addition that will double the size of our house.  We need the space, as our family is growing. Many of you who have studied here have met our friend Jim. If not, you have heard me speak about him. Jim has MS and lives in an assisted living facility. He is confined to a wheel chair and has limited use of his arms. 

            We have decided Jim will have a much higher quality of life living with us.  Jim is very intelligent and alert. It’s his body that gave out, not his mind.  However, most of the people in the facility with him have dementia. As a result, he does not have too many stimulating conversations. Living with us, he will be part of our very active lives.  Jim has known our son Michael since he was born and has always been Uncle Jim. They are fast friends. This means Jim will also share in the very active life of a sixteen year-old boy.

            The work started a week ago Monday. The loggers began removing the forest that surrounds our house. The goal is to let in more light, especially in the winter. We are opening the yard on the left a couple of hundred feet to a stone wall.  We are opening it the same distance on the right to reveal the stream. We are also removing woods behind the house so we can see the marsh.  The result is that we will be living in a meadow, rather than in the forest.

            The excavator worked on the hole for the foundation for less than an hour before he dug up an old stump. The next scoop brought up another. He had found the stump dump dug by the excavator who had stumped the site when we were building the house. The stump dump was a long, deep trench. As luck would have it, the trench ran in the exact path of the new driveway.  

            The ground above the stump dump was soft and could not be successfully paved. The excavator had to dig up the whole dump.  Then, he trucked in ledge from a blasting site to fill the trench.  This had to be compacted with a roller to give us a solid bed for the drive. Meanwhile, a huge truck came in and took out load after load of smelly stumps that had been under our lawn for 11 years. So, the first day started out with a nasty surprise and an unexpected cost overrun.

            For two weeks, our beautiful ginger bread cottage in the woods looked like it was in a war zone. We would have made a perfect set for a Hollywood director filming a war movie. I described it to Fred and Don as looking like newsreel footage of Seabees carving a landing strip out of the jungle. On Wednesday Susanna looked out the front door and had a meltdown. She recovered and has accepted that we will be living in a mess until next spring.

            Meanwhile, I have a very large pile of 100 year old white pine saw logs in my yard.  I like to walk around them and count the chair seats.  I’ll never get to use the wood.  The logger clears for free in exchange for the timber. If any of it ever comes back here it will first go to Quebec and then be trucked back to my lumber dealer. If that happens, I won’t recognize it.

            Planning the addition, meeting with builders and bankers has taken lot of my time lately. The builder has now taken over, but I know I am not off the hook. Susanna will make all the decisions, but she always wants me there to translate. She doesn’t understand builder talk, and builders don’t understand her.

* * * *

            This morning was just another boring day at The Windsor Institute. Before you read on, I have to warn you that this entry is X rated, or at least a strong R. I pulled into the parking lot at 8:30 and found myself looking at a horse nibbling on a bush on the side the main building. Second glance, I realized it was a moose. It was not at all bothered by me sitting in the car staring at it.  Angus, our white boxer sat in the passenger seat and quietly watched along with me.

            Meanwhile, the class had seen the visitor and several of the guys came out to take pictures. I called Susanna to tell her what was looking me in the eye.

            After about 15 minutes, the moose casually walked straight at my car. He passed right beside my door. Then, he stopped.  He was not paying attention to me.  Instead, he  seemed interested in Lord Mike Speck’s bright red pick up truck. The moose rubbed its chin on the tonneau cover. I wondered if was lapping the dew that had collected.

            Nope. The moose began to rub up against the tail gate.  He lifted one leg like he was trying to get into the truck.  That didn’t work. So he walked along side the truck, rubbing up against it.  The hood seemed more to his liking.  He got up on two legs and tried to do to the truck what moose do to make baby moose. The part of his anatomy used in that act was very evident. The moose had fallen in love with Lord Mike’s truck.

            If you would like to read the story in our local newspaper go to http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20081008-NEWS-81008014.  The picture is graphic.  Do not show it to children under 18.

            * * * *

            I received an email from Jill Tatman, wife of Lord Ron Tatman. Lots of people who have studied here know Lord Ron and will want to learn the news. “Dear Mike, Susanna, and the Windsor Institute:  Just wanted to keep you informed Ron deployed out on Saturday. He is in Fort Bliss for the next 40 days, and then on to

            He has found out that there is a wood shop at Camp Liberty where he will be stationed. He is hoping that he could find some of the native woods there. Who knows? He may come home with a chair made of olive wood. Please keep him in your prayers and send him an e-mail from time to time. You can use this same address. He will be keeping up with The Institute on the web.

            He went very high tech. We got him a new lap top, Blackberry, Ipod, and a digital camera. Kaila set it up for him and wrote him two pages of instructions. Let’s see if he can follow them. He hasn’t  yet mastered the Blackberry.

            The girls and I may come up to New Hampshire this coming summer so Kaila can go surfing.  It’s not like we don’t have an ocean, but she says it’s better in

Will keep in touch.  Jill”

* * * *

            The Immortal Sir Ken Hall emailed me.  “The news in the blog about Ralph and Caron Quick and their adventures in the movie making business was very interesting.  I performed a Google search this evening and found:

http://www.bigmoviezone.com/filmsearch/movies/index.html?uniq=361

            “It contains info on the movie.”  His Grace Ralph and his wife Caron had cameos in a new movie “We the People.”

            * * * *

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            The September 22 c-arm class is in session this week.  I have written before that I think this is the greatest of the Windsor styles.  For me, it is a shibboleth.  When sizing up another chairmaker, I look at his c-arm. If he doesn’t get this chair right, I dismiss his work.  It’s not a chair you can get right on your own.  You have to be taught the chair. That of course assumes that your teacher gets it right.  The other option is to do what I did.  I learned from an antique chair I bought the first year I was making chairs. That was 1971. Anyone who has studied here knows the chair.  It is in a place of honor in the showroom.

            The problem with learning this way is you have to discover most of the fine points. They don’t stand up and announce themselves.  In fact, if they did the chair would be a bad chair.  The details are supposed to be subtle.  I eventually mined the antique chair for all its fine points.  I owned it at least a decade before I discovered the last one.  That detail is the reflection of the back in the spindles. We teach how to proportion the spindles to create this. Without having someone point this out to you, you will make a lot of half baked c-arms before you discover it yourself.   

* * * *

            We added a member to the Royal Orders this week.  Sir Ken Neiswender became the 143rd Knight of Windsor.  Ken is the head of a chairmaking family.  Both his son Mike and his daughter Lizzie have taken classes here with him.  At one point, Lizzie held the record for the youngest girl to take a class. She was 14 at the time. The record was eventually broken and now stands at 12 years old.

            * * * *

            I corresponded through email this past week with a woman who is a direct descendant of  New York City chairmaker Abraham D. Montanye. The Institute owns two original newspaper advertisements placed by Montanye.  I wrote about them in this blog. One of the advertisements was really unique.  You can find it in the archives. The woman stumbled on the blog while researching her great-great grandfather. I sent her copies of the ads for her records.

            That experience got me thinking that most of the old chairmakers must have descendants kicking around. I was surprised that I could not remember meeting any others.  Duhh…. Sir Fred Chellis is a great-great-great grandson of Freeman Samuel Chellis. Freeman made chairs in Newport, NH and Fred still owns some of his work.

            My great-grand father Richard Dunbar emigrated from County Tyrone and settled in Hubbardston, MA. My family tradition is that he worked in a chair factory in Gardner, an adjacent town.  I wrote about  Gardner in my September email newsletter. It is known as  “Chair City.”  The tradition says that Richard brought home unfinished chairs from work and that my grandfather Richard and my great uncle John had to cane a chair every day after school. Their labor was used to help support the family.

            * * * *

            I heard from Milt Scott in Texas. Milt had just been at The Institute. He and his wife Sharon had spent a week with friends up on the coast of  Maine.  They dropped by on the way back to the airport. That day, we had just received a truck load of red oak logs. Fred, Don, Kevin and I had gathered for a Splitting Party.  Milt got to see old Bessy tear logs apart in seconds.  Old Bessy is what I call Kevin’s tractor with the four foot splitter on it. He agreed this is the only sane way for aging chairmakers to split logs.

            Anyway, Milt and Sharon arrived home to Texas just in time for Hurricane Ike.  He wrote, “Just a note to all that we made through Ike ok.  We had a lot of tree damage but no damage to the houses or us.  Days without power, but that is back on now.  Many friends still without power.  We were about 40 miles west of the eye and still had hurricane force winds. We are 100+ miles inland.  Please pray for the people in Galveston and the Houston area. It will be a long road to recovery.”

* * * *

            I had a pleasant conversation with Roy Underhill this week.  Roy, Frank Klaus, and I will be talking about cutting mortise and tenon joints by hand this November in  Berea, KY. The event is the conference being sponsored by “Popular Woodworking.” Lots of my old cronies will be there.  It will be like a reunion.  I was distressed to hear that Berea is in a dry county. However, Roy assures me we won’t be tee totaling. It seems “the pure” is readily available.

            If you have never met Roy you may not know that he is a very  funny guy. He shot a television show here several years ago.  Television is boring.  In between takes, you do a lot of standing and waiting.  Roy amused us with his improvisations.  He would suddenly become a British colonel in India or some other bizarre character.  He reminds me of Robin Williams and Jonathan Winters.  I think being in front of a group of woodworkers with him will be a real hoot.

            I understand there is only way to get into that conference.  That is to buy tickets from a scalper. The other magazines must be gnashing their teeth. All their other conferences were a bust. Who would have thought a conference on using hand tools would sell out?  Who would have thought a conference on using hand tools would sell out in times as tough as these!!? Maybe the other magazines will get the message. We can learn about machines anywhere. Woodworkers want to learn what we do not know, not rehash old information. That is why they read “Popular Woodworking.”

            * * * *

            Sir Jim Stevens demonstrated Windsor chairmaking in 18^th century costume at Chadds Ford Days in the

* * * *

            Last year, I told you about some authors who had interviewed me for the books they were writing.  One of them was published last week.  The title is  IMMERSION TRAVEL USA: THE BEST AND MOST MEANINGFUL VOLUNTEERING, LIVING AND LEARNING EXCURSIONS  by Sheryl Kayne.  She says that the book is “for every age and stage of life, with over 200 opportunities in the USA to not just visit but really get involved.”  The Windsor Institute is one of those places and opportunities.  Pick up a copy. It’s only $13.57 on Amazon.

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 This the fifth and final part of a very long explanation and description of steam bending.  I could not run the complete text at once, and too much goes on around here to run it over consecutive weeks.  Therefore, I have posted it as I could.  If you are only starting to read my blog, you may want to search for Parts I- IV and start there.   Mike Dunbar. 

Second, when bending, it is common for students pulling a part, towards themselves to actually twist the part forward. 

     We suggest students be conscious of this and counter it by purposefully twisting  the part away from themselves.  If in spite of these efforts a roll up begins, we can minimize it by allowing  the bend to ramp up the side of the block.  When it is cool we drive it back  flat against the back board.

       Once a part has been bent it has to dry before it can be used in a chair.  For single plane bends such as sack back and bow back side chair, we wait until the part is cool.  We then tie the bending with a string and remove it from the form.  The c-arm is bent in two planes and has to dry on its  form.  Crests are bent in a press and have to stay clamped in this device until dry. 

           At The Institute we dry bendings in the furnace room, which we use as a kiln. During the heating season the furnace keeps the temperature around  100 degrees. Because  humidity is very low in the winter, the warm  room will dry  bendings in several days.  In the summer   we maintain the same temperature with a heat lamp. We lower the summer humidity with a dehumidifier.

            At home, you can allow a part to dry on its own, if you have the time to wait.  In the winter you can speed it up by placing a bending on a heating duct, or above a radiator.  In the summer,  a part will dry in about a week if left in the sun.  When I  taught on the road, we would dry summer bendings  by   placing them in the backs of pick up trucks with black bed liners.

        If you want to dry your parts more quickly build a small kiln out of foam core board. In a pinch you can also use the kitchen oven.  Set it to its lowest possible temperature and crack the door to allow the moisture to escape. 

        Anyone who has ever read an article on steam bending  knows that it is necessary  to over bend to allow for spring back.  While everyone knows this,  it is flat wrong.  It seems to be one of those things that having made its way into print, just keeps getting repeated.   When wood is sufficiently dry it compresses further.  We can tell with a glance whether or not a bending is dry.  As it comes off the form, the string is taut.  Once the part is dry, the string droops.   Obviously, the part did not spring back, but moved  in exactly the opposite direction.  When it dries, a c-arm will compress so that the wedges that hold it on its form will loosen and fall away.   A fully-dried crest will fall out of its press.

           In fact, this extra compression presents problems for a chairmaker who  bends a long time before being  ready to put the part in the chair.   The compression set makes  the amount of curve too extreme for the chair.  We have had good luck correcting over compression by filling the sink with hot water and soaking  one side of the bend.   Once it has become wet, we can force the bend back open. We then repeat the process on the other side.   Once you have restored the part  to the desired shape, use it in a chair immediately.  Otherwise, it will compress  again as it dries.           As I pointed out earlier in the series, most of the problems people have  bending chair backs is caused by decay.  However, other things can go wrong  and  result in repeated breaks.  This is an example of a problem with the equipment.  During a class a couple of summers ago one of the other instructors called me out to the bending area.  On the ground were four or five  broken arm and bows.  Over a little less than half its length, each  part was a strange purple-brown color, and each had broken within  this discolored area. However, the other end of each part had bent well.  

        First, we  examined the broken parts then,  the steam box.  I discovered that instead of being level,  one end of the box was significantly lower than the other.  The landscapers had recently replenished the crushed stone in the bending area, and one end of the saw buck that supports the steam box had sunk into the fresh stone.   The Institute’s steam boxes have  vent holes on both ends.  These are drilled through the  lower surface, just before the end caps.  Since these vents are the  only escape, the steam flows evenly through the tube in both directions. This two-way flow  plasticizes the entire chair back uniformly.  

           Because the box was at an angle with one end lower than the other, the steam entering  the tube in the middle rose and exited only out the higher end.   None was flowing down through the lower end.  However, the jet of steam entering the middle of the tube and rising did heat the air in the lower part of the tube without wetting it.  This hot dry air not only failed to plasticize the wood, it began to  toast it.  That explained the discoloration we had observed.  The parts on the ground had all broken in the end that was lowest in the tube.

          As I described earlier, in order to  bend wood it  has to be both hot and wet.  This wood was only hot and wet on one end, and hot and dry on the other.  In fact, it was so dry and so hot,  it had begun to char.  We leveled the steam box and every part after that bent as it should.

         We quickly made replacements  for the students whose parts had broken, and these too, bent without trouble.  I saved one of the discolored parts and hung it on the shop wall.  I tell this story to each class and use it to illustrate my tale.

           During a writing arm class one year we also experienced a series of breaks.  I went out to the bending area to watch and help.  As I assisted a student bending his arm I commented that the wood seemed too cool.  Sure enough, it broke.  Polling the staff and students, I learned that all the breaks were coming from one box. Those from the other box were bending properly.  This ruled out bad wood.         As I studied the box, I  observed that very little steam was coming out the vent holes.  Ordinarily, plumes of water vapor blow down to the ground from each end of the tube.  Assuming the boiler was running dry, I  took it by its handle to shake it.  I expected it to be nearly empty and thus, light in weight.

           All I remember is a moment of surprise at how heavy the boiler was, because as I began to agitate the boiler a geyser of hot water and steam erupted from the filler spout.  Next, I was  running across the lawn  with the skin of my face stinging.   After lots of cold water and aloe I was sufficiently recovered to   look for the cause of the accident.  We use utility cans as our boilers. About six months earlier the old boiler on the problem steam  box had rusted through its bottom.  Unable to immediately find  a replacement boiler of the type we prefer, we had bought another brand. This brand of utility can  had a fine mesh screen at the base of the spout, which was intended to act as a filter.

        Over time,  the steel  screen began to rust  and the tiny holes became more and more constricted. Eventually, this constriction cut down the flow of steam up the spout,  creating back  pressure in the boiler.

            In the filler spout we have a wooden plug with a funnel though its center.  This allows us to maintain the water level in the  boiler without shutting down.  As the water begins to boil the wooden plug becomes  wet and tightens.    When I agitated the can  the plug let go.  The water and steam trapped in  the boiler by the constricted mesh filter  erupted out the filler spout.

          Fortunately,  my face was not directly over  the hole.  Most of the hot spray  passed by  with only some of it landing on my right cheek and neck.  For several days I looked like I had a very oddly shaped sunburn.  However, I  healed quickly.   

Like most accidents, this one could have been avoided if I had exercised plain old, common sense safety.   The lesson — always shut down a steam box before working on it. 

* * * *  

          I know the date is close, but I still have space in the September 22 c-arm class.  If you miss this one, you will have to wait until Aug. 2009. 

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            I took a break from writing this blog.  Things have been so quiet this summer I assumed everyone had gone fishing.  They didn’t seem to be thinking about chairmaking. 

              I enjoyed the break.  I did not waste my time off.  I am now about ¾ of the way through a sequel to the middle grade novel I wrote last winter.  I am working at getting the first book published.  If I succeed, I am pretty sure you will get to read the sequel, as well. I have enjoyed writing these books. It has been a long time since I had that much fun. If I can launch these two, I plan to write a series of continuing adventures based on the Comet Team.

    * * * * 

              We added a new duke to the Royal Orders during the August 4 sack back class.  His Grace Matt Coughlin became the 20^th Duke of Windsor. His Grace is is on the shop floor as I write.  He has returned this week to repeat the Philly high back, a chair he really likes.

              The sack back class did not need a lot of prompting to get in on the fun at His Grace’s duking. They quickly figured out the Long Kiss and drew it out as long as possible.  The event was digitally well recorded.  His Grace was very happy when I called for thumbs up or thumbs down.

  * * * *  

             We had a very unusual occurrence this summer. We had back to back inductions into the Chairmaker Hall of Fame.  Sir Ken Hall was inducted in July for his innovation Hall’s Mark. This technique makes it much easier to get a chair back on square.  Travis Butler was inducted in August for his innovation Bridge to Terabutlia. The Bridge makes it much easier to drill front leg holes. Both innovations apply to all chairs.  So, everyone taking a class now learns them both.

             The certificates commemorating these innovations have been mailed to the Hall’s Chairman of the Board of Trustees, His Grace Wayne Murray. His Grace will sign them and return them to The Institute. One copy will be given to the inductee.  The other will hang in the Hall of Fame where all chairmakers can admire it.

               By the way, Sir Ken joins His Grace Gordon Keller, Sir Croxton Gordon, and the late Sir Richard Nichols as the only Hall of Famers also in the Royal Orders. Travis is scheduled to be knighted in November.

             These two innovations are the first to result in inductions since last year.  In July 2007 His Grace Gordon Keller was inducted. Prior to that, the last induction was in 2004.  These long gaps illustrate how hard it is to be chosen for the Hall of Fame. There is a good reason why we call this august group the “Immortals.”

   * * * *  

                  The staff never ate so well as it did during the August 4 sack back class.  Normally, Fred, Don, and I bring either a sandwich or a frozen dinner to heat in the microwave oven.  Lunch is not an event for us.  Its purpose is to put fuel in the furnace.  For a week of August 4 we ate like kings because Pamela Dockery was a member of that class.

             Pamela is a chef and teaches cooking.  She took the sack back class to make a chair for herself.  However, she took advantage of the opportunity to try out a new group of recipes.  Pamela is working on a line of nutritious meals that can be made on the road with minimal cooking equipment. We were the guinea pigs.

          Every day, we were treated to gourmet meals. Pamela made lots of food, so there was plenty for us to have seconds. (OK, already.  So what if I even had thirds.) You can get an idea of how we ate by visiting her website pameladockeryfood.com.  You will get hungry just looking at the pictures.

  * * * *  

           I  recently received the below email from Sir Mark Ferraro describing the thinking behind his new email address.   “Since it will be impossible for me to even think of obtaining a vanity license plate that incorporates Windsor, chair maker and so forth, I thought I would seize the opportunity to claim my space in the digital world.  I am the sole owner of the email address notashakermaker@gmail.com  

           I have received many comments on the address, not least of which are the many attempts by correspondents to guess what the heck the address means.  There is still a great need to inform the general public about “A duck walks into a chair shop….” and the other virtues of Windsor chairmaking. 

            Kristen (Mark’s daughter) did find a job in New Hampshire.  She is the new Deputy Assistant Associate Undersecretary for Student Experience, reporting to the Director of Student Life at FranklinPierce University at the residential campus in Rindge.  I now have another reason to visit New Hampshire on a regular basis.” 

 * * * *  

            Here is an interesting fact out of  Windsor chairmaking history. When chairmaking was young and chairmakers were still perfecting their skills, they had a lot of trouble with their bendings.  It was very common for their bows to delaminate.  Chairmakers would have to glue these delams back down so they could use the bow. 

            In those days the only glue available was hide glue.  When Windsor chairs chairs were used outside where they were frequently rained on, the water soluble hide glue would fail and the  delams would give way.

             In those days politeness was a universal virtue.  People were very careful to never criticize or embarrass anyone else.  When a Windsor bow would delaminate, everyone would ignore and pretend not to notice the problem.  This time in chairmaking history was known as The Silence of Delams. 

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Times are so tough; so I thought you could all use a quick pick-me-up. (I’m trying to be clever, so work with me.) I recently received this email from His Grace Ralph Quick, Duke of Windsor. In it, His Grace recounts some very upbeat events that have occurred recently in his life. They should give you a boost. Caron is Ralph’s wife and partner in their chairmaking business. Their dog’s name is Windsor.   

 “Greetings King Mike, 

“A few weeks ago Caron got a phone call from a lady.  The lady told her not to hang up because this was not a prank call. She said she needed 20 Windsor chairs for a movie that was being filmed in Kansas City, and she needed them fast. She said she was not worried about the price. She had checked out our web site and saw that our chairs were reasonably priced.  

“We did not have that many chairs in stock but we did tell her we could get them. We had just completed several chairs for a couple of customers. We told them about the phone call and asked if we could take their chairs to Kansas City as props for a movie.  They agreed to let us use their chairs, but only if we delivered them personally and watched over them to be sure they were not damaged.  

“Caron told the movie lady what our customers requested. The lady said she was happy to have us deliver them. She added that we would be reimbursed for the delivery and for our gas.  We would also be reimbursed for our room and meals at the Fairfield Marriott while the chairs were being used to film the movie. 

“The movie’s title is “We The People.” It will be finished in approx. 6 to 8 months. Then, it will be previewed at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington at their IMAX Theater. From there it will go to Williamsburg, and then to Mt. Vernon. After that, it will be shown at all the IMAX Theaters across the country. The movie people said that in about two years, it will be presented on HBO and the History Channel. After that, it will be shown in schools across the country as part of their of history classes.

 “When I saw our chairs in the monitor I realized just what Caron and I are contributing to history. It is really hard to explain. I have seen lots of our chairs together here in the shop, and at shows. However, they never hit me as it did when I saw them on the monitor. It was as if our chairs really were at Independence Hall in 1776 ready for the signing of the Declaration of Independence.  

“All the actors commented just how comfortable the chairs were. We even took several orders for them. The Director, Aimee Larrabee ordered a left handed Writing Arm because I could not sell her the one we had brought with us. Even though it was not used during the filming, she really liked the writing arm and wanted one for herself.  

“The sack back Caron made during her first class in 2003 was in the first scene. Once the shooting was done I had all the key people sign the bottom of it for her. She is really “jazzed” about it that. Her first chair was used in a movie and is autographed by all the actors.  

“As an aside, my first chair was signed by Roy