OK, I'm at least man enough to admit the task of making/finishing 6
windors is out of my reach at the present time...

I'm looking to buy a nice set with some bang for the buck. I don't
need super premium historically and geographically correct types, or
walmart rubberwood junk either. Surfing yielded a plain jane oak set
of 4 for $175 and a nicer, more accurate set of 2 for $215. I'd go the
handmade route for maybe $150 each or so, but the ones I've seen are
like $400-500 each. Can anyone refer me to reputable sources, price
guidelines, advice, etc.

Thanks in advance!
Sam

wrote:

OK, I'm at least man enough to admit the task of making/finishing 6
windors is out of my reach at the present time...

I'm looking to buy a nice set with some bang for the buck. I don't
need super premium historically and geographically correct types, or
walmart rubberwood junk either. Surfing yielded a plain jane oak set
of 4 for $175 and a nicer, more accurate set of 2 for $215. I'd go the
handmade route for maybe $150 each or so, but the ones I've seen are
like $400-500 each. Can anyone refer me to reputable sources, price
guidelines, advice, etc.

Thanks in advance!
Sam

Hi Sam,

I have far too many projects to even consider adding the construction of
Windsor Chairs to the list. Yet I wanted several.

So I did a long and careful web search, and visited endless antique stores,
and I found out several things:

1) There are windsor chairs and there are Windsor Chairs.

- The $150-$200 versions are, I find, cheap knockoffs and, what's
more important, extremely uncomfortable (to me). They aren't
built to last like properly designed WC's. And they are
far far heavier.

- Real WC's have lots of splay in the legs, excess wood shaved
off the seat, wedged through tennons.

2) I could not find decent windsor chairs at antique stores or flea
markets.

- I could find cheap knockoffs

- I could find 200 year old chairs but I didn't want that - too expensive
and I want to sit in them without worry. And have others sit in them
without worry.

I found one WC in an antique store for $45.00 that was sort of
acceptable. Especially at the price. it was early in my search. Several
months of searching generated nothing. Now, I'm NOT a skilled, experienced
flea/antique store denizen, but I don't have the time to become one and
even the time I spent looking was too much.

So I broke down and ordered some chairs make by Warren Chair Works. They
are a pleasure to look at, built as WC's should be built, light, and very
very comfy to sit in.

And yes the "handmade route" means $350-$500 apiece. You can sometimes find
them cheaper if you order them from the Midwest, I found. But once I did
the research on WC's I knew that I MUST sit in the chair before I buy one.

Just my thoughts and experiences.

--
Saville

Replicas of 15th-19th century nautical navigational instruments:

http://home.comcast.net/~saville/backstaffhome.html

Restoration of my 82 year old Herreshoff S-Boat sailboat:

http://home.comcast.net/~saville/SBOATrestore.htm

Steambending FAQ with photos:

http://home.comcast.net/~saville/Steambend.htm

Sam,

I think you'd have a great time assembling these kits.
http://www.tablelegs.com/windsor_chair.htm

My experience with these guys is they are great to work with and do
nice work. I think they could sand out their stuff a little better but
labor = cost = higher price.

$200 for a standard and $290 for a arm.

Try one, see how you do and then dive in. It's something I've
considered doing for a long time.

On 26 Jan 2005 09:19:46 -0800, wrote:

OK, I'm at least man enough to admit the task of making/finishing 6
windors is out of my reach at the present time...

Do a course - you can make a set in a week.

I'm looking to buy a nice set with some bang for the buck.

If you just want to sit on them, get some factory stuff in one of the
pines, with a laminated birch hoop back. They're perfectly acceptable
as seating.

If you want more, first ask yourself what you really need. Hand turned
spindles, or an automatic copy lathe ? Worked green and shrunk to
fit, or glued ? Any metal fittings ?

Can anyone refer me to reputable sources, price
guidelines, advice, etc.

Bristol, UK - we were selling (AFAIR) at £125 / £175 for chairs and
carvers (with arms). These were ladderbacks in ash with elm bases.

Thanks for the great feedback guys.

Hmmm... So I need a handmade one for ME to sit on during the
Thanksgiving meal and 5 factory jobbies for my family and guests g
In all reality, these are for the "formal" dining room we will use
rarely, so I can't justify $3k for handmade ones. Most importantly, I
need to sit in one before I buy anything.

I'm in Ohio, are there any good chair makers out in this neck of the
woods making some less expensive pieces?

I was orginally worried about posting this, as I expected dozens of
chair guys wanting me to buy there chairs...
Sam

wrote:


Thanks for the great feedback guys.

Hmmm... So I need a handmade one for ME to sit on during the
Thanksgiving meal and 5 factory jobbies for my family and guests g

Don't laugh. that's exactly what I did. I want them to eat..and get out
;^)

In all reality, these are for the "formal" dining room we will use
rarely, so I can't justify $3k for handmade ones. Most importantly, I
need to sit in one before I buy anything.

that is most important.


I'm in Ohio, are there any good chair makers out in this neck of the
woods making some less expensive pieces?

google is your friend. "windsor chair"+ohio returned 1330 hits.

I was orginally worried about posting this, as I expected dozens of
chair guys wanting me to buy there chairs...
Sam

Bigger risk is that you'd be told to sharpen an axe and go make them ;^)


--
Saville

Replicas of 15th-19th century nautical navigational instruments:

http://home.comcast.net/~saville/backstaffhome.html

Restoration of my 82 year old Herreshoff S-Boat sailboat:

http://home.comcast.net/~saville/SBOATrestore.htm

Steambending FAQ with photos:

http://home.comcast.net/~saville/Steambend.htm