Question: Windsor chair construction

[Gregg Germain]

Hi all,

I'm looking at some continuous arm Windsor Chair designs. What I notice about them (and some comb back chairs) is that a few of the designs have an extension of the seat going out the back, and two long spindles running from this extension to the peak of the back.

I would think this is for support of the back to handle stresses of when you sit back...resisting the stress so as to not pull the arm off the spindles, for example.

What I'm curious about is: is this necessary in a well build Windsor chair?

Would all continuous arm WC's come apart over time without those supports?

What say ye?

thanks

--- Gregg

My woodworking projects:

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

of my 82 year old Herreshoff S-Boat sailboat:

FAQ with photos:

"Improvise, adapt, overcome." [e-mail] Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics Phone: [phone]

[George]

The number of surviving chairs without probably indicates that it is unnecessary. Several styles and periods in Windsors. Got a Dunbar book?

Now I haven't diagrammed it, but I would say, offhand, that the lower the back the more it would be useful. On a tall back, I imagine the front legs would lift before I could apply that kind of stress.

[Gregg Germain]

George wrote: : The number of surviving chairs without probably indicates that it is : unnecessary. Several styles and periods in Windsors. Got a Dunbar book?

Nope no Dunbar book. I won't be building these but buying these. Not intererested in getting a whole book for that.

: Now I haven't diagrammed it, but I would say, offhand, that the lower the : back the more it would be useful. On a tall back, I imagine the front legs : would lift before I could apply that kind of stress.

Hmm have to think about that. A slightly higher back means that there's more of a moment applied to the joints. Slightly higher...more moment...

thanks

--- Gregg "Improvise, adapt, overcome." [e-mail] Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics Phone: [phone]

[Lazarus Long]

[Gregg Germain]

Lazarus Long wrote: : You can buy Windors built the traditional long lasting way from Mike : Dunbar and others right off the web. Mr. Dunbar runs the windsor : institute. You should be able find his website at google.

I've considered that. But what prevents me from buying off the web is the wide variety of seat-carving styles/methods that I see.

I wonder if one style is more comfortable for long sitting than another. So I was thinking that I would need to sit in them before I bought them.