OT Buying a windsor chair set

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:

- 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.

- 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.

Sam,

I think you'd have a great time assembling these kits.

$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.

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

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 ?

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 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

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

that is most important.

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

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