Peter Galbert’s upcoming book on chairmaking began more than two years ago with a short afternoon chat in Berea, Ky. It started as a DVD project with some plans. Then it was a booklet. Next, a book with photos and drawings. And finally, a massive opus on green-wood chairmaking with more than 450 hand-drawn illustrations by Peter himself.
Peter, who studied at the Art Institute of Chicago, has drawn out the process of chairmaking in such incredible detail that I think you could build a chair even if you never read a word of the book.
And while I say there are 450 drawings, that is a gross underestimation. There are 450 sheet of drawings (plus a couple dozen on the way). Many of these sheets contain as many as six individual illustrations.
Many of these illustrations were drawn four or five times over as Peter refined the look of the illustrations. As I scanned every one of these illustrations during the last five days, I was in awe of the scope of his work.
It is the Roubo of green chairmaking, and I do not say that lightly.
I’ve been making chairs for more than 10 years, and I am blown away by the clarity of Peter’s methods, his metaphors and his ability to explain complex problems with only a few sentences and a perfect drawing.
I hope to rise to the challenge of presenting this material. We are now on our second full round of scanning the drawings. All 450 illustrations have been processed and cleaned up in Photoshop individually.
As I type this, Linda Watts, the designer, is laying out the book in an 8-1/2” x 11” format so it has an open feel with plenty of white space to frame Peter’s illustrations.
We’ve decided to call this book “Chairmaker’s Notebook” because it has the look and feel of a technical sketchbook. It appears casual and airy, but is filled with big ideas.
When will it be ready? We hope to send it to the printer in January with a release in late February or early March. We have no information on pricing. But I do have one tantalizing detail to share. One of Peter’s friends is a bookbinder and plans to offer a hand-bound version of “Chairmaker’s Notebook.”
I know that many of you have been waiting a long time for this book. We are close, and it will be worth the wait.
— Christopher Schwarz
You had me drooling at the mention of a DVD. While I’m sure the book will be absolutely amazing, I hope a nice long DVD will be in the works sooner rather than later.
My stupid question of the day is where does one find the “green wood” for something like this? I have no idea of where to start looking.
Thanks
Joe
Joe,
If you’re planning on building numerous chairs there are log yards where you can pick out logs that would otherwise be off to a sawmill. Oftentimes they will have shorts or a firewood pile that for whatever reason wouldn’t be worth sawing, but will still make fine chair parts. For a single chair it may be easier to have the parts riven out for you by someone else. I know Elia Bizzarri (handtoolworking.com) will mail you riven pieces and turned maple legs for a fairly reasonable price. Hope that helps.
Thank you Sir
I am infinitely smarter than I was 15 minutes ago.
This is new world to me.
Now I have to look up what “riven” means.
I feel so darn ignorant some days
Joe
Joe, regarding riven wood:
http://www.popularwoodworking.com/article/the-best-oak-money-cant-buy
Thanks so much.
Joe
Take a class on windsor chairmaking is what I would recommend. Then use the book as reference when you want to build another.
Any idea on the pricing yet? A rough estimate would be fine. Just trying to budget. Thanks.
I fear chair making. And I don’t say this lightly. I’m normally a brave person.
Pictures would help a lot – can’t wait.
FWIW, I feared chairmaking, too…until making a “Windsor” sawbench last weekend. Do that first, and you’ll feel a lot better about it! (Not to mention you’ll have a new sawbench)
First you had excellent writers. Now you have someone that is an excellent writer AND illustrator. Before you know it these authors are going to start making the pulp for the pages too. It’s great that there are such talented individuals out there, and one place I know I will get their best.
P.S. I can hear the “TWACK” in that last illustration.
If you hear a TWACK that may be a bad thing – like you continued to strike the wedge too many times and now you’ve split the seat or the leg (if you fashioned the wedge too long). The tone changes once the wedge is set, and when it does, you better not hit it again. And I wouldn’t call it a “twack” sound.
Like some questions above about green and riven wood, there are things that someone who has never built a chair before (and would like to) are much better off learning in in a chairmaking class. There are several people that offer windsor chair classes, especially in the eastern half of the US. Buy the book, but take a chair class.
And even better, take one of Pete’s classes. I’ve taken two, and can say he is an incredible teacher
I would buy that book for the illustrations alone, even if I never wanted to build a chair.
A few weeks ago, my brother and I got to preview some of the sections while we were taking a class in Pete’s shop, extremely helpful! I was glad to not have to note every technique and trick he showed us, knowing that the book was on the way to refresh my memory and help me solidify the skills. We were there when he was boxing up the many books of drawings to send out… it made me nervous and I wasn’t the one that spent the past year creating them! I think this will be LAP’s best book yet.
Besides a hard bound binder I feel a spiral notebook type format would be better for shop use. I would lay flat without worry of cracking the back or the constant hassle of the book closing.
Dave,
Our bindings are designed to lay flat for shop use. They are sewn, glued and secured with a fiber-based tape. They have survived floods, children and dog attacks.
I am not a fan of spiral binding for many reasons – too many to go into here.
Alrighty then! I hear ya, I’m not a fan either. If it lays flat it meets my requirement. Thanks for the heads up!
His drawings remind me of the work of David Macaulay — simple, technical, evocative. Can’t wait to see the whole book.
Just a tease of the shaving horse in the second image. Might have to pick this up just for that… OK, that and how to make a chair.
Hand bound version….ok I’m tantalized
Bob
How about monk transcibed, hand bound in leather!
These will be in unicorn hide that has been tanned with pixie farts.
Poster?
I have 3 books on Windsor chairs (Santore , Evan’s, John Kassay) and I keep looking and hope some day to bulid one . I have made some milk stools with the tapered leg holes and hollowed seats so I do have an idea. I just need to find the green wood and go for it.
Rachael–
See also Mike Dunbar, Drew Langsner, and John Brown–all informative inspiring stuff.
Illustrations recall the work of Eric Sloan.
Can’t wait to get this book.