Hey! Two of my chairmaking friends, en and Jim Crammond, are putting on a Gibson chair class in Michigan starting Sept. 30. They are both great people and chairmakers. If you’ve wanted to build a Gibson chair, this is a great opportunity. Details are below.
— Christopher Schwarz
Join us for an immersive chair making class where you will build an Irish Gibson chair, a vernacular chair form that is known for its comfort and relative simplicity to build; it’s a great first chair or 12th chair! The fact that these simple and distinct chairs were made by farmers and non-professional woodworkers, with limited tools, and with materials that were easily accessible makes this chair a joy to make. In this class you’ll have the opportunity to personalize this chair (vernacular forms invite creative input) as well as pursue tools and methods that suit your setup at home.
Class Details:
- Dates: September 30th to October 4th, 2024
- Location: Monroe, Michigan (details upon registration)
- Cost: $1,000 (Includes cost for workshop, supplies, and lunch). Deposit of $200 to confirm registration. Full payment is due upon arrival to the workshop.
- Lunch will be provided daily
What You Will Learn: In this intensive five-day workshop, you will delve into the craft of chair making with two chair makers with a combined history of 25 years in the craft. Whether you’re a novice or seasoned woodworker, this class will teach you the fundamentals of chairmaking and set you up to continue chairmaking at home.
- Tools: Learn to use the froe, lathe, drawknife, shaving horse, bench plane and other tools.
- Design: Understand concepts such as rake, splay and sight lines that influence chair design and comfort.
- Techniques: steam bending, splitting and riving, staked tenon joinery and more, adapting techniques to suit your setup at home.
Reserve Your Spot Today: Spots are very limited (only five!) so sign up early.
Click here for registration, or for more information, please email taproot.sanctuary@gmail.com.
Looking forward to chairing with you 🙂
— En and Jim
Wow that is an amazing specimen pictured above!