We have just launched a free 12-part video series that accompanies the new book “Build a Chair from Bulls%$t” and walks you through the chairmaking project.
Filmed by Bridgid Gruber (of Dinkle’s Woodshop) and apprentice Kale Vogt, the video walks you through every single stage of the process, from collecting the materials at the home center to painting the assembled chair.
Bridgid and Kale also bring their own perspective and humor to the project. They filmed the whole thing with complete creative freedom. And they spent months editing the video, adding graphics and generally making the video fun to watch.
We’re offering this video for free forever to help make chairmaking more accessible. In addition to the free video (it starts here), you can download a pdf of the book for free here and download free full-size patterns for the chair here.
And the book itself is only $21 (but is still made in the USA to our rigorous library-grade specifications).
This project – which we lovingly call the “BS Chair” – is made from home center materials and built with home center tools. Anyone can do it. Wanna see proof? Watch Kale and Bridgid make the journey for the first time in this great video:
Build a Chair From Bulls%$t: Chapter 1 – Introduction
Chapter 2 – Visiting the Home Center
Chapter 3 – Tools
Chapter 4 – Making the Patterns
Chapter 5 – Gluing up the Seat
Chapter 6 – Sandwich Drilling
Chapter 7 – Creating the Leg Tenons
Chapter 8 – Making Wedges and Leg Glue-Up
Chapter 9 – Leveling the Legs
Chapter 10 – Gluing Up the Arm and Sticks
Chapter 11 – Attaching the Comb
Chapter 12 – Painting
— Christopher Schwarz
You guys are amazing at this Bul$#@t! Thank you
Amazing. Thank you!
This looks great! I’m running out of excuses, the book and patch are already giving me side eye from my table
This seems like it will be great fun. I look forward to it.
Really good, I could not stop watching. Very entertaining and instructional. Thanks.
I wish I could purchase it like other LAP videos. its so well done and ahould be rewarded for the work that has gone into it
I watched half of this last night and it is really great! Building this chair is my next project after finishing the curved back rest chair from the stick chair book.
These are great. Making fun and playful videos, while still being instructive is a great match for this chair. Well done Kale, Bridgid.
Good video. I’m almost done with my own chair. You made me feel much better when you included breaking the arm bow like I did!
Just watched the intro and looking good. Just one small thing though, at the title (first 5s or so) you have Bullsh%$t not Bulls%$t (an extra h snuck in there somehow). Took me a minute to realize what was off, but figured y’all might want to know in case you re-used that bit somewhere or need to edit the video(s) some other time (doesn’t seem worth the re-up over an extra character).
Videos are really well-done. Love the animations… they really help clarify everything. Thanks for doing this!
People like Kale and Bridgid renew my hope for humanity. The kids are alright.
These videos are incredible. I love the treatment of mistakes, and the tiny reminders throughout, i.e. “make sure you are drilling with the right side up”. I also love how not every detail is answered – there is still a lot of room for us to work things out. Right or wrong, I left with the feeling that I, too, could make a chair.
I hope you consider making a ‘playlist’ on Youtube so that it’s easier for viewers to watch the whole series together.
Nice job! I’ve made a lot of furniture but never a chair. I may try one now
I’ve got the videos downloaded to watch on the flight to Ireland Tuesday. I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for stick chairs while I’m there!
For anyone else that might think they are crazy – when you print your plans, be sure to choose “actual size” and not “fit to paper” – Since you have to generally choose 24×36 when going to fedex or staples, etc – and the default is to ‘fit to paper’. (the plans are 22×34).
It throws off everything just enough to make you question reality.
Maybe by this time next week I’ll actually have succeeded in making this bulls%$t chair….
And yes – the video series is great – and how I wish more tutorials were done.