Category: Chairmaker’s Notebook

It’s always tricky business talking about upcoming projects because people want updates on their favorites.

So as my e-mail Inbox is sagging from the weight…. Peter Galbert’s book “Windsor Foundations” (still a working title), is still a work in progress. The reason is the drawings. There are hundreds of hand-drawn illustrations that Pete has to finish up.

What you see above is a low-resolution screen capture. These illustrations are going to take his already amazing text to another level. In fact, Pete’s drawings look so good that are re-evaluating the paper stock we’ll be using for the book to better display his handwork.

So Pete’s text is done. A bunch of us have edited it (thanks Raney Nelson, Caleb James and Megan Fitzpatrick in particular). And now Pete has to finish things up so he’s happy with his drawings. He’s shooting for the end of the month.

So don’t send him an e-mail. Don’t attend his workshops at Woodworking in America (kidding). Let the boy draw.

It will be worth the wait.

— Christopher Schwarz

Judging from the near-daily e-mails and comments, Peter Galbert’s forthcoming book on building Windsor chairs is highly anticipated.

I can understand the anticipation. I have just finished editing Peter’s text, and it is a fantastic piece of work. I’ve never read a chairmaking book that is its equal.

So here is the latest news on this title.

First, the title of the book. Right now the working title is “The Illustrated Guide to Windsor Chairmaking.” It will be published in a format larger than 6”x9”. Though we haven’t settled on an exact size, it will be close to 8”x10”. Hardbound, sewn signatures and made in the United States, as you would expect.

Price? Somewhere between $30 and $40. We still need to nail down some manufacturing details before we set the price.

Timing: We’d hoped to release this book this summer. That isn’t going to happen. Because of the many, many hand-drawn illustrations that Peter has to make, we are now estimating the book will go to press in August and be released in September. One of his near-final illustrations is pictured above. You can practically build a chair using the illustrations alone.

The book will be worth the wait.

— Christopher Schwarz

Editor’s note: Peter Galbert’s upcoming book on chairmaking is filled with stuff I have already begun to put into practice in my shop. Check out this short passage.

While learning techniques for turning specific details is important, I’ve found that having a process to practice and improve them is critical to mastering them. I remember learning to turn and feeling like mistakes and catches came out of nowhere, like a mugger in the night. But turning is simple physics, and the combination of tool, wood and movement will yield absolutely predictable results. Just like driving a car, the key is learning what the controls are and how to combine them to keep out of harm’s way. The problem almost always lies with you and your tool, and while this sounds like condemnation, I take it as encouragement. If the technique you are using gives poor results, you have the ability to choose a different technique, but first you must identify the problem.

Because the occasional turner usually needs to make a only few pieces when a project calls for them, it’s natural to assume that carefully turning a good bead on a scrap piece of wood is the way to bone up before chucking up a furniture part. The problem with this assumption is that it implies that squeaking out one good bead is proof positive that you can repeat the feat.

I’ve found it’s more productive to turn 10 poor-looking beads quickly. This gives the turner the chance to rehearse the movements and isolate the problem areas. I encourage consciously repeating mistakes, as long as they aren’t unsafe, until you can do so consistently. That way, you will learn to investigate the mechanics of the trouble, and avoiding it becomes easy. Plus, like a boxer learning to take a punch, you won’t become overly rattled by a simple catch or mistake.

— Peter Galbert