Greenwood Grand Rocker

Class Description:

I hope you can join us for a full week of chair making in mid-November. We’ll fashion a 5-slat (or 6-slat…..maker’s choice on slat design) rocker from northern red oak during our time together and weave in a hickory bark seat on the final day.

Green woodworking starts with wet wood from the log. We’ll have some parts already drying (the rungs will be awaiting us in the kiln) since a good chair requires that the wet posts shrink around the dry rungs. Much of the shaping will happen with the drawknife and spokeshave, meaning we’ll spend ample time on our shaving horses getting the parts to shape. Slat making provides an option for custom touches.

Having some experience with the drawknife and spokeshave is helpful, but not necessary for this course. It’s my intention to make it a successful experience for all skill levels.

Tool List:

Needed:

• Drawknife
• Spokeshave (Flat or Round bottomed, flat will be a little easier)
• Plane (bench plane and/or block plane)

Recommended: (please bring – especially the first eight on this list – but don’t run out to purchase if you don’t own one yet)

• pencil
• utility or pocket knife
• tape measure
• sliding bevel gauges
• tenon or dovetail saw
• sharp chisel
• pocket knife or (small) straight carving knife
• claw hammer
• handsaw (smaller crosscut saw – ideally a tenon saw, though most anything will do)
• framing square or 24″ straight edge
• deadblow or lump hammer
• block plane
• compass (scribe)
• card scraper

We’ll use/cover, but not needed (please bring if you have them):

• froe, maul and wedges
• hatchet
• power tenon cutters
• bevel setting gauge or protractor (a way to find angle for the sliding bevel gauge)

Also check out other Workshops in Berea.