The author, Peter E Judge

The subject of the book is an American Windsor side chair, and is a most outstanding classically designed example, and possibly the most handsome Windsor ever made.

Throughout its 420 pages, this book explains in a simple format how to make this chair from start to finish. Several chapters appear in each part, which explain and work through the whole woodturning process for the spindles, balusters, legs and stretchers, including a full and comprehensive section on making the seat, and similar sections for making the crest, and the final procedure of assembling the chair.

The book also includes 233 photographs and 248 drawings, which together with the step by step guide of the procedures, provides the basis for making this American Windsor side chair through to completion, including French polishing. 

The book is written for beginners and intermediate skills. For the beginner, a basic knowledge on how to use turning tools on the lathe and using workshop equipment can be gained from specialist courses found advertised in joinery magazines. 

Few Windsor chair making projects embrace most of the traditional skills, but this chair has almost everything, including:

  • Beautifully shaped mouldings on the legs, stretchers and baluster spindles.
  • Bracing spindles.
  • The crest piece is steamed, and then bent in a former. Fully detailed procedures explain the process on how this is carried out, including making the former, the steam chest, and the steaming operation itself. Worked examples are given showing the process from start to finish.
  • As an alternative to steaming and bending the crest, there are specially written chapters explaining how to make a curved crest that requires nothing more than cutting the crest`s curved shape out of a solid timber workpiece. Three cut-outs are made and glued together to form a lamination.
  • Carved volutes or spiral scrolls are formed at each end of the crest.
  • The seat is deeply sculpted which greatly enhances its overall appearance due to its deeper design. It also has decorative features such as single and double rebating around the edge of the spindle table.

Copyright May 2019

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form (including photocopying or storing it in any medium by electronic means) stored on a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, without the  written permission of the copyright owner.  

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