Replies

1. 
   dgreen | Dec 16, 2009 09:18pm | #1

   Good looking stool. Seems like a lot of splay in the legs, I'd be interested to hear how it holds up in use.

2. 
   Samson | Dec 16, 2009 09:59pm | #2

   I tried my darndest to follow Mike's instructions, but as a newbie, I might have been off a tad here and there, though my stretchers are within a half inch of what he says his usually come out to. Does my splay llok significantly different than his:

   https://www.finewoodworking.com/Gallery/GalleryImage.aspx?id=4253

   He has 30 or something in his school, and it sounds like they hold up well? That said, if I made another, I might try a leg angle in the 18 degree range instead of Mike's suggested 21.

3. 
   boilerbay | Dec 17, 2009 10:14am | #3

   That looks great. Did you over-cut the stretcher tenons as per Mike's original teachings with the windsor?

   What color are you going to go for?

   PS. Glad your still here. You add value to this forum

   BB

1. 
   Samson | Dec 17, 2009 10:37am | #4

   Thanks, Boiler, good to see you too.

   I haven't fixed ona color yet, but lexington green or salem red keep coming to mind. Mike seems to often paint the seat and legs different colors. Maybe I'll try that.

   As far as the stretchers, per Mike's article, I made 9/16" diameter tenons 1" long (from the shoulders) to go into 1 1/8th inch mortises, with the distance between shoulders the actual measured distance with the legs dry fit plus 3/8" so as to put the joints in compression. I think that's what you meant by "over-cut", but there's teh gory details.

   Thanks again.

2. 
   Samson | Dec 21, 2009 09:05am | #11

   (No subject)
   View Image

4. 
   RalphBarker | Dec 17, 2009 02:19pm | #5

   Looks good at this point to me. Although I, too, was struck by the amount of splay at first glance.

1. 
   Samson | Dec 17, 2009 02:26pm | #6

   Well, do tell. Don't hold
   Well, do tell. Don't hold back on a chair noob, what angles would you think appropriate? Mike's article said 21 degrees for the leg to seat tenons. They also enter the bottom of the seat well inside the outer diameter - on a 9" diameter mark drawn on the overall 14 -15 inch seat.

   I have to say that the thing seems quite robust as I've sat on it and messed with now that the glue has dried and cured. Perhaps my camera angle exaggerates the look of the splay?

1. 
   RalphBarker | Dec 17, 2009 08:53pm | #7

   You're asking the wrong guy.
   You're asking the wrong guy. I've only made one stool, and it looks far less elegant than yours. What you built looks just like the one in the article, so I'm guessing the 21° angle may be traditional to the style. A lesser angle may be more traditional for other styles, but less stable, I'd think.

   Of course, anyone who leans too much on a stool is asking for trouble, particularly if they've been sitting at the bar too long. ;-)

1. 
   Samson | Dec 17, 2009 09:24pm | #8

   Thanks, Ralph. Tonight I leveled and trimmed the feet. I think the extra length, albeit a mere 2" or so, exaggerated the splay in the photos a bit. I also measured my stretchers, and they are indeed a 1/2" wider than Mike's from the article, though he seemed to suggest that minor variations were to be expected and that's why you measure from the dry fit as opposed to making the parts first. Anyway, I'm happy for a first effort. I still have enough I already rough cut to make another. The next will hopefully be slightly tighter in execution.

1. 
   BG | Dec 18, 2009 06:39am | #9

   Samson,

   Very nice looking stool. I too jumped into the Windsor thing this past summer, however, I have no capability for bending stock so what I made was more like modified captains' chairs (2).

   I may be wrong about this but I believe there is a lot of latitude with regard to right and wrong with these chairs. Primarily they were built by farmers, I suspect, without a whole lot of tolerance for turning them into science projects. My legs are splayed 10 degrees one way and 4 degrees the other. Given the chair seats are pine and poplar, I thought a tighter splay would help reduce the stress on the stretchers. Although a thicker seat might allow for more splay too. I grew up in a house with splayed leg chairs...and electric heat..every chair had the stretchers re-glued to no avail.

   I have been sitting on one of those chairs for 6 months now and so far enjoying the hell out of it. Good luck with your nice stool.

2. 
   Samson | Dec 18, 2009 10:18am | #10

   Thanks for the post, BG. I appreciate it. I hope to make some simple John Brown sort of stick chairs soon, as a next step in the journey. I found some elm to use, so I'm halfway done, right? ;-)

   I'd imagine I'll get to steam bending within a year or two. No way to avoid it.