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Our Process
Yes. Tradition dictates that there is a process to creating
a Windsor chair like the one pictured here. Although you may
not see all the detail from this small picture, you can see
a little more in this chair,
cabinet, writing chair, and
hunt board.
After learning the Windsor craft over 20 years ago, Raven's
End found that most other Windsor"craftsmen" compromise
the unique engineering of the traditional Windsor. The tradition
begins with harvesting only the highest quality trees and splitting
each chair part from those logs, assuring contiguous grain and
flawless wood. Three different woods are chosen for their unique
qualities to fulfill the individual stress requirements of each
chair part. The seats are made from poplar, the legs are turned
from hard maple, and the spindles and bent parts are cut from
white oak. Traditional hand tools
are used to carefully whittle each spindle and shape each seat.
Each leg and stretcher are turned individually on a lathe to
ensure the peculiar personality of each chair.
Perhaps the most important tradition is the method of Windsor
joinery. Being so time-consuming, many other craftsmen have
long since given this method up, but Raven's End craftsmen believe
it is essential to a quality chair that will last for generations.
The dry stretcher, leg and spindle tenons are driven into still
green legs, stretcher bulbs, and seat. When these green parts
dry, they shrink tightly around the dry tenons, forming
a joint that will not separate. Locking the taper joints
used in the leg to seat joinery actually tighten when more weight
is applied to the chair. Additionally, many chairs are given
antique glazing to fulfill the entire traditional look. So the
craftsmen at Raven's End ask you, "Would you stray from
tradition after learning about this process?" |
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Custom designed and built, specializing in classic Windsor style! |
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