Craig Harris, Continuous Arm Windsor Rocking Chair (TABLES, CHAIRS, DESKS 2022)

Photos:

Craig Harris

Video tour:

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CeapwROD2eX/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

A traditional Windsor chair using Curtis Buchanan's plans. Made from Eucalyptus regnans and White Oak and little Blackwood barn swallow. The chair has quite the story from sourcing some of the best Vic Ash I have seen to not being able to source a good green log for the green wood parts. The green log split fantastically but after steam bending 8 arms which all failed it was clear that I would miss the deadline. A deadline that was not budging, as the chair was for a mate who was gifting the chair to his wife for the arrival of their first born! The successful arm was to be made from Kiln dried White Oak, chosen for its steam bending abilities. The timber was roughly shaped with a bandsaw cut along the hand hold. This cut parallel to the top of the hand hold would not be fully cut off but left to be a support for the second bend. I soaked the timber for a week, and it was steamed for an hour or so. It bent perfectly; the bending gods must have decided it was time for a little success! The arm was my nemesis and the bird my therapy. I chose to carve a barn swallow as it is a bird that lives in both Australia and Ireland. My mate’s wife’s family was from Ireland, so it was a nice little connection for her family. Hand tools used were Scrub Plane, Jack Plane, Drawknife, Spokeshave, Inshave, Radius Plane, Travisher, my own sharpened long Brad Point Drills Bits, Card Scraper, 240 Grit Sandpaper, Cordless Drill, Lathe, and Steam Box. The bird was carved with a Sloyd Knife. Special thanks go to Glen Rundell a fantastic Aussie chair maker and teacher, as well as Curtis Buchanan and Peter Galbert for their guidance and help. Glen has been a wonderful inspiration who just happens to have designed my favourite Windsor, the Pagoda chair.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.