Green Woodworking Workshop- Make a Shaving Horse and a Single Slat Ladderback Chair.

In this workshop we will start by going over the benefits and what to expect when using green wood. And the special tools used.

We will make an English style shaving horse, or shave bench is another term describing the tool most beneficial to green woodworking, specifically chair making. It’s a vice that holds your work while your legs and feet work a treadle that applies a large amount of force clamping the work piece securely while still quickly able to release and turn as needed. A very efficient tool that’s fun to use.

We use kiln dried wood to make it, this allows us different woods for the best result, and we don’t have to wait for it to dry. Hard wood where we need strength, softer wood where we don’t will make it lighter and easier to move around. The best part of this is it’s a crash course in chair making! you’ll make tapered leg tenons that fit tightly into matching mortises in the seat. Learn how to use sight lines to lay out and drill your seat mortises for the best mechanical advantage. Glue and wedge the legs. These are the same techniques used to build the undercarriage of Windsor chairs, counter stools, bar stools etc.

Once assembled we can start using it with the tools that align the most with green woodworking to make a single slat, post and rung chair. A club and wedges to split green stock, usually red or white oak, a froe to split and axe to hew the wood further for the draw knife and spoke shave at the shave bench.

We will split from the log all parts necessary to build your single slat post and rung chair. Back posts, front posts, rungs and a slat for the back rest. These will be shaped at your shave bench with a draw knife then drilled with a brace and bit at the workbench and assembled. A seat is woven, and you’ve got yourself a solid chair making experience! There is a ton of information in this week long class. If your new to green wood chair making you’ll leave with the knowledge and confidence to continue the journey. If you’ve got some chair making and green wood experience this will up your game with both Windsor chair and post and rung joinery.

There may not be time at the end of the week to weave the seat, but I will explain how. Or if you want to come the following week in the afternoon it can be arranged.

Tools used to make the Shave Horse-

Machine- jointer planer table saw band saw drill press lath

Hand tools- block plane, spokeshave, hand saw, tapered reamer, tenon former, tri-square, bevel gauge

Tools used to make the chair- Brace and bit, saw, tri-square, draw knife, spokeshave, torpedo level, 6″ ruler, tenon former mallet, froe, axe, small sledge and wedges, your shave horse

No need to bring any of these tools unless you want, it’s to give you an idea of the type of work we’ll be doing.

Materials fee- $200 class fee $890 Monday-Friday

Seating tape is around 70$ plus $30 if you need to come back for a seat weaving session.