Ladderback Chairs
with Peter Follansbee
Featuring steam-bent rear posts and two bent slats,
this chair is both attractive and comfortable.
We are rescheduling this course into the post-contagion period.
May 15th - 20th, 2020 Buzzards Bay, MA
A six-day course
Learn to make this iconic post-and-rung chair over the course of a week in a small-group setting.
Every step of the process will be tackled hands-on—splitting the stock and riving with the froe; shaping parts with drawknife and spokeshave; laying out and cutting joinery; boring mortises with a brace and bit.
The strength of these timeless chairs springs from mortise and tenon joinery interlocking a combination of wet and dry components. Kiln-dried rungs fit tightly into mortises in the posts, which still contain some moisture. The joint both shrinks and swells together, never to come undone. Peter will cover these critical dynamics in detail.
Peter has made these chairs from green wood since 1978, learning the craft from John (Jennie) Alexander and Drew Langsner.
Registrants will receive a list of some basic required tools, as well as a few optional ones that may turn up handy. CRAFT will provide other specialized tools for students’ use. Prior to the class, we'll discuss seating options, as time may allow students to weave a Shaker tape seat on the final class session.
Two tiers of registration
Your basic registration includes all materials (except seating, which we'll discuss when you sign up, as mentioned above), and of course satisfying lunches. For the full-on chair-week experience, add on the Thursday- Wednesday night B&B option, which includes comfortable lodging at Overbook House, solid breakfasts, and optional hi-jinks TBD. Spouse or friend interested in joining you as a plus-one? Possible! Just follow up with email after registering.
Scholarship potential
Please hit this page to apply for financial aid from the Plymouth CRAFT Green Woodworking Scholarship by December 20th, 2019, deadline. Hit this one to donate to the Fund.
