18th-Century Market Fair

This weekend we went to the 18th-Century Market Fair at Fort Frederick State Park in Western Maryland.

Windsor chairmaker Charles Boland of Storybook Joinery was there.I love the finial on top of his tent.The temperature soared to over 90 degrees. I don't know how the vendors managed in their period wear. Some highlights from the fair.

I've been busy...

I took a break from weaving and have been busy cleaning up and organizing my shop. I've also been creating basket parts for a class I'm doing over the summer. Today I fired up the steam box to steam bend oak for the handles. I wanted to use Schedule 80 PVC pipe but ended up using Schedule 40 since the Schedule 80 is only sold in 20' lengths @ $6.79 per foot (ouch). A cradle was created just in case the Schedule 40 pipe sags. The steam box sits on brackets that are temporarily mounted to the fence with clamps. Click on picture to enlarge.

A small hole is drilled on top where a temperature gauge is installed. Relief holes are drilled at each end of the PVC pipe on the underside. You know you are ready to steam bend when steam exits the holes as pictured here.
The handle stock is ready to come out.Oak handles on molds. The oak bent like butter.I use rough cut green white oak that I get from a local sawmill. It is cut down to more manageable sizes and stored in a freezer in the shop until I'm ready to use it. The wide oak board is put through the planer then cut into strips on the table saw. I love my Delta Unisaw with Biesemeyer fence. You can see in the picture the oak is wet.The strips are put through the planer again and planed to the finished thickness. This will remove any circle marks left behind by the table saw blade.

Windsor Chair Class

The previous few years Vanessa came up and we drove to Hampshire County, West Virginia to take a Windsor chair class. This year I went it alone and had a fantastic time! I made a sackback settee and Charles made one alongside me.

Here are some highlights from the class.

Riving billets for the settee spindles, back bow, and arm bow using a froe and maul.

Cutting out the 2" seat blank with a bow saw.

Saddling the settee seat using a gutter adze to hollow out the seat.

Saddling the seat continues by cleaning up and shaping the seat using a drawknife, block plane, inshave (scorp), travisher, compass plane, spokeshave, and card scraper.

Driving a wedge into the leg tenons and seat.

Cleaning up the spindles that were created on a shaving horse with a drawknife then fork staff. Final cleanup using a card scraper.

Pounding the spindles into the seat with a dead blow hammer.

The finished chairs.

This is Charles Boland of Storybook Joinery. Charles is knowledgeable, not only in the areas of Windsor chairmaking, but the history as well. He willingly shares his knowledge and is so patient. Charles only takes on 1-2 students at a time so your time spent there is quality time. His classes are well worth the time and money. Be prepared to work hard. You won't be disappointed.


Some of the tools of the chairmaking trade you'll be using.

And as an extra bonus Maggie, the official shop dog, comes for visits.

And then there is Sam the cat who adopted the Boland family and rules the roost.

If you want to see Charles' work you might stop by one of his events.