The Magic of Iron & Fire

A chairmaker explains his fascination with the ancient art of blacksmithing and being able to make his own woodworking tools. It was April of 1986, and I’d just arrived at a craft show up a long [...]

Chippendale Chair

Creative thinking and dirt-simple jigs make the joinery a straightforward task. Full-Size Plan:  Download I tend to think of Chippendale chairs as highly ornate. But there are startlingly simple [...]

Adirondack Loveseat

It’s just as comfortable as it looks. Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the May 2008 issue of American Woodworker  There it was–an Adirondack loveseat–sitting right on the [...]

Norm Abram’s Adirondack Chair

Steve Shanesy builds an improved Adirondack chair with Norm Abram in The New Yankee Workshop. Build the chair and learn how Abram works. Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in [...]

Dock Chair

Lightweight, folding and portable, this chair is so simple to make you’ll want a pair – or more.  I’ve always disliked the Adirondack chair and have never understood its popularity. I find it [...]

Slat-back Chair

Curves, angles and comfort – this piece will have you sitting pretty. I’ve always found making something simple yet refined to be more work than it seems. I suspect that the slat-back chair [...]

Handcrafting Zen Chairs in Japan

At the base of Mt. Fuji in Japan, world-renowned woodworker Tak Yoshino creates custom, handcrafted chairs that promote proper and healthy posture through the practice of Zen. As a result of his [...]

Compound Angles; No Math

Once you understand ‘resultant’ angles, sawbenches (and chairs) are easy. Most first-time chairmakers are intimidated by the compound joinery used to fasten all the legs, stretchers, spindles and [...]

Perfect Shoulders

An 18th-century chairmaker’s saw makes 21st-century work easier The graveyard of obscure and forgotten tools is large, densely packed and many layers deep. Many of these tools richly deserve [...]

Make a Chair That Rocks

  A little geometry and a simple prototype ensure a pleasant ride. I recently set out to design and build a new rocking chair. I’ve designed and built a handful of rockers, but my past [...]

page 1 of 4