# Chair making books - any recommendations ?



## EdK (25 Oct 2009)

I'm after some books on chair making. Never made a chair but keen to give it a whirl.

Mostly using hand tools but have some electric ones (and sporadic weekend access to a full commercial workshop).

Been inspired a bit by the Sam Maloof book (from Kodansha publishers) but keen to start small rather than go large, fail spectacularly and never look at chairs again....

Sooo any recommendations on good books for chair making / primers for chair building...

Thanks
Ed


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## wizer (25 Oct 2009)

Have a look at this video series:

http://www.finewoodworking.com/chair-wo ... /index.asp


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## JWF (25 Oct 2009)

Designing and Building Chairs. One of Fine Woodworking books.
John


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## JoinerySolutions (26 Oct 2009)

Jack Hills Country Chair Making, ISBN 0-7153-8767-7.
Takes you from stools to Windsor and Rocking chairs.
Probably the best chair book I have seen and used.


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## OPJ (26 Oct 2009)

I bought Jeff Miller's Chairmaking and Design not long ago and it's been invaluable. Great advice and good designs featured of existing chairs.

I also have the one mentioned by JWF.


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## EdK (28 Oct 2009)

Thanks for the advice - I'll give them all a try 
Ed


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## JeremyM (28 Oct 2009)

Drew Langsners book the chairmakers workshop is good but soley about Windsor chairs.

Jeremy


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## artHarris (4 Nov 2009)

As a chairmaker of many years standing, I have looked at many books, but found none which added to what I taught myself. I only make jointed chairs, not Windsor (turned) chairs and only use mortise and tenon joints, never dowels. 
Over the years I have published in the woodworking magazines, and have had many enquiries and follow-up calls. If you can find those articles, you might find them interesting. Send me a personal e-mail, and I will give you my true name!


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## Soulfly (4 Nov 2009)

1000 Chairs published by Taschen is quite fascinating.


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## Ironballs (4 Nov 2009)

Perhaps narrow your search down a bit first, I'm doing my first chair at the minute. As I'm not a lathe-ist or done any steam bending I'm following a plan for a Stickley Morris chair, all flat sections and M&T joints.

If I enjoy it I might follow a plan for a more curvy chair and then design my own. Agree that Maloof is a fantastic inspiration, however if I tried to do my own interpretation now it would look like a dogs buttocks and probably collapse on first sitting!


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