Leminster Chair is Born

Leminster Chair Prototype

After lots of carving and shaping, and re-shaping, and some more re-shaping I think I am close to a chair we can live with. The seat and the crest rail will be Cherry (like the bench) and the legs and spindles will be ash.

I have named the design as a tribute to the home of my Dad, a place that is not even a wide spot in the road.

The prototype is done in aspen and maple so a lot of the dramatic look is lost in the sea of white wood. In addition the legs will be reinforced with a curved ash bracket which will be mortised into the leg and screwed to the base of the seat. This chair has been in use for almost a week to test out the ergonomics and it is a hit with LOML and others so it is set!

Building this prototype was a real headscratcher with the geometry, in particular the back, with the angles and curve of the crest rail. Not having access to a chair that matches what I saw in my head meant several attempts to get the feel I was after. This ended up being extremely comfortable and a visually appealing look. I will likely chamfer or round the front top edge of the crest rail to bring the eye down a bit.

The cherry for the seats has been bought and is getting comfortable in the shop. It will get glued up into seat blanks this week. Meanwhile I have been milling the ash and have 80 ash spindle squares roughed out with enough leg blanks for 3 chairs so far - another trip to wood store for some more ash.

Time to build some chairs. I expect this to take a couple of months, so will post updates as major bits are completed.