Building Willow Chairs, October 2002 -- Day One

In October 2002, Cathe and I spent a weekend at Rosemary Lodge, taking a class through the Olympic Park Institute, in which we built our own willow chairs.

This is how our chairs started out: as a couple of piles of alder.

Cathe is rasping the edges of the wood, mainly so the bark won't peel. It was quite chilly!
Before lunch on the first day, we had completed the basic frames, which dictate the amount of lean your chair is going to have, and the depth of the seat.
Here, I'm cutting down a piece of alder to serve as a part of the back rest. This is the piece that is going to sit in the small of my back.
With the frames put together, including the back bars, Cathe is testing how her chair feels. This is getting into the afternoon of the first day.

This is the end of the first day. Our frames are complete, and the arms (the first pieces of willow) have been affixed. Getting those arms to bend the right way, without breaking, was quite frustrating.

Interestingly, our bodies are proportioned so you can put your elbow on the piece of alder that supports the arms, and bend the willow down to fit in the crook of your hand, between thumb and forefinger. This ensures the arms are the right height for you when the seats are in.

On to Day Two

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last modified: October 19, 2002