A chair-makers journey

As my woodworking journey continues to evolve I have found myself being drawn more and more over the years to focus on chair-making. Over time most furniture makers will inevitably dive deeper into a specific genre, design style or set of techniques to hopefully become a master of their craft. For me, chairs are my calling.

In October 2019 the stars finally aligned to where I had the time to pursue a week-long chair-making course in New Hartford, Connecticut with master chair-maker David Douyard. Logistically it was a challenge, but a flight from Honolulu, Hawaii to the East Coast wasn’t going to stop me. Situated in a wood-shop a few steps from his home, David provided all the tools and knowledge to guide a class of two students through the seven day chair-making process. The chair is based off the centuries old ladderback chair but this design was refined by Brian Boggs. 

Each day was packed with demonstrations and instruction while allowing for sufficient time to build our chairs. Even though there is a thorough course manual, David was always a few steps away to guide us when we had a question. In my opinion, the true value of a hands on learning experience is all the residual instruction you gain by observing a master craftsman moving step-by-step through the chair-making process, and potential design opportunities!

Typically the chair is complete, minus the finish, on the seventh day. We went through the entire process, from wood selection, grain orientation, steam bending, shaping all the parts, jigs and the glue-up routine. I shipped my chair home un-assembled due to the extremely high shipping cost. Luckily I was able to run through the glue-up routine with my classmate Jon and his chair.

Whether you’re a beginner woodworker or a seasoned furniture-maker, a chair-making course with David in Connecticut will leave you refreshed and ready to tackle some designs of your own.

You can view David Douyard’s course info/schedule via his website

www.daviddouyardchairmaker.com