We are in the middle of prepping hundreds of parts for a July 11-15 stick chair class in partnership with The Chairmaker’s Toolbox, and I am setting aside my aversion to plastic for this one moment. As Megan Fitzpatrick and I prepare the parts – straightening the grain, octagonalizing the bits and sometimes tapering them,…
Read moreWe received our first load of entries today for the “Stick Chair Merit Badges.” And everyone followed instructions. Thank you! It’s great to see all the different chairs and their personalities (and their owners). If you would like a merit badge for your shop apron or tuxedo, there is only one way to get them…
Read moreI love spade bits, and I will always recommend them for people getting started in chairmaking. The bits are dirt cheap, widely available, sharpenable and are easily customized to do things other bits cannot. But like many chairmakers, I am always game to try new drill bits. If someone told me there was a new…
Read moreTo mark the launch of The Stick Chair Journal (coming in August 2022), we are giving away 400 Stick Chair Merit Badges to readers who have built a stick chair and can follow instructions. This promotion ends when we run out of the merit badges or on Dec. 31, 2022, whichever comes first. (When the…
Read moreReally, this video could have been done in four words…three words, one repeated: Wax on, wax off. But that’s already been said. So instead, I’ve blathered on for a few minutes about soft wax and how easy it is to use. The jar I’m using is from Katherine Schwarz (aka The Anarchist’s Daughter), who will…
Read more