Windsor Chairmakers : Shaker four slat arm chair

Graduated slats.

The shaker religion dictated that objects created be functional and beautiful without adornment. Graduated slats on a five slat arm chair epitomize this directive.
The slat at the bottom is narrowest in the middle. They are all the same where they enter the post. Very subtly, this chairmaker has made graduated slats a functional and artistic element.

Ordering.

We'd like to hear from you, so call us at 800-789-5188 or email info@windsorchair.com. If you'd like samples, we can send a variety with a $200 deposit, refundable upon return of the samples.

Cash and checks are preferred. Visa and Mastercard are accepted.

White glove blanket wrapped service- Furniture set up in room ready to use. No packing required.

Common carrier- Furniture will be delivered to the curb in front of your home or office. Must be packed in boxes and/or crates.

Customer pick up- From loading dock at workshop. No packing required.

When you order, you will be quoted a price for the option you choose. To order, call 800-789-5188 or email info@windsorchair.com.

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Lumbar back.
The sitting comfort of our Shaker chairs is enhanced by the creation of a lumbar curve to the back. This is achieved by making the lower two slats straighter in the top view than the third slat up. It requires some extra machining but it is well worth it.

Varnish. better than lacquer, shellac, or linseed oil as a top coat. It does not allow water to penetrate into the wood and cause a white spot. We use two coats to be surer that we have the surface entirely covered.

Shellac.
A secretion from the Lac bug in India. It is unaffected by the pitch that is present in the pine seat. We use shellac to seal the pitch into the pine seat. Pitch eats through other finishing materials such as lacquer and varnish causing blemishes in the finish.

Antiquing. The combination of steps in the furniture finishing process that have as their sole objective to make the furniture look older than it really is. How much older is determined by the amount of antiquing applied. We offer antiquing in light, medium and heavy quantities.
The lowest level of antiquing is "light", not "none". There are three reasons for this.

First, try as we might to make perfect furniture with no blemishes, we can't. So, rather than promise you something that we can't do, we offer you the best that we can do.

Second, scratches and dings will happen to your furniture as you use it. if we put the first few on, as others occur, there is less anxiety which is good for you and your visitors.

Third, we think it looks more appropriate. It's like a person over forty-five having crows feet around their eyes.

Cloth tape.

The Shakers sometimes wove cloth tape and then wove a chair seat on the chair frame using this material. When they determined it was dirty, they would unweave the seat, wash the cloth tape and reweave the seat.
The tape today is available in a wide variety of colors shown. We can weave the seat in one or two colors. The pattern may be checkerboard or herringbone.

Ash splint.

Made of ash about 1/16" thick and 1/2" wide. It comes in six foot lengths and is dyed and soaked before the seat is woven. A herringbone pattern is used. We feel certain that this material will last in excess of fifty years before needing replacement.

Tilters.

Balls, usually wooden, held in a socket in the rear posts of Shaker chairs with a piece of leather. They allow the sitter to rock back on the two back legs or posts while still maintaining a large surface of the floor.
This prevented crushing the floor with all the sitter's weight restricted to a much smaller area.