Windsor Chairmakers : Windsor sackback chair with writing arm and drawer

Ordering procedure.

1. Determine generally what you want to buy.
Questions by phone are good. 800-789-5188

2. Mail a $200 deposit check to us. As we say, this seperates the serious from the curious. It also puts you on our build schedule.

3. We will mail you a written confirmation of your deposit and an invoice distilling to writing the decisions made thus far.

4. Each item we build has lists of "choices" from which a selection must be made. "Options" are optional.

5. Once you have paid your deposit, we are happy to mail you finish samples of your choosing for consideration in your light.

6. Payment in full including shipping and Maine state sales tax if applicable, must be paid by personal check prior to your build date.

7. We will build, ship, arrange and pay the shipper on your behalf, and refund any overpayment.

Lumbar spindles.
Spindles that are positioned so that their front surface is flush with the front of the arm.

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Writing arm and drawer

Ash with one piece pine seat

All wedged or pegged, and epoxied joints

41" height overall

28" width of arm overall

26" to top of arm

Counter bored legs

Steam bent bows

Lifetime guarantee

Ergonomically correct

Shellac sealer

Two varnish topcoats

Thin spindles

Playhouse carton

Ordering procedure

Windsor Chairmakers
PO Box 120 or
2596 Atlantic Highway
Lincolnville, Maine 04849
info@WindsorChair.com
(800) 789-5188
Fax (207) 789-5645

Choices

Features

Options

Comb $83

Personalized comb $186

Rockers $114

Extended seat $52

Extended legs $52

Tiger maple or cherry seat $145

Lumbar spindles $144

Brass plaque $67

Shipping options

Turnings
Traditional (shown)
Contemporary

Knots
Yes, knots in seat
No knots please

Spindles
Some proud
All flush

Color
Cranberry
Patina
Raisin
Black/green
Black/blue over barn red
Custom

Antiquing
Light
Medium
Heavy

Saddle on painted chair
Stained
Worn

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Ash. A straight grained open pored hardwood that is stronger than oak. The strength and straight grained characteristics of ash allows the diameter at the top of spindle to be smaller without fear of it breaking. Spindles that are smaller in diameter at the top are more flexible. Spindles that are more flexible are more comfortable.

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Shipping options. Select the level of service you desire that is available for each and all the pieces in your order.

If you select a level of service that requires packing, we are happy to pack it for you for 5% of the purchase price. The cost of packing and shipping on common carrier is about the same as white glove blanket wrapped.

After shipping is complete, we will pay the shipping company on your behalf, charge that exact amount against your prepayment, and send you a refund check of any overpayment.

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.

Delivery in company van in Maine- Furniture set up in your room ready to use. No packing required.

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

Call Suzanne for quote
800-789-5188

9am - 5pm EST

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Brass plaque.
3 inches X 1.125 inches, solid unfinished brass, letters and numbers as you sketch out, attached with four escutcheon pins, located on any flat surface you choose.

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Wedged. A method of spreading or clamping the end of a leg or spindle tight in the hole by driving a wedge into the end of the leg or spindle.

Pegged.
An alternative method of securing a member in a hole when the end of the member is not exposed to receive a wedge. We use a 3/16" diameter wooden dowel for pegging.

Epoxy.
Better than glue on Windsor chairs. Glue needs to be clamped "thin" to be strong. Most Windsor chair joints are a round turning put into a cylindrical hole. Clamping from the outside of the hole is not possible. In theory, a wedge inserted into the end of the turning clamps the joint from the inside. Unfortunately, the wedge flares the end of the bow causing the bow to be tight only at one end of the hole. To solve this problem, we use epoxy which doesn't need to be clamped "thin" to hold strong. The epoxy fills the space in the joint and cures hard.

Counter bored.
Refers to a hole with a shoulder inside created by boring a hole from one direction all the way through and then a slightly larger diameter hole is bored part way through from the opposite direction.
A counter bored Windsor chair leg hole, bored on an angle to the seat, provides a shoulder all around the leg inside the seat. This is a much stronger joint than the alternative tangent shoulder method.

Steam bent. A process whereby wood parts are steamed 45 minutes, bent over a form, and dried in that shape. Steam gets hotter than boiling water so works better.

Lifetime guarantee. You get it to and from our shop and we'll fix it free. No time limit, no exception. If you back over your chair with a pick up truck, send the pieces and we'll fix it free. You only pay the shipping.

The study of the human body dimensions, muscles, and bones. As a derriere-ologist, I have been studying derrieres all my life. After years of study, we made the patterns for the scoop in our chairs. They are deep in the back providing room for the ischele tuberisity bones that we sit on. You will not slide out of this chair.

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.

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.

Saddle.That portion of a Windsor chair that a sitter's bum comes in contact with.

Extended seat.
A seat extended up to 2" front to back is available on Windsor sackback chair only. It increases the sitting comfort for a larger person.

Extended legs.
Legs extended up to 2" are available. More comfort for a taller person.

Tiger maple or cherry seat.A two piece tiger maple or cherry seat is available instead of a one piece pine seat. A board twice as long as the seat is cut in half and folded around and glued to itself. This procedure results in as perfect a grain match as is possible.

Bare bottom chair.A Windsor sackback chair that intentionally has no finish on the bottom of the seat.

We do this for wedding receptions or retirement parties. Just like a year book, anything can be written here with a ball point pen. it may never be shown to anyone after the event or shown frequently. Owner's choice. Fun is good.

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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.

Playhouse carton.

The roof folds flat during shipping. May be bunched with others to form a village.

Color.
A list of choices. You must select one before we can build. They are all the same price.
Cranberry stain
Patina stain
Raisin stain
Black green milkpaint
Custom color

Writing arm and drawer.
A writing arm upon which to write. This was done originally so that the chair could be brought up to the fireplace for warmth and have a surface upon which to write. It may be on the user's left or right as you specify. A drawer for pencils and paper is provided under the seat on the same side as the writing arm.

Turnings

Traditional

Contemporary

Knots.
Some people like the character of knots in the chair seat. We will place them where they do not affect the strength of the chair.
Some people do not like knots and this is ok. Traditionally, Windsors were usually made without knots because they are harder to carve.

Proud spindles.
Refers to our practice of leaving the tops of some of the spindles on chair protruding about 1/16" above the bow. We like this and do it to impart the appearance of age. You may have all the spindles flush on top if you want.

One piece pine seats. Cut from a tree large enough that the seat does not have to be glued up. This is the traditional way of doing it.

Cranberry

Patina

Raisin

Black/green

Black/blue over
barn red

"Custom"
Any color stain or paint will be matched or a new color created for you. In either case, there is no extra charge.

Thin Spindles.
Round vertical pieces in the back of the chair that the sitter leans against. Our spindles are 5/16 inch diameter at the top. They flex more than the 3/8 inch diameter that most chairmakers make. Spindles that are more flexible at the top are more comfortable.

Proud Spindles

Flush Spindles

click on images to enlarge