Chairmaking Fundamentals

Course Overview

Join me in Lincoln Park, NJ for a personalized one-on-one woodworking course where you build a beautiful three-legged stool inspired by renowned chairmaker Peter Galbert’s “Perch #9” design. This private class is tailored to beginners and experienced woodworkers alike – no prior woodworking or chairmaking experience is required.  Roughly ?? hours of hands-on instruction (scheduled flexibly around your availability, whether on long weekends, evenings, or a custom schedule), you’ll learn traditional chairmaking techniques and create your own heirloom-quality stool from scratch.

All materials and tools are provided, so you can simply show up ready to learn. By the end of the course, you will have:

• A Completed Stool to Take Home
  Craft your own Perch style stool with a sculpted saddle seat and elegantly turned legs. This is a fully functional, beautiful piece of furniture you’ll be proud to use and display
  

• Foundational Chairmaking Skills
  Gain the knowledge and confidence to build a similar stool independently in the future. I’ll teach you fundamental techniques of chair and stool making – giving you a solid foundation for future projects.
  

• Hands-On Experience (at Your Comfort Level)
  This is a learn-by-doing course. You’ll perform each step of the build under friendly guidance. If there’s a task you feel uneasy about (using a certain tool or tricky operation), no problem – I can demonstrate or assist while you observe, ensuring you stay safe and comfortable. My goal is for you to enjoy the process and learn at your own pace.
  

Whether you’re completely new to woodworking or looking to expand your skills, this one-on-one format means the instruction moves at your pace. You’ll have plenty of time to ask questions, practice techniques, and truly understand each step. Imagine sitting on a stool you crafted, knowing the ins-and-outs of how it was made! This course makes that possible in a supportive, fun environment

What You’ll Learn

In this comprehensive course, you’ll get a thorough introduction to Windsor-style methods as we build the stool. We’ll cover a wide range of skills and traditional techniques, including:

• Selecting & Preparing Lumber
  Learn how to choose the right wood for each part of the stool – a robust hardwood seat and strong, straight-grained stock for legs and stretchers. We’ll discuss grain orientation and wood properties (green vs. dried wood) and show you how to prepare the lumber so it’s ready for joinery and shaping.
  

• Intro to Lathe Turning
  Try your hand at wood turning on the lathe. We’ll cover lathe safety and basic technique so you can turn the stool’s legs with a “bamboo” or double-bobbin profile. Lathe work is a rewarding skill – and you’ll get to see your square blank become a beautifully rounded leg in real time!
  

• Drilling Compound Angles
  Learn how to drill angled holes in the seat for the legs – a key to the stool’s stability and splayed look. I’ll teach you to use sightlines, jigs, and gauges to accurately drill compound angles by hand and power tool. This demystifies the process of angling legs outwards at the perfect and matching angles. You’ll gain an understanding of chairmaking geometry (it’s simpler than it sounds, and I’ll guide you step by step).
  

• Joinery Design & Implementation
  Delve into the clever joinery that holds the stool together. We’ll use round and tapered mortise-and-tenon joints to connect the legs and stretchers, designed for strength and longevity. You’ll shape round tenons on the lathe using a turner’s gate and beading/parting tool, and cut tapered joints with Stiletto chairmaker’s bits, a 6° tapered reamer, and a tapered tenon cutter. After dry-fitting, we’ll kiln-dry the leg tenons and stretcher tenons so their joints swell and lock into place during final assembly—creating a tight, durable frame.
  

• Kiln Drying & Moisture Control
  Experience a bit of wood science in action. We’ll use a small kiln to bring certain components (like stretcher & leg tenons) down to a low moisture content prior to assembly. You’ll learn why this is done – for example, a drier tenon in a slightly wetter mortise will absorb moisture and swell, locking itself in, while the outer mortised piece later shrinks onto it. Managing wood moisture is a cornerstone of Windsor chairmaking and ensures your stool’s joints tighten over time instead of loosening.
  

• Seat Carving (Saddling the Seat)
  Arguably the most fun part – carving the contoured seat. Using time-honored hand tools (and some elbow grease), you’ll sculpt the stool’s seat into an ergonomic “saddle” shape. We’ll start by carving the seat bowl with curved tools like a scorp (inshave) to hollow out the sitting area, then move to using a travisher – a curved spokeshave-like tool – to smooth and refine the saddle.  Next, we’ll refine the seat blank’s shape with a drawknife & spokeshave.  Finally, we’ll finish up with a card scraper to achieve a silky finish on the sculpted curves. You’ll develop an eye for flowing lines and a feel for grain direction as you create a seat that’s both attractive and comfortable.
  

• Assembly – Installing the T-Stretcher & “Legging Up”
  Learn the step-by-step process of assembling your stool (often called “legging up” in chairmaking). We’ll fit the T-stretcher assembly (one stretcher between two legs, and a second stretcher meeting it to form a “T” shape) and then attach all three legs into the seat. You’ll practice applying hide glue, orienting tenons for grain direction and wedges, and gently knocking the parts together for a tight fit. This is where all your careful prep pays off.  I’ll show you how to check that joints seat properly and how to fix any minor misfits on the fly.
  

• Leg Leveling
  Ever had a wobbly chair or stool? You’ll learn how to level the legs so your stool sits perfectly steady on the floor. We’ll trim the leg bottoms to compensate for any slight unevenness from assembly and achieve the desired pitch & height of the seat. This attention to detail ensures your finished stool is comfortable with no wobbling.
  

• Finishing Techniques
  Finally, we’ll discuss and review traditional finishes to protect and beautify your stool. Options include milk paint, a historical finish often used on Windsor chairs (great for adding color while still showing texture); oil/varnish blends that penetrate and build a gentle sheen; or soft wax topcoats for a silky feel. We’ll look at examples and discuss further resources on finishing.
  

Throughout the course, safety and tool-use best practices are emphasized at every step. You’ll become comfortable with a variety of hand tools and some equipment (like the lathe and drills), always under close guidance. By the end, you’ll have a broad understanding of chairmaking techniques – from windsor joinery to shaping and finishing – all gained by actually doing the work yourself.

Class Format & Scheduling

This one-on-one class is approximately ?? hours of instruction, which we can schedule flexibly to suit your needs. Because it’s just you and me, we have lots of scheduling options: we can spread the hours across several weekends or evenings if that works better for you. We’ll work with you to set up a calendar that fits your life and learning pace.

• Location
  The course takes place at my home in Lincoln Park, NJ – with a fully equipped chairmaking shop in Northern New Jersey. The environment is friendly, relaxed, and safe, with all the tools and enough of space to work.
  

• Flexible Pacing
  The curriculum will be adjusted to your comfort and skill level. If you’re moving along quickly, we can dive into extra details or bonus skills; if you prefer to take your time on a particular technique, we’ll do so. The goal is to enjoy the process and ensure you grasp each step thoroughly.
  

• All Tools & Materials Provided
  You don’t need to bring anything except your enthusiasm. We provide quality lumber (seat blank, leg stock, stretcher stock) and all necessary tools – from the lathe and shave horse to drawknives, travishers, drills, and jigs. (If you do have some woodworking tools of your own you’re itching to use, you’re welcome to bring them along, but it’s totally optional.)
  

• Individual Attention
  Because this is 1:1, you’ll get full attention. Every question can be answered in depth, and every technique can be demonstrated as many times as you need. This is essentially a private mentorship – an amazing way to learn!
  

• Breaks and Amenities
  We’ll take regular breaks to rest and refresh. Coffee/tea and light snacks are available, and there are lunch options nearby (or bring your lunch – we have a fridge and microwave). Woodworking is physical, so we’ll make sure to stay comfortable and safe throughout the day.
  

By keeping the class one-on-one and flexible, we ensure that your learning experience is as enjoyable and rewarding as possible. My aim is that you finish not only with a great stool, but also with great memories of the learning process.

Pricing

Course Fee: $??? for the entire ~??-hour private course (includes all materials and tool use).

If you have any questions about the cost or scheduling, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I want to make this learning opportunity accessible and will do our best to accommodate your needs. (Gift certificates are also available if you’d like to surprise someone with the joy of chairmaking!)

About the Instructor

Hi, I’m Tim Bridge, and I’ll be your teacher for this class. I’ve been building furniture in my home shop here in Lincoln Park, NJ for about twelve years. I started woodworking as a creative outlet—something grounding, hands-on, and deeply satisfying—and over the years, it’s grown into a passion that I’ve continued to learn from and share with others.

While I work full-time in software and engineering leadership, I’ve always found that woodworking gives me a different kind of reward. It’s tactile and honest. Things either fit or they don’t, and when they don’t, you figure out how to fix them. That mindset—of learning through doing, of not coming apart when things break but rebuilding instead—has shaped both how I work and how I teach.

I’ve studied chairmaking techniques inspired by folks like Peter Galbert, Curtis Buchanan, and Christopher Schwarz, focusing on both green woodworking and how to get strong, reliable results from kiln-dried lumber. My shop is a mix of hand tools, power tools, and some well-loved jigs. I enjoy teaching because it lets me share what I’ve learned while also meeting people who bring their own curiosity and perspective to the craft.

I really value the one-on-one format because it allows us to go at your pace, spend more time on things that interest you, and build something you’ll genuinely be proud of. Whether this is your first time picking up a tool or you’re already comfortable in the shop, I’ll meet you where you are.

Outside the shop, I’m a dad of two boys and spend a lot of time helping them explore the world through projects, building, and play. I believe learning works best when it’s fun, real, and low stakes – I try to bring that same spirit into the workshop.

If you’re interested in making a stool and learning the skills to make more in the future, I’d be honored to help guide you through it.

Come build with me and take the first step into the wonderful world of chairmaking. You’ll leave not only with a beautiful three-legged stool, but also with the confidence and know-how to tackle future projects on your own. I hope to see you in the shop soon!

Ready to build your own Perch stool?

Contact me at timbridgewoodworks@gmail.com to ask any questions or to schedule your one-on-one class.