Neil Blake with members from the men’s shed
Neil Blake has just completed a workshop on how to make a Windsor stool and now plans on teaching members of the Men’s Shed.
Made on a very basic pedal lathe, Mr Blake said that turning the legs took two days (compared to seven
minutes) but result was more rewarding.
“You had to forget everything you already knew about wood turning,” he said.
“No one piece is the same and you get a feel for the wood.”
There is strong evidence that these chairs date back to the 1200s.
What makes it remarkable is that it was made out of green wood and the strength of the joints increased over time as the timber dries.
One method of fitting the legs involved placing them in a heated bucket of sand over a long period of time to make them temporarily shrink.