I’m starting a new series on modeling a Windsor Chair. I’ve selected one of the simpler Windsor styles, the unbraced Bowback. This particular chair was described by Harriet Hodges in a Fine Woodworking article in the November/December 1994 issue.

Here is a picture of the roughed-out chair model. This model, albeit with an un-sculptured seat, provides all the important information for construction in the shop; i.e., drilling angles, sight lines, shapes, sizes, and socket diameters. 

 

 Here is a completed chair, with sculpted seat, and milk paint finish.

 

In the shop, you start building a Windsor chair with the seat that connects all the important pieces. Similarly, in SketchUp, you need to start with the seat. Fortunately, the Fine Woodworking article includes a dimensioned plan view of the seat. This is scanned and imported to SketchUp for tracing over.

A video below shows the first steps in SketchUp modeling of a Windsor.

We’ll continue with the seat and start the legs in the next session.

Tim

Http://killenwood.com

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