Windsor Chair Internship, 2021

Colin Foxhall has over the past 40 years built up a business handcrafting and selling traditionally made Windsor chairs. His emphasis on locally sourced materials, small low impact manufacture and beautiful design are all aspects to his work that I greatly admire. I approached Colin at the start of Summer 2021 with the desire to understand the processes involved in sourcing, making and selling Windsor chairs.

I was fortunate that Colin was more than happy to share his vast knowledge with me and committed a huge amount of his own time to tutor me in the processes and theory behind creating Windsor chairs. This also included giving me access to his workshop and tools over the summer. This was a fantastic experience and an amazing opportunity to become immersed in the world of greenwood working.

Skills I was able to hone include; identifying and splitting usable wood, shaping and finishing wood using a draw knife, spoke shave, cabinet scraper, angle grinder (with rotary plane disc), spindle sander, orbital sander, fixed base router and lathe turning using a plain skew chisel. Dried tenon joinery, including templates, angles and ratios. Danish oil and wax finishes, and finally tree identification, felling considerations and wood grain properties.

This resulted in the production of my own traditional English style Comb Back Windsor side chair. Made of local Beech with a fourteen-inch Ash seat.

Beech and Ash Wood, Comb Back Windsor Chair.