Post and Rung Chairs Part 2

Post and Rung, or "ladderback" chairs are a familiar form, bringing to mind the elegant minimalism of the Shakers or seating at a rustic farmhouse table.  The history of post and rung chair making extends back to at least the 17th century in European examples, and the technology was brought to the New World, where it was widely used for home built seating because of it's simplicity and the longevity of it's joinery under heavy use.  This type of seating was particularly widespread in the  Appalachian and Ozark Mountain regions of the United States where English, Scotch and Irish immigrants settled.  In a previous blog post, Post and Rung Chairs Part 1, there are photographs of some examples from my own family which have endured long past their original owners.  Commercial examples of these chairs have largely ignored the principles that can contribute to an heirloom quality piece of furniture.  Most modern industrial furniture production relies on screws, braces and dowel joints in their fabrication and totally ignore wood grain direction.  I have long been fascinated with the longevity of these chairs. What follows are examples of my work in researching and fabricating post and rung chairs.

  



True post and rung technology makes the most of the natural properties of wood and starts with green wood which is split along the grain and shaped with these fibers aligned for maximum strength.  Care is taken to align the annual rings of the elements so that wood movement occurs as it did when the tree was a living thing.  Most of the round mortise and tenon joints overlap.  Additionally, differential moisture content of "bone dry" tenons inserted into ambient moisture mortises equalize and swell creating a locking joint.  All my chairs to date have been made of locally harvested white oak assembled with hide glue.

 

 

 

Everything from corn shucks, manilla rope, shaker tape, rawhide or hickory bast has been used to weave seats into ladder back chairs.  I've been using industrial hemp twine, typically used in upholstery to tie springs into place.  It's a strong natural fiber that develops a velvety texture over time.  

 

 

Many older chairs are not at all comfortable and seem purpose built to effect an upright posture.  Some elements of my chairs are steam bent to follow the curvature of the human form.

 

 

I am of course, still learning but the resulting chairs are light and resilient.  Thanks for your interest.