Suggestions of books or videos on dining room chair building?

[RC]

One item on my honey-do list is to build a matched set of 10 dining room chairs for the dining table at some point. I've been looking through Amazon's book store and haven't really found anything that would seem like going through the chair design from a mechanical design perspective, ergonomic perspective and providing plans for classic chair designs.

There are the general books of the Time-Life series and a bunch of books about period furniture styles and a book of the history of chairs, but it seems that a book that actually tells you how to build chairs and why they are built like they are with included plans of a few different designs seems to elude me.

I guess what I'm looking style wise is something like this or this. Just plain, simple and specifically comfortable to sit on for a 9 course meal i.e. 4-5 hours at a time.

Any pointers where to start looking?

 

[abgoto]

Jeff Miller is a Chicago based furniture designer and has a knack for chairs.  I think what you're looking for is  this.

 

[RC]

Thanks, ordered Jeffs book - it looked in the amazon preview rather good...

 

[jacko9]

The Taunton Press has many books for sale on the Fine Woodworking web site, you might find some useful information there.

Jack

 

[rljatl]

Jeff Miller does make chairs similar to the ones in your pictures.  However, last fall I paid $200 to take a two day chair making class from Jeff.  I wasn't impressed.  The book would have been a smarter and much cheaper investment.  Here's what I learned:

1. Use scrap wood to mock up your design.
2. Make jigs to hold the wood while you cut the joinery.  He provided a couple of sketches of some of the jigs he uses.

Maybe not your style, but this book sounds promising.  I think the techniques are more important than the style.

Peter Galbert’s Book on Chairmaking

 

[tiralie]

I think the techniques are more important than the style.

Agreed, although I have never made a chair so I will have wait till I do to be sure  [big grin]

Peter Galbert’s Book on Chairmaking

This looks real good, I am looking forward to it. I think Mr. Galberts blog and videos are very excellent, I have learned a lot from him about woodworking in general.
Tim