Custom Windsor Benches- contemporary and traditional

I have found a nice niche in the furniture making world with my contemporary Windsor benches or settees.  While both lines that I build are rooted in tradition, my New Waltham line features natural finishes that show off the warm wood of the pieces and has a more modern look.  These work well for someone who loves wood everywhere or just wants a warm accent to contrast furniture or surroundings that are not rich in natural wood.   My Waltham line features, pieces with milk paint finishes and hand carved details that give a more traditional look while not screaming "fife and drum".  These pieces also have a warmth that is a nice contrast to an ultra modern decor while blending with a more rustic or period surrounding.  More of my benches and settees can be found at my website. TimothyClark.com 

5' Waltham Bench with thin crest rail

cherry highlights are seen at edges of the rail with a
rubbed out finish

the carved "gutter" detail is part of my
painted  Waltham line.

When I paint a piece, I ask the customer if they want more or less "wear through" of the paint.  As the paint is rubbed out there is sometimes a small bit of rub through.  My favorite look is to rub through a bit more at high contact edges. This adds highlights that define the lines of the piece. You can ask for more or less of this.The bench below is a 3' version of my Waltham bench with the traditional crest rail.    This rail  results in the most traditional look of my designs. 

This last year, I added a bench with an arm rail to my Waltham line.  This design is based on my Waltham Arm chair.  If a bench is to be used at a table, I suggest a bench without an arm rail but this design works well in a hall or a spot where the sitter does not need to slide in from the side.  

The arm rail passes behind the back spindles as in all of my arm chair designs.  This is my "Floating Back" design.

Enjoy the snow,

Tim

Windsor Benches Going Like Hot Cakes

Each year, I seem to have flurries of order activity of certain items. One year, I have a string of beds to do, then a few dining tables in a row or a number of case pieces. Some years, all I do it make chairs.   This year has been the year of the Waltham Bench.  I have been doing these one after the other in different finishes, colors and sizes.  Dare I say, "trend"? We'll see.

I do like making these and while the 5' bench is the one that I make most, I have made it in 6', 4 1/2'. 5 1/2', 3', 3.5' and I am in the process of making a 4' version of this bench.  I make it with a more traditional tall crest rail but the thin rail has been the most asked for lately.  Even though the thin rail has a more modern look, it is still a very traditional form.   Stay tuned for one with arms.  I have a new order for 4 of them.

Here are a few pics of recent benches.

photo by a PA client

6' Waltham Bench in Federal Blue- see Park Hyatt pic below

The federal blue 6' Waltham Bench can be seen at the Park Hyatt in Washington DC.  This color can look a bit gray blue in some light or electric vibrant blue in other light. The bench and three custom low back chairs are off to the left.

pic from park hyatt photographer

Enjoy the wet weather,

Tim

The 28 Leg Windsor Bench Odyssey

I delivered this bench to the NYC restaurant Rouge Tomate in Chelsea this last summer and much of the previous six months were taken up with its creation.  It was a very challenging project on many levels. The main challenges were physical because of its sheer size, and technical for figuring out the corners and to make the four sections function as separate pieces as well as working as one.  My back took weeks to get to normal after straining it day after day of moving the sections around my small shop.  

I started referring to it as the "28 leg windsor bench" as it was a bit difficult to otherwise describe. It is 25' 10" long and at both ends it takes a right angle turn to extend 54" from the back (of the long section)  to the end of the arm rail.

This shows one of the corner sections with the bench unassembled.

Below are a bunch of shots taken during the building process.  The order in which the parts are made is critical in a project like this since all of the parts need to end up working like a huge whole unit. There are no guides for how to do a project like this.  As far as I know, this has not been done before, so I was making it up as I went along. The challenge of making it work as a single unit is that I was never able to assemble the whole bench until I installed it in the client's restaurant.

parts for the corner sections

corner getting lined up for making the permanent corner joint

shaping the joined corner with hand
and power tools

lining up the two straight center sections

this is 1/2 of the total base.
one corner and one straight section

never a good way to work on the corner sections and notice the other two sections down the right. they are always in the way.

my daily game of large format Tetris.
they just didn't mesh together nicely

rails were created in sections.
this one of the four 90 degree corners being glued up

rail sections after glue up

crest rail corner reader to be
mated to straight sections

scarf joint of corner to straight section

Curly Maple Trestle Table with Painted Base and a New Cod Rib Rocker

Last week I finally delivered this table to a very nice couple in Vermont.  Many think that I would do a lot of work for people in Vermont but usually my local work amounts to one order per year.

I was very happy to receive this note a few days after the delivery.

"A note to let you know how much we appreciate the beautiful craftsmanship and finished result of the tiger maple trestle table.  The words used by our guests were’ stunning’ and they reflect our own sentiments.  You surprised our expectations!"

A tiger maple key to match the top.

Below is a new Cod Rib Rocker with the added detail of the carved gutter around the base of the spindles.  A while back, the same client in California requested the gutter detail on some New Waltham Side chairs.  I usually only put the gutter on my painted chairs but I think it looks nice.

Don't be afraid to suggest detail additions or modifications.  Many times the results are great.

The garden is doing great after all of the rain that we had.

Enjoy the rest of July.

Tim

Trestle Table w/ Round Ends All Finished

I finally finished this table, photographed it, and it is now in it's new home.  I received a call from the client when the table arrived and they were very happy with how it came out. I love those calls.  I am looking forward to seeing pictures of it in place.

On to the next projects.

I have made a lot of progress on a pencil post bed, but am waiting for some custom hardware that I need before I can finish it.

In the meantime, I have started the next Trestle Table that will have a rectangle top and a painted base, a Cod Rib Rocker, a 5 1/2' Waltham Bench, and a set of Waltham Chairs.

size- 40" wide, 74" long, 30" tallTrestle Table w/ Round Ends

Cherry Trestle Bench

A client asked for a trestle bench to go with my Trestle Dining Table.   It was impossible to scale the trestle structure down exactly as it would be much too weak but I was able to incorporate many of the  details that the table has.   The edge treatment for the top and base is the same as that of table.    The bench needs to be very strong as it is under more stress than a table with perhaps more than 300lbs of leaning, shifting, scooting humans at each meal.    The backless design also works well as sitters can climb in and out from the back without  the need to scoot the whole bench out.  

My exposed bed bolt design makes for a very sturdy trestle to beam joint.  The joint also has a glued mortice and tenon. 

The trestles are constructed with wedged, through tenons top and bottom. Very strong.

Steel hold down clips keep the top attached to the base.  I had  these made by Rob Grant, a local machinist who has helped my out in the past with other metal work needs.  

Robert Grant or Orwell, Vermont made the hold down hardware for me.  He works fast and delivers them in a nice little wooden box.

Everything in place. 

Busy Spring- Trestle Table and Many Windsor Chairs

Lots of things going on in the shop these days.

I am building one of my Trestle Tables w/ Leaves as well as around 20 chairs for a few different orders.

checking the surface during the process of hand planing the table top

My brother, Steve,  has been helping me out a bit lately with the work load. Thanks Steve.

all of the parts of the trestle table get a hand planed edge treatment. Just one of the details that set it apart from a  factory made table.

trestle through tenon joint ready for wedging

trestle clamped glues and wedged, (upside down) leaning against the table top

post and base of trestle

roughed out parts before shaping.

Below are a couple of shots of my new project boat. I have had plans to build one of these for 10 years but this one became available at a good price.  The name is Siri and it was built in Africa in 1981.  That's when I graduated from high school.  

It is hard to believe that we were in a deep freeze not long ago.

Enjoy the new weather.

Tim