greenwoodworking

Splitting out a slat	John shaving a billet for a back post	Riving using a splitting break

My name is John Alexander. I have practiced greenwoodworking for 30 years. I wrote one of the first books on the subject, Make a Chair from a Tree: An Introduction to Working Green Wood. The book has been a part of and, hopefully, contributed to the growing interest in the practice of traditional crafts. The book title itself ultimately led to coining the word "greenwoodworking". The book, first published in 1978 by Taunton Press, is now out of print. If you are looking for a copy, the Enlarged Edition, published by Astragal Press is suggested.  My 1999 video of the same name replaces the book. A number of my articles on greenwoodworking subjects are available on this web site.
     I taught classes for 25 years. I thank all my students and teaching assistants for their friendship, challenge, spirit and ideas. I no longer teach; I am redirecting my efforts to research and writing. I will continue to be available for speaking and demonstrations. I welcome letters, e-mail and phone calls about greenwoodworking.
I am presently writing a book entitled Make a Stool from a Tree, An Illustrated Introduction to Seventeenth Century-New England Joinery. Its availability will be announced on this site.
I am continuing my study of traditional chair making and 17th- century joinery. I plan to study the differences and similarities in the construction of traditional post and rung chairs and Windsor chairs.
     I recently made a request for busted chair parts. The information that can be obtained from them is of incalculable benefit. I want to extend my request to post and rung chairs, Windsor chairs and 17th-century joinery. Please review the detailed Research Request on this site.
Greenwoodworking includes a number of traditional hand tool crafts in which wood is rived not sawn from the log. Rived, straight-grained hardwoods that still contain substantial moisture are much easier to work than kiln dried wood. There is no need to rely upon power tools. Maul, wedge, froe, hatchet, drawknife, spokeshave, plane, chisel and gouge are the tools of choice.  
         It is my contention that traditional chair making, both post and rung and Windsor, as well as seventeenth-century joinery were what I have come to call greenwoodworking crafts. Wood for the most part was extracted by riving when the wood was still saturated with water. Chairs were assembled using wet/dry joints in which mortised wood contained moisture slightly elevated above and the tenons below equilibrium moisture content. Many successful chairs were made without the use of glue or fasteners.     In 17th-century New England joinery oak was the wood of choice. Wood was rived from green wood and fabricated into parts while still saturated with water. Drawbored rectilinear mortises and tenons held joint furniture together even though the rails and stiles still contained some moisture at the time of assembly. The joint was designed to avoid adverse consequences due to the subsequent shrinking of the rails and stiles.

  Post and Rung Chair                  Drawbored Stool

                greenwoodworking's shop in winter                

If you need further information, feel free to write, phone or e-mail us:
greenwoodworking
1406 Light Street
Baltimore, MD  21230
410-685-4375
alexander@greenwoodworking.com

greenwoodworking Home Page	Contact John	Research Request	MACFAT Video	Video Clips
Drawbored M&T Article	End Vice Pole Lathe Article	Riving Article	Shaving Horse Plans	Saw Steel Tapered Reamer Plans
Universal Bit For Chair Making	Peter Follansbee, Joiner Researching Historical Furniture	Peter Follansbee, Joiner Sleuthing the Past

   updated 5/16/07