Chairs
When buying wooden
chairs, you should consider three things:
- Wood
characteristics - strength and hardness.
- Construction
and assembly
- Reputation
Strength and Hardness: (see US Forest Service tables)
It is not enough to purchase wooden chairs by the name of the
wood as much as wood used especially in imported chairs is named
by its looks not the strength.
For example, Northern Red Oak (breaking strength of 14,000
lbs.), grows slower and stronger and colder climates then
Southern Red Oak (breaking strength of 10,900 lbs.) grows faster
and weaker and warmer climates. However, the strength and
hardness of the wood is meaningless if the wood is not dry
correctly or the joints are not tight.
Construction:
After selecting the hardest wood for chairs, you need to look
for the most supports (structures) between the legs.
However, join construction determines the ultimate integrity of
the chair.
Screw-on front legs, or the nuts are parallel to the attaching
bolts, result in more problems than chairs with all mortise and
tenon joints. In addition, chairs you assemble yourself by
lightly tapping the joints together will not last very long.
Good joints have to be assembled with a hydraulic press or heavy
duty claps using a heavy mallet.
The strength of the joint does not come from the glue itself,
but from the combination of the glue and the swelling of the
joint.
Since the glue makes the joint swell a small amount, a
loose joint would primary resolve from the strength of the glue.
Perhaps, in this case, you might loose 30-50% of the joint
strength.
Chairs--Slovenia and Italian
Beech/European (Know for strength and hardness-widely used in commercial restaurants)
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X-Back |
Ladder Backs |
Country
French |
Tables--German
Beech--manufactured Inster MI (Many sizes, 3 leg and edge styles)
EWF, Chicago, Illinois (Finished and Unfinished)
Chairs--German
Beech/Euro, White Oak/European
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Country French |
Napolean |
Bowback | |
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Country French
Swivel Barstool |
Sheafback |
Country French
X-Back |
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Tables--White
Oak, Canada (2 sizes: 36"x48"x60" with 18"
leaf, 38"x60"x78" with 18" leaf)
Whitewood
Industries, Thomasville, North Carolina (Finished and Unfinished)
Imported Tables,
Chairs and Kitchen Work Center
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Latticeback
19.5"x23"x40" |
Super Kitchen Center with Breakfast Bar
60"x34"x36" High |
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Java Counter Table 52" diameter by 36" high |
Bow End Shaker Leg Table 40"x60"x78" with
18" leaf |
The
Woodhouse Manufacturing, Springfield Illinois (Finished and
Unfinished)
Rectangular
Tables in Limited Sizes to be available soon!
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