Chuck hand carving a chair back

Our Windsor chairs are unique because we build them as they would have been built two hundred years ago. We use four different types of wood in the chair making process. Hickory spindles are very flexible, white oak when steamed bends well and provides structural integrity. Hard maple is used for turnings because it holds crisp edges while providing strength. Poplar or pine provides the seats with their thickness while remaining light weight. We are very committed to detail when building our chairs. All joints are wedged or pinned; the bottoms are jack-planed and some have hand carved scrolls and knuckles. Our crackle and worn paint finishes provide a patina that gives the appearance of texture and age. Traditionally, early Windsors were painted due to the fact that so many different woods went into their construction. Our Windsor chairs, like everything we build are examples of functional artistry. At the Lawrence Crouse Workshop, we do more than build furniture -- we build works of art that increase in value over time. Everything we build at the Lawrence Crouse Workshop is made from solid wood. We do not use particle board or plywood, as these modern materials did not exist in the eighteenth century. Our chests of drawers feature hand cut dovetails and reversed raised panel bottoms.Our pieces are carefully distressed and finished to simulate age and wear. Our full sized tables feature tops in a variety of wood types including Cherry, Pine,Poplar and even Tiger Maple. The individual boards comprising our table tops are tongue and grooved. We do not use any glue in joining our table tops so that the wood can expand and contract naturally with changes in temperature and humidity. Early Stages of a Hand Carved Scroll The joints are prevented from opening up excessively during expansion by installing maple butterflies along the joints on the bottom side of the tables. The aprons are made from solid poplar and are joined to the legs by mortise and tenon joints; then hand carved wooden pins round out the construction, just as they did centuries ago. The aprons are attached to the tops with rusted slotted screws as in days of yore. Master Craftsman Bruce Dorsey Our pine and poplar tops are jack planed by hand.Our tables are then distressed and finished to simulate two hundred years of age and wear (undistressed pieces can also be ordered, as well as other woods.) Only a few furniture makers continue to build furniture utilizing these traditional methods of materials and construction. Making furniture in this manner is labor intensive and requires skilled crafts people. The care and skill of our builders is reflected in everything we make. The result is pieces that you will be proud to own and display in your home; furniture that, like a work of art, increases in value with time. A love of wood and an appreciation for beautiful proportions of fine early furniture in America provided the incentive for me to become a dedicated craftsman of furniture heirlooms of tomorrow. I have passionately pursued this art form for more than three and a half decades. A piece of fine furniture is judged and valued for its attractiveness and strength. A well made piece of furniture will withstand lifetimes of use; the years appreciating its value rather than depreciating it. How two more pieces of wood are joined together influences both the majesty and strength of the finished piece; and hence its value. The merging of wooden parts- (the joinery) - contributes to the eye catching lines and elegant curves of a particular piece. For example, functional artistry demands that the fan-shaped wedges of a dovetail, whether hidden inside the drawer or incorporated into the casework of a piece contribute to its longevity while also enhancing its good looks and value. Paula wedging a chair In using traditional methods of joinery, such as the mortise and tenon joint, I am drawing upon the experience of past craftsmen and using techniques from hundreds of years ago. Traditional methods of joinery have survived down through the ages because they provide the same kind of form and function today as the day they originated. It is hard to improve upon these works, even with the implementation of modern tools and machinery. Joining wood together by these methods requires both time and skill. A poorly fitted joint can destroy the integrity of the entire piece. Building fine recreations of early American furniture requires assiduous attention to detail. Because of this, along with the hurried pace of modern life, the art of fine craftsmanship is rapidly disappearing. Building re-creation furniture the way I do simply cannot be rushed. Time is an essential ingredient in anything of quality. The most important consideration to me in building a piece of furniture is not the issue of the time involved in making it. The issue for me is that of quality and how well a piece will withstand the ravages of time. It is about the merging of form with function. That is why my hand crafted " re-creation" furniture costs more than furniture that is fashioned on an assembly line by lesser skilled workers and using man made materials. If you visit my workshop you will see there is no assembly line. Every piece of furniture and every valued customer receives my personal and undivided attention. Combining old world skills with modern wood working tools can now bring the entire Crouse Workshop line of furniture within the reach of antique and decorator shops across the country. Some of my distinguished clientele include the National Park Service(Historic Furnishings), Smithsonian Institute and a number of private historic societies and collectors. A number of shops across the country carry my furniture. Tony tapering a spindle It requires a practiced eye to recognize the subtle differences between the ordinary and the extraordinary. The more knowledgeable that one is about how a piece of furniture is constructed, the more they will appreciate the quality and level of skill that goes into it. I stake my reputation that you will be pleased with every piece of furniture I make. Sincerely, Lawrence Crouse

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