Mark Hochstein and David Blois each built a 3-Slat Post & Rung Side Chair in 2012. This six-part blog series follows them day-by-day as they learn to build the chair.

Read the first post…

Lee bassett | Post & Rung side Chair

Like you, I read the testimonials posted on this page before I enrolled in his Boggs Post and Rung Chair class. Having now taken the class, I reread those postings and found that my experience closely matched those of previous students. The week was great fun and the results were very gratifying.

Rather than restate what appears to be a common, and very positive experience, I’d like to offer a few thoughts from an educator’s perspective. I am a retired teacher and school administrator and can’t help examining each of my own learning experiences through that lens. Here are the components that I am pretty sure make for effective teaching: 1) a genuine appreciation for that which is being taught; 2) a sensitivity to the readiness to learn of the students being taught; 3) a mastery of the subject being taught; 4) an understanding of how complex tasks can be broken down to a series of understandable sub tasks; 5) thorough preparation in advance of instruction; 6) creation or use of clear instructional materials; 7) orderly sequencing of instruction; 8) creation of opportunities for student exploration and mastery of new concepts and skills; 9) monitoring and adjusting instruction based on observed student progress and comments; and 10) creating an atmosphere where learning is pleasurable. There are undoubtedly other factors but I’d like to expand on these in light of my experience in Strasburg.

Appreciation of Boggs’ Chairs
I didn’t fly across the country to take this class because I had an indifferent attitude to Boggs’ chairs. I love the designs! When I sat down with Jeff on the day prior to the class, it was apparent that we shared that appreciation. Surrounded by a half a dozen of Brian’s chair designs we talked about the various details, why they worked and are pleasing, and how they evolved. His knowledge and respect for his subject matter was apparent throughout the following seven days of instruction.

Understanding Student Readiness to Learn
In any class situation, students arrive with varying levels of readiness. Although my classmate, Dave, and I seemed to be in the same universe of readiness, he had considerably more experience in chair making. Jeff was sensitive to this difference and was able to make accommodations that kept us moving at pretty much the same pace. This was impressive because we were making similar but different chairs (side chair and arm chair). Jeff asked questions of us which probed our understanding and then provided additional individual support as required.

Mastery of Subject Matter
Jeff understands chair making in general and the Boggs’ ladder backs in particular. From aesthetics, to engineering principals, to material properties, to production processes, Jeff demonstrated the expertise that gives his instruction authority and us, as his students, complete confidence that we can and will be able to recreate a Boggs chair in seven days.

Breaking Down the Complex to the Understandable
I’m sure that you are well aware that behind that elegant simplicity of design, creating a Boggs chair is really rather a complex process. Those beautiful flowing lines don’t just happen but are the result of knowing the properties of wood, the processes of bending and shaping it, and the ability to create exceptional and uniquely angled joints that hold the light weight components together. It is really quite marvelous to ponder and a bit intimidating. Jeff breaks it all down in a way that is understandable, doable, and repeatable. His manual is both detailed and clear. Instruction progresses in a logical manner. The content is comprehensive.

Preparation
Jeff was well prepared for each step in this class. The stock was rough milled, bending had been done by a previous class (as we did for a subsequent one), and the needed jigs were waiting for us at each step of the way. Our comprehensive manuals were always available as a reminder of the instruction we received. Because Jeff communicates so well in advance of the class, we were prepared with appropriate tools. It was a pleasure to explore more specialized tools that Jeff had available for our use.

Clear Instructional Materials
Jeff has created the most wonderful instructional manuals for the Boggs’ chairs. They provide both a narrative and graphical explanation of each step. As I look back on my notes taken during class, I can see that most of them are already covered in the manual. In addition to the manual and clear instruction, Jeff has and continues to create a blog that provides rich detail into the process. I particularly appreciated the opportunity to learn not only how to do each step but the theory behind those steps. This fostered a deeper understanding and the ability to generalize in the future.

Orderly Sequencing of Instruction
Some things are obvious in the order in which they are done, others less so. Jeff has taught this class long enough to understand how to sequence student practice and work. An example which seemed to work particularly well involved the draw knife and spoke shave. Some students like myself come to this class with minimal, if any, experience with these tools and yet their use is essential. Jeff has students progress from simple chamfering of a practice leg blank to refining those chamfers to approximate rounds (and tapered rounds) to shaping of the front legs, to shaping the more complex back legs and chair arms. I found that I was building skill and confidence at each step of the process.

Mastery of New Skills
It would be an overstatement to suggest that I mastered these skills but I was able to produce an acceptable product and did develop the confidence to believe that I have a grasp of the basics. This, I think, is reasonable progress for a week long course. Developing competence and confidence in a student is part science and part art. The science part involves the set-up, sequence, and opportunity for practice. As noted above, Jeff has refined these elements. He is also a disciplined teacher who carefully observes his students’ progress, allows for exploration of technique, and corrects incorrect technique before frustration sets in. This, I think, is the “art” part. I was exhilarated at the end of each day with the knowledge that I could now do that which was new to me at the start of class.

Monitoring and Adjusting Instruction
Jeff knows how to move a class along. As noted above, he pays attention to his students’ work and progress toward skill development. At the same time, he knows what has to happen for a novice to finish a chair in seven days. He is quite skilled at finding the right balance between the need to linger on a task or skill development and the need to move on. Where necessary, Jeff expedites the process by helping with a troublesome detail or creating multiple parts such as the chair rungs. When we became tired at the end of several long days, rather than risk errors that would later be difficult to correct, Jeff suggested we call it a day and resume a little earlier the next day. Good teachers learn from their students. On several occasions over the course of the week, Jeff shared that his approach had changed based on observations of students and their suggestions for improvements.

Pleasurable Learning Experience
At the end of the day, you want to be able to say: “I’m really glad I am doing this!” That is the way I felt as I drove away each evening after class. How Jeff took me to that state each day is, I suppose, the result of all of the above plus communicating the sense that what I was learning was significant.

Todd Rhoades | Post & Rung Side CHAIR

Several years ago, I learned about the chair making classes offered by Jeff Lefkowitz and waited for an opportunity to sign up for one. Just a couple of weeks ago, I finished the class and came home with a beautiful new chair. I’d like to share something about my experience:

As I approached Jeff’s shop on the first day of his side chair class, he shook my hand, smiled and looked me up and down before bluntly asking how tall I was. I replied that I was 6 foot, 6 inches tall and he exclaimed that I was the tallest person to ever take the class and I should watch my head when passing through the wood shop because there a few low door headers. Yes, there were a few low beams which I avoided during the week, but the wood shop is perfect in size for three students and is very pleasant with an abundance of natural light filtering through the windows and skylights that surround the space.

Work began on our chairs and on day one I was faced with the challenge of routing back leg mortises with the jig mounted to a normal height workbench — for most people. (My personal workbench at home is a good 8” higher than normal.) After my first practice mortise, Jeff said it was important to keep the router flat as I had a tendency to rock the router because I was awkwardly leaning over the workpiece. Luckily, after shifting my stance and splaying my legs like a praying mantis, I successfully routed my mortises. Jeff posted a picture of my stance on Instagram that evening and I received several sympathetic comments about my sore back.

When I arrived at the shop the following morning, Jeff had constructed and set up a 12 inch high platform that I could clamp onto his workbench to get my work up to reasonable height for my body. I was so appreciative of Jeff’s thoughtful gesture which is a testament to his desire to make everyone’s experience meaningful as well as comfortable.

Jeff is an excellent teacher who is very thorough in his explanations about the theory and technique of chair construction. Each step of the process was discussed in detail and I appreciated how he talked about the why and how of making this chair. He also is a perfectionist and like all good craftsmen, he admires tight joints, properly shaved curved surfaces, crisp edges and beautiful design.

I primarily took the course to learn more about chair construction and using hand tools. The experience provided me with many new skills which I’m eager to put to use as I plan to make matching chairs in my shop at home, then move on to try some pieces of my own design. I highly recommend this course to other woodworkers who want to learn from a great teacher and build an elegant chair.  

Clyde Rogers | Arm Chair

I just completed a busy, educational, and fun week building a post and rung arm chair in Jeff’s class. This note is not an exhaustive description of the class; instead, it’s a few words about some things that stood out to me.

Jeff’s technique demonstrations are excellent. For instance, he showed us how to cut a facet on a leg slowly, clearly showing how a drawknife works in different orientations, and how to use a spokeshave efficiently. He showed us exactly the results we should work towards, and the different ways each tool can be used to handle tricky grain. He then cut another facet at his full working speed, demonstrating how well and quickly this work can be done with increasing skill.

Topics like selecting wood for different chair parts are less demonstration and more presentation. Jeff’s presentations are simple, clear and complete. When asked a question, the answers are well-considered and organized. Application of the concepts presented generally follows directly. Jeff is a great teacher, never confusing or complicating, always explaining and simplifying.

I was continually impressed with Jeff’s level of preparation for each and every aspect of the class. The schedule is very well organized, breaking up work sessions with demonstrations and presentations, and ensuring that chairs can be completed by the end of class. Tools, jigs, and needed workspace are available for each student, so there is little contention for any item and little need to avoid another student’s space. Illustrated checklists ensure that jig sets are complete. This class clearly does not require students to bring any supplies, Jeff has everything you will need. I never felt like I had to wait for him to find an item, or like any needed part or supply was missing. I can’t help but be impressed with this level of preparation and attention to detail.

Jeff’s manuals deserve a special mention. The manuals are thorough and complete, and detailed enough that we students could focus on observing demonstrations and developing skills instead of taking notes. The manuals also show off his expertise as a graphic designer, being full of clear line-drawn graphics that eliminate distracting backgrounds, highlighting the essential elements of a chair part or tool technique.

I also have to mention that I was in Jeff’s first three-student class. If Jeff hadn’t told us, I would’ve assumed the class was always done this way. I felt like I got all the personal attention I needed. When the chance to employ a technique was limited, Jeff divided the work into small tasks that rotated among the students. For instance, when bending legs, one student did clamping, while another seated the leg and did the actual bend. The students then switched tasks for the next bend. Nobody was left out of any part of the chairmaking process. Jeff definitely did not “wing it” when adding another student to his class. He was fully prepared for the change, and made sure it had no negative impact on the class experience.

To top it all off, Jeff is a calm, considerate, and genuinely nice person. He is aware of his student’s temperament, providing attention when needed, but also allowing students to work uninterrupted for reasonable times. He clearly loves teaching this class, and was as excited as we students looking at our completed chairs.

Thanks, Jeff, for such a great chairmaking experience. Your class has my highest recommendation!

Allan Steinert | Arm Chair

I am a hobbyist woodworker. I have been working with wood for around 30 years and have built quite a few pieces of furniture, mostly mission style. I am self taught and this was the first woodworking class that I have taken. Boy, I wish I had taken this class 25 years ago.

In Jeff’s class I built the 3-Slat Ladderback Arm chair. My class included two other woodworkers — a gentleman who has taken multiple classes and does woodworking for a living, and another hobbyist woodworker taking his first class. Jeff was able to tailor his instruction to fit our various skill levels. He helped all of us to do our best work and each of us went home with a beautiful chair.

Most of my previous work has been done with machines and I had never used a spokeshave, drawknife or card scraper. Jeff started the class by showing us an excellent way to sharpen each tool and then we began to use those tools to develop our skills on practice parts. That was one of the keys to Jeff’s instruction. For pretty much every new skill Jeff introduced us to, he first demonstrated and provided us time to practice before applying it to our own chair. This provided time for Jeff to watch and help each of us improve our techniques.

Jeff has a nice shop and each of us had ample tools and room to work independently. And Jeff has jigs and forms that make the entire chair building process possible.

This is an intense week of instruction and learning. By day three, I was wondering if I would ever be able to build a chair on my own. By day seven I had much more confidence, however I’m sure it will take me longer than seven days in my home shop. I must say that the seven days went by faster than I could have imagined.

The other item that Jeff’s class provides is a very professionally done class manual with all the steps required to complete the chair illustrated and described in detail. The manual along with Jeff’s excellent blog posts make me confident that I can reproduce the work I did Jeff’s class. I strongly recommend Jeff’s class to any woodworker regardless of your skill level.

One last comment, when I first signed up for the class I intended only to purchase the jig and form templates and build them at home. I changed my mind right before the class and decided to buy the jigs and bending forms from Jeff. He was able to provide me with a complete set. These jigs are very well done and I highly recommend them — that way you can spend your time building your next chair, instead of trying to create the jigs.

Dane Gamble | arm Chair

It’s been a little over a week since I completed the Brian Boggs designed 3-Slat Arm Chair Class taught by Jeff Lefkowitz. I had and still have full intentions of building a set of six side chairs and one additional arm chair. Prior to the class I purchased the white oak boards necessary for building these chairs and started receiving the coaching I needed from Jeff to insure I was handling the drying process correctly.

When I arrived for class I felt like I already knew Jeff and felt immediately comfortable in his shop. I was amazed to be taking a class that was limited to just three students. All of the woodworking classes I have taken in the past, usually involved 8 to 10 students and you never got the type of personal attention Jeff provides. Each and every step of the arm chair build was explained in detail, including important concepts such as the role grain orientation plays in a successfully built chair. As we learned new techniques, we were always provided an opportunity to practice. I never felt like my chair parts were at risk due to my inexperience with a particular step in the process. Confidence was gained through practice.

And in the end, I was thoroughly pleased with the white oak arm chair I was able to take home. But the coaching didn’t end there. I still needed to lightly sand and finish the chair when I got home and Jeff provided continuing support through the finishing process. Although I am getting ready to start prepping the wood for the remaining white oak chairs in my set, I am looking forward to returning to Jeff’s shop this fall to learn how to build a rocking chair — in walnut this time.

Bob Simmons | Post & Rung Side Chair

Jeff,

I am sitting here a couple of hours after leaving your place with a completed 3-slat post & rung side chair in the style of Brian Boggs. Thank you very much for making this happen over the last 7 days. This experience amounts to the 5th chairmaking (ladderback, Windsor, and Welsh stick) class that I have completed in the last 7 years. Hands down it was the most organized, methodical and effective. Your teaching style is extremely effective. For every task we had a discussion and overview, you performed the activity and then I performed the activity with you watching and providing feedback and coaching.

When I had a question you were always there to respond and help me determine the cause of my problem. You had a schedule which we needed to adhere to but you never pushed me to accomplish at the risk of compromising quality. I am extremely pleased with the product of this week’s efforts, my learnings and skill acquisitions, and of having had the opportunity to work with, and learn from, you. I am confident that I will be able to return home and make additional chairs; especially since I leave with a full set of jigs for making the chair.

I want to thank you for opening your shop, and home, to me and providing me with such a positive experience.

Geert van der Donk | Post & Rung Side Chair

Since 2008 I’ve had the desire to make a Brian Boggs chair. In that year I had the unforgettable experience to sit in a Boggs Classic side chair. The unsurpassed comfort is the real secret of that chair—in fact of all Boggs’ chairs, as I felt later.

In 2014 the golden opportunity was there: Brian would visit Europe (close enough to my home in The Netherlands) and teach the making of his Greenwood side chair. Unfortunately that class was cancelled. Disappointedly I contacted Brian to ask him whether he would be willing to sell me the manual for the course. But Brian had a much better idea, and he kindly referred me to Jeff Lefkowitz’ classes. Brian added: ‘I would also like to recommend Jeff’s blog on ladderback chairmaking. It is getting fantastic reviews and is the most comprehensive ladderback blog I know of’.

Reading all the posts of Jeff’s blog, I realized it would be difficult to build the chair and the jigs all by myself, having no measures nor drawings. Later on my intensive study of the blog appeared an advantage, because I already knew the terminology and technical woodworking jargon the English language has. And Jeff’s Dutch isn’t very good.

Finally, after some thinking and browsing for cheap tickets, I decided to pursue my dream and took Jeff’s class. It was very intensive, and very good. All the stages of the building process are explained AND executed. While building your own chair, Jeff will show you your mistakes and failures. He prevents you from making big mistakes by using the blue tape as a warning. He teaches and refines your skills with hand tools and machines. He makes you feel proud by stating ‘Wow, you guys are really doing very well’. Also my Canadian co-student, gifted with the same sense of humor I have, added to the positive and relaxed atmosphere we had that week. We had a lot of fun.

I would highly recommend Jeff’s class to anyone who wants to learn how to build serious chairs in a serious manner. If English is not your native tongue, I would advise you to prepare well, by reading Jeff’s blog. But do not panic if you miss some information in class: Jeff has made a crystal clear manual, with superb images. After the seven day class you will be able to make a second chair all by yourself in your home shop, have a lot of nifty jigs, loads of knowledge and ideas, all measures and drawings, and a great experience to remember.

Geert is pictured above with a greenwood side chair that needed a hickory bark. Since he took his own chair back to The Netherlands unassembled (for easy and inexpensive transport) weaving this seat gave him the experience he’ll need to weave his own seat in his home shop.

Mike Friedel | post & Rung Side Chair

So how do you do something that is very satisfying, intellectually stimulating, mentally challenging, extremely enjoyable and provides you with a sense of accomplishment and pride? Take this class, period. Best money I have spent that I can remember.

I have taken previous woodworking classes. I even built a continuous arm Windsor chair (though is was largely pre-fabricated). This class was much, much better. From understanding the theory of wood selection, starting with a slab of wood and walking away with a completed Brian Boggs designed ladderback chair in a weeks time is unbelievable. Jeff is a very patient and skilled trainer/ educator/ craftsman. The class manual is a work of art and the ability to practice some of the more complex activities before you execute them on your chair was a huge bonus. Building a quality chair is full of math and angles…and Jeff teaches you and walks you through the theory and the math…and then shows you how he has made it very easy.

I can’t wait to go back and build the rocker.

Thanks Jeff for a great week.

Aivars Krasts | Post & Rung Side Chair

The Boggs chairmaking class is the culmination of an idea that I have had for many years and have now finally been able to realize.

Jeff Lefkowitz skillfully guided me to using hand tools in a manner that I had mostly only read about. And my readings have been long and varied over the years. I remember reading about a young Brian Boggs making post and rungs in his kitchen with only a draw knife. And I have watched the changes (via literature and DVDs) of his chair designs and the jigs being used. I even bought one of the original Boggs concave spokeshaves, that I have never used. I traded it to Jeff for an updated, modern version manufactured by Lie-Nielson. I felt it was better served in Jeff’s possession, since he is spreading the Boggs’ legacy.

Jeff’s shop is a joy to be in with so much light and a very comfortable setting. I am considering a light tube for my shop, and I did look around to see what ideas I could steal (borrow) for my shop. His class was highly organized, with a manual, but at the same time he allowed me the time to learn and perfect my hand tool woodworking skills … at a comfortable pace and with a high degree of proficiency. The class has given me new ideas and aspirations/inspirations.

I have many hand tools, most of which have never/slightly been used, but the actual wood working time is very limited. And I initially had second thoughts about the class, as it might be too much for me (almost 70 years old), but after the first hour, under Jeff’s tutelage I started imagining … that I just might make a chair. And I did make an exquisite ladderback in walnut. Every day I say good morning to the chair with a cup of coffee in my hand. My sons insist that I make more, as it is so beautiful visually and ergonomically satisfying.

My plan is to do just that, but first next year I’d like to take a rocking chair class with Jeff.

Bruce Rickmyer | Post & Rung Side Chair

I had a very good week with Jeff Lefkowitz learning how to build the Boggs 3-Slat Post & Rung Side Chair and came home with a nice red oak chair. Jeff was very friendly and he “encouraged” me to do my very best. He was always pushing my comfort zone saying I “highly recommend” that you work on this a little more. It’s nice to have a teacher that can push you to expand your comfort zone and give you the confidence to risk trying something you’ve never done. He was also there when it didn’t go as well as I hoped and then showed me how to repair my “oops” moments.

Every time I see my chair I think of all the work that went into it and how many new techniques I learned that week. Each morning before class I would be wondering how I would do and if I would make a mistake and ruin all my prior work, but Jeff always got me through and I’d leave the shop impressed with how I did. The class was the most enjoyable week I have spent at any woodworking class I’ve taken.

Jeff and his wife made our week very comfortable allowing us to use their kitchen table and try out Jeff’s “everyday” hand built chairs for our lunch seating. I now have a very fine piece of furniture that will be in my family for many years. I smile every time I sit in it. I am also looking forward to attending the Classic Rocking Chair class in the future.

Jim Thomas | Rocking Chair

I recently completed a Brian Boggs designed 6-Slat Ladder Back Rocking Chair with Jeff at his shop. As usual, the build and week went by like a blur and the result was a wonderfully crafted chair that I had wanted to build for quite a while. For those of you who have built, or plan to build, a side chair or arm chair with Jeff you should seriously consider the rocker as a natural follow up. Many of the techniques are the same, and this familiarity allows you to concentrate on the build rather than learning techniques from scratch.

Jeff is always well prepared and students receive a carefully conceived and detailed 3-ring binder with all the details and steps laid out in sequence. A real plus from these courses is that if you want, you can also build the bending forms and mortising jigs for your own use after the class. While I consider myself an experienced woodworker I often find myself starting to make mistakes in the rush to complete one step along the way. Jeff’s attention and gentle corrections always ensure that I don’t make a fatal mistake. In my previous side chair class I brought all my own tools. However, during this visit I flew in so ended up using Jeff’s shop tools — a real plus if you are traveling light.

A veteran of several chair classes and woodworking courses I would rank Jeff’s offerings at the top of the list. Personal instruction, a quaint location in a nice historical setting, and an instructor with a wealth of information and explanations that cannot help but increase your skill and precision in woodworking are the major draws for potential students. I recommend Jeff’s classes to anyone considering the side chair, arm chair, rocker, or other builds of interest. You won’t be disappointed and you will complete your time with a finely crafted piece of furniture and an increased skill set.

David Blois | Post & Rung Side Chair

Having completed the class Building a Boggs 3-Slat Post & Rung Side Chair, taught by Jeff Lefkowitz, I feel that I accomplished a number of things:

Understanding of chair construction: The ladder back side chair is one of the most complex pieces of furniture I have made — complex because there are few square joints — everything is a trapezoid! Jeff showed us how to break these trapezoids down using “rise-and-run” measurements. This greatly simplified the process and allowed us to cut mortises without worrying about specific or exact angles. The jigs derived from these measurements took care of making accurate mortises. I now have a set of jigs and an instruction manual and feel comfortable building chairs in my home shop.

Learn new skills and complete the chair in seven days: Never having used a drawknife or spokeshave, it was a new experience to use these hand tools to take a square (and curved) blank to a round tapered leg. Jeff led us through a practice leg with a series of individual steps which, again, simplified it into a controlled and manageable process resulting in a beautiful round chair leg. Using the jigs and understanding how the rise-and-run measurements were used to construct them helped visualize the whole process. I will certainly use this way of looking at things in my non-chair furniture making. Jeff had the seven days planned out so I could work at a constant, but comfortable pace and was able to complete the chair.

A chair to be proud of: Throughout the process, Jeff was there to provide gentle advice, from how to hold a spoke shave to when a piece was “flat enough” or needed more work. He was also there to help remedy the inevitable when things didn’t go exactly as planned, e.g., unexpected grain tear-out. His experience and understanding of where things can be flexible and where they can’t really helped. I felt throughout that there was a shared goal of making a chair we both could be proud of — mission accomplished!

It was one of my most enjoyable weeks of woodworking — Jeff was a great teacher, I learned new skills and I have a beautiful new chair.

Paul Losik | Post & Rung Side Chair

I’ve always loved the simple lines and elegant curves of ladderback chairs. On a recent trip to the two Shaker communities in Kentucky I finally got the opportunity to examine them in person, not just on paper. When I sat down in many of them, I was amazed at just how uncomfortable they were. There was a vast disconnect from what they looked like (and what I wanted them to feel like) to what they actually felt like. It almost seemed like a kind of penance to sit in them for long periods of time.

Woodworkers have said over the years that Shaker furniture embodies the principle form follows function, but experiencing the Shaker ladderbacks first hand made me question that. Isn’t a key element in a chair to be seated in comfort? Isn’t that an inherent part of its function? If so, did they really succeed then? Five minutes of sit-and-squirm discomfort in a Shaker ladderback forced me to say no.

When I saw Brian’s innovative improvements and read reviews of his chairs, I knew I wanted to rekindle my interest in ladderbacks. Brian succeeded where the Shakers had failed: he combines beautiful form with amazing comfort. Now form really does follow function.
And when I found out there were courses being offered by Jeff to build them, I couldn’t say no, even though the task seemed daunting to a rookie such as myself.

Jeff walked me through the whole process, step by step. He is a gifted teacher who has both an encyclopedic knowledge of the process as well as the rare ability to explain it in a clear, logical manner.

I wholeheartedly agree with what other reviewers have said about his style and gracious personality, adding only a couple things. First, you will leave a better woodworker than when you arrived. Jeff showed me, for example, how to get my tenons to the exact specs required and graciously challenged me to do so without compromising. I needed that challenge to raise my skill level, and so do you.

Second, Jeff helped enormously with all kinds of jigs to make my post-class chairs a reality. I’ve not met many instructors who worked this hard with such personalized instruction and service. Amazing.

Jim Thomas | Post & Rung Side Chair

After much discussion about scheduling I took Jeff’s class in March. Jeff had roughed out all the parts, and bent the rear legs and slats prior to my arrival (we bent rear legs and slats for a subsequent student in order to learn the process). This allowed us to concentrate on completing the chair within the allotted class time. Jeff’s approach was well organized and clearly presented. As a graphic artist the manual he created for the class is a wealth of information. For me, one of the big advantages of the course was to leave with a set of jigs and forms to build the ladder back chair at home. Jeff’s approach is casual while well informed. He is a wealth of information and was always willing to discuss other approaches and share his vast experience in chair making. I had initially wanted to build the ladder back rocker but Jeff convinced me to start with the side chair. In hindsight this was a good decision. It allowed us to focus on the specifics of ladder back construction, shaping parts and fitting, and construction techniques. I will return soon to build the rocker as I am now familiar with the process.

An added bonus was the March blizzard that snowed us in for two days. We never lost power and pushed through our projects. Due to the weather and roads Jeff invited me to stay with him and his lovely wife for two days. It was nice to relax around the table and talk woodworking and chairs in our leisure moments.

If you are interested in learning how to build ladderback chairs I can give Jeff’s operation the highest kudos. The shop, setting, and surrounding countryside are a perfect setting in which to pursue your wish to build a Boggs designed chair.

John Zicker | Rocking Chair

This year I finally accomplished a goal that I have had for the last ten years. I took a greenwood ladder back chairmaking class with Brian and have dreamed of building a Boggs style rocking chair ever since. Needless to say, ten years passed while life rolled along. Whenever I had the time and funds to take the class, it was not being offered, so Brian referred me to Jeff Lefkowitz who is now giving classes at his shop in Virginia. At first I was a little concerned that I wasn’t taking the class from Brian but after attending the class I can only give the highest recommendation possible to taking a chairmaking class from Jeff.

By the end of the class, I had a rocker that was assembled except for mounting the runners, sanding, and finishing. Jeff did a great job of crating and shipping me the chair after I returned home. I was relieved to find out that I didn’t need to bring any tools since my travel involved a lengthy flight. Jeff has a well-equipped chair making shop that gave me a chance to experience some very nice, high end hand tools. There are reasonable cost hotels in the area and plenty of options for dining. I did go to the local grocery store and buy food for lunches, so that I didn’t have to run into town every day.

As I thought about my class with Jeff and writing this post I wanted to pick the top three things that I enjoyed or learned in the class. This was difficult to do as there were so many great things to learn from him. To start I’ll say that Jeff’s preparation for the class was first rate. He did a great job of preparing specific chair parts ahead of time to allow the chair to be completed in seven days. He also had a well thought out and complete manual which let me focus on the experience rather than note taking. Second, Jeff has an abundance of tips and techniques gathered from his experience in teaching other students. They may seem like small details, but they have a big impact on the quality of the final chair. (For example, ask Jeff about his method for taking a leg from square to round). Finally, Jeff’s classes are designed for a small number of students. The personal attention is extremely helpful as your progress is tailored to your current expertise and abilities. I found that I sailed through some operations like shaping the rear legs but needed a good deal of instruction and practice carving the bottom of the legs where they join with the runners.

The biggest challenge of this class for me was that it can be a bit exhausting. Not from a physical perspective but from a mental one. As a hobbyist woodworker, I almost never get to spend 8 hours a day in the shop. Keeping up the mental focus and attention to detail for 8 hours a day, seven days in a row was a challenge. (Thanks for the awesome afternoon coffee Jeff!). I thought I would be heading out to explore the area but found myself going for a short walk and then relaxing the rest of the evening.

If you can carve out the time, I highly recommend you spend a week with Jeff building a chair. Not only will you learn practical, useful woodworking techniques, you will come home with a beautiful chair. Everyone that has seen the chair I built can’t believe that I was capable of building such a beautiful piece of furniture.