Tim explained that he chose the Welsh Stick Back Chair because he lives and works in Wales and he prefers the straight unfussy lines of this chair. The rest of this article is presented in Tim's own words.

There are many variations in design to be created using different woods to good effect. This chair can be made from ash, oak, cherry, beech or yew, depending on what you like or can obtain. I have chosen elm for the seat, ash for steam bent components and oak for the sticks, stretchers and legs.

TURNED COMPONENTS

Firstly, you need to find a good source of green wood. Try a firewood merchant, tree surgeon or woodland trust. Selecting the right wood is the key to successful bodging. Choose small diameter logs up to 360mm (14in) diameter, which are straight and knot free. For the legs and stretchers you need a log 480mm (19in) long, for the back sticks and side sticks 760mm (30in) long, and for the curved arm a log 1.4m (56 in) long.
The bodging process starts here, using simple hand tools, shaving horse and pole lathe - although there is nothing to stop you using an electric lathe.
First the legs:
1. Cleave a 480mm (19in) log in half with an axe. Then cleave again, into quarters and eighths, each segment will be legs, stretchers or sticks.
2. Roughly shape each segment with a side axe to a cylindrical shape.
3. Using the shaving horse and a drawknife, round off the billet, tapering the ends ready for turning.
4. Centre the billet on the pole lathe, turn the string round the work twice, and start turning , using a roughing out gauge.
When turning on the pole lathe there is a rhythm you need to practise. You can only cut on the down stroke, so you need to practise this particular co-ordination of cutting as you treadle, then withdrawing the chisel slightly from the work as the piece revolves back again on the upstroke.
If you wish to put a pattern into your leg, mark the points of your pattern on and cut it out using a small skew chisel. Smooth off the rest of the leg with either a 40mm (1 1/2in) bevelled chisel or large skew. Turn tenon over size by 3mm (1/8in) to allow for shrinking. Finish off by burnishing wood with a handful of shavings - bodger's sandpaper.
Repeat the process for the other turned components, until you have your four legs plus seven back sticks 760mm (30in) long, eight side sticks 270mm (10 1/2in) long, and three stretchers 380mm (15in) long.
Leave the turned components to dry for 2 or 3 months. In the drying process they will go slightly oval, this is a distinctive hallmark of bodged legs. When dry, return tenons to round for assembling.

GO TO WELSH STICK BACK INSTRUCTIONS 2 (THE SEAT)