TECHNIQUE || RORY JAROS || CHAIR MAKER

Jaros employs simple tools and techniques rendering classic post and rung structures.

In the making of these chairs, the wood is worked green because it yields more predictably and shaves easier. Ring porous hardwood has shrinking properties which are used to advantage. The rungs are shaved and dried before shaping the tenon and inserting it into the mortise in the green post. This method is as old as ingenuity; however, it is time and labor intensive. Jaros has invented tools to expedite the work and waste less material while using the same methods employed by the Shakers 150 years ago.

Riven wood is rendered from the stem of a tree by splitting the log along the grain with wedges. The riving (riv-ing) procedure follows the wood grain and reveals the essential strength of the wood. A riving is a bundle of fibers, the stongest unit of wood you can get from a tree.

Rivings are matched and oriented according to the specific design requirements of each chair. You can often find matching growth rings in each of the four chair legs.

Chair parts are shaved to shape with drawknives and spokeshaves while held on a shaving horse. Certain parts are steamed and bent to a shape that provides comfort. By changing the size and shape of certain parts, any chair, especially rocking chairs, can be adjusted to provide an individualized fit. Fitting for the Walden Rocker is best achieved at the Artist Market.

The seats are hand-woven using strips of the inner bark of the hickory tree. This material is harvested in the spring when the sap is flowing and the bark separates easily from the tree. The chair is finished with multiple coats of resin oil and hand rubbed. Fanny polish is the only thing recommended for the hickory bark seat.