meet the artist: WRITTEN BY MEGIN POTTER, PHOTOS PROVIDED
WOOD IS SOLID AND STRONG, but it can appear light and airy in the clever hands of furniture maker Tom Wetzel.
A carpenter by trade, Wetzel was immediately attracted to the expert engineering that gives Windsor-style pieces their lasting appeal. “It just totally grabbed me. I like how the chairs are constructed and the bones of it. It is very utilitarian and very simple,” he said. Windsor chairs are also very comfortable.
TIMELESS STYLE Since the 1700s, craftsmen have been making Windsor chairs. Wetzel uses traditional hand tools, self-tightening hide glue, and a sturdy joinery technique that adds to his chairs’ longevity while preserving their vintage feel. Windsor chairs’ continuous arms and curving lines support and cradle the body. They are typically made with three species of wood. Often, they have a solid, single-piece pine seat, turned maple legs, and hickory spindles (although other woods like ash, walnut and cherry are also commonly used). Recently, curly maple has been among Wetzel’s favorite materials. Loved for its unique patterning, this durable hardwood is only found in one percent of cut lumber.
THE WORK OF A WOOD SCIENTIST Wetzel taught himself woodworking in the early 1990s. (This was before the internet, when the few books available on furniture-making, were treasured.) “You had to experiment like a scientist, but when you were done, you had something that was really your own,” said Wetzel. His exquisite quality has been recognized by publications including Fine Woodworking magazine and in 1996, he was named one of the Top 200 Traditional Craftsmen by Early American Life magazine.
24 | SIMPLY SARATOGA | SPRING 2020
saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com
