Here's My Workshop!
By Greg Pennington
Hendersonville, TN
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My name is Greg Pennington and I have a timber frame shop in Hendersonville, TN. Everything was sawn on my Woodmizer sawmill and raised by hand. I build and teach windsor chairs and other period style furniture at this shop as well as travel the country teaching. I assist Curtis Buchanan and Peter Galbert at various schools. I supply all of the materials for these classes as well as saw lumber for studio furniture makers.
In 2009 we had an old fashion barn raising and built the shop that I had always wanted. It is 18 by 36 feet and mostly red oak frame. My inspiration is from Jack Sobon who has written several timber frame books. I wanted an environment that would inspire people to create with lots of windows for natural light to do hand tool work. I feel that hand tools bring you closer to your work and really connect you to what comes from your heart. I firmly believe that high quality hand made furniture is making a comeback today and I hope to be a small part of that process.
A bandsaw and lathe are the only power tools in my shop.
The workbench and shavehorse are the center focus of this shop where most of the work takes place.
Behind my shop is a pole barn full of high quality lumber that I have sawn from a Woodmizer sawmill. I can achieve much higher standards of quality through more consistent color matching and air drying my own lumber.
As far as tools are concerned my favorite tool is the drawknife. I can control the knife to hog off lots of wood down to the finest shaving. In my opinion this is the essential tool for chair making. I rarely pass up an antique drawknife at a flea market.
If you have any questions feel free to email Greg at
GREG.PENNINGTON@comcast.net
You can also visit his website at
www.penningtonwindsorchairs.com
.
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