Thanks to Lost Art Press and Chairmaker's Toolbox, I was able to take a 5-day stick chair workshop at Lost Art Press in Covington, KY this February. under the guidance of Christopher Schwarz. This was the first chair I made of any kind, and I learned so much! There's plenty of things I'll do differently next time, but (if you don't zoom in too much) it turned out pretty good. Also met some great people and cats and devoured lots of good food.
Takeaways of an amateur chairmaker:
Making chairs is very physical. Tiring but rewarding.
Precision matters, but also doesn't.
Keep your tools sharp.
Get yourself a drilling buddy. Trust them.
Do what works for you and gets the job done. i.e. it's okay to use hand tools invented in the 1800s alongside lasers.
