by Joan Brasher
photo by Daniel Dubois

Jim Tenpenny, an architect in Space and Facilities Planning, has been building furniture since the 1960s.

“I’ve always been interested in building things,” he said. “In high school, I took all the industrial arts classes available – metal shop, wood shop and mechanical drawing.”

That interest prompted him to sign up for pre-architecture courses at Middle Tennessee State University, which ultimately led to an architecture degree from the University of Tennessee. At Vanderbilt, Tenpenny oversees the construction of buildings, including the $169 million, 308,000-square-foot Adult Critical Care Tower.

In his spare time, Tenpenny handcrafts Windsor chairs using the same processes and tools as craftsmen did in the 1700s.

The process, he said, is intricate and time-consuming. For spindles and bent parts, white oak logs are split carefully following the grain of the wood before being rough-shaped on a shaving horse. The legs, which are turned from green maple logs, are split and carefully shaped on a lathe.

Each piece is drilled, shaved and hammered together, relying on hide glue and the green wood’s natural tendency to shrink as it dries to hold the pieces in place. The finishing touch is a thin-bodied “milk paint,” which, like a stain, adds color without obscuring the beauty of the wood.

“Classic lines gracefully framing negative space have led some to refer to the chair as ‘utilitarian sculpture,’” Tenpenny said. “It’s not just a chair – it’s an heirloom.”

When it comes to building, whether maintaining academic, corporate or health care facilities – or building chairs – “I simply love the craft,” Tenpenny said.

Posted 02/01/09