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Category Archives: Case Furniture
A George II Walnut Serpentine Chest – Part Seven
The external surfaces of the chest were washed down with hot soapy water to remove any wayward glue, grime and fingerprints. The chest was then stained and the first lick of spirit varnish applied to seal it (fig. 1). The … Continue reading
A George II Walnut Serpentine Chest – Part Six
Eighteenth-century bow and serpentine drawer fronts were constructed in one of two ways: The most basic method was to simply saw the sweeping shape out of the solid (fig. 1). The other technique (to minimise distortion and ultimately, poor fit) … Continue reading
A George II Walnut Serpentine Chest – Part Five
I prepared the triangular packers for the recesses in the canted corners and sawed the frets out of pre-sized 1/8″ (3.2mm) thick veneer (fig. 1). Fig. 1. Walnut packers and frets. Once the corner packers were glued in place, I … Continue reading
A George II Walnut Serpentine Chest – Part Four
I don’t have any images of the rear of the original walnut chest; however, roughly thirty years ago I restored a mid-eighteenth-century chest of remarkably similar quality and construction (though of mahogany) which had an oddly asymmetrical three-panel pine back. … Continue reading
A George II Walnut Serpentine Chest – Part Three
The walnut cross-grain moulding was formed along the serpentine front edge of the carcase’s baseboard prior to assembling the carcase (fig. 1). Fig. 1. The cross-grain moulding already opening up in the 41° (106°F) heat. I cut the one-sided dovetail … Continue reading
A George II Walnut Serpentine Chest – Part Two
The individual pine boards for the chest’s carcase were planed slightly oversize and then rubbed together with glue to form the four carcase panels (fig. 1). Fig. 1. Carcase panels drying. When dry, the panels were planed to their final … Continue reading
Posted in Case Furniture
Tagged carcase, chamfer, feather-banding, moulding, serpentine, walnut
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A George II Walnut Serpentine Chest – Part One
Towards the close of the seventeenth-century, rather heavy, solid wainscot (oak) furniture gave way to refined European walnut chairs, tables, mirrors and walnut-veneered wainscot and deal (pine) casework etc. Joined oak furniture was attractive enough, but somewhat workman-like and couldn’t … Continue reading
A William III Ash Chest-on-Stand – Part Seven
The drawers were constructed in period-correct fashion with through dovetails front and back. The central veneers on the drawer fronts are the more figured stuff from the ends of the leaves of quarter cut veneer I used for the stripy … Continue reading
A William III Ash Chest-on-Stand – Part Six
The joinery for these flat, shaped stretchers commonly comprises simple lap, or halved joints, however, one also encounters bridle joints (fig. 1). Fig. 1. The pine stretcher components. After putting the stretcher together, it was veneered on top, inside and … Continue reading
Posted in Case Furniture
Tagged abaci, carcase, chest on stand, crossbanding, legs, stand, stretcher, veneer
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A William III Ash Chest-on-Stand – Part Five
The legs have turned up… quite well. I am not an avid turner, but turning ash, does at least provide some visually spectacular results. Striking grain and mighty whorls. Turning the onions and balusters was plain sailing, but when doing … Continue reading
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