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Tag Archives: furniture
Cross-Grained Mouldings
Mouldings on oak-framed buildings – and thence joiner-made oak furniture – followed the timber’s grain and were comparatively simple to produce. Then circa 1685, a new breed of specialised furniture maker appeared. Cabinetmakers developed more sophisticated techniques for making and … Continue reading
Posted in Antiques, Furniture Timbers, Techniques
Tagged cabinetmaker, composite mouldings, cornice, cross-grain, cushion moulding, furniture, mouldings, oak, shrinkage, veneer, walnut
11 Comments
Shaker: Function, Purity, Perfection
Shaker: Function, Purity, Perfection is an homage to the traditional Shaker values of grace and simplicity. Featured are twenty-eight essential pieces that highlight the defining elements of Shaker design and demonstrate a dedication to perfection. Designer and furniture expert Sir … Continue reading
A William and Mary Simulated Tortoiseshell Chest of Drawers – Part One
The next little job is a late seventeenth-century William and Mary simulated tortoiseshell chest with two short drawers over three long drawers. This chest is very similar in design to the William and Mary walnut chest of drawers that I … Continue reading
Embroidered Furniture at Montacute House
From my absolute favourite English house, Andrew May, on the National Trust’s Montacute House blog has posted about a suite of embroidered furniture. One of the chairs is protected from the sun by a bold check case which I presume … Continue reading
Mahogany in the Seventeenth- and Eighteenth-Centuries
Mahogany has been called the furniture timber and was certainly the most important commercial timber of the eighteenth-century. Its massive trunks afforded hitherto unobtainable wide boards which soon found their way into English dining rooms as tables and sideboards – … Continue reading
Posted in Furniture Timbers
Tagged Antilles, Belize, cabinetmakers, Cuba, furniture, Honduras, Jamaica, mahogany
9 Comments
Ash in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth-Centuries
The common ash or European ash (Fraxinus excelsior) is native to Europe and as far east as Turkey. It is a deciduous tree attaining a height of 20-30 metres (65-100 feet). The common ash. Ash buds, foliage, keys and … Continue reading
A Hepplewhite Sofa
I am instructed we need a new sofa – and I have to agree really. The pair of sofas we dragged here from our previous location is typical of much modern commercially made furniture; they suffer a total absence of … Continue reading
Posted in Seating
Tagged chintz, eighteenth century, furniture, Hepplewhite, horse sauce, mahogany, shellac, sofa, upholstery, wax
2 Comments
Fancy a Screw?
I’ve always fancied screws. That such a devilishly cunning device with no moving elements can impart immense force through simple rotation is nothing short of brilliant. Brilliance was Leonardo da Vinci’s code; he no doubt looked at Archimedes’ water screw … Continue reading
Posted in fasteners
Tagged eighteenth century, fasteners, furniture, James II, screw-cutting, woodscrew
4 Comments
Glue, not Adhesive
Cabinetmaker’s glue, also known variously as bone glue, hide glue, pearl glue, Scotch glue and most appropriately, animal glue, is all just collagen, rendered down from left over bits of cattle and retired thoroughbreds. My preferred nomenclature is ‘horse sauce’. … Continue reading
Posted in animal glue, workshop
Tagged adhesive, animal glue, cabinetmaking, collagen, furniture, glue, horse sauce, Windsor chair, woodworking, Workshop Dog
5 Comments
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