Classic American Furniture

.16* /1

n

J

J

| '.;"-: _9 xzr u

l " #

I I

t I I

t I

THEARTOFWOODWORKING

HOMEWORI$HOP

I I I I

WORKSHO GPU I D E HARDWARE ANDINLAYS Bed bolt covers

M

Escutcheone

Federal-otyle inlayo

t I I I I I I I I I I I

ff:'&[

t CATCUTATING BOARD FEET NUMBER OFBOARD FEET ()F IN4 TINEAR FEET DIFFERENT SIZEBOARDS 1"x 12"x 12"= 1otandard board foot 1-by-3=lboardfoot

1-by-6=2boardfeet

1-by-12=4boardfeet

2-by-4 = 22/z board feet

2-by-6=4boardfeet

0rdering lumber bytheboard foot Because theboardfootisa unitof measurement that offersa standard wayof totaling thevolume of stock regardless of dimensions, it is commonly usedwhen dealing withlumber. Asshownat left,thestandard boardfootis equivalent to a piecethatis 1 inchthick, 12 inches wideand12 inches long.Tocalculate the pieceof wood, number of boardfeetin a particular multiply itsthreedimensions together. Thendivide theresult by I44 if thedimensions areall in inches, or by 12 if onedimension is expressed in feet.Forthe standard board, theformulais: I " x 7 2 "x 1 2 "+ 1 4 4= I ( o r1 "x 1 2 "x I ' = L 2= 7 ) . youwouldcalSoif youhadan8-foot-long 1-by-3, culatetheboardfeetasfollows: 1 x 3 x 8 + 12 = 2 (or 2 boardfeet).Otherexamples areshownin theillustration.Remember thatboardfeetarecalculated on thebasisof nominal ratherthanactualsizes.

I I I I I I I I I

t I I I I I

THEARTOFWOODWORKING

CLNSIC AMERICAN FURNTTURE

THE ART OF WOODWORKING

CIASSIC ANAERICAI FURNITURE

TIME-LIFE BOOKS ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA ST.REMYPRESS MONTREAL

r I I I THE ART OF WOODWORKING was produced by ST.REMYPRESS Publisher KennethWinchester President / ChiefExecutiveOfficer FernandLecoq President/ ChiefOperatingOfficer PierreL6veilld SeriesEditor SeriesArt Director SeniorEditor Editor Art Directors Designers

PierreHome-Douglas FrancineLemieux Marc Cassini Andrew Iones lean-PierreBourgeois,Michel Gigudre FrangoisDaxhelet,Jean-GuyDoiron FrangoisLongp16 PictureEditor ChristopherJackson Writers fohn Dowling, AdamVan Sertima Contr ibuting IlIustrators GillesBeauchemin,Michel Blais, RonaldDurepos,Michael Stockdale, JamesTh6rien Administrator NatalieWatanabe ProductionManager MichelleTurbide Coordinator DominiqueGagn6 SystemCoordinator Eric Beaulieu Photographer RobertChartier Indexer ChristineM. Jacobs Time-Life Booksis a division of Time Life Inc., a wholly owned subsidiaryof THE TIME INC. BOOK COMPANY

TIME-LIFEINC. President andCEO JohnM. Fahey

TIME-LIFEBOOKS President ManagingEditor Directorof Design Directorof Editorial Operations

JohnD. Hall RobertaConlan MichaelHentges EllenRobling

ConsuhingEditor Vice-Preside nt, BookProduction ProductionManager Manager Quality Assurance

fohn R. Sullivan Marjann Caldwell MarleneZack famesKing

THECONSUTIANTS

t

JonArno is a consultant,cabinetmaker,and freelancewriter who livesin Tioy,Michigan. He conductsseminarson wood identificationand earlyAmericanfurnituredesign,and is the authorof TheWoodworkers VisualHandbook,publishedby RodalePress.

I I

Mike Dunbar builds fine furniture at his workshop in Portsmouth,New Hampshireand offersWindsorchairmaking seminarsacrossNorthAmerica.He is a contributingeditorof AmericanWoodworkerand author of FederalFurniture and MakeAWndsor ChairWth MichaelDunbar,bothpublished by The ThuntonPress. GilesMiller-Mead taught advancedcabinetmakingat Montreal technicalschoolsfor more than 10years.A nativeof New Zealand,he hasworked asa restorerof antique furniture. ClassicAmericanfurniture. p. cm.- (TheArt of woodworking) Includesindex. ISBN0-8094-9542-2 1. Furniture making.I. Time-Life Books.II. Series. TTl94.C531995 749.213-dc20 95-2t990 CIP For information about any Time-Life book, pleasecall I-800-621-7026,or write: ReaderInformation Time-Life CustomerService P.O.BoxC-32068 Richmond,Virginia 2326r-2068 @ 1995Time-LifeBooksInc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproducedin any form or by any electronicor mechanicalmeans,including information storageand retrievaldevicesor systems,without prior written permissionfrom the publisher,exceptthat brief passages may be quotedfor reviews. First printing. Printed in U.S.A. Publishedsimultaneouslyin Canada. TIME-LIFE is a trademarkof Time WarnerInc. U.S.A. R r 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 r

t I I I I

t I I t I I I I I I

t I I I I

t I I I I

CONTENTS 6 INTRODUCTION T2 CTASSICAMERICAN FURNITURE STYLES 22 PEMBROKETABLE 24 Anatomy of a Pembroketable 26 Making the leg-andrail assembly 30 Preparingthe siderails 4 I Making the drawer 43 Making the top

L04 QUEENANNE SECRETARY 106 Anatomy of a QueenAnne secretary 109 Making the deskunit 1 1 6 Making the drawers 1 1 9 Building the pigeonholeunit 12T Making the fall-front 1 3 0 Making the bookcase 1 3 5 Making the doors I4O GLOSSARY I42 INDEX

48 50 52 59 66

FOUR-POSTERBED Anatomyof a four-posterbed Tirrning the bedposts Making the end boards Pencilposts

70 WINDSOR CHAIR 72 Anatomy of a sack-back Windsor chair 74 Making the spindles 80 Making the bow and arm 84 Making the seat 88 Making the legs,arm posts, and stretchers 94 Assemblingthe chair 103 A milk paint finish

I44 ACKNOWTEDGMENTS

INTRODUCTION

Dr. Iohn Kassayon

WINDSOR FURNITURE deceptivelywell-engineered furniturestylewhosepartsareassembled mainly fromwoodensticks, Wndsorrepresents oneof history's mostinnovative and recognizable furnituredesigns. TheWindsorfamilyof furnitureconsists of stools, chairs, cradles, stands, andtables. Chairsarethelargest categorywith eightdifferent basicforms,suchascomb-backs, step-downs, andthesack-back version, whichis featured beginningon page70.Chairsalsospawned ninederivatives thatinclude rockingchairs, stools, writingarmchairs, andchild-sized chairs. Theoriginof Wndsorsisancienthistory.Theirantecedents canbeattributed to theEgyptians, wheretombdrawings of the18thDynastydepictworkmensittingon threeJegged hand-hewn stoolssocketed to a plankseat.Thereason for thename Wndsoris something of anenigma, but themostlogicalexplanation is thatthey werenamedduringthefirst decade of the 18thCenturyaftertheEnglishtown of Windsotwhosebeechtreesprovideda plentifrrlsupplyof rawmaterialfor legs andotherturnedparts. Windsorchairsimprovedon thetraditionaljoiner'schairsof theperiodby eliminatingtheneedto glue-upseatframes. In aWindsorchair,theseatis a solid plankservingasthefoundationfor thelegsandstretchers andfor thespindleback. Thatsimplicityandstrenghof designis no doubtoneof thekeysto thechair's undyingpopularityandlongevity. Windsorchairmakingstarted asa cottage industryin England duringthe1720s, but soonbecame animportantfactory-based operation, employing hundreds of workers, centered in thetownof HighWycombe. AlthoughthefirstWndsorsin Americawerechairsimportedfrom England,Philadelphia chairmakersalmost immediately capitalized on thispopularnewform of easilymadeseating. Their one-manshopsexpanded intolargefactories. Englishchairmakerstookadvantage properties of thephysical of differentwoods for differentcomponents of thechairs,usingashfor bentparts,beechfor turnings, andelmfor seats. TheirAmerican counterparts usedhickoryredoakor ashforbending,maplefor turnings,andpinefor seats. Windsors weretraditionallypaintedgreen, butothercolorssuchasblue,mustardandredwerealsoused.Thepaintconcealed the differentwoodcolorsandservedto protectthewoodoutdoors,whileconveying a unifyingwholeness to thepiece.ManyEnglishchairsweresimplydip stained. Nowretired,Dr.JohnKassay taughtfurnituredesign for 30yearsat San Francisco published StateUniversity. HisBookof Shaker Furniture, bythe University ofMassachussetts Press, isconsidered oneof theforemost reference preparing boolcs onShaker style.Heiscurrently a similarbookonWndsor publisher. the same He lives in SanBruno,Califurnia. furniturefor

I

r I I

r I I I I I I

ET r l l

I I

t I I I

I I-.

II 3

I

r'.U

I

l

INTRODUCTION

I

GregoryWeidmantalksaboutthe

APPEALOF FEDE,RAL STYLE A s a graduatestudentat theWinterthurMuseumProgramin EarlyAmerican f\ Crliut., I wasprivilegedto work with the country'fpremierecollectionof of the stylesmostpopularwith Americanfurniture,includingthe bestexamples Evenin thissetting,though, today-QueenAnneandChippendale. cabinetmakers Empireeras.As of thelaterFederaland I wasalways drawnto theneoclassicalpieces curatorof the MarylandHistoricalSocietyin Baltimore17 yearslater,I am still studyingandwritingaboutthosewonderfulpiecesthat I foundsoappealing. Thispolitical from England. in Americabeganwith independence TheFederalera an changealsousheredin a newperiodin the arts.The Federalstylerepresented and Rococostyles.The promiestheticrevolutionoverthe popularChippendale carving,asymmetryin nentfeatures of the earlierperiods-florid,naturalistic in casefurniture-were all derivedfrom massiveness ornament,andarchitectural Federal furniturereplaced sources. ofhistoricalandcontemporary a hodgepodge with a clean,linearstylethat lookedbackto jllst onesource theseartisticexcesses of inspiration-AncientClassicism. designerRobertAdamintroducedthe The greatneoclassical architect/interior and GeorgeHepplewhite new styieto the Englishgentry,and ftrrnituredesigners ThomasSheratonpublishedhighlyinfluentialbooksthat popularizedits ancient motifs. GreekandRomandecorative "Hepplewhite" to as alsoreferred In theUnitedStates, thisnewstyle-sometimes "sheraton"-was Althougheachmetropolitheheightof fashionby themid-1790s. or style,therewerecertainbasic form of Federal its owndistinctive tanareadeveloped with attenarelightanddelicate, in general thatdefinedit. Thepieces characteristics areflat andlinear,relyingon geometsuchastaperedlegs.Surface uatedelements woodsto achieve themainesthetic ric patterns of veneerandbandingin contrasting stringingand pictorial is primarilyinlaidandpatterned effects. Ornamentation sources: columns, elementsarederivedfrom ancientclassical motifs.Decorative Americanmotif:thepatrileaves andvines,with onedistinctively shells, urns,swags, symbolof thenewnation. oticeagle, or Empiretaste, beganto evolveintoLateNeoclassical Byabout1810,Federalstyle Actualpieces of discoveries. whichwasevenmorecloselyinspiredby archaeological "klismos" andtripod stands chairs,banquetingcouches, ancientfurnituresuchas Not until the lB40sandtheadventof romantic by cabinetmakers. werereproduced in theAmericanhome. wasthetastefor theClassicalsuperseded Victorianrevivalstyles

GregoryWeidmanis Curatorof theMaryland homeofAmerica's in Baltimore, HistoricalSociety largestcollectionof Federal furniture.

INTRODUCTION

Norm Vandalexplains

QUEENANNE'S LINE OFBEAUTY probeautyisbornfrompleasing f nrnut.riulobjectssuchasfurniture,I believe I portionandtheharmonious relationship between curvedandstraightlines. Straightlinesimpartstructure, mass,andsolidity.Curvedlineslendmovement, elegance, andgrace. Tome,QueenAnne-style furniturepresents theperfectunion of straightandcurvedcomponents. Simplelines,gracefulcurves, unpretentious decoration, proportionall contributeto someof themostbeautiful anddelicate expressions in Americanfurniture. in theAmerican QueenAnneisa namegivento a styleof furniturefirstproduced Colonies in theearlyto mid l8th Century. Assigning periodsor historicalepochs to furniturestyles, however, issolelyusefulfor discussions abouttheirorigins.This stylesawonlyembryonic development duringthereignof QueenAnneherself, yet it remains immensely popularto thisday.Indeed, whileI amcertainlynotan 18th Centurycabinetmaker, mostof thepieces I'veproduced in myrural,one-man shop havebeenin thiselegant style,andtheyhaverangedfromfaithfulreproductions of periodpieces to modernadaptations. Whatarethehallmarks of Queen Annefurniture? Themostprominent feature is thecabrioleleg,a sculptured, three-dimensional formbasedonanimalmotifs.Other essential characteristics includethescrolled apronsoftables, pieces; chairsandcase thevase-shaped splatsof chairbacks; pediments thescrolled of highchests andsecretaries; thearch-panel doorsofsecretaries andcupboards; andtheshellcarvings on chaircrests, dressing tables, andothercase pieces. Virtuallyallof theseelements are "line dependent on thecurve,on theS-shaped so-called of beauty." In becoming familiarwith anystyleof furniture,youeventually recognize how styleis evolutionary, howit develops andchanges with theaccretion of newideas. All designisin constant flux at anyof itsstages. I takegreatpleasure in examining furniturefor vestiges of theQueenAnnestyle,bothin periodpieces andin new designs fromtheshopsof contemporary craftsmen. I don'task"IsthispieceQueen "What Anne?" butrather aretheQueen Annecharacteristics of thisparticular piece, anddo anyotherelements contribute to or conflictwith theeffective beautyof its design?" In thisway,theoldis constantly blended with thenew-a stockpot in the kitchenof ideas.

Norm Vandalbuildsreproduction furniture in his Roxbury,Vermontshopand teaches literatureat s nearbyhighschool. He is theauthoro/QueenAnne Furniture,publishedby TheThuntonPress.

IlS

I I I

to

I

. tI ti P'

+rfi: '.

r..'i

. ,*#F lH, .

{:i; .

T rJ l

.:',*

s

t

CLASSICAMERICANFURNITURESTYLES At{NE OUEEI{ Spanning mostof thefirsthalfof the 18thCentury, theQueen Anne stylewasbothinfluentialand original, characterized byrefined, flowinglineswithoutexcessive decoration. Inchairandtablemaking, thestylespawned an important innovation: thecabriole leg.Queen Annedesigns migrated to America afterbecoming wellestablished in England. Thestyleeventually f o u n da h o m ei n P h i l a d e l p ht ihae, colonies' mostimportant cabinetmakingcenter. AnnefurniQueen popular tureremained in America longafterit wassuperceded in England bytheearlyGeorgian style.

SECRETARY (page 1o4) A desk-bookcaae combination with a veneeredfall-front; featu rea d ovetailed cornere and drawera

r I I I I I I I

t t

Lar6e braaa baak plate with bail

I I I

t t

AUEENANNE CHAIR

r I

r Curved chair baak Padded alip aeat

CARDTAELE Top folda in half and aide raila foid inward to move leae cloeer to1ether

I I I

t

r I

Cabriole Ieg

Thehighboyaboveexemplifies theharmonybetyveen straight linesandfluid curvestypical of QueenAnne-style furniture

r I

r I I I I

I I I I t I I I I I I I I I I I t I I I t I I I I I I I I I I I

CLASSICAMERICANFURNITURESTYLES

CHIPPENDALE CHINE1E CHIPPENDALE CHAIR Feat.ureda clean recLan4ularlook wlLhliqhlt 4eometrtc freLwork

NamedafterBritishmastercarver a n df r r r n i t r t rdee s i s n eTr h o m a s C h i p p e n d a lteh,i ss t y l ee m e r g e d i n t h e s e c o n dh a l fo f t h e 1 8 t h Century.It is oftenthoughtof as up withornaQueenAnnedressed m e n t a t i osnu c ha ss h e l cl a r v i n g s . piecrust intricate fretwork, edging, a n do t h e re l e m e n tosf r o c o c o r Chinese d e s i s n T h e s t v l ef l o u r i s h e di n t h e A m e r i c a n cabinetm a k i n gc e n t e r o s f B o s t o nN, e w Y o r kN , e w p o rat .n dP h r l a d e l p h i a , w i t he a c hc e n t e d r e v e l o p i ni g ts o w ns i g n a t u r eP.h i l a d e l p h i a C h i p p e n d aw l ea st h e m o s te x t r a v a g e n ti n i t s c a r v e dd e t a i lw , h i l ei n N e wY o r kt h e s t y l ew a sm o r e restrained l n. B o s t o nt ,h e b o m b e shapedchestwaspopular.Newport h e l p e dp o p u l a r r zaeu n i q u e l y A m e r i c a fno r m :t h e b l o c k - f r o n t . FeaLured a tilttnq top and l,ripod leqe

9ATINWOOD COMMODE Thebombbehape wao typtcal of I;he DoeLonoLyle

nff$ay\ "ru#

Kosette pull thell carving

,EFhr", -lgr'qllldll dlllUUllL Ul Bluc JgueuaeJ

vn ut tLl vn lf

t h ej o i n t sl.m m e d i a t e'lnye a s J rteh ed i a g o n a l sb e t w e e no p p o s i t ec a r n e r s( l e f t ) . T h et w o r e s u l t s h o ud b e t h e s a m e .l f n o t ,r r s t a lal n o t h ebr a rc l a m pa c r o stsl - e l o n g eor f t h e t w o d i a g o n a l s ,e t t i n gt h e c l a m pj a w so n t h o s ea l r e a d iyn p a c e . . eaT i g h t e tnh ec l a m pa l i t t l ea t a L i m em q r r r i n oz q r i n r r o n r r n t i l t h p t u r n n i : o n n : l q

a r ee q u a l .

t QUEENANNE SECRETARY

I I I I

INSTALTING THEFALSE FRONT

I I I I I

t I I

t t

'l

Chamfering the endsandedgesof thefalsefronts I C u tt h e f a l s ef r o n t st o f i t t h e d r a w eor p e n i n gisn t h e d e s k u n i t ,s u b t r a c t i n}g4 'i,n c hf r o mt h e l e n g t ha n dw i d t h .T o c h a m f e r t h e p e r i m e t eorf t h e f a l s ef r o n t s i,n s t a lal p i l o t e d4 5 " c h a m f e r i n gb i t i n a r o u t ea r n d m o u n t h e t o o l i n a t a b l e .A l i g nt h e f e n c ew i t ht h e b i t ' sp i l o tb e a r i n g a n da d j u s t h e h e i g h o t f the b i t t o c u t a l l b u t l . i n c ho f t h e f a l s ef r o n t ' se n d sa n de d g e s . C l a m pt w o f e a t h e r b o a rtdost h e f e n c e o , n eo n e a c hs i d eo f t h e b i t , t o s u p p o rtth e s t o c k .( l n t h e i l l u s t r a t i oanb o v et,h e f e a t h e r boardon the outfeedsideoJlhe-fencehasbeenremovedfor c l a r i t y .T) o r e d u c et e a r o u tc, h a m f etrh e e n d sb e f o r et h e s i d e s . F e e dt h e w o r k p i e caec r o s tsh e t a b l ew i t ha p u s hs t i c k ,u s i n g yourleft handto pressthe stockagainstthe fence(above).

r) Positioning thefalsefronts L Seteachdrawerface-upon a worksurfaceanddrivetwo b r a d si n t ot h e d r a w efrr o n t ,l e a v i n tgh e i rh e a d sp r o t r u d i n g . M a k es u r et h e b r a d sa r en o t l o c a t e d w h e r et h e d r a w e pr u l l w i l l b e i n s t a l l e dt h, e ns n i po f f t h e h e a d sa n d i n s t a ltl h e d r a w e irn t h e d e s ku n i t .C a r e f u l lpyo s i t i o tnh e f a l s ef r o n to v e r t h e d r a w e (r a b o v e ) . 0 n cyeo ua r es a t i sife dw i t ht h e p l a c e m e n t , p r e s sf i r m l y ;t h e p o i n t e de n d so f t h e b r a d sw i l l p u n c hi m p r e s s r o n si n t ot h e b a c ko f t h e f a l s ef r o n t .

I t I

r I I I

r n Gluinson thefalsefronts r - . 1 R e m o v et h e d r a w e ra n d s p r e a da thinlayeo r f g l u eo n t h e b a c ko f t h e f a l s ef r o n t .P l a c et h e f r o n ti n p o s i t i o n , w i t ht h e t w o b r a d sr n t h e i ri m p r e s s i o n s . Hnld the asspmhlv tnocther rrsinoh:r

c l a m p sa l o n gt h e t o p e d g eo f t h e f r o n t a n dd e e p - t h r o a t C e dc l a m p sa l o n gt h e h o t t o me d s e .n r o t e ctth e s t o c kw i t hw o o d p a d sw h e r en e c e s s a rTyi.g h t e nt h e c l a m p s e v e n l yu n t i lt h e r ea r en o g a p sb e t w e e n the falsefrontand Ihe drawer(rtghD.

llB

I t I I I I I I t

I I I I I I I I I I I

BUILDINGTHE PIGEONHOLEUNIT unit is madetofit Thepigeonhole betweenthetopsof thedeskand drawer Moldingcanbe sections of thesecretary. place gapbetween hide the in to tacked at left. You carcases, as shown thetwo omit the molding, leavingthe canalso pigeonholeunit removable.

t I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I

t

THEUNIT MAKING thearches 1 Rough-cutting illustration to theanatomy I Referring unit (page10&, ouIof the pigeonhole ona piece linetheshape of thearches plywood, cut it out,andsmooth of %-inch thatyou to fashion a template theedges jie will useto makea routing btep 2). assembling thejig,usethetemBefore plateto outlinesixcopies of theshapeon yourarchstock.Cutoutthearches to linesusing within%inchof yourcutting the bandsaw.To keepthe bladefrom of bindingin the kerfs,makea series release cutsthrough thewaste,stopping %inchfromthe lines.Thensawalongthe theworkwastesideof the lines,feeding piecewithbothhands(righ).I'liake sure handis in linewiththeblade. thatneither

n9

I I I I I

QUEENANNE SECRETARY

r I I I I

t I I r) Shaping thearches jig, prepare C- to complete the routing a guidepiecewitha tablein linewith,andalmost touching, thebit.Totrimthe n o t c ht o f i t t h ea r c hb l a n k s y ocuu t i n s t e p1 , a n df a s t e ni t arches to finalshape, holdthejigwithbothhands andpress to theiemplate, centering the notchoverthearchoutline. thetemplate at oneendof thearchpattern against thepivot Screwtwotoggleclamps to theguidepieceandsecure the bar.Thenpivotthejig andblankintothebit.Oncethetemfirstblankto thejig. Next,installa top-piloted flush-cutting platecontacts the pilotbearing, shapethearchbyguiding the bit in yourrouter, mountthetoolin a table,andadjustthe cutteralongit, starting pressed withthebearing against one bit heightsothe pilotbearing will rideagainst thetemplate. endof thepattern, ridingit along thetemplate, andstopping pivotbarto the whenit contacts To complete thesetup,clampa picket-shaped the opposite end(above).

Gluing uptheunit Cutthepartsof thepigeonhole unit to sizeandprepare themforassembly. In thetopandbottom, cut dadoes forthe dividers andrabbets forthesides;in the middletwodividers, cut dadoes forthe glueonthecondrawer supports. Spread tactingsurfaces andclamptheassembly securely; reinforce thejointswithfinishing nails.Makesixcurved clamping blocks to f it in the middlecurves of thearches. Whentheunitis ready, remove theclamps andapplyadhesive to thestraight edges of thearches, thenclampthemto theunit, usingthecurved clamping blocks to dis(left).Refertributethepressure squarely ringto the anatomy(pagel08),make threedrawers forthepigeonhole unit,rabbeting thedrawer frontsforthesidesand dadoing thesidesforthebacks. Attacha pullto eachdrawer front.

t t I I

t I I I I

r r I I I I I

t t20

I

t

I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I

MAKING THE FALL-FRONT Once theframe for thefall-front has been assembledand hinged to the deskunit, the leather top can beglued to the inside face. The leather should be cut slightly larger than the recess.Usecontactcement, hide glue, or thick wallpaperpaste to anach the material to the surface.Trim it to sizewith a craft knife, then smooth it down with a hand roller, as shown at left. The leathershould be treatedwith glycerine saddlesoaDoncea year.

PREPARING THEFRAME

theframeedges 1 Shaping to thefence,oneon andclamptwofeatherboards I C u tt h ef o u rf r a m ep i e c efso rt h ef a l l - f r o fnrto ma s i n g l e pilotbearing Feedthestock theworkpiece. eachsideof thebit,to support making thesecuts,shapeoneedgeof the board. Butbefore finishing thepasswitha pushstick.(lnthe mount facedown(above), 45'chamfering bitin yourrouter, board. Install a piloted thefeatherboard ontheoutfeed sideof thefencehas theheight ofthebitsoit willcuta illustration, thetoolin a table, andadjust forclarity.) beenremoved bevelintothestock.Alienthefencewiththebit %-inch-wide

t2l

I I

QUEENANNE SECRETARY

t r) Preparing theframeforthepanel panelsitsin a groove L me fall-front cutaround theinside edges of theframe. Install a piloted three-wing slotting cutter in therouter andalignthefencewiththe bit'spilotbearing. Adjust thebit height so thetopedgeof thecutteris centered on theedgeof thestock.Sincethegroove willhaveto accommodate boththeoanel gluedto it,youwillneed andtheveneer at leasttwopasses to routa sufficiently widegroove. Feed thestockasin step1, r r d r ntgh eu n c h a m f e reeddg ea l o n g the f e n c ef;i n i s ht h ep a s sw i t ha p u s hs t i c k . Thenturnovertheworkpiece andrepeat (right). to widenthegroove Now,cutthe fourframepieces to length, mitering the panelis ready, ends.Oncetheveneered theframewillbeassembled usingplate joints.(Thef inished frame, along withthe panel, veneered isshown on page104.)

A VARIETY OFVENEERED PANETS

5lip matah Often ueed to dramatic effecL; reduceedietortion cauoed by liqht refraction problemowhen book-matchin4

End-to-end A mirror-imagepattern featurin4 flat-cut veneerewiLh promtnent landacape fi4 ure

Eook match A repeatinqpathern in whichadjoining eheetoof veneerappear1;oradiate from the joint; bef,ween Lhem, likethe paqeoof an openbook

Eutt-and-book match CommonlyuaedwiLhbutt, crol;ch, and etump veneerato create an unfoldin4. circuIa r effecL

Herringbone Veneerfiqure runo diaqonallyoff each eheeL,creaLinn

a zinzaz

effert

r r

Reverae-diamondmatch FeaLureefour aheeta of veneerthat appear to .Aht/?rnp

a+

rha

I I I I I I I t I I I I I I I I I I t

ron+pe

I I I I

t I

t t

I I I

t t I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I

QUEEN ANNE SECRETARY

PANEL MAKING THEVENEERED pattern theveneer 1l Creatins -

I C o v etrh e o u t s i d e f a c eo f t h e f u l l J r o n t p a n ew l i t hv e n e e rY. o uc a n b u yr e a d y matched s h e e t sa n dg l u et h e md o w na s - i s y o r m a k e o u ro w nm a t c h r, e f e r r i ntgo o n e o f t h e p a t t e r n si l l u s t r a t e d o n p a g eI 2 2 ; featuredin this chapteruses the secretary mka t c h T . o a p p l ym o r e a butt-and-boo t h a no n es h e e o t f v e n e etro a p a n efl a c e with a veneerpress(page124),Iapethe sheetstogetherandgluethem downas a u n i t .S t a r tb y a l i g n i n tgh e s h e e t se d g et o e d g eo n a w o r ks u r f a c eg,o o d - s i duep ,t o p r o d u ca e v i s u a l l iyn t e r e s t i npga t t e r nT. h e combined l e n g t ha n dw i d t ho f t h e v e n e e r s h o u l de q u atl h ed i m e n s i o n o sf t h e p a n e l . 0nce you havea satisfactory arrangement, tapethe sheetstogetherusingveneer Iape (left).

press Setting upa vacuum F e a t u r i nags e a l e dv a c u u mb a ga n da 5 - c f m( c u b i cf e e t p e r m i n u t e v) a c u u m p u m p ,t h e p r e s ss h o w ni n s t e p3 c a n e x e r tp r e s s u rger e a t etrh a n 1 , 0 0 0p o u n d s persquarefoot.The pressworksby withd r a w i n gm o s to f t h e a i r f r o mt h e b a g :t h e r e s u l t i nogu t s i d ea i r p r e s s u rsee c u r etsh e v e n e e rT. o s e t u p t h e p r e s sc, u t t h e p l a t e n a n d c a u lt o t h e s a m es i z ea s y o u rs u b s t r a t ep a n e lt i g h ) . f h e p l a t e ns h o u l db e m a d ef r o mm e d i u m - d e n sfi it by e r b o a rodr p a r t i c l e b o aar d t l e a s t% i n c ht h i c k .C u t t h e c a u lf r o ma n yt y p eo f m a n u f a c t u r e d b o a r d( o t h e trh a np l y w o o da)t l e a s t% r n c h t h i c k .T o p r e p a rteh e p l a t e nr, o u n do v e r i t s c o r n e rtso a v o i dt e a r i n gt h e b a g ,t h e n c u t a g r i do f g r o o v e Is i n c hd e e pa n d w i d ea c r o s si t s s u r f a c es, p a c e d4 t o 6 i n c h e sa p a r t .F i n a l l yb, o r ea ' l ' - i n c hh o l e 2 i n c h e sf r o mo n ee n do f t h e p l a t e na n d i t s e d g e sS centereb detween . l i pt h e sleeve s u p p l i e dw i t h t h e p r e s si n t ot h e holeT . h es l e e v e w i l l e n s u r ea t i g h tc o n nection w r t ht h e v a c u u mh o s e .

t23

t QUEEN ANNE SECRETARY

I I I I

t I I I I I

t

/)

Veneerins the nanel r - , 1 U s et h e v a c u u mp r e s st o g l u et h e v e n e e d r o w nt o t h e p a n e l ,f o l l o w i n tgh e m a n u f a c t u r e ri 'nss t r u c t i o n sF.o rt h e m o d e l s h o w n ,i n s e r t h e h o s ei n t ot h e n i p p l ei n t h e b o t t o mo f t h e p r e s sb a g .T h e np l a c et h e p l a t e ni n t h e b a ga n ds l i d et h e n i p p l e i n t ot h e p l a t e ns l e e v eS. e tt h e s u b s t r a tpea n e lo n a w o r k c r r r f : n p : n n l v t h p o l r r o e n d l a v t h o v, o- n , ,p-o-r , t.a-ny e - s r ouep 0 n

t h e s u b s t r a t eP. l a c ea p i e c eo f w a x p a p e ro v e rt h e v e n e e r , r e s tt h e c a u lo n t o p ,a n d p l a c et h e a s s e m b layt o pt h e p l a t e n . S e a lt h e b a g ,t u r no n t h e p u m pa n d l e a v et h e a s s e m b luyn d e r . ost p r e s s u rfeo r t h e r e c o m m e n d el de n g t ho f t i m e ( a b o y e )M s i l l a u t o m a t i c a lsl yh u to f f w h e nt h e a p p r o v a c u u mp r e s s ew p r i a t eo r e s s u r e h a sb e e nr e a c h e d .

Assembling thefall-front Oncetheveneer hasbeensecured, remove t h e t a p ea n dg e n t l ys a n ds u r f a c e s t h a t w i l l b e d i f f i c u l t o r e a c ha f t e rt h e f r a m ei s g l u e dt o g e t h e rR. e a d yt h e f r a m e piecesfor platejoints (page109), applyi n gt h e g l u ea n d w o o db i s c u i t sa t t h e m i t e r e de n do f t h e b o a r d sD . on o ti n s e r t l r o o v e st h; e a n ya d h e s i vien t h e p a n e g p a n e lm u s t b e f r e et o m o v e .T o p r e v e n t t h e w o o db i s c u i t sf r o m e x p a n d i n b gefore e v e r y t h i nigs p u t t o g e t h e ra, s s e m b lteh e f r a m ea s q u i c k l ya s p o s s i b l ef i,t t i n gt h e f ramespiecesto the panel (right).V,'lilh w o o dp a d sp r o t e c t i ntgh e f r a m e ,s e c u r e t h e p l a t ej o i n t sw i t h b a rc l a m p s .

I I I I

t I I I I I I I I I I I I

t t24

I I

I I I

QUEEN ANNE SECRETARY

t I I I I I I I I I I I

VENEER PRESS hardwood, and Madefromplywood, pressscrews, sixf-inch-long theinexpensive press veneer shop-built shown below willworkaswellasa commercialmodel. Thedimensions orovided i n t h ei l l u s t r a t i w o ni l ly i e l da p r e s s c a p a b loef v e n e e r i npga n e lus pt o 1 6 b y2 9 %i n c h e s . Startbycuttingtherailsandstiles fromhardwood. Borethreeequidistantholesthrough themiddleof each toprail,sized slightly larger thanthe diameter of the oressscrewcollars jointherails youwillbeusing. Next, frames. andstilesintotworectangular

into Theoress in theillustration isassem- collars, thentapping thecollars bledwithopenmortise-and-tenon theholesin thetoprailsfromunderjoints(inset),butthroughdovetails n e a t hS. l i ot h et h r e a d esde c t i o n s joinery canalsobeused.Whichever intothecollars andreattach themto youuse,reinforce method eachjoint theswivelheads. To usethe press, withglueandthreescrews. applytheglue Nowcutthepieces forthebaseand andlaytheveneer tape-side up on caulto size.Botharemadefromtwo thesubstrate. Settheoanelonthe pieces plywood face-glued baseof thepress, veneered-face down of %-inch Toassemble witha stripof waxpaperbetween andscrewed together. andthebase.Starting in the press, setthetwoframes ontheir theveneer sidesona worksurface andscrew the the middleof the panelto prevent baseto thebottomrails,drivrng the adhesive frombecoming trapped, fasteners fromthebottomof therails. t i g h t e n t h ep r e s cs l a m p os n ea t a Attachthepressscrews to thetoprails timeuntila thingluebeadsqueezes removing outfromunder by the swivelheadsand theoanel.

t t I I I I I I I I I I

Kail 1'l"x3"x1B'/."

1tile 1/,"x3"x12"

Open mortiaeana-tenon JotnE

Baee 1 / . 'x 1 6 x 2 9 ' 1 "

t I I I

t

t25

t I I I I

QUEENANNE SECRETARY

ATTACHING THEFALL-FRONT T()THEDESKUNIT thehinsemortises 1I Makins I

U s ey o u rt a b l es a wt o c r , ra - i n c h -

w i d c r : h h p t ( n a p p 5 Q ) a l n n o t h p c . i d p qn f

. e g i rw i t ha s h a l t o w L h ef r a m e B d e p t ho f c u t . i n c r e a s i nt hgeo e p t hb y i n c nw i t h e a c hn a s sl n t i l t h e f a l l - f r o n tb' so t t o m e d g ei s i n c ha b o v et h et o p o f t h e d r a w e r u n i tw h e nt h ef a l l - f r o ni ts i n p o s i t i o n . 0 n c ey o ua r es a t i si fe dw i t ht h e f i t , l a yt h e f a l f r o n tv e n e e r - f a cdeo w no r t h e l o p e r sa n d b u t t t h e b o t t o me d g ea g a i n s t t h e t o o o f t h e d r a w esr e c t i o nP. o s i t ' o n a n do u t l i n et h e t h r e eh i n g e o snthe ^;^^^^^^;^ +L^ -;t:t^ prtrLq)-uilg iltItc ililuutv

-^: d|u

^^^ uilu

^^^f, cdLtl

n e a rt h es r d e s c e n t e r i ntgh eh i n g ep r no n t h e s e a mb e t w e etnh ef a l l J r o nat n dt h e c a r c a s eT.o c u t t h e h i n g em o r t i s e s . instaa l l , 1 - i n csht r a i g hbti t i n y o u r o u t e r . s e tt h e c u t t i n gd e p t ht o t h e h i n g el e a f t h i c k n e s sa ,n dc u t o u tt h ew a s t ei n s i d et h e o u t l i n eU. s ea c h i s e la. c a r v i nggo u g ea. n o a woodenmalletto pareto the line (left). T e s lf i l I n e h i n p e si n t h e i rm o r t i s easn d u s et h ec h r s etro d e e p e n o r w r d e na n yo f +h^

Attaching thefall-front to thedeskunit ! Z - S e tt h e h i n g e sn t h e r "n o r t i s e sr nt h e d e s ku n i ta n dm a r kt h es c r e wh o l e st,h e n r p hinop lpavpc. d r r l l n , l n t h n l e s z n d q c r e r , t\ h

i n p l a c el.e a v i ntgh ef a s t e n e a r s i t t l el o o s e . M a r kt h ed r r l l r ndge p t ho n t h ed r i l lb l t b y w " a p pn g a s t r i po f m a s k i n tga p ea r o u ' r d ir. Next,extendthe lopersandsetthe fal f r o n rt r p o s i t i o ns .l r p p , ntgh ef r e eh i n g e l e a v eisn t ot h e i rm o r t i s e sM. a r kt h es c r e w h o l e sd, r i l lp i l o th o l e sa, n ds c r e wt h e h r n g etso t h ef a l l - f r o ntth, e nf i n i s ht i g h t e n inga I the screws(right).lf youareusing brassscrews.be carefulrot to overtighten t h e mo r t h e yw r l lb r e a kl.t i s a g o o di d e at o d r i v ei n a s t a n d a rw d o o ds c r e wf i " s tr o t a p t h ep i l o th o l e .

r26

-^^^^^^^

l{

^^^^^^^-,,

t I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I t I I I I I I

I I I

t

QUEI:NANNE SECRETARY

INSTALLING THEFALL-FR()NT L()CK

I I I I I I I I I I I T I I I I I I

'l t

0utlining thelockfaceplate -

I O p e nt h e f a l l - f r o nt to i t s d o w np o s i t i o na n dp l a c et h e l o c kf a c ed o w no n t h e t o p f r a m ep i e c es o t h e k e ys h a f tw i l l b e c e n t e r eb d e t w e etnh e s l d e st;h e l o c k s h o u l da l s ob e f l u s hw r t ht h et o p e d g eo f t h e p a n e l l. f t h e k e ys h a f ti s o f f - c e n t ear ,s i s t h e c a s ew r t ht h e l o c ks h o w ny, o uw i l l n e e dt o u s ea t a p em e a s u raen da t r y s q u a r et o m a r kt h e m i d d l eo f t h e f a l l - f r o n t and alignthe keyshaftwith iI (left).Drill t h e h o l ef o r t h e k e ys h a f ta n d i n s e rtth e s h a f t h r o u g ht h e h o l e .O n c et h e l o c ki s p r o p e r lpyo s i t i o n e tdr,a c et h e o u t l i n eo f t h e l o c kf a c e p l a t et h, e ne x t e n dt h e l i n e s o n t ot h e t o n e d c eo f t h e f a l l - f r o n t .

t I I I I I I I I I

r)

Routing the lockmortise L S t a r tb y u s r n ga c h i s e tl o c u t a s h a l l o wm o r t i s ef o r t h e f a c e p l a tlei p i n t h et o pe d g eo f t h e f a l l - f r o nN t . e x t i, n s t a lal s t r a i g hbt i t i n y o u rr o u t e rs, e tt h e c u t t i n gd e p t ht o t h e f a c e p l a t et hi c k n e s sa,n dc u t a m o r t i sw e i t hi n t h e m a r k e d outline. I J s et h e c h r s etlo s c r . a rteh e. n r n e r q a r d n a r et n t h e l i n e T o c u t t h e m o r t i s ef o r t h e l o c kh o u s i n gm , e a s u rteh e d r s t a n c e --^r^r^ ^-! -..-:h o l u r p p n l h o p d o p c n, f, f.h, p, rr-a c e p r a4 l e1 0+I nL -e Lr O usrng 4 ,1 0l r a n s f e r y o u rm e a s u r e m etnot t h e m o r t i s eT. h e nJ S ea c a r v , n g ) .e s t -i ft t h e l o c ki n t h e g o u g et o c u t t h e f i n a lm o r t i s e( a b o v e T c a v i t ya n du s et h e c i i s e lo r g o u g et o d e e p e o n r w i c e na r y o f t h e m o r t i s e si f, n e c e s s a rF y .i n a l l ys, c r e wt h e l o c ki n p l a c e .

-) Installins thestrikenlate