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WELCOME
This issue of Furniture & Cabinetmaking comes out
on November 11 – the anniversary of the end of World
War I, a day when communities around the world
remember people who have died in wars. And we have
plenty to remember in this issue. Louise Biggs has created
a commemorative box with marquetry poppies in memory
of her great-grandfather, who was killed in the Battle
of the Somme.
Josh Brower pays tribute to the great George
Nakashima, recreating his famous Conoid chairs for his
own home, and Toronto-based craftsman Chris O’Dell
repurposes a historic grand piano as a wall-mounted bar.
Professional woodturner Richard Findley restores a classic
Windsor chair, and Mitch Peacock uses recycled wood to
build a yacht-inspired table.
Meanwhile others are making memories. We meet New
Zealander Brenton Ottley, who has gone from cutting
down trees to preserving their beauty in striking live-edge
furniture; bespoke furniture designer and maker Sean
Feeney looks back on 42 years in the business, and Jim
Bennett takes inspiration from architecture to create an
elegant table he hopes will become a family treasure.
We hope you enjoy your time out with this magazine
and are inspired to create your very own memorable,
heirloom pieces.
‘I have never fully or completely achieved the absolute perfection seen
in my mind’s eye, the unattainable embodiment of my intention.’
SEAN FEENEY
1
CONTENTS
F&C ISSUE 302
Furniture & Cabinetmaking magazine
(ISSN 1365-4292) is published every eight weeks
by Guild of Master Craftsman Publications Ltd,
86 High Street, Lewes, East Sussex BN7 1XN
T: +44 (0) 1273 477374
For article submissions and editorial enquiries:
E: FCEditorial@thegmcgroup.com
EDITORIAL Karen Scott, Christine Boggis,
Jane Roe
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T: 01273 477374
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PUBLISHER Jonathan Grogan
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DISTRIBUTION Seymour Distribution Ltd
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Subscription enquiries:
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E: pubs@thegmcgroup.com
1
WELCOME
Discover what’s in store in the
latest issue
4
CHERRY CREDENZA
Israel Martin describes the
process of making a side cabinet
with drawers using hand tools
10
14
Views and comments expressed by individuals in the
magazine do not necessarily represent those of the
publishers and no legal responsibility can be accepted for
the results of the use by readers of information or advice of
whatever kind given in this publication, either in editorial
or advertisements. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in
any form or by any means without the prior permission of
the Guild of Master Craftsman Publications Ltd.
© Guild of Master Craftsman Publications Ltd. 2021
!
Woodworking is an inherently dangerous
pursuit. Readers should not attempt the
procedures described herein without seeking
training and information on the safe use of
tools and machines, and all readers should
observe current safety legislation.
2
ENGLISH WALNUT
SIDEBOARD
Thomas Eddolls builds a sideboard
to complement a dining table
21
BANDING AND STRINGING
Anthony Bailey explains how to
apply banding or stringing with
a router
24
POUR ME A RIVER
New Zealander Brenton Ottley has
gone from cutting down trees to
preserving their beauty in striking
live-edge furniture
30
CARVED TUDOR ROSE
Steve Bisco demonstrates how to
carve this traditional symbol
To subscribe online go to:
gmcsubscriptions.com
COVER IMAGE Kylle Sebree photographed by
Tomoko H Matsubayashi
WOOD AWARDS
SHORTLIST 2021
A showcase of the nominations
for the annual awards
34
WORLD WAR I
COMMEMORATIVE BOX
Louise Biggs makes a beautiful
marquetry box in memory of her
great-grandfather
40
JAPANESE SAWS
Anthony Bailey explains the key
features of Japanese pullsaws and
demonstrates how to use them
44
WINDSOR CHAIR REPAIR
Professional woodturner Richard
Findley restores a traditional
Windsor chair
50
UNATTAINABLE PERFECTION
Bespoke furniture designer and
maker Sean Feeney is celebrating
42 years in the business this year.
He shares his thoughts on life, the
universe and everything
56
UNDER THE HAMMER –
MARQUETRY AND PARQUETRY
Hundreds of decorative antiques
were sold at Bonhams’ Home &
Interiors auction. We look at some
of the best-selling furniture lots
58
CONOID CHAIRS
Josh Brower pays tribute to the
great George Nakashima and
recreates one of his most
famous designs
FURNITURE &
CABINETMAKING
If you would like to be featured in Furniture & Cabinetmaking
please email FCEditorial@thegmcgroup.com
64
HAWAIIAN TOPIC
A stint living in Hawaii inspired
Kylle Sebree to dedicate his life
to making furniture
68
HEIRLOOM DINING TABLE
Jim Bennett takes inspiration from
architecture to make an elegant
table that will hopefully become a
family treasure
88
MINIMAL MILLWORK
Meet John Randall, founder
and principal of full-service
woodworking shop Bien Hecho
in Brooklyn
94
BOOKCASE – PART 2
Ciprian Constantin Gontea
completes the work on his
bookcase with shallow drawers
75
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Don’t miss our latest offer
for subscribers
102 ANGLED JOINTS
John Bullar shares his expert tips
for tackling awkward joints
76
THE SCULPTURAL SIDEBOARD
AND DISPLAY TABLE
We look at two Bespoke Guild
Mark designs by Oxfordshirebased Waywood
108 READING THE WOOD
Based in Fort Mill, South Carolina,
Justin Larson’s JML Woodcraft
aims to create pieces revealing
the natural beauty of the curly
woods he loves
78
THE AHOY! DESK
Mitch Peacock uses recycled wood
to make a yacht-inspired table
84
CRESCENDO
Toronto-based craftsman Chris
O’Dell tells F&C how he converted
a baby grand piano into a wallmounted bar
112 ZIGZAG-PATTERNED
COFFEE TABLE
Ryan Hawkins, owner of cutting
board specialist West Coast
Boards, explains how he achieved
this complicated end grain
pattern for a table
120 POST AND RAIL
MORTISE JOINT
John Bullar describes this version
of a haunched and pegged
mortise and tenon
CHERRY CREDENZA
ISRAEL MARTIN DESCRIBES THE PROCESS OF MAKING
A SIDE CABINET WITH DRAWERS USING HAND TOOLS
PHOTOGRAPHS BY ISRAEL MARTIN
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1 Marking the dimensions 2 The mitred mortise and tenon 3 The side board end joint 4 Double-wedged tenons 5 Dry fit of the frame structure
6 Working on the side panels 7 Making rebates on the panels 8 A dry fit with the side panels 9 Red cedar back panels
I recently received a commission to make a piece for a house
in Madrid. Given that my shop is in a very humid area and
Madrid’s climate is the opposite, I decided to use a frame and
panel construction, which in my opinion is far more stable than
carcass construction.
Originally I designed the piece with the drawers covered
by the doors, but I changed my mind and decided to show the
drawers and make the doors a bit smaller. The frame structure is
mainly joined with mitred mortises and tenons. The side panels
are made in cherry and the back ones are in red cedar. There are
four drawers on the top and, to complete the piece, I added ebony
feet, ebony mouldings on the doors and a small walnut moulding
between the top and the carcass. I also decided to add a surprise
for the client: a hidden drawer behind the central ones.
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10 The lower shelves 11 Fitting the knife hinges 12 Shaping the legs 13 The drawer runners with dust boards
14 The completed frame and panel structure 15 Adjusting the drawer dovetails 16 The central drawer 17 The drawers before adding shellac
18 The drawers fitted in place 19 The abalone dots 20 The finished drawers with pulls 21 The cherry pieces for the door frame
FRAME AND PANEL STRUCTURE
I built the frame structure in cherry, using mitred mortise and
tenons to join the legs with the side and back aprons. The front
lower apron was also joined with mortise and tenons while the
drawer divider was joined with twin mortise and tenons and
the top drawer blade was done with a sideboard end joint, one
dovetail joins the leg and the other the side apron.
To make the divisions for the drawers I also used twin wedged
mortises. The side panels were made in cherry and rebated on all
four sides. For the back panels I used bookmatched quartersawn
red cedar which I divided in two so that it will deal better with
wood movements. I also used quartersawn red cedar for the
lower and middle shelves. The lower shelf goes inside a groove
made in the lower aprons, and is only glued into the front apron
to allow wood movement. Red cedar is normally my choice for
wider panels because of its stability.
Once the structure was done I shaped the legs, just beneath
the lower apron joint, and I added ebony feet and the knife
hinges before gluing everything together.
I added two more simple details: a walnut bead moulding
between the top and the structure and a chamfer on the top,
so when you look at it standing in front of it, the top looks a bit
thicker than it really is.
THE FOUR DRAWERS
At the beginning the design was made so that the drawers
were hidden behind the doors, but when I started making the
piece it looked better to my eyes to show the drawers. I made
the side ones in maple with a 2mm-thick ripple sycamore
veneer. I made two wide London pattern dovetails to join
the sides and fronts. In the centre I made two more drawers,
one over the other, both with walnut fronts. The backs were
joined, as I normally do with sliding dovetails – I learned this
style of joinery from master furniture maker, Garrett Hack.
The drawer bottoms were also made in red cedar. The centre
drawers are narrower in the front so the bottom grain runs
from front to back (less wood movement than side to side).
I made two ebony and two holly drawer pulls, each with
an abalone dot. I also added abalone dots on the top of the
drawer fronts.
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24
27
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26
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22 Making a moulding with scratch stock 23 Ebony mouldings for the door frame 24 Fitting the mouldings in the frame
25 Adjusting the door’s height 26 The doors were fitted before the hinges 27 Detail of the knife hinges 28 Detail of the central drawer case
29 Front view of the central drawer case 30 Leg marks for the feet 31 First step of the recess 32 Levelling the recess 33 All four sides completed
34 Planing the curly ebony veneer 35 Gluing the ebony veneer 36 The finished ebony feet, planed flush with the legs 37 The view before
removing the side drawer 38 View of the hidden drawer inside the central case 39 The hidden drawer after pushing the mechanism
THE DOORS
THE CENTRAL DRAWER CASE
The doors were also made from cherry. The frame, rails and
styles were done as quartersawn, as I could have a straight grain
and the panels were made in one piece. To make the joinery I
always leave extra material on the stiles, where the mortises are
done, to avoid splits when making the mortises.
I added four ebony mouldings, made with the scratch stock,
and glued them to the frame after the doors were adjusted in
their places.
The doors meet in the centre with a rebate, to keep dust out
of the piece, so the middle stiles were done accordingly so that
they look the same width. Then I fitted the offset knife hinges
on the doors.
In order to make the case for the central drawers, which go one
over the other, I used quartersawn pine to make the sides of the
case and two pieces of cherry for the runners. The runners go
in a groove inside the pine, but also inside the cherry dividers.
The grain runs from bottom to top, but because these are
narrow pieces, wood movement won’t be a problem. But just
in case that part moved, these two drawers have a bit more
tolerance than normal, around 0.5mm more. To make the
fronts the same height, the flap that covers the rail is divided
between the two of them, the lower one at the top and the
upper one at the bottom.
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33
36
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34
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EBONY FEET
Adding feet to the legs creates a nice detail. After shaping the
legs I marked the feet on them and made a recess for the ebony
veneer (2mm thick). First I used the router plane to get the
perfect depth and then removed the rest with chisels and a block
plane. I repeated that on four sides. Then I made the curly ebony
veneer and glued it to the legs. First the front one, which covers
the side ones, and the back one has to be made to fit inside. This
last one is the most difficult but it won’t be seen.
THE HIDDEN DRAWER
Once I finished the piece, and because I didn’t want to make very
long central drawers, I realised that I had a nice space behind
them, so I made a hidden sycamore drawer. It has grooves on its
sides to allow space for the runners. I made a simple mechanism
that goes under the top inside the right side drawer and as you
push a wooden piece it pulls the central hidden drawer out,
giving you access to it.
9
WOOD AWARDS SHORTLIST 2021
A SHOWCASE OF THE NOMINATIONS FOR THE ANNUAL AWARDS
Nineteen structures and 11 product designs have been
nominated for the Wood Awards 2021. Established in 1971,
the Wood Awards is the UK’s premier competition for
excellence in architecture and product design in wood.
The competition is free to enter and aims to encourage and
promote outstanding timber design, craftsmanship and
installation. The independent judging panel visits all the
shortlisted projects in person, making this a uniquely rigorous
competition. The awards are split into two main categories:
Buildings and Furniture & Product.
The Wood Awards shortlist will be on display at The Building
Centre in London from 25 October until 3 December, as part of
the exhibition World of Wood. This six-week celebration of global
timber and forests demonstrates the benefits forest supply chains
bring to the natural and urban environment. It seeks to build on
the increased interest in climate change policy, highlight the vital
role which forest supply chains play in reducing carbon emissions,
and showcase the innovation and design potential of timber.
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BESPOKE FURNITURE
1 BOWATER CHEST OF DRAWERS
BY JAN HENDZEL STUDIO
This chest of drawers is part of a nine-piece furniture collection
which celebrates British craftsmanship and materials, and
embraces digital processes and traditional hand tooling.
A playful ripple on each piece of furniture is the signature to
the collection.
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10
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF THE WOOD AWARDS
woodawards.com
4
2 KINGSLAND DINING TABLE BY GARETH NEAL
5
The focus of this design is on economy of form, simplicity of
material and beauty in the detail. It highlights the importance
of crafting thoughtfully designed pieces for the home, with
functionality at the heart.
3 NORDIC PIONEER BY MARIA BRUUN AND
BENCHMARK FURNITURE
At the start of the pandemic, nine international designers were
invited to create a table and seat for their homes. With lockdown
in place, none of the designers were able to visit the workshops
and all communication had to be done over digital platforms.
Nordic Pioneer is Danish designer Maria Bruun’s response to
the brief. Made entirely in maple, the collection is a masterclass
in Nordic design. With a purity to both the seating and the
gate-leg table, the pieces are intentionally pared back and let
the materials and construction shine.
4 MESAMACHINE BY HAYON STUDIO
AND BENCHMARK FURNITURE
Mesamachine (translated as ‘table machine’) is Spanish designer
Jaime Hayon’s response to the same brief as Nordic Pioneer.
It is a space to host family and friends but also to work. Like a
Swiss army knife, the table can be pushed, pulled and extended
so that the function can be changed without having to move
everything around.
5 GAYLES FARM 5 BY WYCLIFFE STUTCHBURY
This room divider was created to further Wycliffe’s exploration
of textile techniques and characteristics using wood. The piece
has a flowing appearance, made up of thousands of small oak
tiles glued to an open weave cotton twill, creating a curtain.
The curtain is hung on a hinged, three-panelled oak frame with
hemp rope and cleats.
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1
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2
PRODUCTION
FURNITURE
1 OVO ARMCHAIR
BY FOSTER + PARTNERS AND
BENCHMARK FURNITURE
The OVO armchairs suit a variety of
settings, from office and commercial
to domestic. The seat is designed in
a modular fashion so that it can be
replaced, with either a solid timber or
upholstered version available as standard.
2 CRUZ DEL SUR
BY MATTEO FOGALE
This side table is CNC-machined out
of one sheet of cork. Small leftovers are
used as packaging material so there is
no production waste. The simple yet
functional table arrives flat-pack in a
pizza-style cardboard box and can be
fitted together in just a few seconds.
3 CORSO TABLE + BENCHES
BY DYLAN FREETH AND
ERCOL FURNITURE
These light and simple tables and
benches are designed to fit comfortably
and elegantly into everyday life. Corso
retains the tactility and durability of
classic Ercol designs but the sizes, forms,
component assemblies and profiles have
been modernised.
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4 ALLAY CHAIR
BY DANIEL SCHOFIELD
AND MOR DESIGN
Allay Chair has been designed as the
archetypal lounge chair but reduced
to as few lines as possible. Craft and
simplicity have been combined to create
a chair that will age gracefully, that
balances aesthetics with practicality
and durability.
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5 ISO-LOUNGE CHAIR
BY JASPER MORRISON
AND ISOKON PLUS
Jasper Morrison looked to Isokon’s
archives and was particularly inspired
by the brand’s original logo, Gerald
Summers’ Bent Plywood chair with its
single flowing plywood surface, and
Rietveldt’s Zig-Zag chair. The result is a
plywood chair with a cantilevered design
that creates balance and support.
6 T01 CROSS CHAIR
BY PEARSON LLOYD
AND TAKT
This chair has been designed with
a deep respect for Danish design
tradition, embodying its principles
of craft, simplicity and elegance
while embracing the economy and
convenience of flat-pack furniture.
BUILDINGS
The nominations in the Buildings
category are:
Built: East Pavillion
The Boathouse
Concrete Plinth House
• 16 Chart Street, London
by Ian Chalk Architects
• The Alice Hawthorn, Nun Monkton,
North Yorkshire by De Matos Ryan
• Lockerbie Sawmill, Lockerbie
by Konishi Gaffney Architects
• Sands End Community and Arts
Centre, London by Mae
• The Welcome Building RHS Garden
Bridgewater, Manchester
by Hodder + Partners
• David Brownlow Theatre, Newbury,
Berkshire by Jonathan Tuckley Design
• Guildford Crematorium, Guildford,
Surrey by Haverstock
• Ibstock Place School refectory, London
by Maccreanor Lavington Architects
• Kantor Centre of Excellence: The Anna
Freud Centre & Pears Family School,
London by Penoyre & Prasad
• Magdalene College Library, Cambridge
by Niall McLaughlin Architects
• Built: East Pavilion, Belfast by OGU
Architects + Donald McCrory Architects
• Unfolding, Pavilion at London Design
Biennale 2021, London by PLP
Architecture
• 1930s apartment, London
by Knox Bhavan Architects
• The Boathouse, Devon
by Adams Collingwood Architects
• Concrete Plinth House, London
by DGN Studio
• Leyton House, London
by McMahon Architecture
• SNUG Home, Bristol by SNUG Homes
• St John Street, London
by Emil Eve Architects
• Wooden Anex, London
by Tsuruta Architects
Unfolding
Magdalene College Library
Sands End Community and Arts Centre
Ibstock Place School Refectory The Alice Hawthorn
13
ENGLISH WALNUT SIDEBOARD
THOMAS EDDOLLS BUILDS A SIDEBOARD TO COMPLEMENT A DINING TABLE
In the last issue (F&C 301), I described how a walnut tree on the
farm where I have my workshop was damaged in a storm, and
I eventually used the timber to build a dining table for a client.
The same client wanted a sideboard and I had enough of the
walnut left over to make it from that.
14
I read the client’s brief and, after multiple conversations, the
style and working elements of the sideboard were decided on. It
would be quite traditional in style, while sitting comfortably with
the dining table. The design would include two cupboards and
drawers and a overhanging top with scaled-down curved corners
echoing the dining table top.
PHOTOGRAPHS BY THOMAS EDDOLLS
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1 A dining table had already been made from the same walnut tree for the client 2 The sideboard design would complement the dining table
3 The carcass panels were clamped and joined with Titebond II
4 The undercut detail was added with the saw at 20°
MAKING THE CARCASS
After setting out the plans on the drawing board I looked at
tackling the carcass first. I had the whole tree trunk to select
from for the project, so I picked up the boards I had set aside
while making the dining table to see how best to arrange them.
Timber selection can often be a tricky process, especially when,
as in this instance, there was not a great deal of leeway in the
amount of usable timber left over. Apparently a whole tree trunk
does not last long in the throes of the workshop!
Once I had selected and grain-matched everything, I rip-sawed
the appropriate boards down to their sawn dimensions. I try to
do this before converting on the planers as often tension in the
timber gets released in this process, which can cause the board
to spring, bow or twist to a certain degree. That was the case
with this wild walnut tree.
I then planed and thicknessed the boards down to a finished
dimension of 22mm ready for jointing.
Slowly shooting each mating edge over the surface planer
to keep a fine finish, I then took the boards on to the bench to
finely shoot by hand with my trusty vintage No. 7. This gave me
beautifully fine-tuned and crisp joint edges.
Moving on to the jointing procedure, I reinforced the edges
with No. 20 biscuit joints for a reliable location register and the
added security of extra mechanical strength. When these tasks
were completed I could sash-clamp the cabinet panels together,
using one of my favourite adhesives, Titebond II.
Once the panels had cured they were sized on the panel saw
using specialist rip and cross-cut blades as appropriate.
It was at this stage that I put the undercut detail on to the top,
canting the saw to 20°.
Once I had created the walnut elements, I went through the
same processes with some solid European oak for the rest of the
carcass cabinetry. Finally, with all of my panels accurately sized,
I could move on to the next stages of the build.
15
6
5
7
5 For the drawer bank, the oak runners were joined to cross rails
6 The drawer housing channels were routed using an MDF guide
7 A dry assembly of the carcass was used to check the fit
MAKING THE DRAWER BANK
Looking at the central drawer bank, I started to arrange the
running system for the fitted drawers. I decided on a frame and
panel dust boarded system that I have used before which needed
to be housed in the central uprights.
Initially I made up the boarded frameworks, joining solid oak
runners on to cross rails, grooving these components where
appropriate to accept 4mm birch ply dust boarding.
The key to this system is allowing for timber movement with
the running railwork long grain opposed in direction to the cross
grain of the drawer bank panels. To allow for this I leave the rear
joint dry with a 5mm expansion gap so any movement can be
accepted in the dry joint of the framework.
While the glue was curing I routed out the housing channels,
working off a square MDF guide with a router making sure
everything was true and accurate. Next, I cut the mating
housing joint on to the board frames, which I did by working
16
over the top of a rebate cutter on the spindle moulder.
With the drawer bank joinery completed, I jointed up the rest
of the cabinetry panel work together using the Festool Domino
system near the ends of each board and working off the stops on
the jointer for accurate alignment with biscuit joints along the
mid-section of the panels, the best of both worlds!
When these stages were complete, I decided to dry-assemble
the carcass to make sure everything lined up properly and all
worked out.
ASSEMBLING THE SIDEBOARD
I was fast approaching the time to start properly assembling the
piece. In order to do this I had to make sure I was fully prepped.
Rebates to accept the veneered back panels were routed into the
sides, central divisions and base boards. A groove was put into
the top for the backs to slot into eventually as the top of the piece
overhung to cover a large skirting board, the idea being to push the
10
8
9
11
8 The middle drawer bank was assembled first 9 The top was glued to the uprights to complete the carcass assembly
10 The continuous bead line was achieved by paring to a scribed line with a chisel
11 The door panels were glued up and the edges oiled
back up vertically into the groove, then knock home snugly into
the rebate. I then cleaned all of the interior surfaces up to 240 grit
with a random orbital sander in preparation for assembly.
I would tackle the assembly process in stages to make things
manageable, the first stage was the middle drawer bank.
Importantly here I had to make sure to only glue the end stub
tenon of the horizontal cross rails, leaving the rest of the housed
joint a dry fit, otherwise there would not be any provision for
movement in the solid central panels.
I carefully brushed on the Titebond to both mating surfaces –
I had to work fast in the summer heat before sash-clamping the
assembly together. Once everything had hit home I checked
for wind and square, making a few careful adjustments with
the clamps (raking the angle of the clamp in the direction of the
longest diagonal measurement) until all was true.
After leaving these works to cure I pinched the mid-section on
to the base board.
The next stage was to fix the sides on to the baseboard. I
clamped these on with the top located on dry to ensure clean
and accurate positioning before the final stage of the assembly
process was attempted.
One last job on the undercut relief bevel on the top was to
round the corners, mimicking the dining table's top. I produced
a radius template to rout the curve around, using a top-bearing
template follower before shaping the bevel around the curve
with a spokeshave. All prepped up, with the clamps set to length
with the appropriate pressure battens, the top was glued on to
the uprights. I checked everything was true and square, and after
a few little adjustments, we were there.
MAKING THE DOORS
I could then turn my attention to making the doors, which
include walnut stiles and rails with solid oak raised panels.
First off, I had to tackle the frames.
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12
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12 & 13 The pin boards for the drawers were marked and sawn out by hand, then finished on the router
14 When the drawer boxes were complete, the final fit could be fine-tuned
15 Osmo oil was used as a finish and then the hardware was added to complete the sideboard
After carefully converting the timber, the components were all
moulded with a 6mm quirk bead which later would be mitred
together at their meeting points. I then marked out the mortise
positions and cut out the mortise and haunch mortise positions
with a hollow chisel mortiser.
To achieve the desired seamless visual effect of a continuous
bead line I had to cut away material down to the bead shoulder
line before producing a mitre on the bead with a saddle jig,
carefully paring to a scribe line with a chisel. This gave me
stepped shoulders when tenoning and so I cut the tenon
cheeks close to finished size on the bandsaw before fettling
in with shoulder planes, working patiently until the desired
fit was achieved.
Happy that everything was as it should be, I moved on to the
door panels. These were jointed up from solid quartersawn oak
reinforced with biscuit joints. Making sure there were no joints
where I would be fielding, I worked out my finished panel sizes
and produced the field with a rather scary-looking specialist
fielding block on the spindle moulder, running at 3,000 rpm
due to its large diameter.
After grooving the inside of the frame components to accept
the panels, I pinched everything up dry to check everything went
home properly before the gluing the doors up. The mortise and
tenons were all glued but the panel was left floating except for a
spot of glue in the centre of the panels where they mated to hold
it in position but allow it to move.
The edges of the panels were oiled to make sure there were
not any unfinished white lines if they shrunk a little in the
client’s house.
MAKING THE DRAWERS
On to drawer making next. For this sideboard, I opted for
dovetails at the front with dominoed backs. The drawer slips and
walnut veneers were added on to 9mm birch ply for the bases.
18
A working formula I often use to help speed up this process
is to cut the tails out on the bandsaw with a fine blade. I use an
8 tpi Swedish example which I get from my saw doctor, setting
up a 1 in 8 angled base board which guides off the rip fence. I
set the tails out equally, which means I can flip the tail boards
over working the run of cuts systematically through the drawer
sides until the rip process is finished. Often a few hand cuts are
necessary on wider drawer sides. I like to keep my pins nice and
fine, so aim to keep the narrowest part of the tail as close to the
saw kerf thickness as possible. I used a coping saw to rough out
the pin waste before cleaning down to my gauge lines with a fine
bevel-edged chisel.
The pin boards were marked out in a traditional fashion. I like
to lightly scribe off of the tail board with a scalpel before firmly
establishing the scribed lines with a sharp Japanese marking
knife. This way I achieve a dead fit and don’t lose anything to the
bevel of a scribe knife.
I sawed out the pins by hand, then using a simple straight
fluted router cutter set up with a side fence I routed out the tail
waste on the drawer fronts. There is a freehand element to this,
working up closely to my saw marks so extra care and attention
is needed here. The time saved in endless chiselling pays
dividends though.
After gluing up the drawer boxes and letting them fully
cure before stressing, I wisped off the drawer sides by hand
with my No. 7 before adding my grooved slips, then ran the
bases in. Once these were glued in I was able to fine-tune the
fit using a finishing wax as a lubricant for the smooth operation
of the drawers.
I now set to the rigours of the final clean-up and finishing
process, using Osmo polyx oil, a pleasant natural process and a
product I enjoy using. Last but not least the cabinet hardware
was added and finally the time had come to deliver the piece to
sit next to its dining table sister.
14
15
BANDING AND STRINGING
ANTHONY BAILEY EXPLAINS HOW TO APPLY
BANDING OR STRINGING
WITH A ROUTER
PHOTOGRAPHS BY ANTHONY BAILEY/GMC PUBLICATIONS
Veneered or solid wood cabinetwork can
be enhanced by applying stringings and
bandings. It is a traditional cabinetmaking
technique, but it’s remarkably easy to do.
Here, I’ll demonstrate how to do a simple
piece of inlaid banding to make your
project more pleasing to the eye.
1
INLAYING A BANDING
1 First you need to decide where to place
your banding – generally this will be
reasonably close to the edge of a box or
cabinet, although you can have a banding
further toward the middle if it looks
right. Do not commit yourself too early,
but lay the banding on the surface using
two pieces crossing at one corner so you
get a proper impression as to how it will
Stringing refers to inlaid lines of
thin wood, often holly for white, while
black-dyed sycamore is used for black
lines, although in the past it was often
ebony for more expensive work. There
are also brass inlay lines for fancier
work. Bandings are where several lines
are glued together, sometimes with a
continuous cross-grain strip of contrast
wood in the middle. These are wider than
stringing, but both types of inlay come in
different widths and combinations. You
can buy all these lines and bandings from
specialist suppliers.
2
look when finished. If the banding looks
too narrow or too wide, you may need to
obtain a different size before starting the
job. In this case, I’ll place the banding on
the junction of the walnut sides and the
sycamore veneered top.
2 Choose a straight router cutter that
matches the width of the banding. It
is better if you can avoid making two
passes to widen a groove, as there is more
chance of error creeping in. Buy the
banding first and, if necessary, obtain a
cutter that matches the banding rather
than the other way around. Mark out
lightly in pencil where the banding will
go. This is important because when you
machine the grooves, they must not
overrun at the meeting corners as the
surrounding surface will be damaged.
21
8
3
6
9
10
4
the chisel at the corner junction so the
blade edge runs from internal corner to
external corner, and press down to mark
the banding. Note the reflection in the
mirror back of the chisel – if you get a
perpendicular reflection off the banding
the cut will be at 45°. Place the banding
on a board and make a crisp cut with the
chisel. Place the banding in the groove
and check the cut is correct.
5
3 Routers only work accurately because
of proper guidance. The open gap in the
fence can cause trouble if it catches at
the corner of the box or tabletop, so you
need to remove the plastic facings and
fit a longer, continuous wooden fence for
smoother running.
4 Set the groove depth by plunging the
static router so the cutter presses against
the surface, and insert the banding in
the gap between the turret depth stop
and the depth rod. Lower the depth rod
on to the banding and lock it off – this
gives you a flush level fit. Then unplunge,
remove the banding and lower the depth
rod slightly and lock off – this should
leave the banding proud and ready for
sanding. Do some test cuts.
22
7
5 You will be running around the edge,
so the only guidance available is the
straight fence. You need to pull the router
towards you and push the fence against
the workpiece. Machine all the grooves,
stopping short of the corners.
6 To square the corners, take a very sharp,
firmer bevel chisel and press the flat of
the back against the outside of the slot,
in line with the meeting pencil line from
the adjacent slot, and press down to cut
through the wood in the corner. Repeat
on the other side, then remove the waste.
7 Bandings come in long sections, so
cut it with a chisel into oversize lengths.
Place the first piece into the groove and
carefully sight down the flat back of
8 Now remove this banding, put the
adjacent piece in its groove and then repeat
the procedure. Replace the first piece of
banding and the two should meet neatly.
9 When all bandings are cut, remove one
at a time, run a little glue into the groove,
replace the banding and use masking
tape to hold it down. Do this all round,
then run masking tape lengthwise along
the bandings.
10 You can use a pad sanding machine to
level the surface (not a small pad sander),
or even a belt sander, but this can cause
problems. A safer method is to stick a
strip of medium abrasive to a long batten
like an extended sanding block, and work
it back and forth until the banding is level
with the surrounding wood, then sand
more conventionally, ready for a finish.
POUR ME A RIVER
NEW ZEALANDER BRENTON OTTLEY HAS GONE
FROM CUTTING DOWN TREES TO PRESERVING
THEIR BEAUTY IN STRIKING LIVE-EDGE FURNITURE
Self-taught carpenter and furniture maker Brenton Ottley
first became interested in woodworking while felling trees
in the New Zealand forestry industry. Later he ran the saw
at a sawmill in his home town of Waimate. He moved into
building and carpentry, and continued in that line of work after
relocating to San Diego, California.
Kiwi Woodshop originally started as a creative outlet, after
Brenton became fascinated with epoxy work on Instagram, and
began incorporating it into charcuterie boards. ‘I have since
turned Kiwi Woodshop into a full-time business where I design
and build custom furniture for my clients, focusing almost
exclusively on creating fine dining tables, desks, consoles and
end tables,’ he says. ‘I am mainly a self-taught woodworker.
I utilise the skills I have learned over years of building and
incorporate them into my work. Instagram and YouTube are also
invaluable tools to learn and grow from. I have found that the
online woodworking community is incredibly supportive.’
The first project he ever built for Kiwi Woodshop was a wine
rack transformed from a wine barrel, which held 16 glasses
and nine bottles. What started as a hobby business quickly
snowballed, until it made sense for Brenton to quit his full-time
carpentry job to focus exclusively on his own work, scale up the
projects and grow the business. He opened a shop on Etsy and
took it from there.
LIVE WOOD SHOW
Live-edge work is Brenton’s signature style, and he aims to make
each of his pieces as individual as the piece of wood it comes from.
His favourite wood to work with is walnut. He says: ‘Every slab tells
a different story and has its own unique characteristics. English,
black, claro and Bastogne walnut create beautiful furniture, and
all are easily sourced from around the country.’ Over the years
Brenton has built up a large inventory of websites, Instagram pages
and sawmills where he can source live-edge slabs for any project.
‘Every live-edge slab is vastly different from the next,’ he says.
‘They all have their own unique characteristics. I especially love
the compression figure or crotch figure found in walnut trees. This
figure forms over a tree’s lifetime from the branches building up
weight over time. Curling, waving, spalting, ambrosia, burls and
birdseye are other unique characteristics found in various species
that help create one-of-a-kind furniture. I always aspire to make
each project individual and unique in its own way, and tend to
gravitate towards modern design. I love letting the wood speak
for itself to showcase its natural figure and beauty.’
24
25
Inspiration comes from a number of places, and then Brenton
adds his own twist to it. ‘Epoxy work gives me an opportunity
to get creative and each piece of wood tells a different story,’ he
says. ‘My clients’ custom requests also help the creative process.
They come to me with ideas and we work together to bring
the project to life.’ For design, Brenton sometimes uses online
program SketchUp, which allows him to show his clients what he
is working on. ‘When working with live-edge slabs, I will create a
mockup design showing how the epoxy will flow or simply show
them photos of slabs I have found that are unique,’ he says. ‘I make
all the bases or legs to suit each individual design and dimensions.’
GO WITH THE FLOW
‘Working with epoxy creates its own set of challenges, but if
done correctly, the results are incredible,’ says Brenton. ‘Some
pours are fairly straightforward. There are many moulds and
forms available on the market now to help with smaller pours
that come with inbuilt clamping and leveling systems. Due to
the larger size of my pours, most require me to make a special
one-off mould using plywood and epoxy-resistant tape. I then
seal the form with silicone to ensure the epoxy does not leak and
make sure to clamp down the slabs. Over time, I have mostly
perfected this technique.
‘There are many other variables to consider, including shop
temperature and keeping large volume pours cool and within the
manufacturer’s standards. It is also important to keep dust and
debris out of the epoxy while it sets. Additionally, the wood type
plays a factor in how to prep for a successful epoxy pour. Some
species of wood are more porous, so sealing the edges with epoxy
beforehand helps to minimise bubbles forming inside the epoxy
as it soaks into the wood during curing. The more experience
you gain by working with epoxy resin, the easier it becomes to
26
add colour, depth and movement to pieces.’
Does he have any advice for F&C readers who would like to
try out live-edge and epoxy pieces? ‘I learned everything I know
by simply doing,’ says Brenton. ‘Starting with smaller projects
first helped me gain the confidence to create larger pieces of
furniture. YouTube and Instagram also offer many how-to
videos, and the woodworking community is always willing
to help answer questions and provide guidance.’
WORKSHOP WONDERS
Brenton works from a 12,000 sq ft wood and metal shop in
San Diego, California, where he uses Powermatic tools along
with a Laguna Smartshop 2 CNC router. ‘I have been working
out of this shop for around 18 months and will be there for the
foreseeable future, with the goal of having my own shop set up
within two years,’ he says. He uses Laguna tools’ 8 x 4 ft CNC to
flatten each of his tables after pouring the epoxy, and sanding is
the most crucial part of the process for him. ‘I do a lot of sanding,
so I use Mirka and Festool sanders to help get the best results,’
he says. ‘There are no tools that I avoid. Safety is the top priority
when using any tools, so I always wear the appropriate PPE and
take my time.’
Brenton fabricates his own bases from steel. ‘Wood tends
to move a lot due to moisture and changing seasons, so that
must be accounted for in various ways. Steel is a little more
forgiving,’ he explains. He uses a variety of finishes, depending
on the wood species. ‘I prefer oil-based finishes for darker
woods, which tend to bring out more colour than water-based
finishes,’ he says. ‘For lighter woods, I prefer to use a waterbased finish to avoid those colours being pulled. It really is
personal preference and the deciding factor sometimes comes
down to what the client chooses.’
27
His favourite project to work on has been a 10ft table built
from live-edge claro walnut and black epoxy resin. ‘The tabletop
finished up beautifully and created an opportunity to test my
fabrication skills,’ he says. ‘I designed a full base that would
structurally support a table of that size with the ability to flat-pack
it for shipping. I intend to use a similar design for all future tables.’
His most challenging project has been a recent commission: ‘I
recently had a request to build a coffee table and to cast items from
my client’s business into clear epoxy in the middle,’ he recalls. ‘It
took a total of four gallons of epoxy and created some challenges
I had not yet encountered, including how the epoxy would react
to foreign items made of different materials. The table then
had to be sanded, buffed and polished on both sides to create a
crystal-clear finish. It was a labour of love, but well worth the end
28
result.’ He currently works on a 100% commission basis. ‘I really
enjoy working with people to bring their ideas to life,’ he explains.
‘Because of the nature of my work, my clients tend to give me a lot
of creative freedom.’ But he also has ideas and sketches for some
custom designs which he hopes to bring to fruition early in 2022.
He is currently finishing off an epoxy river table and preparing
to start work on a 23ft Bastogne walnut slab for a commission
from a local client. ‘When I am finished it will be a 14ft dining
table for inside, along with a 7ft table that will flow continuously
outside,’ he says. When he’s not working, Brenton loves to travel
and spend time with family and friends.
kiwiwoodshop.com, @kiwiwoodshop
etsy.com/shop/KiwiWoodshopUSA
BACKGROUND IMAGE: OTOPHOTO/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
CARVED TUDOR ROSE
STEVE BISCO DEMONSTRATES HOW TO CARVE THIS TRADITIONAL SYMBOL
The Tudor Rose is the emblem of the
Tudor monarchs who ruled England from
1485 to 1603. Although these monarchs
included the likes of Henry VIII and
Bloody Mary, the Tudor rose is actually
a symbol of peace and reconciliation.
Incorporating the white rose of York in
its centre with the red rose of Lancaster
on the outside, it symbolises the uniting
by marriage of these two warring
30
dukedoms. This settled the succession
to the English crown and put an end to
the Wars of the Roses.
You should be able to complete this
carving project in about 12 hours. For
new carvers it is a good exercise in
neatness because the rose is set out
geometrically. The outer and inner
sections of the rose each have five petals
equally spaced. The petal positions
alternate on the inside and outside,
effectively forming 10 geometrical
segments of 36°. The centre ‘stamen’, the
petals and the little leaves are all drawn at
fixed radii from the centre. What we have
in effect is a five-pointed star shaped like
a rose. Any inaccuracy in your carving
will be more noticeable than it would
be in a random pattern – so keep the
geometry in mind as you carve.
YOU WILL NEED
Timber:
• Green oak
• 200 x 200 x 25mm
Tools:
• No.9, 16mm curved gouge
• No.3, 10mm fishtail gouge
• No.8, 8mm curved gouge
• No.5, 6mm gouge
• V-tool
• 10mm skew chisel
• No.11, 2mm veiner
• 2mm chisel
• No.9, 3mm gouge
Finishes:
• Antiquax furniture polish
Initial cut lines with bandsaw,
fretsaw or scrollsaw
Primary detail sections
BLOCKING & ROUGHING OUT
1 Make a full-size copy of the drawing.
I made mine with a radius of 100mm
from the centre point to the tips of the
outer leaves. Trace the pattern carefully
on to your green oak panel, which in my
case is 200mm 2 by 25mm thick.
2 Cut around the outside with a bandsaw
or jigsaw. Fix the piece to a backing board,
screwing through from the back with
shallow screws into the thickest parts of
the carving, so you can clamp it to the
bench and move it around.
1
2
3 Reduce the level of the outer leaves to
about 6mm below the original surface
at the tips, sloping to 13mm where they
meet the petals. Cut the gap in between
the outer petals.
2
3
4
4 Bost around the central stamen, the
inner petals and the inner leaves. Use a
No.8 curved gouge to make scooping cuts
towards the centre at a depth of around
8mm where you meet the central stamen.
Each petal should have two distinct
hollows either side of a central ridge
pointing towards the centre of the carving.
Cut the gap between the petals and shape
the petals to flip up at the edges of this gap.
31
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
5 Repeat this process on the outer petals,
going to a depth of about 10mm. Work
around the inner leaflets and slope down
into the gap in the inner petals.
CARVING THE DETAIL
6 Round over the central stamen into
a dome shape with a No.3 gouge. Use a
skew chisel to score cross-hatching lines
3mm apart diagonally across it. Decide
which way up the finished rose will
hang – with one leaf tip at the top centre,
preferably with the grain horizontal –
and make the cross-hatching at 45° to
the vertical axis.
7 Curl over the outer edge of the inside
petals with a No.3 gouge. Slope the
ends down into the corners where they
meet the leaves, and curve the outer
side down into the outer petals. Use a
No.8 curved gouge to scoop out a hollow
under the inside lip of each petal, and
smooth out the petal surface with a No.5
gouge into two distinct hollows with a
ridge between them.
8 Repeat these processes on the outer set
of petals. The surface of the outer petals
needs to slightly undercut the inner petals
to look as though one lays over the other.
32
9 Shape the leaves so they slope towards
the centre and a little to each side, with
a ridge down the middle. Add veins with
a veiner and use a small No.5 gouge to
scoop hollows between each vein. Use
a skew chisel or V-tool to make little
serrations in the edges.
UNDERCUTTING
10 Detach the piece from the backing
board and place it face down on a soft
surface. Use a clamp to hold it still.
Round over the underside at the edges so
there is a smooth, continuous curve from
the underneath, right round to the upper
curl of the petal. Undercut the edges of
the leaves to a thickness of 3mm, but with
greater thickness away from the edges.
FINISHING
11 Check your carving has a smooth
and even finish straight from the tools.
Pay attention to the joins between the
petals, as these have a noticeable effect
on the geometry. Abrasives can dull
the finish of oak – a good, tooled finish
rubbed hard with a dry cloth looks
livelier. Finish with Antiquax furniture
polish. Use a brush to get the wax into
all the crevices, then buff to a fine satin
finish with a cloth. Alternatively, you
could fume the oak to a dark Tudor
brown with ammonia.
12 Your finished Tudor rose will look
something like this.
PHOTOGRAPHS BY STEVE BISCO. DRAWINGS BY ROBIN SPRINGETT
5
WORLD WAR I
COMMEMORATIVE BOX
LOUISE BIGGS MAKES A BEAUTIFUL MARQUETRY BOX
IN MEMORY OF HER GREAT-GRANDFATHER
Some years ago my father received various family papers and
among them was an envelope marked ‘Letters 1916’. Inside
were letters from my great-grandmother Maud to my greatgrandfather Charles who, like many, was away at war. There
were letters from three of their children, birthday cards, plus
several other documents and photographs.
Two letters, folded very small on a different paper, stood out.
Once unfolded and read, they were the letters sent from the field
hospital chaplain in France, notifying Maud that her husband
had died from wounds sustained at the Battle of the Somme.
Over 100 years later, it was time to treat the letters with respect,
so the idea for a commemorative box was born. The medals
and Essex Regiment Cap badge date from WWI, but they are
only representative of those Charles would have worn and been
awarded. The box was to be veneered in cherry with coloured
sycamore veneers forming the marquetry.
ABOVE RIGHT The photographs of Private Charles John Colley (1878–1916) and letters to be stored in the box,
along with medals and a regimental cap badge
34
Display frame divider mitred at top
and tenoned into front and back
Plywood core with multiple layers of
veneer on top, balancing veneer below
and framed with mitred rebated timber
SECTION
5
225
5
25
15
11
100
13
29
206
2
8
235
Drawers formed using lapped dovetails,
bottoms rebated into frame all round,
sides hung on runners into stopped rebates
Inner side pieces carry drawer runners
and support display frame
Plywood veneered sides, mitred at back,
left square at front for hinged door
5
13
5
10
325
10
135
4
135
10
5
13
5
24
290
7
Mitred bottom front rail
Veneered plywood bottom
rebated into sides and back
Pivot hole finished
with ebony plug
325
Section stepped to show drawer front
335
SECTION
POPPY MARQUETRY
1 Having worked out the size of box required, the next stage was
to design a suitable poppy motif for the marquetry, which would
grow up the front and across the top.
1
35
2
3
4
5
6
7
36
PHOTOGRAPHS BY LOUISE BIGGS
8
9
11
2 Several marquetry packets were formed as the grain direction of
the veneers would represent the different petals and leaves. I used
a slightly different method to how I have cut marquetry before by
using a layer of paper (papier suiffe) coated in animal fat in between
the layers of veneer and waste veneers. I had always used beeswax
to lubricate the blade but this technique was more efficient.
3 With the packets formed and the design mounted on the top,
the smallest hole possible was drilled at key points of the design
to allow the blade to pass through.
4 In the absence of a marquetry donkey, I have always used
jeweller’s piercing saws with the finest blades. With a ‘V’ support
clamped in a vice, the blade was passed through the packet, which
was then rested on the support, with downward pressure applied
by one hand while turning the packet to follow around the design.
5 Once each element had been cut out the pieces were laid out
on a board. Working in reverse, each element was taped together
using the different grain directions and saw cuts to highlight the
curves and bends of the petals and leaves.
6 With all the elements formed, minus the stalks, they were laid
in position and then mounted on to the main veneers for the
front and top. As with cutting out the marquetry packets, small
holes were drilled at key points and, using the jeweller’s saw, each
element was cut round and inserted into the main veneer.
7 The stalks were then cut from the veneers and positioned
before being cut into the main veneers with a scalpel. The top
and front veneers were taped together so the positions of the
stalks met at the front top edge of the box.
BOX CONSTRUCTION
8 Next, the lid of the box and the piece for the inner inscription
10
12
had to be prepared so they could be inscribed. These areas
needed three layers of veneer so the inscription could be cut deep
enough to pick up the wispy ends of the characters of the font I
prefer. The lid had two layers inset into the ply top cut out using
a router and moving from the edge in so as to always have the
router base supported. The third layer was the main veneer. The
inner piece was veneered and counterbalanced.
9 The ply to form the box was cut and the back corners and
front top corners mitred using a tablesaw. The front edges on
the base were left square as the front of the box will drop down.
The inside faces of the box sides were then veneered before the
rebates were cut for the top panels.
10 A 10mm-thick bottom front rail was mitred and cut into the
bottom front edge of the sides. When the box was glued up a pin
was inserted to strengthen the joint.
11 A thin tongue-and-groove was formed with the router to join the
bottom panel to the front rail, keeping it flush on the top to allow
for a fabric lining to the bottom at the end. With the rail glued in
position to the bottom panel this was veneered before a rebate was
cut to fit the bottom to the sides and back. The router was set up
using a test piece to check the position of the groove to the rebate
on the bottom panel, to make sure it would align with the rail.
12 The box was glued up with a spacer piece to hold the top
front of the base in line. The inner edges were then veneered
followed by the back, then the sides and lastly the front. The
main front veneer was cut using a sharp scalpel and straightedge
to separate the pieces for the lid and base. The lid’s front veneer
was positioned and clamped into place. The positions of the
marquetry were marked on the block so the top veneer could
be aligned and laid, taped into position on the front edge, only
before being pressed between two boards.
37
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
38
13 The ply for the door was cut to size, veneered on the inner
side and edged, the lid was placed on top and the door aligned so
that the position of the marquetry could be marked. A tape hinge
was put in place on the top edge to keep the veneer in position
so that it could be lifted and glued. The remaining overhanging
edge was then carefully cut away to be glued to the front of the
box to keep the grain pattern following through.
14 With timber prepared for the inner frame, it was rebated to
leave a 5mm square step on the outer edge. The inner edge was
cut to leave a 3mm sight edge where the medals and inscription
would be fitted. As this would leave only a small edge when
routing out the rebate, two supporting pieces of timber were
taped to the router fence.
15 The frame was cut and mitred to fit tightly within the
box before a centre division was rebated into the frame while
allowing the front face to be mitred. The frame could then be
screwed into place, holding the top front edges of the box square.
16 Before going any further the cap badge and medals were
mounted, so as not to cause any damage, on to card covered in faux
suede. Once mounted, the inscription plate was cut to size and
both were fitted into the frame. ‘Bendits’, which are sometimes used
in picture framing, were inserted to hold both the panels in place,
so when the box was finished they could easily be put in place, as
with limited space screws or pins were not going to be possible.
17 Two veneered side pieces of ply were rebated into the sides of
the frame, which then allowed a bottom rail front and back to be
jointed and fitted to allow clearance for the drawer over the door.
When the unit was glued up it was then wrapped in clingfilm
to stop it sticking to the box and screwed in position to keep
everything square.
22a
18 Next, the door was wedged and taped in position so the pivot
point could be marked and drilled. This was worked out on
test pieces first, so as not to make a mistake. Brass rod 3mm in
diameter was used to form the pivot pin. The first hole would
be filled with a 7mm plug followed by the 3mm hole for the rod
passing through the side into the door. Fitted to a drill guide, the
holes were drilled upright. The door was held by magnets, with
small steel screws behind the veneered front of the inner frame.
19 To allow clearance for the bottom edges of the door, rounded
grooves had to be cut with the router in the front of the rail on
the inner frame and the bottom front edge of the box, with the
restriction of the router base, the remainder of the groove was
cut with a carving gouge before being veneered.
20 The lock and hinges were then fitted. With the box together,
the two inner drawers were made with lapped dovetails
cut at the front and through dovetails at the back. The
veneered bottom was rebated in before being veneered on the
underside. Grooves were cut along the sides using a router and
corresponding runners fitted within the inner frame. A Forstner
bit was used to cut the finger hole before fitting the small
handles into a rebate.
21 To tie everything together the plug over the pivot point and
the point formed in the finger hole by the Fortsner bit were
plugged with small pieces of ebony. These small plugs were also
used to form the black centres of the poppies. Once the inside of
the box was cleaned up and polished, the brass rod could be cut
to length and the plugs fitted.
22 The outside was then cleaned up and polished and the linings
added to the inside of the top and the bottom. The letters and
photographs are now safely protected for future generations.
22b
39
JAPANESE SAWS
ANTHONY BAILEY EXPLAINS THE KEY FEATURES OF
JAPANESE PULLSAWS AND DEMONSTRATES HOW TO USE THEM
There is a vast range of Japanese pullsaws available on the
market, and the advantages to the user are so great that I felt
it was worth looking in depth at this increasingly popular
hand tool.
HOW THEY ARE MADE
Compared to the hand-forged methods employed to make
Japanese laminated steel chisels, pullsaws are much more of
a production line job. Just like the hardpoint saws used for
carpentry, the pullsaw blades are punched from a long strip of
steel, making the key part – the blade – a relatively easy thing
to create. However, high levels of quality checking are used to
ensure precision and consistency.
The type of saw the blade will be used for, determined by
its tooth pattern, will dictate the sort of handle that is used.
40
Handles can be wrapped in split bamboo or rubberised plastic
depending on the quality or type of saw.
TYPES OF SAW
Dozuki: a backsaw, with a folded stiffening strip to hold the
blade rigid. It is often supplied with very fine teeth, making it
ideal for use as a dovetail saw.
Ryoba: used for deep cutting both rip and crosscut, having two
edges with different size teeth. Tatebiki teeth are the ripsaw type
and the Yokobiki have crosscut teeth.
Kataba: both a rip and crosscut saw, with teeth on one side only
and without a back.
Azebiki: a small Ryoba designed to cut into a surface with its
convex blade. There are panel saws with a hook tooth at the tip
to allow mid-panel starting.
A
Mawashibiki: is a thin-bladed saw for cutting curves.
Kaeba: has a disposable blade and means ‘changing blade’.
However, since Japanese saws are normally fitted with
interchangeable blades it could apply to any of them.
B
Kugihiki Nokogiri: a flush cutting saw. Its name means nail
cutting saw, a ‘nail’ being a dowel or peg.
These are some of the most common types, but there are others,
not all of which are sold with Japanese names and the names do not
always appear to be used correctly in the UK – my apologies if I have
made any mistakes with nomenclature. It should be noted that they
are often sold with their English description – panel, flush cut, and
so on – which makes things much more understandable.
C
D
KEY FEATURES
1 The teeth cut on the pull stroke as they angle backwards, the
light return push stroke does not cut...
E
2 … therefore the blade can be much thinner as it is under
tension, not compression like a western-style saw, thus giving
a narrower kerf or slot.
F
G
1
H
I
2
A A fine-toothed Dozuki backsaw
B A small Dozuki saw
C A large Dozuki saw
D A double-edged Ryoba
E A Kataba with a rip blade and rubber handle
F A Kataba saw with a bamboo-wrapped handle
G An Azebiki panel saw
H A single-sided flush cut saw – the blade has a screw fixing
I A flush cut saw with two types of teeth
41
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
3 The teeth in many cases are quite fine and sometimes without
any ‘set’ at all, which makes for very neat precise cuts.
4 Once mastered they are easy to aim and cut true.
5 Unlike a conventional push saw you can trim off tiny amounts.
9 It is very easy so long as you remember it has a pullstroke only;
pushing will cause the blade to buckle and jump, and the teeth
may break as they are both hard and brittle, although the main
part of the blade does have some capacity to flex. The teeth are
very precisely cut to shape and so can cut fingers as well as wood.
However, because not so much effort is needed to move the blade
this is less of a risk than with a standard western hardpoint saw.
6 Fine-tooth blades will cut rigid plastics very effectively.
7 The blades can be replaced when the teeth become damaged or
the blade body gets buckled by severe jamming.
8 The handle shapes and surface finishes offer a pleasingly
different experience for the user.
USAGE TIPS
Just wielding one of the larger pullsaws in the presence of anyone
unfamiliar with such a tool can inspire nervous awe, as the blade
and handle combined can look more like a weapon than a saw.
Certainly the thin blade and long handle can make a novice
uncertain about how to go about using a pullsaw.
42
10 The traditional-style long handles can be held how you
choose, but I normally grip in the middle because it feels right;
it is a matter of balance and comfort so the saw stroke is both
fluid and controlled. Sight down the blade as you would do with
a pushsaw, following the marked line with the blade. Because
the teeth are quite small depending on the type of blade and the
easier start of cut, lining pullsaw teeth up against a marked line
is easy, and on subsequent strokes will not normally deviate.
This natural in-built accuracy, combined with their light weight,
makes these tools a pleasure to use.
11 Because you start at the front of a workpiece it is in theory
easier to keep to a line. Incising to the line first, which is best
PHOTOGRAPHS BY ANTHONY BAILEY/GMC PUBLICATIONS
3
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
with very precise pushsaw work, is not required as the blade cuts
such a fine kerf and will start cutting easily.
12 Small components are best crosscut using a bench hook
designed so the workpiece sits beyond the fence of the bench
hook, as it will then be pulled forward toward the user with
each stroke.
13 I like to mix my saws, so I use a hardpoint for board cutting, a
large tenon saw for large joint cutting and several Japanese saws
for the fine rip and crosscut, dovetails and flush trimming.
14 Nice tools need to be cared for and these are no exception. A
light rub with camellia oil on the blades, avoiding catching on the
teeth, is the most that is needed although a favourite is using an
anti-rust compound in the tool cabinet as the blades can then be
left unoiled.
19
16 The blade back support is tapped on the bench so the blade
drops into the slot properly. Several taps may be required for the
blade to be seated properly.
17 Removal entails tapping the back edge of the blade to get it
to come loose. Be careful as it may fly across the workshop floor.
Note that saws without a spine must have their blades wrapped
for safety and instead of the back edge of the blade, tap the
handle on the bench.
18 Special saws and saw guide kits are made which enable you to
cut very accurate mitre and crosscuts or even precise board cutting.
19 Certain blades have a bevelled or hook tooth, allowing midpanel starts without resorting to other methods. Once you cut
through you can turn the saw around and work from the other
end as well.
15 Blades do get damaged occasionally, so check the teeth and
the straightness of the blade. The hook-in type fit around a pin.
Wrap the blade or wear gloves to avoid the risk of injury.
43
WINDSOR CHAIR REPAIR
PROFESSIONAL WOODTURNER RICHARD FINDLEY
RESTORES A TRADITIONAL WINDSOR CHAIR
I am what used to be called a ‘jobbing
turner’, so all of my work is commission
based and I never quite know what
will come through the door next. I
am neither a furniture maker nor
a restorer, but the specialities are
inexorably linked, so I have dabbled
in both areas in the past. I don’t
have space to make anything but
the smallest items of furniture,
but restoration is an area I
thoroughly enjoy. To get things
straight from the start, when
it comes to genuinely valuable
antiques, I have done turning
for them in the past, but for
restoration work on that kind
of piece I would point a customer in the
direction of someone more specialist.
The sort of restoration work I do is more
for well-loved family pieces that are of
sentimental rather than monetary value.
A chest of drawers with a missing knob or
two perhaps, or a replacement finial for
granny’s old clock or, in this case, a repair
to a Windsor chair.
WINDSOR CHAIRS
As a woodturner, I love Windsor chairs.
Turning replacement legs or stretchers
for them is pretty regular work.
Sometimes I’m asked to colour-match
them to the original, sometimes they just
want new parts. Occasionally, as in this
case, I am given an entire chair (or at least
most of a chair) and asked to fix it.
This particular chair looked to be
a classic High Wycombe Windsor,
with an elm seat, steam-bent ash
back and beech spindles. It had
suffered from some woodworm in the
undercarriage though and I was given
one side and the central stretcher
separately. The side stretcher (or at
least the remnant of it) must have
been a particularly tasty piece of
beech because it had virtually
no weight to it and by the feel
of it when I squeezed the wood,
it was mostly a maze of worm
tunnels inside. These parts were
immediately put in a thick plastic
bag and the rest of the chair was
liberally doused in woodworm
killer, just in case.
PLAN OF ATTACK
Turning the replacement parts
would be pretty straightforward,
the tricky part would be
getting them back into the chair. The
undercarriage of a chair is usually
assembled prior to it being fixed to the
seat, so getting the two stretchers into
place could be a challenge. One of the
44
PHOTOGRAPHS BY RICHARD FINDLEY
5
1
3
6
2
4
7
1 The chair, as it was when it was sent to me 2 The worm-eaten stretchers, safely sealed in a bag 3 Knocking out the wobbly leg
4 The wedge is clearly visible in the top of the leg 5 Removing the remains of the stretchers from the mortise
6 Cutting the new wedge room 7 Sizing the tenons
legs had a bit of a wobble to it, although a
new stretcher would most likely remedy
that, but it wasn’t loose enough to allow
me to flex in the replacement stretcher.
Giving it more thought, this didn’t seem
like the proper way to go. The only
answer would be to remove a leg.
This chair had been made properly,
with the legs going through the seat,
with a tapered joint and being wedged
from the top, which gives an incredibly
strong and long-lasting joint, which will
generally only get tighter with use. I
decided that the wedge wasn’t going to
come out, but the leg was quite wobbly,
so I wondered if I could knock it out from
the top. With the leg out, replacing the
parts would be much easier.
REMOVING THE LEG
Sometimes, the only way to find out if
a plan will work is to take a deep breath
and go for it, and that’s what I did here.
I turned a scrap of tulip into a dowel,
just smaller than the top of the leg
visible through the seat, and used it as
a drift with my mallet. I supported the
seat with a piece of ply that happened to
be about the right width to stabilise the
chair and I tapped it firmly. Then a little
harder. There was definite movement,
so I carried on and sure enough, the leg
came free with very little drama.
I could clearly see the wedge, so
decided to saw it out and replace it with a
new one to lock the leg back in place.
With the leg free of the chair, I could
clean out the remains of the worm-eaten
stretcher from the hole in the leg. I used
a carving gouge to slice away the loose
wood. Normally I would have expected
this to come away in long strands of
wood, but it was mostly dust so, just
to be on the safe side, I applied more
woodworm killer into both the hole in
the loose leg and the one still in the chair.
The legs had only a couple of wormholes
and seemed fine though.
I then used my dovetail saw to cut away
the old wedge, leaving fresh wedge room
for when I reassemble the chair.
TURNING THE PARTS
As far as turning jobs go, Windsor chair
stretchers are as simple as they come.
45
8
11
14
9
12
15
10
13
16
8 Shaping the stretcher 9 Comparing the shape 10 Planing cut on the stretcher 11 The string shows me the position of the central stretcher...
12 ... making it easy to mark the centre of the hole 13 Drilling the mortise 14 The chair dry-fitted and ready for staining
15 Applying the first coat of stain 16 Cutting back with an abrasive pad
I cut some fresh pieces of beech from
my timber pile and mounted the first
between centres on my lathe. Using a
spindle roughing gouge, I turned the
blank to a cylinder and reduced it to the
maximum diameter of the stretcher. The
side stretcher was 36mm at its thickest,
curving down to 18mm tenons. The
length was determined by reassembling
the chair, measuring the space where the
stretcher should be and adding most of
the depth of the mortises, so I needed it
320mm long.
I marked the centre of the stretcher
and sized the tenons with my beading
and parting tool used in combination
with my Vernier callipers. I tend to leave
the tenons 1mm or so oversize at this
point and adjust after sanding. I then
46
moved back to my roughing gouge to
‘join the dots’ between the high point in
the centre and the tenons. I compared
it to the existing stretcher and tweaked
it a little before switching back to my
beading and parting tool, which I used
as a small skew to take a planing cut over
the surface, then sanded to 320 grit. I
dry-fitted the new stretcher, adjusting the
tenons until they were a perfect snug fit
into the mortises on the legs. It already
looked more chair-like.
DRILLING
Before I could turn the central stretcher,
I needed to drill the mortise in my new
side stretcher. There are lots of ways to
do this, some of which include measuring
angles and setting up jigs on the pillar
drill. I opted for a more hands-on,
traditional approach.
I tied a piece of string in a loop around
the two stretchers and put my 18mm lip
and spur drill into the existing mortise in
the original stretcher. I then positioned
the string so that it was sitting exactly
where the central stretcher needed to
be, the drill bit acting as the stretcher
and giving me the correct position for
the missing part. This allowed me to
mark the position of the hole along the
stretcher. The loop of string also gave me
a good visualisation of the thickness of
the stretcher, allowing me to eyeball the
centre height quite accurately.
I fitted the 18mm drill bit into my
cranked drill (my full-sized drill wouldn’t
fit in the space) and drilled the new
17
19
22
20
18
21
23
17 Applying the first coat of lacquer 18 Checking the finished parts match the rest of the chair 19 Corresponding components are marked
20 The glue-up in action 21 Driving home the wedge 22 Staining the top of the wedge to match
23 Assembled and checking for level on the table of my circular saw bench
mortise, using the string as a guide. You
can see in the photo that I was a little
high with my angle of drilling, but the
beauty of a Windsor, with its turned
parts, is that the stretcher can simply be
rotated slightly until the hole is parallel
with the floor. I could then measure the
length of the central stretcher and repeat
the turning exercise. This one needed to
be 300mm long and 28mm maximum,
running down to 18mm tenons.
STAINING
With the chair dry-fitted and feeling
good and stable now, I was ready to take
it apart again and begin colour-matching
the new parts. Generally, I use spirit
stains as there is a wide range of colours
that can be mixed and thinned to achieve
almost any wood colour. They dry quickly
and are colourfast. To achieve the midbrown colour of the chair I used colours
with the generic names ‘walnut’ and
‘jacobean’. They are quite similar, with
the jacobean being a little darker.
I love the challenge of colour matching,
although it can be frustrating at times. I
always start light and creep up on the final
shade, so I began with a thinned layer of
walnut stain. I used a little stainless steel
ramekin dish to mix the stain and applied
it with a piece of folded paper towel. I
always dab the paper onto another clean
piece like a blotter, to ensure I don’t put
too much on. I use the lathe as a workholding device here, but don’t turn it on.
I have far more control of the stain
rotating the lathe by hand as I need.
This was too light, as I intended, so I
applied a second coat, this time of thin
jacobean. Patience is key here. I applied
several light coats, taking my time and
doing other little jobs in between. To give
the spindles a little more depth, I cut the
stain back with a red abrasive pad to give
it a more worn and faded appearance. I
added more stain and this time wiped it
over with a little spirit thinners to once
more take the richness off the stain.
Once I felt I was close, I stood the
loose leg and my two stretchers up on the
chair to compare the colour and was very
happy, so the next stage was to seal them.
I didn’t want to apply a thick coat of
finish, as any finish applied to this chair
had long ago faded, but bare wood isn’t
the right solution either, so I used a thin
47
24
26
25
27
28
24 Applying wax with a red abrasive pad to gently remove watermarks and paint 25 Buffing the wax
26 The maker’s mark and year stamp 27 & 28 The restored chair
wiped-on coat of water based-lacquer to
seal it. Of course, this changed the colour
slightly, so once it was dry I applied a
second coat, this time tinted with a drop
of walnut water-based stain. Once this
second coat was dry, I once again gently
cut it back with the red abrasive pad to
knock the sheen off. I leant them back on
the chair with the leg and stood back – I
was pleased, they would blend in well
with the rest of the chair.
ETHICS
Where to draw the line with restoration
is a hotly debated topic. I didn’t want this
chair looking brand new and showroom
fresh, it just needed a little TLC to bring
it back to life. By the look of it, it had
spent the last couple of years in a shed
or garage due to its broken parts. I could
have ‘aged’ the new parts somewhat,
but this is where lines get a little blurred
between restoration and faking it. I
generally don’t ‘age’ things, partly because
whenever I’ve tried it in the past the
result just looks like it’s been hit with a
hammer, or with stones or dropped on
the floor. Maybe I’m just not that good at
it, but also I don’t think it needs it. These
new components are part of the chair’s
48
story. My aim is to make the new pieces
very difficult to spot, but if someone
wants to get on their hands and knees
and really look, I’m sure they would be
able to find the repair.
GLUE-UP
I always find glue-ups slightly stressful, but
I was as prepared as I could be, so went for
it. I had marked the ends of the spindles
with corresponding marks in the mortises
so I got everything in the right place. I
have found that too much glue in this
kind of joint can actually make assembly
more difficult. If air is trapped in the
mortise, unable to escape past the glue, it
is virtually impossible to get everything
together, so I only use a relatively small
amount of glue and always make sure
there is a small dry area in the joint to
allow air to escape. With some jiggling
and mallet tapping (and more than likely
the occasional swear word) I got the chair
together and tapped the new wedge into
place in the top of the leg, which is like a
key, locking everything together.
I sat it on the table of my saw to check
for level, it only needed a touch taking
off of one leg to make it sit perfectly. I
pared the excess wedge away and applied
a little stain to it to blend in with the
rest of the leg.
WAXING
The final job was to wax the entire chair.
The chair was looking dry and sad with
various watermarks and more than a few
random paint spots. I used another piece
of the red abrasive pad to liberally apply
the brown wax, working with the grain
to gently clean and revive it. I then used a
buffing brush to remove the excess wax and
work it into the dry timber. The final stage
was to wipe it over with soft cotton cloths.
CONCLUSION
I almost didn’t do the underside of the seat
but decided it looked so sad compared to
the rest that, even though it is unlikely to
ever be looked at, I should give it a clean
and buff. I am so glad I did because as I
rubbed the waxed abrasive pad over it,
some markings revealed themselves: 1939,
H Haynes, High Wycombe. There were
also marks on the back of the seat which
suggest this is number 4 of a set. I love
that I have been able to keep this chair in
use for another generation to enjoy. I am
pleased with the match of the new parts
and it passed the sitting test too!
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UNATTAINABLE PERFECTION
BESPOKE FURNITURE DESIGNER AND MAKER SEAN FEENEY
IS CELEBRATING 42 YEARS IN THE BUSINESS THIS YEAR.
HE SHARES HIS THOUGHTS ON LIFE, THE UNIVERSE AND EVERYTHING
From an early age, teachers at Sean Feeney’s school in Sussex
said he was ‘good with his hands’, and he excelled in the practical
classes of woodwork, metalwork and technical drawing. After
school, in 1973, he went straight to Rycotewood College to start
formally training in designing and building furniture, and in
1975 was named Student of the Year, winning the prestigious
Laurie Turner award.
Sean says: ‘After my training a number of positions were
offered within the furniture-making industry, but I decided to
change direction and complete my 10,000-hour apprenticeship
at an industrial design consultancy based in the market town
of Warwick.’ He worked there for four years before deciding
to go it alone, and opened his first workshop in Leamington
Spa in central England in 1979. ‘The premises was a Victorian
Gothic purpose-built bakehouse which had three floors with
commercial planning permission – the perfect town location
for a fledgling enterprise,’ Sean recalls.
He started out with two cabinetmakers’ chests of tools, a
bandsaw, a planer and thicknesser and a portable extractor.
‘That was the total sum of the workshop equipment,’ he says. ‘A
five-year business plan coupled with personal determination and
relentless long hours provided the springboard to relocate the
business to a more pastoral rural location in 1984.’ By this time
he had taken on a junior maker and a school-leaver apprentice,
and this expansion meant he needed a bigger space.
Sean moved to the Old School at Preston-on-Stour, where he
stayed for the next 30 years. ‘The building comprised of three
50
high-ceilinged Victorian classrooms which in due course became
the machine shop, assembly shop and drawing office,’ he says.
‘The school playground offered enormous storage space for airdrying timber and on-site kiln-drying.’ During the mid-1980s
Dutch elm disease ravaged Warwickshire’s woodlands and
provided the business with vast quantities of material.
Sean was awarded his first Guild Mark by the Worshipful
Company of Furniture Makers in 1998, for a folding screen with
woven ash panels housed in rosewood frames and decorated with
mother of pearl. Sean says: ‘The UK furniture industry’s charity
aims to inspire and promote excellence throughout the industry
with its prestigious Guild Marks and awards. The Guild Marks
are divided into four categories: Bespoke, Design, Manufacturing
and Sustainability, reflecting the broad range and depth of the
industry, and the criteria are exacting. The marks are judged by
independent experts from the furnishing and creative industries
who physically inspect each application for excellence of design,
materials, craftsmanship and function. Since the folding screen
a further six Guild Marks have been awarded to a variety of my
designs. These awards bring credibility and prestige to their
holders, helping to build brands both domestically and abroad.
‘In 2004 I was admitted into the Freedom of the City of
London and became a liveryman of the Worshipful Company.
Several years later I was asked to be a judge and served two
three-year terms with the Bespoke Guild Mark Committee.’
During that time he couldn’t put his own pieces in for awards,
but he is now looking at submitting another project.
51
PHOTOGRAPHS UNLESS STATED © CHRIS CHALLIS
PHOTOGRAPH © LES SMITHERS
MATERIAL WORLD
Nowadays Sean loves to work with burr elm, red elm and Dutch
elm, as well as native brown oak, rippled and figured sycamore
and London plane quarter-sawn to produce lacewood. ‘The
colour, texture and close grain of pearwood always excite the
senses,’ he adds. Sean also uses glass for various practical or
decorative reasons, such as tabletops, cabinet shelving, bevelled
edge details to door panels and mirrors. He says: ‘There are
numerous possibilities with sand-blasted treatments and acid
etching all used to creatively enhance the visual appearance
of toughened and laminated glass.’ He also works with copper,
silver and aluminium for inlays. ‘They can be worked to very fine
tolerance and remain stable, unlike the primary material, wood,
which will move, warp, shrink and expand and therefore requires
careful consideration within the design of an object, unless
veneers are substituted for solid timber to alleviate potential
movement,’ Sean explains.
His favourite part of furniture-making is the design stage.
‘The design process is the most exciting and rewarding aspect
to me now,’ he explains. ‘I love creating a solution to a design
brief in a practical and aesthetically pleasing manner. The vast
proportion of my work is commissioned one-of-a-kind pieces,
something I decided to focus on right at the outset of becoming
52
a freelance designer and maker. Each item is therefore a unique
challenge, requiring considerable thought and creativity in
attempting to produce the all-round perfect solution, bonding
design and craftsmanship together.’
Sean adds: ‘2021 is the 42nd anniversary of my business, and
throughout this time I have never fully or completely achieved
the absolute perfection seen in my mind’s eye, the unattainable
embodiment of my intention. There is always an aspect with
each design that I would modify or change for improvement.
The opportunity hardly ever arises to repeat a product, so we
continually strive to achieve perfection and get it right first time.’
Contemporary architecture and the natural world are among a
number of inspirations for Sean’s work. ‘Both play an important
role with innovation and conceptualisation of a design,’ he
says. ‘To help organise the process and eliminate oversights, it
is essential to evaluate the design brief created at the point of
client meeting. We develop the design through sketches and
scale drawings to a point where the object can be produced. It is
at this stage where every single design and constructional detail
is addressed and confirmed with the additional use of scale
models, full-size drawings or prototypes, which help to identify
any visual or constructional issues.’ The final piece is then built
using the finest materials available in the marketplace.
PHOTOGRAPH © PAUL LAPSLEY
PHOTOGRAPH © CHRIS WRIGHT
PHOTOGRAPHS © CHRIS WRIGHT
PERFECT FINISH
‘Product finishing in my view is one of the most important
aspects of furniture making,’ Sean says. ‘All wooden items require
surface protection from day-to-day usage to maintain the colour
and grain beauty and give the user a maintenance-free, durable
surface. Timber coatings vary from project to project, with a focus
on high quality and low impact on the environment. They include
acrylic lacquers, water-based lacquers and a range of microporous
oils applied to various gloss levels to ensure a flawless finish.’
One of Sean’s most challenging projects was when he decided
to enter a national competition to design a boardroom table
and chairs for the Royal Agricultural Society’s new library
in a contemporary building at the Royal Showground in
Warwickshire – even though the library was on the second
floor, stair access would not accommodate the tabletop
dimensions the brief required and he would have to lift the
top into the room using a crane.
He entered the competition in November, knowing the
finished piece had to be in place by July 6 the following year to
coincide with the Prince of Wales opening the Royal Show. By
late December he learnt he had won the competition. ‘I knew we
would be working very long weeks throughout the spring and early
summer,’ he says. He made the 3.5m x 1.2m x 40mm tabletop from
four boards quarter-sawn from the same log. ‘The timber had to
be English oak and confirmation of the material’s provenance was
a requirement,’ Sean recalls. ‘Finding the appropriate materials
involved extensive travels around the UK viewing potential trees,
and eventually I secured a 4m log with centre boards over 900mm
wide, displaying good medullary ray characteristics.’
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It took four men to move one board from the delivery vehicle,
and the same number to lift and move the finished tabletop
around the workshop. The table and 14 matching chairs were
finally delivered four days before the deadline. ‘The top itself
was carefully protected within a purpose-built wooden crate
and subsequently crane-winched into the second floor of the
building, with me looking on anxiously. That is not a project one
would ever forget,’ he says.
Other stand-out projects over the years include rippled
sycamore table Acer – ‘Its curved flowing legs with foot details
of pearwood supporting the solid, highly figured, moulded
tabletop was an immensely satisfying form and a delight to
design and produce,’ he says – and a pair of elm wine tables.
‘They had solid laburnum oysters inlayed within the top,
supported by four tapering curved legs with animalistic bog
oak foot details,’ says Sean. ‘Overall I find this pair of tables
visually stimulating and they display a high level
of craftsmanship.’
Manufacturing has continued throughout lockdown and
Sean is currently designing a sofa table and a hallway table
for a client. ‘Digital technology provides various platforms
for communications and to view potential stock purchase,
we adapt with the times,’ he says. ‘I would like to mention my
team of craftsmen, who over the past 16 months have worked
throughout the pandemic, producing outstanding work.
Thank you Tim Smith, Patrick Howlett and Ed Berry for your
commitment and dedication.’
seanfeeneyfurniture.co.uk
UNDER THE HAMMER –
MARQUETRY AND PARQUETRY
HUNDREDS OF DECORATIVE ANTIQUES WERE SOLD AT BONHAMS’
HOME AND INTERIORS AUCTION. WE LOOK AT SOME OF THE
BEST-SELLING FURNITURE LOT
LOT 235 • £31,500
A pair of Italian early 19th-century rosewood, ebony,
purplewood and sycamore marquetry and chequer-inlaid
commodes by Karl Amadeus Roos (1775–1837).
Each has a rectangular top inlaid with a central compass rose
oval within lozenge and feather-banded surrounds. The long top
drawers are inlaid with friezes of alternating palmettes, scrolled
foliate cornucopiae and harpie busts. The deep lower drawers are
inlaid with one central tablet flanked by two smaller tablets, each
within a chevron border encompassed by a stylised foliate pattern.
One of the commodes is decorated with scenes depicting figures
about to sacrifice a bull at a temple, a dancer playing pipes and
a warrior. The other is inlaid with images of Paris and Helen of
Troy, Cerberus, and figures eating and drinking, the drawer below
has conforming inlay to the frieze, on square tapering legs, with
identically inlaid sides centred by the figures of three dancing
Muses within a tablet, with walnut-lined drawers.
Karl Amadeus Roos was born in 1775 in Ludwigsburg,
Germany. Following a period as an apprentice, he moved to
Paris where he trained as an ebeniste. In 1804, Roos relocated
to Rome. His reputation spread rapidly and his business soon
flourished. Within a short period of time, his furniture became
highly fashionable among the affluent clientele of Rome. A
prolific cabinetmaker, his work was renowned for its quality,
beauty and practicality.
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▲
LOT 99 • £19,000
An Irish George III satinwood, sycamore, kingwood, tulipwood,
purplewood and marquetry demi-lune commode, made around
1780. The top is inlaid with a sand-shaded oval fan patera
encompassed by two berried flowerhead roundels, a scrolled
foliate-issuing palmette, a demi-lune sunflower rosette and
two fan angles. The frieze is inlaid with a rosette roundel and
anthemia, centred by an oval fan. There is one long mahoganylined drawer, over a pair of doors each inlaid with a sand-shaded
oval fan patera, enclosing one shelf. This is flanked by two
panels, each inlaid with a patera within an oval, interspersed by
projecting pilasters, terminating in square tapering feet.
Elements of the inlay on this commode are characteristic of
the work of William Moore, who flourished as a cabinetmaker
in Dublin during the last quarter of the 18th century and
beginning of the 19th century. Also typical of Moore’s output
is the segmental veneering which is evident on the front panels
and the top.
▲
LOT 141 • £7,012
PHOTOGRAPHS BY BONHAMS
▲
A New Zealand 19th-century parquetry occasional
table made around 1870 by Anton Seuffert (1815–87).
The circular top is inlaid with overlapping geometric stars
within a lozenge basketweave inlaid surround, with a reverse
ogee moulded edge. The column features a lotus leaf design
and the circular base is decorated with stylised leaf inlays.
The various timbers probably include kauri, puriri rim, tawa,
burr totara and kihekohe.
This table is a fine example of the output of Anton Seuffert,
who was most celebrated for producing specimen wood
parquetry tables of this type. He was born in Bohemia and in
1859 moved to Auckland, where he established himself as one of
the pre-eminent Australasian cabinetmakers of the 19th century.
He became famous for his ingenious use of indigenous timbers.
Card tables with distinctive inlaid patterns, such as this, are
the most instantly recognisable and representative works made
by the Seuffert workshop. The original purpose was for visitors
to leave their business or postal cards on when entering or
leaving a property.
LOT 47 • £1,530
A Swedish late 18th to early 19th-century ormolu mounted
rosewood and marquetry commode, in the manner of Georg
Haupt (1741–84). The moulded marble top sits above three long
drawers, the two lower drawers are inlaid sans traverse with a
cupid’s love trophy and drapery swags. Each end is inlaid with
ribbon-tied flowers.
Georg Haupt was a Swedish cabinetmaker whose work was
characterised by its detailed use of intarsia. He was an apprentice
to Johan Conrad Eckstein in Stockholm, before working in
Amsterdam, Paris and London. When he returned to Sweden
he became cabinetmaker to King Adolph Frederick in 1769.
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CONOID CHAIRS
JOSH BROWER PAYS TRIBUTE TO THE GREAT GEORGE NAKASHIMA
AND RECREATES ONE OF HIS MOST FAMOUS DESIGNS
George Nakashima (1905–90) is an icon of the American Arts
and Crafts movement. His daughter Mira joined him in the
workshop in 1970 and continues the tradition of Nakashima
furniture today, as she ‘strives to appreciate, safeguard, and
expand upon the traditions and knowledge integral to his work’.
Nakashima’s furniture is easily recognisable for its ability to
bring out the beauty and soul of the tree through the way the
wood is used. Every piece shows the grain and natural beauty of
the tree’s growth in the furniture itself, so you not only feel the
beauty of a piece based on its function, but also the life of the
tree which you now share through its use.
While there are many pieces he made which continue to
inspire and motivate today’s woodworkers, there are few that
are as loved as his Conoid chair. The Conoid chair was named
after Nakashima’s studio in New Hope, Pennsylvania, which
was modelled on the section of a cone.
MAKING MY OWN CONOID CHAIRS
I recently moved into a home that was large enough to
accommodate the large stash of woodstock I have been carrying
with me through my years of selling wood and making pieces for
clients. After fashioning a chandelier and a 10ft dining table of
waterfall bubinga with rose gold legs, I decided I needed to add
some chairs worthy of the room, in walnut to match the interior
trim in the home.
After a thorough review of iconic chairs, the Nakashima
Conoid chair in walnut seemed to keep coming up as an ideal
candidate. I had previously made a Conoid chair for my kitchen
office space, but it had taken considerable time and effort to
make, so I asked my frequent shop partner Brandon Conover
for help. Brandon had recently finished a large commission of
these chairs for a bank president and he still had the jigs that
were built for the pieces, which take considerable effort to make.
The Conoid chair I’d made before was a one-off and most of the
shaping and fitting was done by hand; when making multiples,
machine-fitting is far more accurate.
I had cut up a large Bastogne walnut log years previously and
slabbed it into usable pieces that might be suitable for tabletops
in size and thickness. Bastogne is a sterile tree and the rarest of
walnuts for that reason; it is geneaologically close to European
walnut, which means many pieces of it have light and dark areas
frequently called ‘marble cake’. This prime and beautiful wood had
been sitting in my stash awaiting the right project, and the need for
16 chairs was the perfect opportunity for it.
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1 A collection of jigs for rough shaping of the stock and joinery locations 2 Detailing jigs for cutting the joinery, which is precise enough to hold
together without glue 3 Brandon Conover helping lay out the rough stock using the grain of the wood 4 Templates were used for each part and
laid out to do the best grain matching possible before rough cutting out on the bandsaw 5 The larger bandsaw was used to rough cut out all the
parts following the grain of the pieces needed 6 Parts were then sorted for colour, grain and seat glue-ups with bookmatches
7 After rough out, the parts were further sorted into chair sets and marked so they would stay grouped through the machining process
8 To match the existing table, I used another bubinga piece from the same tree that the table was made from to make spindles for the
12 chairs. The traditional light-coloured spindles from the remaining timber would be used for a smaller table elsewhere in the home
9 Initial machining was done on the legacy ornamental mill using a custom template that I made to make them round and then to vary the tapers
on each end 10 The spindles were machined in two separate actions to get a smooth final pass so minimal clean-up was needed
11 Cutting off the machined ends for an exact length and fine-tuning with a block plane and card scraper of each spindle body was done to
make sure each chair looked exactly the same 12 The router jig was used with a wedge on the bed to give the correct tilt for a precise fit of each
end’s variation in both the crest rail and the seat base. Careful fitting was needed for each chair since slight variations occur
13 Final fitting of the parts was completed after the router table made 0.001 adjustments to the fit of each spindle from the seat to the crest
rail holes 14 Bridle joints were used for the joinery 15 Bridle joints on the leg bottoms allowed narrow wood to create a very strong joint so
that people sitting in the chairs can lean forward with no rocking motion
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PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOSH BROWER
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Spindles were initially roughed out with a lateral template on a
legacy ornamental mill and turning lathe for sanding. The final
fitting of the ends was arduous: each had to precisely fit the length
and the diameter of the holes drilled to avoid rattling when they
change size in varying degrees of humidity. This was accomplished
by using a router jig to get the final 8mm exactly to size and then
some fine hand tools to blend in the remainder of the taper. A card
scraper was used last of all to give it a polished look.
Straightforward bridle joints were used for the joinery of
the chairs. The joints required careful fitting since the
interlocking parts overlap for the majority of each part for
additional strength, to make up for the cantilevered seat and
legs. Routers were used to rough out the parts for width and
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length with jigs. Prefinishing parts before the final joinery was
cut allowed fitting to occur quickly after. Glue squeeze-out
was made easy by the prefinished parts being smoother and
stopping the glue absorption.
While the main joinery was accomplished, the seat holes were
bored while the seats were still a square with easy to register
surfaces using a jig. The seat shape was traced out and the
bandsaw used to rough out the final shape and cut the cloud lift
under the anterior leg portion of the seat (the cloud lift makes
the seat look thinner in the front than it actually is by creating
an anterior narrow area). A jig registering where the legs and
buttocks would be placed on the seat was clamped to the top of
the seat blank and routers of different plunger depths set to get
23
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24
16 Due to the extensive joinery each chair was assembled without
glue and walked on to test for loose joints before glue-up
17 Sitting in the chair without glue to test the mechanical strength
of each joint! 18–20 The seat holes were bored and the seat shape
was traced out while the timber was still square
21 Rough sculpting was done with grinders and aggressive sanders,
but fine-tuning was done with hand tools and fine abrasives. Some
card scraping was done to give a hand-detailed smooth final finish
22 Due to the extensive grain changes in the highly figured Bastogne
walnut, very fine abrasives were used with card scrapers for a final
finish. Small cracks developed even though the wood was thoroughly
seasoned and they were filled with a mix of black-dyed epoxy
23 Multiple coats of shellac were added as a sanding sealer, followed
by polyurethane on the seats and functional parts, and a final top
coat of high solids Osmo oil
24 Complete and ready to transport home!
25 Altogether, well over 200 man hours went into making the 16
chairs, which will provide a lifetime of functional art for the home
26 Here is the finished room. These chairs have matching waterfall
bubinga spindles from an offcut of the tabletop
precise removal of the material so all the seats would look the
same. Angle grinders with varied carbide and abrasive carvers
were used to remove the majority of the material before some
hand tools and finally sanders were used to complete the seat
tops. There was over 75 gallons of shavings removed and swept
up from the chair seat sculpting alone!
Final assembly and clamping was completed with some tricky
fitting of the spindles into all eight holes on top and on the bottom
at the same time as getting the clamps on! It took six clamps per
chair. There were too few clamps available in the shop to do 16
chairs at once, so a Russian roulette of clamping occurred with
rapid clamping and unclamping occurring for hours until even
hardy woodworking hands received some well-earned blisters.
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HAWAIIAN TOPIC
A STINT LIVING IN HAWAII INSPIRED KYLLE SEBREE
TO DEDICATE HIS LIFE TO MAKING FURNITURE
Based in Carlsbad, near San Diego, California, Kylle Sebree is a
young furniture maker inspired by Scandinavian and Japanese
design, and his own coastal lifestyle. His sleek pieces show the
influence of mid-century style as well as his design hero James
Krenov, and he makes striking use of hand-woven Danish cord
in partnership with wood.
Kylle has always loved working with his hands, but initially
studied Exercise Physiology at the University of Houston, with a
minor in art. He graduated in 2007 and moved to Hawaii, where
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he fell in love with making furniture. The first thing he made was
a coffee table for his home. He says: ‘That’s where the journey
began – to find a career I loved joined with my newfound passion
for furniture making, which also satisfied my love of the arts.’
He was initially self-taught, attended a community
college furniture programme and then signed up for a yearlong intensive course at the Inside Passage School of Fine
Cabinetmaking in British Columbia, Canada. The school offers
an Impractical Cabinetmaker programme and was inspired by
the teachings of James Krenov, who was an adviser to the school
until his death in 2009. ‘Of course, I will be forever learning,’
Kylle adds. That training and Krenov himself inspired Kylle’s
first paid commission, a jewellery cabinet.
He says: ‘When I decided to pursue the schooling for it, I knew
this was what I was going to do for the rest of my life. Building the
business was a very long road made possible by the combination
of having a wife that believed in me, a lot of perseverance and
making a lot of mistakes and not giving up. The first step was
committing to it and trying to educate myself as much as I could.’
Kylle thanked his wife Hayley for her support by building her
what was at once the most challenging and rewarding project
he has worked on so far. ‘It was my final piece while at the Inside
Passage School, Haley’s Cabinet. She sacrificed so much and
encouraged me in so many ways. It was the only way I knew at
the time to say thank you. I enjoyed every minute of the build and
scrutinised every little detail. I’m still waiting for a client who
allows me to focus that much time and energy on one piece.’
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PHOTOGRAPHS UNLESS STATED BY KYLLE SEBREE
SUSTAINABLE SOURCING
NATURAL INSPIRATION
ethos is ‘chasing the ability to marry design with craftsmanship’.
He explains: ‘For a lot of us in the field I feel that one of those
qualities is natural, but combining the two is when you can
really have that effect of allowing design to guide your mood and
affect your life in a positive way.’
So how does his design process work? ‘If it’s a piece from our
collection, those designs came about mostly due to a personal
need in our home or just ideas that float around in my head.
Sometimes they start as a pencil sketch, but most of the time,
when it’s a piece I want to make, I just start building what I see
in my head. Custom pieces on the other hand always start with a
sketch to show the clients, and then oftentimes a scale mockup.’
Custom work makes up around 50% of Kylle’s work, and he
enjoys it because it introduces changes to his building schedule –
but overall he prefers working on his own collection. ‘It’s always
a very special feeling when people order directly from my site,
no questions asked. It’s a feeling of validation on my design and
such a huge compliment,’ he says. ‘I want to make time after we
get our new space built out to refine some collection pieces, add
more to it and bring in a couple of people to help shoulder some
of the load. I’m definitely maxed out as a one-man shop with an
occasional sander.’
Orders for Kylle’s Leeward credenzas and Lewers benches
tend to queue up, so he is usually working on one of those
at any given time, and is currently also working on a
commissioned set of bar stools, two dining tables and a Harbor
Low chair, which are destined for locations including New
York, Texas and California. Looking ahead, he plans to keep
growing his business. ‘I do have a lot of passions and plan to
start another line of business that is currently in the works.
All I can say is that it involves furniture, design, tropical
destinations and giving back,’ he says. He also dreams of one
day having the time to design and build a home for his family,
his wife of 16 years Hayley and their two-year-old daughter.
‘My inspiration has always come from the deep-seeded belief
that design and what we surround ourselves with can shape our
lives, from the day to day to the long term,’ says Kylle. He says his
kyllesebree.com
@kyllesebree
James Krenov’s book The Impractical Cabinetmaker inspired Kylle
to build a personal relationship with a sawyer – a challenge he
initially had no idea how to go about. ‘I didn’t really understand
how that would look or if it was still possible in this day and age,
but I really took that to heart,’ he says. ‘I chose a mill, flew out to
visit them and have now formed a relationship that goes beyond
business, I would call the owners friends. So I know firsthand how
important it is to them to source material that is not only some
of the best, but also sustainable.’ But he admits he has never been
asked for a sustainably sourced piece of furniture in the 10 years
he has been making it professionally. ‘Maybe they assume that’s
part of ordering bespoke furniture,’ he wonders.
Kylle prefers working with walnut, white oak and teak, and
chooses woods he can enjoy developing with hand tools. He uses
hand-rubbed oil finishes on all his products, except the interiors
of cabinets and drawers, which receive shellac. ‘I hate the way a
varnish makes a piece of wood feel almost plasticky,’ he says. In
fact Kylle only uses hand tools for the final 10% of the work done
to his furniture – but this is where he spends 90% of his time. He
explains: ‘I love using hand tools, you can’t duplicate what the
hands can do with any machine when it comes to putting your
fingerprints on a piece.’ Where possible he avoids using a router.
‘It’s loud and dusty. I would much rather use a small block plane
to soften an edge over using a round-over bit,’ he explains.
The week before the Covid pandemic shut the world down,
Kylle signed a lease on a larger space in the village where he lives
– so his workshop is currently a construction zone. ‘Needless
to say, improvements and the remodel were put on hold as we
navigated Covid as well as getting our work permits,’ he says. ‘I’m
hoping to have it completed for an open house by the fall, and
also to stop working 50 to 60 hours a week!’
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PHOTOGRAPH BY TOMOKO H MATSUBAYASHI
HEIRLOOM DINING TABLE
JIM BENNETT TAKES INSPIRATION FROM ARCHITECTURE TO MAKE AN
ELEGANT TABLE THAT WILL HOPEFULLY BECOME A FAMILY TREASURE
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1
1 Watercolour sketch of the table
Every now and again as a designer and maker, an enquiry
for a commission will come your way that really excites you.
Mine came from a couple in the next village to my workshop
in Suffolk. They had not long returned to England after
spending the past 25 years living abroad.
Being closer to family and wanting to spend time with
them prompted the idea for a large family table. The brief
was simple, but challenging. They did not want a traditional
dining table, one with a leg in each corner and a visible
frame. It would have to be able to sit up to 10 people, have a
thick timber top, no apron or downstand visible beneath the
table edge and no stretchers at a low level. It needed to be
elegant but functional, and hopefully be able to be passed
on to future generations.
DESIGN
I had several ideas which I sketched out by hand and coloured
using watercolour paint – my preferred way to design. Having
selected the ones I thought most appropriate, I arranged a
meeting with my client. They were discussing two of the
proposals when I knocked over my bag. They both said: ‘That
one!’. It was an idea I had roughly sketched out and discarded
as possibly unworkable but had kept in my bag!
At the time I had been reading a book by the late Peter Rice, the
engineering brains behind some of the iconic architectural works
of the past 50 years including the Sydney Opera House, Lloyds of
London and the Beaubourg (Centre Pompidou) in Paris. I was a
chartered building surveyor before retraining as a furniture maker
so I have always been fascinated by the link between architecture,
engineering and furniture design and I have been obsessed by
the Pompidou for years. The brief for the Pompidou had been
for a ‘large open span carrying a heavy load’ – in its case this was
a library over a span of 45m; in my case with this table, it was a
40mm-thick slab of oak spanning over 3m, but the principle is the
same. It was just a question of scale. As Rice says ‘The work of an
engineer, no less than that of a furniture designer...’.
The answer for the Pompidou was the Gerbette Solution
named after Herbert Gerber, a 19th-century engineer who
invented a support system for bridges. Rice had wanted a
bespoke solution for the Pompidou, not one made from standard
sections. They used cast-iron mouldings – Gerbettes – finished
by hand to give a ‘quality unique to the designer and maker, a
reminder that they were made and conceived by people who had
laboured and left their mark’.
I wanted to do the same. My brief did not allow me to have
a normal support system, so I came up with the idea of the leg
being designed like the outstretched arm of someone beneath
the table using one hand to support the centre from deflecting
and the other to support the ends.
The legs had to act like an arch – pushing against each other
– actually gaining their strength from the compressive weight of
the tabletop, like a bridge. The legs therefore had to be bespoke –
my very own Gerbettes.
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PHOTOGRAPHS BY JIM BENNETT
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MODEL MAKING
I always make a scale model. I find it can solve many problems
before the making process starts. In this case the fi rst model,
including chairs, was made to see if the seating arrangement was
possible. It wasn’t. The legs were at the wrong angle, obstructing
the chair legs.
I made a new model, altering the angles of the legs. It worked.
However, I was still not sure if the design would carry the load of
the heavy top and be stable, as I could not replicate the weight or
loads of the actual table in the model.
Having established the splay of the legs and the exact angle at
which they were to be fixed to the top, I decided it was too risky to
carry on without an actual full-size prototype of a leg and corner.
I made a roughly shaped leg and part of a tabletop out of MDF and
pushed it up to the bench with no other support. This replicated
the ‘arch’ idea. It was remarkably stable. After eating my lunch at it
I was eventually satisfied that it would work.
TIMBER
It had been decided that the table was to be made from English
oak. I buy most of my timber from a local timber yard who let me
select the pieces I require. A list of sizes was prepared. While the
top posed little problem with regard to timber selection, the legs
proved more difficult. I had to decide on the dimensions – for
aesthetic as well as strength reasons. Due to the complex nature
of the shape and the loading I could not afford any distortion to
the legs, particularly as they would not be restrained along their
length or at their feet. After discussion with my timber merchant,
we took the decision to make them out of two pieces of 40mmthick timber to give an overall thickness of 80mm.The appropriate
cutting list was prepared and quartersawn oak of the suitable
thickness was chosen and brought back to the workshop to settle.
MAKING THE LEGS
The timber for the legs and subframe was selected on grain
direction for strength, milled to within a few millimetres
of the desired thickness and left to rest.
As the construction of the legs and subframe was critical, I
drew out a full-size rod for half of the table on my workbench.
I then set about making a template for the legs.
Each leg was made up from three sections. The main section
was cut from a 200mm-wide piece of oak, which gave me 200mm
width at the point of most load and reduced the number of joints
to get the desired shape . The strut, extending underneath to
support the centre of the table, would be jointed to the leg with a
90° seating. The rear support was a small piece fi xed to the rear
of the main leg.
The main components were drawn out full size on paper, cut
out and transferred to a piece of MDF, which was in turn cut out
and stuck on top of a piece of 200mm-wide oak with doublesided tape. This shape was then cut out on the bandsaw, leaving
a small margin. This excess was removed on the router table
with a flush trim router, using the MDF as the template for the
bearing, allowing multiple pieces to be made accurately.
Considerable thought was given to how to connect the
individual components of the legs together for maximum
strength. I considered a traditional mortise and tenon joint,
but I was concerned about how strong that would be, bearing
in mind the eccentric angle at which it was being loaded. I finally
decided on multiple dominoes to get as much surface area of glue
as possible.
The next problem was clamping such an irregular shape.
Various bespoke jigs were made to provide pressure at the correct
angle and in the correct position.
Once assembled, the legs were cleaned up using a cabinet
scraper and then sanded – my preferred method of finishing.
SUBFRAME
I laid plywood sheets as a temporary tabletop on the workbench
and levelled them. Working on this as if it was the underside of
the table, the legs were placed on it and positioned accurately,
transferring the measurements from the model and prototype
made earlier. Constant reference was made to the model
throughout this process.
Having placed the legs in position, I could now template the
subframe. This frame served two purposes. It had to secure the
top of the legs together at the correct angle and provide support
for the struts. The design was such that the frame would only
gain sufficient strength once the top was fitted – like an arch.
The subframe was made from 25mm-thick oak, comprising
one piece running the length of the table joined with dominoes
to the two shorter cross pieces. These were used to lock the two
pairs of legs together at the ends with half-blind dovetails. This
subframe was kept as thin as possible so as not to be visible and
corner blocks were added for additional strength.
THE TABLETOP
As mentioned before, the top was slightly more conventional
although the timber selection took some time as this is an
important part of any furniture build. I had initially selected
the rough sawn timber, looking for character, knots and, of
course, minimum wastage. The sawn planks were cut to length
and planed flat on one side on the jointer and then thicknessed,
leaving a few millimetres for final milling before glue-up.
2 Making the first model, working out the leg details 3 The finished model 4 Full-size working drawing of the leg components, before cutting the
template 5 Prototype leg and corner of the table made in MDF at correct height to test support 6 Full-scale rod/working out subframe sketch details
7 Full-size mock-up of leg and strut in MDF to test-fit and see how it looked in full scale. This allowed reshaping of the legs to reduce the weight
without loss of strength 8 Main leg support cut out on the bandsaw, leaving excess for trimming off on the router table
9 Main leg support after final trimming with the flush trim router. The faces where the other components would attach have to be very accurately
cut for strength and aesthetic 10 Building up the leg with rear component using dominoes 11 Using offcuts as part of the jig for clamping
irregular-shaped components is a very good way of getting an even pressure 12 Removing waste for the half-blind dovetails using the mortiser.
The dovetails were cut by hand but the majority of the waste could be removed this way
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With the subframe now finalised and back on the workshop
floor, the planed oak pieces for the top were laid out on the
workbench for final positioning using the best of the grain
pattern and medullary rays .
Having selected the order of the planks, I carefully planed each
edge – first on the jointer and then by hand – and fitted them to
ensure a perfect fit. I decided to use dominoes on the joints – not
for strength as the rubbed joint would have been strong enough,
but as I hand-finish all of my work I want to reduce the amount
of correction needed. Using dominoes along the joints meant
I managed to get the planks pretty well lined up.
Like most makers I find any glue-up stressful. Large tabletops
present specific difficulties in keeping the top flat while applying
pressure to the sides. I used cauls as much as possible to apply
pressure on the top to stop it lifting. After the top was released
from the clamps, a straightedge showed the table to be pretty level.
Help was enlisted to turn the top over due to its weight,
allowing me to sample my finishing techniques before working
on the top surface. I used a mixture of a finely set hand plane and
a cabinet scraper. Final sanding was done with a random orbital
sander, going through the grades.
supporting but lacked rigidity, which I hoped would come from
the weight of the top applying a compressive force. It worked!
I felt a great relief as the top went on – even without any fixings
it was immediately strong enough to sit on at its mid-point.
The top and subframe were given several coats of hardwax
oil before final assembly, being rubbed down in between coats.
The two were joined with screws through slotted holes to allow
for movement
DELIVERY
ASSEMBLY
Delivering a finished piece is always an anxious time for everybody.
Delivery was arranged with a trusted courier. My workshop
deliberately has a single door access to make sure whatever is made
in there can go through a normal house door at the other end.
The tabletop and subframe were wrapped and carried
separately and taken into the house, where I reassembled it.
The new owners were as anxious as I was to see it in position
and to put their own chairs around it. A part of you always stays
with a piece which has taken up so much time, but seeing my
clients happy meant I knew it was in its rightful place.
A year after delivery I received a message from my clients:
‘The table has become the heart of family activity and we love it!
... Much admired by people who visit. Thank you.’
With the top and subframe now finished, the time had arrived
to see if the design worked. The subframe alone was self-
jim-bennett.co.uk, @jimbennettfurniture
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26
23
27
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13 Clamping the curved sections using offcuts to get the correct line of pressure 14 Cutting out and fixing dominoes for building the legs
15 Clamping arrangement for leg construction. As multiple clamps had to be used due to the complex nature of the joints, a bespoke jig was made
16 Making a template for the subframe for accurate cutting out for struts and legs. As the four legs all meet like an arch, accuracy was key here
17 Test-fitting the legs to the subframe and underside of the table 18 Test-fitting the half-blind dovetails to the subframe. These have to be
very strong to resist movement at the top under load and have to be in exactly the correct position 19 Assembling the subframe before the final
glue-up 20 Assembling the subframe using domino jointing for strength. This main frame will be screwed to the underside of the table and will
become stronger when fixed 21 Fitting the legs to the subframe 22 Final subframe construction completed and self-supporting awaiting the
top. Dowels and in some cases screws and pellets have been used for strength where appropriate 23 Selecting the timber for the tabletop. This
oak has been planed and thicknessed and is being positioned to obtain the best grain pattern 24 Gluing up the main tabletop
25 Radiused ends to the tabletop were a requirement of the brief. This was too large to be formed with a hand-held router, so it was done by
hand with a block plane and an MDF former used for final sanding 26 The finished tabletop showing the medullary rays of the oak.
27 The finished table legs 28 From start to finish: the model and finished table together
73
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75
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF WAYWOOD
THE SCULPTURAL SIDEBOARD
AND DISPLAY TABLE
WE LOOK AT TWO BESPOKE GUILD MARK DESIGNS
BY OXFORDSHIRE-BASED WAYWOOD
The Bespoke Guild Mark, awarded by The Furniture Makers’
Company, is the ultimate accolade for designer-makers,
recognising excellence in design, materials, craftsmanship and
function for exquisite pieces of furniture made as single items
or a limited run of up to 12.
It is awarded to only the most meticulous, luxurious and highly
crafted pieces of bespoke furniture and, since its launch in 1952,
has been the apex of distinctions for UK designer-makers.
In order to be awarded a Bespoke Guild Mark, each design
has to be stringently vetted and scrutinised by a panel of judges.
Two pieces by Waywood were recently awarded the Mark: the
Sculptural Sideboard and Display Table.
Based in Oxfordshire, Waywood combines the varied skills of
five furniture makers, with influences as diverse as fine art, cabin
making, boat building and CAD/CAM manufacturing.
THE SCULPTURAL SIDEBOARD
Designed by Barnaby Scott and Clive Brooks, the Sculptural
Sideboard is a fumed oak and pear drinks cabinet with
sculptural reveal handles and shaped wine shelves. The reveal
handle with the mitred details was a complex process to keep
the construction as minimal as possible. The doors are made
from various layers for stability and cleanness of design. The
sideboard was made by Simon Smith and Clive Brooks.
Commenting on the piece, Barnaby says: ‘We wanted to
create a sideboard with flexible storage and dedicated wine
storage that also serves as a feature piece with only a few
standout design details.’
THE DISPLAY TABLE
The Display Table, designed by Clive Brooks and Simon Smith,
was made as a commemorative piece of furniture to celebrate the
client’s mother and her love of flowers. The table – made from
burr elm, fumed and figured eucalyptus – features eight complex
laminated shapes that are joined together at the top and then
fixed into a domed, veneered base. The engraved glass disc sits
into the formed shape base. Clive Brooks and Jered Allcock were
the makers involved in the project.
waywood.co.uk
THE AHOY! DESK
MITCH PEACOCK USES
RECYCLED WOOD TO MAKE
A YACHT-INSPIRED TABLE
In a recent attempt to reduce the clutter around my workshop,
I went through my stack of reclaimed timber in the hope of
finding inspiration. Little did I expect to have a restless night
that night, dreaming up designs in my head.
Since making a live-edge cutting board with let-in cylindrical
legs (see Woodworking Crafts issue 66), I had wanted to include
the same leg joint in a piece of furniture. I think it was these
cylindrical legs that brought to mind masts, then yachts with
planked decking, and the basics of a slim table or desk.
78
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PHOTOGRAPHS BY MITCH PEACOCK
1
9
10
11
12
DESIGN
1 The exact sizing of the table would be down to the materials,
but the design was set by the morning and I made a quick model
in CAD.
5 Particular care was taken to smooth the panel, which now had
the wavy grain of the poplar right up against the sapele strips.
6 The panel was cut into the top and two sides, and all were mitred,
with my mitre shooting board ensuring a square and tight fit.
MATERIALS
2 The pale wood had been reclaimed from light pallets, where
it had been used as the spacers or bearers between the pallet slats.
I believe it was most probably poplar: lightweight, pale with light
grey staining, and a little soft. The grain was wavy, requiring
careful planing with a freshly honed blade, and probably the
reason it had been selected for pallet construction. Five spacers
were used in total, with two of them ripped (one through its width
and one through its depth) to provide nail hole-free surfaces to
edge the tabletop and drawer face, and a rear apron.
The dark wood came from two thick, old window sills. Sapele
would be my best guess, although it worked somewhat easier
than the sapele I’ve used recently, planing and turning with less
fight. Two square blanks for the legs were cut from each sill.
Offcuts provided the rest of the parts, including the drawer box
components and strips in the table top.
Sawdust and sanding dust, mixed with glue, were used to fill
and disguise several nail and screw holes that would otherwise
show when the table was complete.
7 The mitres received some reinforcement by way of dominoes,
although biscuits or dowels would be equally good, and they
were glued and clamped using the mitre offcuts as cauls (these
were temporarily glued in place, and provided parallel faces for
the clamps to bite on).
8 With the tabletop and sides assembled, channels were bored
for the leg joints. I used a saw-toothed Forstner bit because the
majority of the channel was into end-grain.
9 I added more guide holes to the dowelling jig I made for
the chopping board, and bored dowel holes into the table
top assembly.
10 The top of the joint channels were coved as a design feature,
complementing the rounded edges at the top of the legs.
3 The boards were planed square and glued up into a panel that
would yield the tabletop and flush mitred sides.
11 My original idea was to have tapered cylindrical legs, with
the taper starting immediately below the sides, but I recalled
seeing octagonal masts on dinghies and decided to try that first.
The tops of the legs were turned to a cylinder that would fit the
channels in the tabletop...
4 Once cured, the panel was trued up and planed to thickness.
12 ... and then the square section tapered on the two inside faces.
CONSTRUCTION
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14
15
16
17
18
13 Then the tapered section was chamfered to an octagon.
14 The top of the legs were bored to receive holly plugs, and
flushed over to remove all traces left by the drive centre
during turning.
15 The second part of the dowelling jig was used to bore
mating dowel holes in each leg, before they were attached to
the table top.
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16 The rear legs also received the rear apron before being
attached to the top. A clean facing was attached between the
front left leg and the turned drawer post.
17 The glued-up drawer front was dressed up with a shaped pull,
recessed across its full width...
18 ... and attached to a simple, through dovetailed drawer box
with grooves for drawer slides.
19
19 For all around protection I applied three coats of acrylic
lacquer. Here you can see the finished table with the cutting
board that helped inspire it.
Using reclaimed timber can throw up problems and force
design changes, but pays you back with heaps of satisfaction if
you persevere with it. Go on, have a go!
CRESCENDO
TORONTO-BASED CRAFTSMAN CHRIS O’DELL TELLS F&C HOW
HE CONVERTED A BABY GRAND PIANO INTO A WALL-MOUNTED BAR
CUE THE CRESCENDO
When I arrived to pick up the piano, the person selling it
explained that while in fantastic condition, it could no longer
be tuned due to hairline cracks in the cast-iron harp. For this
950lb piano, its purpose had come to an end. This was music
to my ears (because let’s be honest, who would ever want to
destroy a perfectly playable piano). He watched patiently, and
was somewhat perplexed, as I got my tools out and began to
carefully dismantle it. The goal was to retain and repurpose
every piece I could. Six hours later, the piano was on its side
in the back of my truck.
I spent the next few weeks inspecting, disassembling
and learning about the piano, piece by piece. As I pulled the
keyhole structure away, I was elated to find a serial number
hand-stamped into the wood. I spent the next couple of hours
absorbed in tracing the piano’s history. I soon discovered
that it had been built locally in 1885 by piano maker Gerhard
Heintzman, nephew to German-Canadian Theodor August
Heintzman, founder of Heintzman & Co, and who took over
running the company after his uncle died. Established in 1866,
PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHRIS O’DELL
One of the most fulfilling aspects of being a custom furniture
maker and designer is finding functional solutions for my clients
that take their unique characteristics or environments into
consideration. While most of the pieces I create are site-specific
in some way, I find myself looking for ways to weave the storied
histories of the people I work with or the place the piece will
reside in into the finished project. After all, that’s the beauty of
custom furniture – a one of a kind piece, specifically tailored to
one’s whim or desire.
When Covid-19 hit, like many other small businesses and
makers, my work halted and projects were put on hold. Site visits
were no longer possible, meeting my clients face to face was not an
option and materials were scarce, all while prices skyrocketed. So,
I decided to return to the craft – to make for the sake of making;
to keep my mind and my tools sharp. I decided to look inwards,
in an effort to create subtractively, the opposite of the normal
woodworking process – adding materials to make something – but
instead to look for an existing object and deconstruct it. Shed its
current purpose with intent to make something new. How about
making a 140-year-old baby grand piano into a bar? Let’s begin.
Heintzman & Co handcrafted close to 2,000 pianos before
building a new factory in The Junction in 1884 and moving
production to the west end of Toronto in 1888 – where I
currently live and work. Heintzman Street, a small, side road I
pass on my way to and from my shop each day, now sits where
the factory once was.
For some perspective, Canada was 10 years old when this
piano was being built. Basketball didn’t exist and all the
mahogany and cast iron would have been brought to the factory
by horse and cart. As a tenured woodworker and student of the
game, it completely blew me away to see the precision, intricacy,
and craftsmanship these craftsmen could achieve so long ago.
The keyboard alone had over 800 parts, all hand-assembled.
It was staggering.
Returning to the task at hand, I removed the piano’s braces
before filling in the notches and dados with autobody filler (a
trick of the trade for larger holes rather than using wood filler).
Once that was smooth, I carefully applied a mahogany veneer
to the inside walls to match the body. For shelving, I used
solid mahogany which I measured, milled and cut to fit the
curvature of the body, making use of the piano’s tuning pins as
shelf pins.
After cutting out a piece for the backing and key setting, I
dry-fitted the keyboard including all 180 original hammers
with a glass shield and frame to ensure everything would piece
together as planned, finished all 56 separate pieces with four
coats of natural oil and attached the hinged door using original
hardware, the drawbridge door using brass chain and two
magnetic closure mechanisms.
While restoration is an extremely admirable art all its own,
this wasn’t that. This project was a time for discovery and
self-evaluation. To see if I could. To test my mettle and add
to the craft I love. If I have restored anything, it would be the
amazement and gratitude I hold for the makers of our past and
the impact they’ve had on the shape of our world today.
Crescendo now has a new purpose; one I hope will bring as
much joy as it did in its previous life.
woodchipwerks.com
@woodchipwerks
THE MAGAZINE FOR CRAFT ENTHUSIASTS
JIGSAW
MASTERCLASS
WOODWORKING
to get the best out of this
1
2
workshop stalwart
3
4
6
7
5
PH
Hand, Power & Green Woodworking • Turning • Restoration • DIY
G
PH
H
/GM
B
CRAFTS
Anthony Bailey reveals how
8
Getting the best from your jigsaw
The jigsaw is one of those underrated but ubiquitous tools that lie
on the shelf and get dragged out when nothing else will do the job.
A sort of jack of all trades and master of none. However, there are
ways to get the best out of it and benefit your work.
If you’re serious about woodworking then there is no substitute
for a decent, heavy-duty jigsaw. They cost quite a lot of money but
the build quality is much superior than a cheapie. A bigger motor,
hardened components and tighter tolerances all make for a more
accurate and faster cut.
1 Jigsaws depend on their blades. There are a wide variety on the
market so choose with care – the Black & Decker type shank or
the Bosch fitting, which are larger and come in more varieties, are
good to work with. Select according to the job in hand: e.g. coarse
wood cutting, fine wood cutting, scroll cutting, sheet material or
metal, etc. There are extra long blades but don’t expect them to
hold an accurate course. Down-cutting blades are designed to
avoid breakout but don’t work with orbit on, so fit an anti-spelch
plate instead, if your jigsaw takes them. Most blades have an
up-cutting pattern.
2 Support the work properly on both sides of the cut – sheet material
can bounce as it is tugged at by the blade.
3 A major reason why the cutter wanders is because the operator
cannot see the cut line due to dust on the workpiece. A jigsaw
with a blower can make a difference, or choose a jigsaw with
built-in extraction.
4 The orbit lever is a valuable tool but use it wisely. It causes the blade
to not only oscillate up and down, but also from back to front, so
5
6
7
8
that the teeth are pushed into the workpiece. Select orbit when you
have thick material and want to speed up the cut rate, but leave it at
zero when you want to cut thin material or prevent breakout on the
surface. If you are cutting tight curves, the blade will wander and
widen the cut with orbit in use.
Don’t expect accurate cuts with blunt blades – it may feel sharp but
if there is a slight shine showing on each tooth tip it means they have
become rounded over with wear or damage, perhaps hitting nails
or screws.
Jigsaws are great for roughing-out work prior to fine cutting such as
before using a router and template. However, you need an accurate
enough cut so you can work close to the cut line so that when you do
trim with the router, the cutter won’t be unduly strained.
Jigsaws often come with a straight fence or even a circle cutting
trammel arm. They don’t work that well – cut by eye because you
can alter the angle of cut to reduce any cut wander.
When entering the centre of a workpiece either drill a start hole to
drop the blade in, or lay the front of the jigsaw on the workpiece and
do a face-sawn entry – but avoid straining the cutter in case it breaks.
34
35
GILDING
Follow Steve Bisco’s
advice to enrich your
woodwork with gold leaf
Carvers, furniture makers and woodworkers have been decorating their
work with gold since ancient times. By applying a thin ‘leaf ’ of metal
to a carved surface, the reflected light focuses attention on the curves,
swirls and angles of the pattern, where otherwise, the grain and figure
of the wood may distract the eye. Nothing breathes life into a carving
quite like the flash and glow of gold.
If you think gilding is too difficult and too expensive, think again.
It may be difficult to gild a grand palace to heritage standards, but
it is well within the capabilities of the average woodworker to
decorate their own carvings and other projects to an acceptable
domestic standard. It is expensive to use pure gold in large quantities,
but it is almost ridiculously cheap to cover a carving in imitation gold
leaf, and well within the limits of a woodworker’s pocket money to
decorate parts of a piece in real gold by the process of ‘parcel gilding’.
For a rich ‘antique gold’ finish, you don’t need to be rich yourself
or have any experience as a gilder. Just follow these cheap and simple
amateur methods and with a little practice, you will have lovely,
rich-looking pieces.
1
2
4
3
Gilding with imitation gold leaf
The cheapest and easiest way to gild a whole piece is by using imitation
gold leaf – basically brass. It is sold at most art supply shops in books
of 25 sheets. Each sheet measures 140mm square, so a book can cover
a lot of wood, even allowing for wastage. You will also need a good
quality gold lacquer for use as an undercoat, some gilding size and
some French polish, which we will use as a sealer (photo 1).
SEALING AND SIZE
This limewood Rococo swirl is a nice carving, but the dull matt colour
of the wood doesn’t really give us the true period feel (photo 2).
Through gilding, the reflected light from the golden metal will make it
sparkle like a diamond!
Start by sealing the wood with a suitable sealer (such as Danish oil)
then coat the whole carving, front and back, with a good gold lacquer
(photo 3). Put it on thinly so you don’t clog the detail, and leave it to
dry thoroughly.
Apply some gilding size thinly to a section of the carving (photo 4).
Leave it for about 10 minutes until it is dry but slightly tacky to the
touch. Only size an area you can comfortably gild in about 30 minutes,
then progress over the carving, one section at a time.
52
53
YOU WILL NEED
TURNED
RECTANGULAR
WEED POT
Woodturning tools:
• 1/4in spindle gouge
• 3/8in spindle gouge
50mm
(2in)
• 5mm beading and parting tool
• 2mm parting tool
• 5mm parting tool
Peripheral equipment:
• Jacobs chuck
Chris West shows how to create a
• 22mm sawtooth bit
• Bandsaw
• Thicknesser
small rectangular flask for displaying
grasses and stems
• Belt sander
• Buffing mops
Consumables:
• Abrasives
• Cellulose lacquer
150mm
(6in)
Figure 1 Side view of the flask
Figure 2 The neck of the flask
100mm
50mm
(2in)
dimensions of the flask are:
150 x 50 x 100 mm.
Side view
waste
dovetail
34mm Ø
38mm Ø
37mm Ø
Not every woodturning project has to
be totally round, corners are allowed!
I’m sometimes asked where my project
ideas come from. In this case, a glass
bottle was the inspiration.
As far as the bottom half of the flask
is concerned there is no turning other
than that of a dovetail at one end. A neck
is turned from the same hardwood and
is joined to the flask with a spigot. This is
glued into a recess in the top of the flask.
Classic staked chair Halloween lantern Seed box Balancing clock Tool station
Cabinetmaker’s buttons Rebate joints Scroll carving Weed flask Gilding
80
Covering everything from green woodworking to
cabinetmaking, up-cycling, restoration and many craft
disciplines based on wood such as marquetry,
pyrography, woodturning and carving.
ON SALE NOW FOR £5.99 IN STORES, ONLINE
OR BY CALLING 01273 488005 (PLUS P+P)
GMCSUBSCRIPTIONS.COM/WOODWORKING
22mm Ø
4
5
9
4
50mm
(2in)
35mm Ø
40mm Ø
32mm Ø
x 5mm
Dovetail to fit
your chuck jaws
81
“ We feel honoured to receive two prestigious awards for
our craftsmanship and feel extremely proud to receive
this recognition within our industry”.
– WAYWOOD
SCULPTURAL SIDEBOARD
BGM 477
The Bespoke Guild Mark, awarded by
The Furniture Makers’ Company, is the ultimate
accolade for designer-makers, recognising
excellence in design, materials, craftsmanship
and function for exquisite pieces of furniture
made as single items or a limited run of up to 12.
It is awarded to beautifully crafted pieces of bespoke
furniture and, since its launch in 1958, has been the
apex of distinctions for UK designer-makers.
To find out how you can become a Bespoke Guild Mark
holder visit: www.furnituremakers.org.uk/excellence/
bespoke-guild-mark/
MINIMAL MILLWORK
JOHN RANDALL IS THE FOUNDER AND PRINCIPAL OF BIEN HECHO IN
BROOKLYN, A FULL-SERVICE WOODWORKING SHOP THAT DESIGNS
AND CRAFTS HEIRLOOM QUALITY FURNITURE AND INTERIORS FOR
COMMERCIAL, RESIDENTIAL AND PRIVATE CLIENTS
Where are you based and where have you come from?
Bien Hecho was founded in 2006 in the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
For the past 15 years, I have been perfecting my custom
millwork and furniture using reclaimed, sustainable and
responsibly sourced woods. I am a native of Rochester, New
York, and I studied Biology in college, then pursued an
advanced degree in Neuroscience and Biophysics. After a few
life turns, I wound up in a proper woodshop where I learned
the practice and never looked back. I live in Brooklyn now.
How did you get interested in furniture making?
I originally started in carpentry for a job during my teen years
that taught me how to use the equipment and machinery. My
interest in furniture making grew from there, and I discovered
88
different designers and workshops locally in New York. I began
to draw and realised I had the skills to create the furniture I
was sketching.
How did you train?
I am mostly self-taught, but I also apprenticed in a few small
furniture-making shops to hone my skills. From there, I moved
from a skilled carpenter to a furniture maker and designer.
What was the first project you completed?
I worked on minimal coffee tables and seating as they were objects
I could produce on a smaller scale due to studio space restrictions
at the time. All were made with recycled materials and found
objects like wood and cardboard tubing to keep costs down.
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What made you decide to set up your own furniture business?
Creating furniture while having my millwork business has
always been a goal. Furniture design pushes my creative process.
It is remarkable seeing a creation that has been floating around
in your head, going through countless iterations and edits, come
to a physical being. For me, furniture design is analogous to the
act of creating art.
How did you go about it?
It has been slow and organic over time. I started as a
cabinetmaker, and when projects became available to me,
I adjusted my business to scale with each project.
What inspires you?
Minimalist artists. I am fascinated with the liminal space
between art and craft, so that inspires me to push my designs
into the realm of art objects.
Is there an ethos or a guiding principle behind your style?
My style is minimal but rich in texture and context, as well as
artisanal but with a modern sensibility. It could also be described
as form-informed functionality that is natural in the presence of
wood grain and the grace of the execution.
How does your design and making process work?
I align my work and product with traditional American furniture
making. These days I let an idea sit in my brain for several
months before sketching it, since it needs to mellow and get
informed by my daily happenings. Sometimes I have a small
revelation while on the subway or walking down the street,
then I’ll make a little doodle when ready, and it quickly goes
into prototyping and workshopping with materials that are easy
to work with. I also like to keep to the tradition of furniture
making with tried and tested hand tools, nothing too fancy for
me. Handplane, rasp, card scraper, chisel, mallet and so on.
Tell us about your workshop.
Bien Hecho has been in the Brooklyn Navy Yard since 2006. In
2014, we added the Bien Hecho Academy to teach fundamental
woodworking courses. Later this year, the academy will move down
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the hall to a new studio space. The move will allow us to add
800 sq ft of new manufacturing space to the workshop and create a
showroom to display the furniture pieces launched online this year.
Which woods do you most like working with?
Domestic hardwoods, specifically cherry and walnut.
Susquehanna River Valley walnut is one of the most beautiful
woods in terms of grain and tone. Allegheny River Valley cherry is
a beautiful wood that also works and ages really well, developing
a patina over time. The challenge with milling local trees is it
takes a long time to dry the wood without a kiln, which we do not
have. Air-drying takes time for which space is limited. But we do
enjoy milling storied New York City trees, there are some massive
specimens around and the sheer volume of wood means that one
can design an entire bedroom’s worth of furniture with one tree.
You often work with reclaimed wood. How do you source these
woods and what is it like working with them?
I have long been intrigued by reclaimed wood since woodworkers
depend on deforestation for their livelihoods, so it is an excellent
workaround of an unfortunate aspect of the industry. I also
find people appreciate the story of what wood once was and
its numerous lives. It is material that sadly can take on a DIY
aesthetic in the finished product, so the aim and challenge are to
elevate this material in service of fine furniture. The downside
is that nails and screws invariably lie hidden within the wood.
We use a metal detector on all the reclaimed wood since any
metal can damage our machinery. I am fortunate to have close
relationships with several local demolition companies that allow
me to take salvaged wood for my designs.
Do you work with other materials as well?
I often incorporate brass, bronze, textiles, leathers and
stainless steel.
What sort of finishes do you prefer?
Whenever possible I prefer to use a hand-applied finish such as
tung oil polyurethane mix, furniture wax and so on, as it is, in
my opinion, the best way to showcase the grain and warmth of
the wood.
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF BIEN HECHO
What is your favourite project you have worked on?
The Water Tower, a functional art object that is meant to be
interacted with. The design also incorporated several elements
such as a reclaimed cedar barrel, an art deco-inspired steel base
and lathe work incorporated into the top.
The idea came to me when I was working with wood from
a decommissioned water tower. It was a long design process,
and we went through many iterations. It’s a true testament to
collaboration. The top was turned by a master bowl turner,
the base is made by a traditional blacksmith, and we used
traditional coopering techniques for the barrel. The Water
Tower is a numbered edition of 10, and now two remain. We
are planning to manufacture another set of editions next year.
Do you prefer working on commissioned work or your
own collection?
It is hard to decide. Commission work pushes the limits of our
abilities as a woodshop, which we appreciate because it allows us
to do things we may have never done. For our own collection, it
is inspiring to see your own designs come to fruition and the act
of making our products leads to more inspiration. About half of
the business is commission-based.
How do you go about working on commissions?
Generally, the collaboration process is ongoing throughout the
design and engineering phase. Once the design is approved,
the manufacturing and fabrication process is our own. I’m
also fortunate to operate out of the Brooklyn Navy Yard
industrial park, where every conceivable artisan and industry
exists. We have dozens of companies we collaborate with from
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upholsterers, welders, brazers, machinists, leather smiths,
CNC-operators, antique restorers, art conservationists,
painters, sculptors, casting companies, millworkers, furniture
makers, finishers and so on. The process is therefore in person,
with a very tactile bend since we can stand around a workbench
and handle different materials and finishes while we discuss
design execution.
You recently launched an e-commerce arm selling off-the-shelf
furniture. Tell us about that.
Launching an e-commerce shop is something I have always
wanted to do, though I didn’t realise how time-consuming it
would be. With the Covid-19 pandemic, I was allotted the time
to pursue this dream. It was a lot of prototyping, photographing
and creating, but I am proud of the products and the platform we
can now build upon.
What are you working on now and next?
Currently, I am designing and manufacturing a historic
commission of a brownstone door set in Brooklyn, New York. We
are also working on several hospitality projects with NYC-based
restaurants and hotels.
What do you do when you’re not working?
Work feels omnipresent but to escape a bit I enjoy container
gardening and listening to records. I am also excited to get back
to travelling and finding new inspirations.
bienhechobklyn.com
@bienhechoklyn
BOOKCASE – PART 2
CIPRIAN CONSTANTIN GONTEA COMPLETES
THE WORK ON HIS BOOKCASE WITH SHALLOW DRAWERS
In the last issue (F&C 301), I began constructing this large
bookcase that incorporates some shallow drawers for extra
storage. This was a recreation of a bookcase that I’d built when
I lived in the US; when I moved to Italy, I was only able to bring
the shallow drawers with me.
In the previous article I made the base and the carcasses, and now
I’ll add the edging and explain how I originally made the drawers.
THE EDGING
An important part of this design is the edging, which I chose to
create with the saw bench. All cases, including E, the one in the
middle (see Figure 1), are edged with solid mahogany in order to
complement the wood used in the other parts of the project. I
Figure 1
80.5cm
A
B
112cm
E
36cm
271cm
245cm
C
242cm
236cm
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started with the beading for carcasses A, B, C and D, which are
less elaborate. I cut the strips to a width of 19mm for a thickness
of 10mm. I then tilted the tablesaw blade to create the bevel.
How wide and at what angle to cut it depends on taste; I suggest
doing some trial cuts to see which ratio you think looks best.
With the carcass resting on its back, it is much easier to check
the adhesion of the edging because gravity helps. I applied the right
amount of glue to both the coating and the edge of the plywood. If
the edges are straight, you can limit yourself to applying adhesive
tape every 15cm to keep them in place. When the glue was dry,
I started making the holes for the contrasting inserts, basically
circular pins made with bamboo sticks. It is important to place
them well centred and vertical so I made a template.
D
95
Figure 2
H3
H2
H4
23.5cm
32.5cm
m
H1
1
2
3
4
5
1 & 2 The edges are made of mahogany starting from planed strips to the final thickness and then drawn to size. With a second pass, keeping
the blade inclined, an edge is eliminated to obtain a rectangle trapezoid shape. Note: the saw guard has been removed for the purpose of
photography only 3 For the application of the edges, a stable wood is certainly helpful, which can be fixed in position with adhesive tape without
the need to force it. The strips of tape are placed approximately every 15cm 4 The holes for the insertion of the reinforcement and decoration
pins are made with a template that allows you to enter the wood at a 90° angle to the edge 5 Once inserted into the carcass lining, the knobs
look good and contrast with the mahogany. I used a liquid glue to make them swell in their seat without leaving spaces. I cut off the excess with
a hacksaw and finished with a plane 6 The template is easily made with a scrap of the same plywood used for the box inserted between two
plywood shoulders. If desired, the face of the shoulders can be used to report marks that act as spacers for drilling 7 & 8 Due to the way the
edges are assembled, i.e. with a 90° approach, it was necessary to trim them at the ends. I worked quickly with a planer with a low cutting angle.
In order not to chip the heads of the strips applied on the short sides, I planed from the outside towards the inside
THE DRAWERS
Now, to show you the drawers, I have to take a step back in time
to the workshop I had when I lived in the US. They are made of
mahogany and poplar, alternating the two woods for the front and
sides. The bottom is made from plywood. I put the woods in frontside contrast so as to give more visibility to the tooth joints.
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As you can see in Figure 2, H1, H2, H3 and H4 are 8mm thick
and 28mm wide. The bottom is a 6mm-thick plywood panel.
When I made the joints, since it is allowed and widely used in
the US, I used a Dado Blade, which is a packet multi-blade that
can be set to variable widths. In the UK its use is not allowed but
a cutter bench can be used instead, taking care to calibrate the
PHOTOGRAPHS BY CIPRIAN CONSTANTIN GONTEA/LEGNO
2.8c
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
9 The drawers are made of two contrasting woods: mahogany and poplar 10 The perimeter pieces of the drawers are quite thin and, when cutting
them with the circular saw, the heat could deform them. In the case of mahogany, which is more stable, it is possible to proceed directly from a piece
already brought to thickness. Note: the saw guard has been removed for the purpose of photography only 11 For the poplar, which is more sensitive
to heat, it is preferable to start from a board. In both cases it is best to use a blade with few teeth or mixed for cuts along and across the grain. Note:
the saw guard has been removed for the purpose of photography only 12 The slide for the tooth joints is nothing more than a stop that can only
slide along the cutting line. It is the piece that moves, straddling a fixed index that determines the position of the joint. The cutting height is equal to
the thickness of the material while the width is a submultiple of the height of the pieces 13 To assemble the drawers, I applied glue to the teeth with
a brush before storing them for drying, and checking the squares and diagonals. While they were drying, the bottoms were painted
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14
15
16
17
18
19
Figure 3
33cm
242cm
E4
E8
E3
E7
20
32.5cm
E6
35.8cm
E5
23.8cm
E2
E1
2.9cm
E9
21
14 The drawer bottoms were inserted into the perimeter of the drawers. The fixing was done by inserting thin pins from the outside of the sides
15 & 16 The ready-made knobs were supplied with a rather long stem, which is useful for painting. To bring them to size in complete safety,
I prepared a perforated board to be passed through the bandsaw 17 The drilling in the front of the drawers could cause some slight chipping.
A good trick is to line the part with duct tape, mark the precise spot and work with a tip in perfect condition 18 Since the drawers were already in
place, the best way to prepare the spacers was to use one to calibrate the width of the saw bench guide. To give a little tolerance, I just inserted
one or two sheets of paper between the guide and the drawer. Note: the saw guard has been removed for the purpose of photography only
19 & 20 To obtain perfect symmetry, the drawers were arranged starting from the centre, interspersing a drawer and a spacer. You could vary
the width of the spacers to have a more regular distribution or to directly close the leftovers on the sides. In this case, the second solution was
chosen to give more strength to the structure 21 The sides of the box (E) are made by joining two plywood sheets. The internal one is lower and
generates the stop for coupling with the two drawer units.
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22
23
25
24
26
27
28
22 The usual pin nails hold the pieces together as long as the glue dries 23 Due to their construction method, the short sides require a double
edging. The shape is similar to that of the other boxes but cross-grain cuts have been added, made with shallow cuts on the circular saw
24 The join between the sides of the case (E) was reinforced with a series of pins from the outside. This can also be used to add some extra
decoration 25–27 This sequence shows the construction and application of the protruding frames on the bases of the case (E). After drilling with
the drill press, they were cut to create a sort of battlements, which in turn were inserted inside a grooved strip. By applying them to the case, a tooth
was created which, hosting the upper and lower cases, will cover the gap between the pieces and will be useful at the time of assembly. Note: the
saw guard has been removed for the purpose of photography only 28 It’s important to work with packages of four or eight pieces in order to have
identical pairs of racks. The cuts for the teeth, although they are marked, were made by eye. The first operation is the butting. Since the bases of the
pieces will remain unmachined, they could be cut to size later
overall height of the drawers using a multiple of the diameter
of the cutter used (for example: a 6mm cutter and 18mm-high
drawers). The cutting system in both cases is the same and uses
a sled with an index as wide as the hole to be made.
Due to the small size of the drawers and the negligible weight of
the contents to be stored inside them, the plywood bottoms do not
run in the usual groove but were patched by inserting them from
below. To keep them in place, in addition to the glue, I used 4mm
pins inserted from the outside. I bought the knobs ready-made,
then cut the stems to size and painted them with shellac.
BUILDING THE CENTRAL HOUSING
The central carcass (E in Figure 1) is the most elaborate part of
the construction. It is the heart of the design. As you can see in
Figure 3, parts E1, E2, E3 and E4 are identical (330 x 2,420mm).
Parts E5 and E8 are 330 x 358mm. The parts E6 and E7 are
325 x 238mm. The thickness for all is 14mm.
The first step was to cut the parts E1, E2, E3, E4 to width
and then to length. Then, using one of the drawers, I precisely
calculated the height of the spacers (E9) which reached 29mm
for a length of 325mm. The latter, unlike the spacers, are in
19mm plywood.
There are 18 drawers in total, arranged in two rows at the
base and top of the chest. To place the spacers, a drawer was
placed exactly in the middle point between E1 and E2. By
placing the first drawer in the centre and adding a spacer (E9)
on each side, I worked my way to the ends and I could insert
spacers increased in width to completely close the compartment.
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29
30
Figure 4
4cm
1.3cm
18cm
31
107.5cm
2.5cm
19.4cm
32
Alternatively, you could make a precise measurement of the
spaces and plan or assemble the spacers as needed.
Before assembly I painted the internal faces of parts E1 to
E4 with a non-filming product. After the dry assembly, which
confirmed my spacing was correct, I started from the E9 block
putting it in place with a square. This first alignment was
important because it set the path for the rest of the drawers. To
fix the blocks I shot a nail so that it does not protrude from the
surface of the plywood. Between the spacers and drawers, to give
the right sliding tolerance, I inserted a sheet of printer paper.
Next, I glued parts E2 and E3 (a panel) to complete the base and
top of the cabinet. With a file I trimmed the protruding pin nails
and applied strips of veneer to cover the heads of the spacers.
The pieces that make up the short sides of the casing E are
100
essentially two sheets of plywood of different heights glued
together. In this way, the wide stops necessary for the insertion
of the two sides of the chest of drawers are obtained.
The next step was to create the edges for the casing (E). These
finishing pieces are a bit more elaborate, but the process is very
similar to the previous ones. They are made from mahogany and
match the thickness of the plywood (14mm).
Figure 1 shows two vertical dividers inside the casing (E).
They have the exact dimensions of the parts E6 and E7 (325
x 238 x 14mm). These two elements will be movable, and are
added after the final assembly. They serve to distribute the
weight of the upper casings, preventing deformations of the E
module. Before making the final assembly, I applied the finish
to the internal surfaces.
33
35
34
36
29 & 30 I chose to do the angled cuts first, in order to minimise the small triangular cutouts that get trapped between the blade and the
tablesaw. The technique involves holding the group against the guide, making sure that at each pass it passes the riving knife and the triangles
remain at the end of the top. Note: the saw guard has been removed for the purpose of photography only 31 While the strips are still fixed
together, sanding is done to clean the corners created by the double cut 32 The tips of the teeth are quite delicate and could chip when cut
across the grain. It’s better to start with more surplus material in width and then finish with a final long-grain cut 33 & 34 The corners of the
shelves had to be removed to an extent equal to the overall dimensions of the racks. Almost everything can be done with the circular saw
keeping the panel facing first and then the edge. If the diameter of the saw is small, the cut can then be completed with a handsaw. Note: the saw
guard has been removed for the purpose of photography only 35 The structure, however impressive, is modular. This means that over time it can
be changed or expanded without too much work. Another advantage of modularity lies in the ease of assembly, which involves moving several
small pieces rather than a single large one 36 For safety, it is advisable to join the carcasses with this type of connector to give more rigidity to
the structure and provide an anti-tip anchorage to the wall
SAWTOOTH SHELF SUPPORTS
With all the carcasses built and finished, it was time to focus on
the shelf supports. They are a classic way to adjust the height
of the bookcase. The rack shelf bracket (see Figure 4) can be
purchased ready-made, but it is not always possible to choose
the species of wood and it may be necessary to dye it. Making
it yourself, in addition to being a great challenge, allows you to
choose the type of wood.
I started by preparing 45 x 13mm strips then joined in three
packages of eight pieces each held together firmly with adhesive
tape. I cut them to size and then, with the square, I first marked
the horizontal lines of the teeth, spacing them by 25mm. I then
switched to those inclined at 45°. On the parts that would later
become the bases of the slats, I left an unworked portion of
about 200mm. After working the packages I then brought each
strip to the final size of 40mm in width by trimming the tips of
the teeth, which I then further blunted. I applied the finish and
drilled three countersunk screw holes (middle, top and bottom)
for each strip. The shelf brackets go between the teeth; they are
beech strips with 45° bevelled ends.
Lastly, I prepared the shelves. I used 19mm pine plywood with
a mahogany-edged front rib. It is worth remembering, if you
want to obtain shelves at full depth, that you need to remove the
corners due to the presence of the racks.
ASSEMBLY IN SITU
When it came time to bring the furniture home, my wife was
happy to help me assemble it. In fact, the modular structure
greatly facilitates assembly, and also the fact of having the case
(E) which, above and below, houses the remaining structures,
helps in alignment. I assembled the racks on site, coupling
them according to the package of origin to compensate for any
discrepancies due to manual cutting.
Although this is a large bookcase, I’m sure we will soon fill it.
Luckily we have plenty of other walls in the house and I will take
the opportunity to design other bookcases!
101
ANGLED JOINTS
JOHN BULLAR SHARES HIS EXPERT TIPS FOR TACKLING AWKWARD JOINTS
The need for angled joints crops up whenever you build a project
with a frame that is not rectangular. This is very common in
furniture making, especially on projects with curved frames –
like most chairs.
In this article, you will find the techniques for shaping angled
joints by hand and with machines – as well as a couple of neat
tricks for quickly making precise angled joints.
102
The first technique uses a standard router jig with a slight
adjustment for when you need to turn out a batch of angled
joints. The second trick is so simple you only need a saw and a
drill. Finally, I will show you some techniques to help cope with
awkward angled glue-ups.
I will concentrate on small angled joints in the workshop, but
I’m going to start by looking at something on a grander scale…
1
3
2
4
LARGE ROOF TIMBERS
1 Large-scale angled joints are used in the roofs of timberframed buildings. In this beautiful example, these cruck, or
arched, beams are mortised into vertical queen posts. Tie beams
between them also function as handrails for a gallery. The fit of
these joints is not precise, but that is part of the charm. And in
any case, timbers this big need freedom to move.
3 It isn’t always possible to predict the angle of joints from
a simple drawing, so you need special measuring tools. An
example of this is when you have to joint frames at compound
angles, in other words when the joint is sloping in both planes
at once. I use a tool made from two protractor gauges riveted
together to measure the awkward angles between the sides of
a chair back.
MEASURING UP
CHISEL AND SAW
2 The most practical way I know to line up a series of
components with angled joints is to start by drawing the finished
project to scale, like this joint. This can be done on CAD or by
pencil. A good technique for something like a chair is to draw a
full-sized elevation and plan, including joint details, on a sheet of
white-faced hardboard. Cut this sheet into templates, which you
can use to position and angle the joints.
4 Chopping odd angled joints with a chisel is quite possible. In
the past, the finest furniture would have been made this way.
For the odd joint, this method is still quicker than setting up a
machine or jig. However, if you are making a number of joints,
hand tools can be slow and tricky to match joints up with.
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6
7
8
9
10
11
104
12
PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOHN BULLAR
5
14
13
15
5 Bandsaws are great for curved and angled work. Although the
bandsaw is generally safe and reliable, it can be dangerous if the
wood rocks about on the table. For angled and curved work, it is
safest to tape offcuts back in place at each stage so the work sits
flat on the bandsaw table. As well as cutting curved and angled
components, the bandsaw can also be used to cut parts of the
joints themselves, such as these angled twin tenons.
STANDARD ROUTER JIGS
6 Bandsawn tenons form part of the outline of the components,
angled to match the shape of the frames they join into. Usually
they need finishing and fine adjusting with hand tools to make
them a good fit.
12 The vertical wood has to be secured with a narrow shim
acting as a wedge inside the clamp jaws. This makes the wood
tilt forward while the pins are cut into it. The result is angled
pins. The wood for the tails sits horizontally so the tails
themselves are not angled – only their front end is.
7 An angled tenon joint cut on the bandsaw is turned into an
angled twin tenon with the aid of a fretsaw, or a coping saw.
8 Through-joints are often used in furniture both for style and
because they have the advantage of using the full depth of the
wood to give them maximum strength. The ends of the joints
can be left protruding slightly, which gives added interest to an
angled frame, or alternatively, sawn flush.
ANGLED ROUTER JIGS
9 Mortise and tenon cutting jigs are great tools for producing
angled joints with a router, but they are rather expensive. The jig
has adjustable clamps to hold the wood at the same angle while
making each half of the joint.
10 Once the mortise and tenon jig is set up, it will reproduce
the same joint time and again with the same angles – ideal for
making a set of matching chairs, for example. Some hollow
chisel mortisers can also be adjusted for angled joints but, unlike
the router jig, they don’t produce angled shoulders on a tenon.
11 Router jigs for cutting dovetails come in many shapes and
sizes but, as far as I know, they are all designed to work at
right angles, apart from the WoodRat. However, with a bit of
ingenuity, you can use a standard dovetail jig to cut slightly
angled joints. Start by cross-cutting both pieces of wood to
the required angle.
13 After a bit of adjustment to the shims and a trial run on some
offcuts, the dovetail router jig turns out a series of matching
angled joints.
SIMPLE ANGLED DOWELS
14 Dowel joints have a reputation for being trickier than they
look – but this one is actually easier than it looks! The problem
with most dowel joints, including ‘simple’ right-angled ones, is
lining up the hole positions and angles. After the wood is cut
with the correct angle for a butt joint, the trick is to drill the
dowel hole right through from the other side. Then all you need
to do is knock in a long dowel with some glue. Once the glue has
set, the excess dowel is cut flush and planed.
LINING UP
15 Angled joints especially need to be trial fitted. They must
be pressed almost together to check the alignment, as this may
change as the joint closes. Any slight misalignment can be
trimmed from the shoulders before the joint is finally glued up.
16
18
17
19
16 Something to think about while laying out joints, is how
you will bring them together for the glue-up. It is easy to forget
about this and you might find that pushing one joint into an
angled frame forces another one apart. Ideally, all the joints
that come together at the same time should be lined up in the
same direction.
THE GLUE-UP
17 Wood joints need to be pressed firmly together while the glue
sets. With angled joints, this can present a problem. If there is
nothing to push against in line with the joint, you may need to
clamp extra blocks on to the wood either side of the joint. Now
you can pull the joint tight by using more clamps to pull the
blocks together.
106
18 Sometimes you may be lucky and spot that a joint can be
pulled together by two sets of clamps working at right angles to
one another. Their combined forces hold the blocks in place as
well as closing up the joints. Careful adjustment of all the clamps
is needed to keep the forces in balance as you tighten them.
19 The band clamp is a wonderful tool for angled woodwork. It
pulls every joint together at the same time without forcing the
frame out of shape. The important thing to remember is to keep
the joints aligned up carefully while the glue sets.
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READING THE WOOD
BASED IN FORT MILL, SOUTH CAROLINA,
JUSTIN LARSON’S JML WOODCRAFT AIMS
TO CREATE PIECES REVEALING THE NATURAL
BEAUTY OF THE CURLY WOODS HE LOVES
‘I try and read the wood,’ says Justin
Larson, the Fort Mill, South Carolina
carpenter behind JML Woodcraft, of
his design process. ‘I don’t force any
preconceived design notions on to any
piece of wood. I work in elements that fit
with the grain flow, figure and so on. Most
of my layout is just done visually, not with
a ruler. I trust my eye quite a bit. Obviously
with finer furniture I’m measuring things,
but for the layout and placement of design
aspect, I trust my eye for that.’
His favourite wood to work with is
curly walnut. ‘I just love the richness of
the tones in walnut. My second favourite
would be spalted maple. It’s much harder
to find spalted pieces that are still stable
enough to work with, but when you do,
they are absolutely incredible and most
non-woodworking people have never seen
the spalted stuff before.’
Justin says: ‘More and more I find
myself headed towards an all-natural
style. No epoxy, no stain, no paint. I
love the beauty of the wood itself and
try and highlight what mother nature
has already provided. I’m always looking
for the most highly figured wood I can
find that also has some flaws in it. I love
using the various techniques I’ve learned
over the years to turn those flaws
108
into features to make one-of-a-kind
statement or show pieces for my clients.
The inlays are at the heart of that. My
aim is to make pieces with features that
make people want to stop and inspect
the piece just a little more closely and
make them want to run their hands
across it and maybe wonder what all
went into its production.’
The need to furnish his first family
home sparked Justin’s interest in making
furniture. ‘I saw the prices of things my
wife wanted and said: “I can build some
of those!”’ he says. He taught himself
woodworking by watching YouTube
and Instagram videos, and was initially
inspired to try and recreate some of the
pieces he saw on Instagram. His first
finished project was a farmhouse table
for his home, assembled with pocket-hole
screws. ‘Cringe!’ he says, ‘Although it does
still stand 10 years later – my sister has
it now. Early on I wanted to make what I
saw other people making on Instagram.
Not exact replicas, but ideas in general.
I found my inspiration through other
people’s work. Along the way I found my
way into a small niche of highly figured
inlay serving boards and that’s where my
true passion lies. I also enjoy the larger
live-edge slab pieces as well.’
109
Friends and neighbours saw what
Justin was doing in his home and wanted
similar things for themselves, and so
many requests came in he decided to
embark on a business. ‘I started an LLC
[limited liability company] and walled
off the third bay of our garage here at
home, at my wife’s suggestion, to make
a dedicated woodshop outfitted with
every tool I thought I might need. The
initial investment was quite big and
overwhelming, but also exciting. I had
faith I’d keep enough clients and jobs to
pay it all off, and did quite fast, luckily.’
IN THE WORKSHOP
Justin’s single-bay garage workshop is
11 x 19ft. He has his main tool wall and
mitre-saw station in the front section,
while the tablesaw divides the front
two-thirds from the back third, where
he keeps his dust collection system, drill
press, bandsaw and stored materials.
‘The front two-thirds is my main
workspace, with an open work area
of only 7 x 11ft,’ Justin says. ‘Luckily
I have 13ft ceilings so I’ve worked my
way up in terms of storage. No space is
wasted in my small shop. Everything is
optimised to the best of my ability and
I’m constantly trying to improve on that.
Moving things around, rearranging,
making sure I’m not leaving anything
or any space unused or underused. The
shop is truly the neverending project,
but also my masterpiece.’
His biggest challenge is processing
large slabs in the limited space. ‘From
flattening on my slab mill to sanding to
finishing, just moving and working my
way around the larger pieces is my biggest
challenge sometimes,’ he says. ‘And of
course all the sawdust and shavings I get
from the router sled flattening mill.’
Justin’s top tip for F&C readers
wanting to try live-edge pieces is simply
to make sure the wood is dry. ‘Double,
triple check,’ he says. ‘Even if you’ve been
told it’s dry, let it sit in your shop for a
month or more and check again, just to
make sure the numbers aren’t moving.
You can pour as much good work into
the slab as you want, but having it move
after the fact is the absolute worst thing
that can happen.’
TOOLS OF THE TRADE
From initial ideas of working solely with
hand tools, Justin has become ‘more of
a power tool guy’. ‘My most used tool
in the shop has to be my Festool Rotex
sander,’ he says. ‘From slabs to serving
boards, from show faces to rounded-over
edges, from 40 grit to 1,500 grit, I use it
for everything. I had romantic visions
of being a hand tool woodworker when
I first started, chisels, handsaws, hand
planes, but that just never came to be.
The most I do with hand tools is the
chisel work I do for my inlays. I also do
a lot with routers, from flattening the
slabs to putting inlays in.’ He adds: ‘I had
a scare on the tablesaw earlier this year
and – luckily only – broke my thumb with
some bad kickback from a big chunk of
quarter-sawn white oak, so I avoid that
as much as possible these days.’
His favourite finish is Odie’s Oil. ‘I
believe in the all-natural hard oil and wax
finishes, when they are applied properly,’
he says. ‘You can literally rub it on with
your hands and enjoy the smell. These
products are typically advertised as a
one-coat application, but sometimes that
one coat is a series of coats before you buff
it off. Like any finish of this sort, keep
applying that coat until the wood stops
soaking it in. I avoid polys the best I can,
I think they look too fake and ruin the
natural beauty of the wood.’
Justin absolutely loves working on his
signature serving boards. ‘It’s almost
relaxing to make them,’ he explains. ‘No
stress, no real deadlines, complete design
freedom. I can make them to my liking
and luckily they sell almost instantly. I
can’t ever build up any inventory, which
is both a blessing and a curse. I love that
people give them as gifts. I love knowing
people are gathering around something
I made to spend time with family and
friends over some good food and drink.’
His most challenging project so far was
a 5 x 10ft kitchen island with a 3in-thick
solid walnut top. ‘I had to deliver the
base before I could start the top and had
to buy new tools just to handle the 3inthick walnut. I had to climb on top of it
while working in the shop. The cabinetry
included some very custom features that
were definitely a design challenge, but
fun to figure out and execute,’ he says.
CONSTANT COMMISSIONS
JML Woodcraft currently works entirely
on commission. Justin says: ‘I like the
idea of working on my own collection in
my own time, but I also have a hard time
telling people “no”, so the commissions
just haven’t stopped since the day I
started. Constant commissions do get
overwhelming, but that is mostly because
I usually over-promise on deadlines and
book pieces back to back closer than I
should.’ He finds he has plenty of creative
freedom when working on commissioned
pieces. ‘Most people only have a general
idea of what they want and leave the final
design up to me,’ he explains. ‘I love that
they trust me with that and the look on
their faces when they see their final piece
will always be the best part of the job.’
Apart from serving boards, he recently
completed a 4 x 8ft wooden sculpture
of a local lake for a client’s mantelpiece.
‘I pieced together lumber in the rough
shape of the lake and then power-carved
all the little nooks and crannies that
make up its hundreds of little fingery
coves. It’s extremely 3D textured,’ he says.
‘My plan is to stick with a primarily liveedge focus: desks, tables and so on, and
of course serving boards. Always serving
boards. As I said, I have a hard time
saying “no”, so I’m sure the right client
will come along with the right piece that
piques my interest and I’ll easily sway
from the live-edge focus.’ When he’s not
working Justin likes walking his two
pitbull terriers Levi and Delilah, working
out in his home gym, playing video games
with his two sons and drinking wine in
the hot tub with his wife. ‘We also love
venturing out to local restaurants and
breweries with friends every chance we
get,’ he says.
facebook.com/jmlwoodcraft
@jmlwoodcraft
‘Most people only have a general idea of what they want and leave the final design up to me. I love that they trust
me with that and the look on their faces when they see their final piece will always be the best part of the job.’
110
111
112
ZIGZAG-PATTERNED
COFFEE TABLE
RYAN HAWKINS, OWNER OF CUTTING BOARD SPECIALIST WEST
COAST BOARDS, EXPLAINS HOW HE ACHIEVED THIS COMPLICATED
END GRAIN PATTERN FOR A TABLE
What do you do when an opportunity comes along to build
something that hasn’t been built before? Say yes and figure
out the details later. Such was the case with this commissioned
coffee table. I was approached by a client who kindly asked
if I could take one of my end grain cutting board patterns
and scale it up into a table complete with two drawers for
added storage. I wasn’t entirely sure how I was going to do
it, but I was excited and knew this was a challenge I couldn’t
say no to.
The tabletop pattern was born out of a variation I discovered
on an original design by Russian woodworker Andrey Muntian.
After some back and forth correspondence with the client, we
agreed on what we wanted the final result to look like, and I was
given creative freedom to bring it to life.
The tabletop itself consists of nearly 3,000 pieces of cherry,
walnut and maple adhered together over eight separate glueup stages. The base it sits upon was constructed entirely out of
walnut, with the drawer boxes made from cherry. The drawers
ride upon soft-close, bottom mount hardware from Richelieu.
The book-matched drawer fronts were sliced out of a single piece
of 8/4 walnut, and what better way to complete a custom build
than by installing a secret compartment in the underside?
113
4
2
5
3
6
1 Initial glue-ups for the tabletop with cherry and walnut 2 After squaring up the bevelled strips 3 Ensuring end grain dimensions are the same
4 Ready to glue up some panels 5 Cross-cutting the 85mm strips. Note: the saw guard has been removed for the purpose of photography only
6 Assembling the long zigzag pattern
TABLETOP
Deciding that the top needed to be put together to properly
determine measurements for the base, I focused my energy on
creating a 600 x 1,220mm top at 75mm thick from an original
38 x 300 x 300mm design. The fi rst step was picking up a large
load of 4/4 stock from my hardwood supplier. Once back in
the shop, I sliced up the cherry and walnut with my mitre saw.
Once cut up, I skip planed one face on each piece, headed over
to the glue-up station and proceeded to glue one piece of cherry
to one piece of walnut.
Once the glue had cured, I ran each pair through the planer,
jointed one edge, then headed to the tablesaw. Here, I ripped
the cherry and walnut combos on 45° to create strips that were
114
19mm wide. Once this was complete, I set the blade back to 0°
and ran these strips through on the flat to square up both sides.
The walnut becomes the ‘shadow’ portion of the design, so I only
trimmed off what was needed to square it up. I made sure not
to adjust the fence at this point. Once I knew how many strips
I had, I proceeded to cut 4/4 cherry and maple on the mitre saw
at the same length as the initial cherry and walnut. I jointed and
planed each piece and then headed back to the tablesaw and
proceeded to rip down the maple and cherry. Since the fence
hadn’t moved, I knew they would be the exact same width as the
cherry and walnut strips. Once I had all the cherry and maple
ripped, I actually ripped those pieces once more but this time
on edge. I aimed to get two pieces out of each one with the least
PHOTOGRAPHS BY RYAN HAWKINS
1
7
10
8
11
9
12
7 Everything oriented and ready for final glue-ups 8 Post glue-ups on the two halves 9 Tabletop complete and ready for sanding
10 Creating the legs for the base 11 Cutting the tenons 12 Drilling out the mortises
amount of waste possible. This was the messiest part of the job
because not a lot gets into the dust collector when you’re only
shaving maybe 1.5mm off on the fi nal pass.
The tablesaw blade simply spits sawdust everywhere.
Once I had a table full of thinly ripped hardwood, it was time
to glue up again. At this stage, each glue-up consisted of one
piece of maple, one cherry and walnut combo and one piece of
cherry. I glued up 10 of these at a time, and used a series of cauls
and F-clamps to keep everything fl at. This is an important step
within each glue-up, because any slippage will affect the overall
finished pattern.
Once the glue had dried, I planed down all four sides of each
piece until the end grain’s width and length were the exact same
dimensions. This allowed me to turn the pieces that needed to
be turned 90° while keeping everything flush. I then created
panels in pairs. One panel is to be offset from the other by one
piece. This is how the zigzag pattern is achieved. Ultimately, I
wanted 600mm-long panels, but my current planer is not large
enough to handle that, so I assembled the strips into 300mm
panels and once again glued them up. At this point it’s easy
to start getting things mixed up, so I was sure to label what
belongs where.
Once again, I waited for the glue to dry. When they were ready,
I planed them down once more and glued them up into 600mmwide panels. Once they were dry, I was able to take care of the
sole glue seam with a couple of quick passes from my belt sander.
115
13
16
14
17
15
18
13 Some fine-tuning needed with a file 14 Attaching drawer slides 15 Beginning of the drawer boxes
16 Slicing the book-matched drawer bottoms 17 Cutting the box joinery. Note: the saw guard has been removed for the purpose of
photography only 18 Ready for the drawer assembly
The next step was cross-cutting all the 600mm-wide panels into
85mm-wide strips. I wanted the finished thickness to be 75mm,
and I added 6mm to account for what the router would take off
during flattening. Once these were all cut, I assembled everything
into one long, continuous zigzag pattern. From here, I figured
out how I needed to orient things to create the two halves of the
top. With this completed, I once again headed over to the glue-up
station. These were some of the trickiest glue-ups, as alignment
is critical and you’re racing against the clock as the glue loses its
working time. At the same time, it’s important to keep a close eye
on and correct any slippage that happens as the clamps tighten.
All that’s left once these were dry was to flatten each half, join
the halves into one, flatten again, perform some long chamfer
116
cuts with a tall fence on my tablesaw and then on to many hours
of sanding end grain.
THE BASE
With the top complete, I could create an accurate cut list for
all the parts needed to construct the base. This included legs,
rails and face frame. Everything was milled out of solid walnut.
I made the legs out of 2 ply 8/4 stock, and everything else came
out of 4/4 stock. The top is really the feature on this project,
but I wanted the base to have some flair as well. I was strategic
with the orientation of the grain. I specifically selected
hardwood from my supplier that had a good mix of heartwood
and sapwood. Each piece of the base was intentionally milled
19
21
22
20
23
19 Checking that the boxes sit properly in the base 20 The finished box joints 21 Carving out the recess
22 Secret compartment from below 23 The compartment itself
and cut to have the sapwood face out.
Everything was put together with mortise and tenon joinery.
I cut the tenons using both my bandsaw and tablesaw. On
my tablesaw, I used an Incra 3000SE mitre gauge with a stop
block attached to the fence to ensure each one turned out the
same. For the mortises, I bore out most of the material with
a Forstner bit in the drill press with the final tuning done by
mallet and chisel. Admittedly, with the kind of work I currently
do, I don’t often build furniture and had to give myself a
refresher on what I learned way back in carpentry school to
create this joinery. Having to touch each tenon up with a
wood file was a good reminder of what not to do next time.
Nonetheless, I was happy with the end result and everything
went tightly together during the dry fit. It’s much easier to sand
everything before assembly, so it was at this point that I took
each piece up to 220 grit.
DRAWER CONSTRUCTION
Completing the base and installing the drawer slides was an
essential step to creating an accurate cut list for the drawers.
Once I had my numbers, it was a simple matter of selecting the
material. I used cherry for the construction and I wanted it to
be a treat for the eyes when a drawer was opened, so I dug to
the back of my stash and pulled out a piece of figured cherry
I had been saving for an occasion such as this. I used that to
create book-matched drawer bottoms to go along with the
117
24
25
24 Creating the drawer pulls 25 Ready to come to life with tung oil
book-matched walnut drawer fronts I would be attaching to the
drawer boxes. I used a box joint jig I built for my tablesaw to cut
in the box joinery on the drawer sides, and a dado blade to cut
the recess needed for the drawer bottoms to slide into during
assembly. Just as I did with the base, I sanded everything up to
220 grit before assembly.
FINISHING TOUCHES
A conversation with a friend during the build process led me
to take action on incorporating a secret compartment into this
build. This was a first for me, but definitely not a last. I enjoyed
the process of getting creative with how to do it. I made a router
template and carved out most of the material with a large
surfacing bit. After that, there was a fair amount of mallet and
chisel work to clean the recess up. I built the actual compartment
118
out of some pieces I had left over from the top, and used round
magnets inset into the underside of the top and the compartment,
allowing it to catch and stay secured in its hiding spot.
Lastly, a custom project calls for custom drawer pulls.
Constructed out of the same cherry used for the drawer bottoms,
I feel these bring the entire project together. I sanded the top to
600 grit and brought the base and drawers up one more grit to
320. To finish things off, I separated the top, drawers and base
from each other and then applied four coats of pure tung oil
to the tabletop and three coats to the base and drawers. I then
applied a thin layer of beeswax to everything for a little extra
shine and added layer of protection.
westcoastboards.ca
@westcoastboards
119
The two-stage tenon
is trial-inserted in the
two-stage mortise
PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOHN BULLAR
A socket is chopped
through the side of
the mortise to take
a locking peg
A pair of haunched tenons are
inserted in their mortises and
locked in place with pegs
POST AND RAIL MORTISE JOINT
JOHN BULLAR DESCRIBES THIS VERSION OF
A HAUNCHED AND PEGGED MORTISE AND TENON
The komi-sen or pegged mortise joint
comes in a variety of forms and is often
used when joining two or more rails into
a post at the same height, which can
otherwise be problematic.
This requirement arises on framed
furniture, such as chairs and table
legs, for example, and if not tackled
well causes points of weakness in the
construction. Because several mortises
are being cut in the same area there is a
danger of weakening the post if the joints
are large, or weakening the tenons if they
are too small.
Japanese temple builders over the
centuries have developed many solutions
such as this, depending on the specific
construction. This one is a simple but
deceptively ingenious Japanese joint
based on a haunched and pegged mortise
and tenon.
120
TWO-STAGE STRENGTH
When a joint has two or more tenons
passing close together they need to
be kept slim and arranged so they do
not clash. There are various ways of
interlocking tenons, but in this joint they
simply pass one above the other. Because
the slim part of the tenon is only half the
width of the rail, both rails can be fixed
to the post at the same height.
The long through-tenon is pegged in
place and provides the joint with tensile
strength – strength in tension. This works
well because relatively thin wood is strong
in tension. Because this part of the joint
is thin, it does not remove much material
from the post. This leaves room for one
or more other joints to be cut in the same
part of the post without weakening it.
Heavy sideways pressure on a tenon
joint exerts a shear force, which can break
the tenon off at the shoulders. Shear
force is the name for one that pushes an
object in two directions and tries to force
it apart. Thin tenons do not withstand
shear forces well. The broad base of
the tenon is very good at withstanding
shear force and does not need to be very
long to do so. By making each tenon in
two stages – a long thin through joint,
protruding from a broad short buttjoint – the best of both can be combined,
resisting both shear and tensile forces.
A locking peg is inserted through the
side of the mortise and tenon. The hole
for the peg is chopped with the tenon in
place to stop the inside splitting away. The
peg position is marked on the tenon but
then the tenon is withdrawn to chop the
peg-hole through it. Chopping this hole at
a very slight angle enables the fitted peg to
draw the joint tightly together.
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