Massachusetts Flat Top Highboy

PineHillPrimitives, member

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I made this Tiger Maple Highboy after seeing one made from about 1750. This version has over 195 handcut dovetails, all solid wood drawer sides and bottoms, and 2 hidden drawers. The crown molding I made on the tablesaw and with old molding planes, the case is held together with dovetails, and was hand planed and scraped to a smooth surface. I finished the piece with golden amber aniline dye, linseed oil to highlight the figure,a coat of shellac, followed by a coat of glaze to simulate age,then several more coats of shellac and top coated with a high quality paste wax.

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Comments (13)

beginningwoodworker writes: Nice looking highboy.
Posted: 10:54 pm on October 14th

Jrussi writes: Great piece. Thanks for posting. I noticed you stained part of the drawer sides. I've seen this a couple of other times in 18th Cent reproductions. Do you know, was this a common technique? I'm finishing a piece right now with 18th Cent elements and I'm now thinking I may want to stain that portion of the drawer sides. Any input would be great! Thanks.
Posted: 9:03 am on August 13th

PineHillPrimitives writes: Riden if you want you can contact me through E-mail at pinehillprimitives@yahoo.com I would be more than happy to give you any info I can or help you in any way with the way I do things.--Matt
Posted: 1:16 am on May 4th

PineHillPrimitives writes: I always brush my finishes on because I like the authentic look for the 18th Century funiture I build therfore I use a 3 lb cut almost always for the shellac I use. If you are going to spray it I would probably go with a 1 lb cut. However I have used the shellac right out of the can before and had very good luck with it but like I said I never spray the finish so I don't know how well it works from the can sprayed. But I use the same cut for my first coat that I do for the remaining coats. I would like to see the finished piece when you get it done, hope it turns out as good as you want it too.
Posted: 1:12 am on May 4th

riden writes: OK Piece is sanded and drying. Hopefully will have time to dye it tommorrow night.

I was wondering: is your first coat of shellac a lighter cut than the top coats? How heavy a cut do you use on the top coats?

Thanks again


Posted: 12:53 am on May 4th

PineHillPrimitives writes: Sure Gel stain will work too. You just have to sandwich it between your finish coats. I have always used shellac as my finish so I know it works but as for other finishes I have never tried them so I don't know if it'll work the same. Your welcome I am glad to help if I can.
Posted: 5:12 pm on May 3rd

riden writes: Would I not get a similar result from a gel stain?

And thanks again for you help.
Posted: 4:35 pm on May 3rd

PineHillPrimitives writes: A glaze is a thick bodied stain you sandwich between layers of finish. If it goes directly on the wood its a stain but if its between finish coats its a glaze. It basically is used to simulate age by giving the look of years of dirt and grime that accumulate in the nooks and crannys. You apply it to the enitire piece and then after it flashes or goes from a wet look to a hazed over look you wipe the excess off and what is left behind is the places you cant really get out of the crevacis. It works great to simulate real age to a piece. It honestly can be any stain you choose such as a minwax and just let the pigment settle to the bottom of the can and use that instead of the liquid portion. I have used artist oils from a hobby store and got the same results althought that is a bit more costly. You can order glazes from woodworkers supply catalogs and look online for other brands. Behlen make a good one, and so does mohawk. Hope that helps.
Posted: 3:00 pm on May 3rd

riden writes: What kind of glaze do you use? I am not really sure what you mean by that, I see a glaze as a stain, it that what you mean?
Posted: 10:54 am on May 3rd

PineHillPrimitives writes: Riden,
Let me know how it turns out for you.
Posted: 1:53 am on May 3rd

riden writes: Makes perfect sense. Thanks, I appreciate the advice, I will be trying this soon.
Posted: 11:55 pm on May 2nd

PineHillPrimitives writes: Hi Riden,
I have tried other stains on Maple before and none have ever come out like the Aniline Dyes. Pigmented stains sit on the surface and don't absorb into the wood like a water based dye. The way I start is after you have gotten your piece to your final sanding or planing, wet the entire piece with water and let it completly dry, then sand all the fuzzies down. Next mix your dye up, I use about an ounce of powder to 4 cups of warm water but mix it to your liking on a scrap piece. You can spray or brush but soak the piece until it's dripping wet and make sure it stays dripping for 5 minutues or so. Then wipe off the excess and let dry. It'll look terrible once it dries but after you begin the finish it starts to really pop. On figured Maple I then use boiled linseed oil, let it dry then a coat of shellac, followed by a coat of glaze then once its dry, more shellac to your liking about 3 coats is what I did. Followed by a top coat of wax. I hope that makes sense and wasnt to rambling, I'ts a long process but you can do it in about 3 days total. Hope that helps
Matt
Posted: 10:40 pm on May 2nd

riden writes: I really like the finish you used, very impressive!

Do you not have problems with the dye going on blotchy? What do you do?

I have a maple entretainment centre I am about to finish and your piece is making me re-think how to finish it.


Posted: 6:19 pm on May 2nd

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