BHeald

I have long been inspired by the Shakers and have built mostly Shaker inspired furniture. I have visited many Shaker villages and studied the Shakers tools and methods and what led to their productive lives. My bookshelf is full of Shaker reference books. As my wood working skills and interests matured my studies have moved backward in time to the early cabinetmakers of Chester County and Philadelphia, particularly the not so plain work of the early Quakers. Winterthur, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Chester County Historical Soc. Museum, Am. Society of Period Furniture Makers, and local present day cabinet makers in and around Chester County that are doing some very spectacular work have been my source and inspiration recently.
Source materials (plans) for building Shaker furniture and more modern furniture are easier to come by than those for the early 1700. I continue to be amazed at the skills these early tradesmen had and how quickly they could build a complex piece of furniture with very modest tools during short day in a very small winter shop illuminated only with daylight. A secretary (desk with bookcase) that they could build in one month for a founding father takes me three or more months with today’s tools. If Fine Woodworking wants a unique roll that would separate their audience from the many other weekend workers magazines they could preserve more of this classical furniture style and the skills to make them commercially. I do not disparage the weekend worker for I was one myself for 40 plus years and realize they are more numerous. Now that I am retired with more resources, I seek bigger challenges.
I have subscribed to many wood working magazine but the only such magazine that I treasure and have continuously subscribed to has been FWW. I think that says a lot regarding the magazine’s appeal to this wood worker. When Gene Landon’s article first appeared in FWW all I could do was admire his work, read and enjoy his accomplishments, and wish that one day I could attempt something like that. Now I occasionally travel with Gene to the PMA or Winterthur and have a learning ecstasy. Too see and handle the stamped wooden planes that one or more of the six Quaker Chandlee clockmakers from Nottingham used to make many of the tall clocks that stand in the Chester County Historical Society was a once in a lifetime experience. I was present when Gene very humbly gifted the planes to Winterthur on a visit.
All woodworkers are fascinated by other’s accomplished shops and learn how the professionals accomplish their modern magic. To follow a modern piece of 18th century Philadelphia design through one of several shops in Chester County with plans would make a marvelous series. The jigs and devises that make the process efficient and accurate would make several side articles. Information such as this would be a service to our knowledge base and place FWW in a field by itself.