Plans for a Chippendale tea table
mousejockey
| Posted in Project Plans/CAD Software on
Looking for plans for a claw and ball tea table or pier table to make out of Mahonany. I need to stretch my skill levels. I have something close from Lonnie Bird several years ago in a magazine article but it has pad feet, anyone know of one out there?
chief
Over the Hill? What Hill? I didn’t see any Hill!
Replies
Try this book:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0887406165/qid=1113567001/sr=1-3/ref=sr_1_3/104-4573103-1751901?v=glance&s=books
I'm trying to attach a photo, if it works, I'm looking for something more along this type. I'm actually waiting to try the tilt top table you pointed out until my turning gets a bit better. My thought was that I'd get some practice on the feet doing a table similar to this one. Something a bit less challenging than the photo would be just fine.
chiefOver the Hill? What Hill? I didn't see any Hill!
Hi Chief,
I made a very nice table from Fine Woodworking entitled "Handkerchief Table." Do a search for the issue Number. I is a gate leg and cabriole leg table that is perfect in dimensions. I get tons of compliments on it. I did a trifod foot but claw could be substituted. The plans show spoon foot.
Where did you get the pic of the table you posted? I really like it. Do you hve plans for it?
TIA,
Don
Edited 4/15/2005 1:19 pm ET by DONC4
I'll look up the table you mentioned but I REALLY want a finished plan so I can get the foot just right. I don't want another project that each time I look at it I think of how I should have done it.
The table in the pic, sold for $4.6M some time ago. If I could make things like that I'd just stand around patting myself on the back all day long.
chief
here's a link to 10 exceptional pieces sold by Christies auction house, including the table
http://www.christies.com/departments/exceptionalprices.asp?DID=5Over the Hill? What Hill? I didn't see any Hill!
Oh, that kind of tea table. You could try Jeffrey Greene's book on American Furniture. For carving ball and claw feet FWW has had two articles, one in Issue 10 (Spring 1978) and the other in Issue 84 (Sep/Oct 1990).
Chief:
I started building two copies of the Thomas Tufft pier table a little while ago and ran into the same problem. I had actually started researching this table about 5 years ago, but besides the Christies picture you attached, the only other information I found is Albert Sack's New Fine Points of Furniture, p 268. I emailed Christies, Sotheby's, and Keno's to ask if they had any better pictures and had no luck. I doubt there are any measured drawings available. Any way, the picture in Sack's book has the table's dimensions and a fairly clear view of the feet. If you can't find the book, the dimensions are Ht: 33 1/4"; Lg: 35 7/16"; Wd: 17 1/8". The feet are fairly typical ball and claw, but of course the devil is in the details. Blow up the picture on a color copier onto a piece of graph paper. A black and white copy won't show the detail very well. Enlarged copies help for the other carving as well. Also, FWW March/April 1999 has an article about carving a ball and claw foot that looks pretty close to the Tufft table. For my feet I made several practice ones in pine until I thought they they looked right. For the 2 tables I'm making 10 legs and will pick the 8 best. I didn't actually worry too much about the feet being dead accurate, but, for what it's worth, they have a 2 3/4" ball diameter with the widest point 3/4" from the bottom. The hardest part for me for this table is visualizing the underside of the gadrooned molding. I'll probably just make sample pieces until it looks close enough.
Maybe if you come across any more information you could pass it along. Hope this helps.
Regards
Tom Witzig
JP and TJ, thanks for the input. I'll probably compile sections of other tables and come up with something slightly different. I have Albert Sack's book and rely on it for ideas and "inspiration" for, well actually things I'd like to try to make. I moved from SOCAL to Oregon several years ago and really got involved in outdoor activities, but have decided that I need to get back out into the garage, well at least until elk season :-). I'm starting to consider the table on page 271 of Greens's book, American Furniture of the 18th Century
quote "The hardest part for me for this table is visualizing the underside of the gadrooned molding. I'll probably just make sample pieces until it looks close enough."
I have a copy of American Woodworker that has a Queen Anne table on the cover by Lonnie Bird, Dec. 1995 #49. (not quite what I'm looking for) In the Excellence in Craftsmanship award section is a photo of a tea table built just like the Tuft table, by John Bartosh from Malden Mass. If you can find him he may have more details of the molding. The article says he restores 18th- and 19th-century furniture.
Thanks again for all of the help and offers of help.
chiefOver the Hill? What Hill? I didn't see any Hill!
For anyone who may be interested I eventually was led to Phil Lowe's site and he has one there as well as other cool plans.
Thanks, Chief
http://www.furnituremakingclasses.com/home.htmlOver the Hill? What Hill? I didn't see any Hill!
Hey Chief.....
One of the projects in Andy Marlow's book "Fine Furniture for the Amateur Cabinetmaker" is a similar tea table with the claw and ball feet. I think this is a very good book. Not only is every process explained in the text, there are also many photos of the work in progress that go along with the explantion. Unfortunately the book is out of print, but there are copies available at used book sellers. Another project he does is a carved coffee table with paw feet. I did a stool using his patterns for all the carving on the ankles,legs,knees,wings and skirts but I substituted claw and ball feet instead of the paw feet because it looked like the paw feet were beyond my capabilities. Shaping the paw foot is probably easier than the claw and ball. It was making the hair on the ankles and feet look as realistic as he does that scared me off.
I appreciate the input, I have both books mentioned and agree both are good books, but what I was looking for was a dimensioned drawing. Greene's book has a rectangular tea table in the back that would be a super project but no dimensions. Looks like I'll have to spend some time making drawings, I just thought that with all of the information out there there would a dimensioned drawing of a rectangular tea table with claw and ball feet. I've been in the drafting field for some time and would really prefer to just go make sawdust. Thanks for the info.
chiefOver the Hill? What Hill? I didn't see any Hill!
Chief,
Here is a small card table I made that has ball and claw feet. I have a full scale drawing that you can use if you pay for the postage. It has a knuckle joint for the back legs and a small drawer. A pretty good project for someone interested in expanding their horizons. It is 12.5" when closed and 29" tall and 23.5" wide.
J.P.http://www.jpkfinefurniture.com
Edited 4/16/2005 10:14 pm ET by j.p.
Here is a photo of it open.J.P.http://www.jpkfinefurniture.com
Fabulous work, and thanks for the offer but it looks like I'm going to have to design, or at least copy details of several sources and come up with some drawings to get what I'm looking for. As far as expanding my horizons, that is exactly what I'm trying to do, I made a Queen Anne lowboy a couple of years ago with pad feet. It was my first "non square" piece and turned out pretty good, so I'm looking to take another step.
chiefOver the Hill? What Hill? I didn't see any Hill!
I think designing is the way to go. You will learn alot from doing the drawing and it will help with understanding the joinery and how to do the layout for the carving. If you have any questions or need some help let me know.J.P.http://www.jpkfinefurniture.com
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