Replies

1. 
   hammer1 | Mar 12, 2006 08:02pm | #1

   I imagine things were done differently to some extent from shop to shop. It wasn't unusual for cabinetmakers of the time to employ specialists, or outsource parts and services. Daily living required a lot of work just to survive. In those conditions you don't have the luxury of wasting time. You had to be clever and resourceful in those days.

   The process was probably handled the same way many would today. The S curved shape would be cut out with bow saw or perhaps a vertical stroke saw. The edges of the various profiles would likely be scored with a marking gauge and cut to depth as things proceeded. A lot of the waste can be removed by making some cross grain cuts and chopping out with chisels and gouges. Rough shaping would be done with the chisels and other carving tools. The shapes could then be refined with scratch stocks in assorted shapes and sizes. Some of the smaller shapes were probably done with scratch stocks alone. This isn't a shape that lends itself to handplanes. Sandpaper as we know it may have been rare but people certainly knew about abrasives. Considering that this type of work can be done with scrapers, it's unlikely they would have needed or wanted sand on the surface.

   I have a couple pictures for you. One of a nice period bonnet, one of a tool chest from the Dominy shop and one (poor picture through Plexiglass) of a recreation of the Dominy shop. The tool chest would be the envy of modern cabinetmakers. It must have taken quite a bit to collect these tools. I'm sure there are many shop aids and other things that didn't make it into the display. You can see a hand powered lathe in the shop picture with a piecrust table top mounted. Apprentices would have handled many of the menial tasks in a shop, like turning the lathe crank.

   Beat it to fit / Paint it to match

   
1. 
   termites | Mar 13, 2006 03:20am | #2

   Thanks for the response!   I was hoping there was some magic method that I have missed in my research but it appears I am on the right track.  It sounds like a very labor intensive project.  I guess once you get the profiles on the scratch stock/scarpers it wouldn't be too bad.   Probably not unlike grinding the profile on shaper cutters today.   Problem is, I need less than 8 ft of moulding and will probably only do this one time.  How difficult would it be to make scratch stock for a curved pediment such as the one on the high chest in your pictures.

   Were those pictures taken at Winterthur?

    

1. 
   hammer1 | Mar 13, 2006 04:19pm | #3

   Hi Termites, when you look at the 50 year period that started with, the rather crude woodworking of, Jacobean pieces and advanced to the Rococo of the later Queen Anne work, it must have been like the electronics of today. I wonder if it was one-up-manship that drove cabinetmakers or if it was just playing with toys. Certainly, the bonnet in the picture was made by someone who was very accomplished with the methods of the day. The pictures are from Winterthur. You must have visited if you recognize the shots. Pretty amazing place. Do you think the center shell is original to the piece? It just doesn't look right to me. I haven't found much information on the individual pieces at Winterthur.If you know how to grind shaper cutters and have the equipment, I'm sure you could make what you need easily. Even with just files, you can make scratch stock. There are some common shapes that could see use beyond just scroll tops. I would think that you would want a master profile which could be shaped out of thin stock like a card scraper. If you stacked a few of them, you can cut out sections of the profile, rather than try to cut the whole shape at once. Drill location holes in the blanks and you can position them as needed in the holder. The scratch stock holder can be shaped on an angle to support the scraper close to the cutting edge. You need a fence that will follow the curve and also a way to provide depth control. After you cut out the scroll, incise at the rosette area and use a coping or bow saw to chamfer the approximate angle of the molding profile. Use a cutting gauge to incise where sharp lines intersect. With a long paring chisel on a block, and the scroll clamped to a straight top, you can pare and use the cutting gauge to form shoulders in the profile. It's mostly just scratching after that. Sounds easy enough but the complexity of the profile and knowing ahead of time where to cut the scrapers so they will index to the shoulders and also follow the curve well, takes experience. Short light strokes with careful attention to the edge guide on the scratch scraper work better than long strokes. Save the long strokes for the final cuts. I always find that the shapes of the past are elusive. They were so precise with their geometry and put together french curve profiles so nicely. The cabinetmakers had a sense of just where to put a little bulge or undercut without over or under doing it.Beat it to fit / Paint it to match

1. 
   termites | Mar 16, 2006 05:26am | #4

   Thanks hammer1.  That is very good information and sounds like I have my work cut out for me (if I choose to go that route)  The period rooms at Winterthur are something else.  I would advise anyone interested in making furniture to go there.  Thanks again,

2. 
   RMillard | Mar 16, 2006 01:48pm | #5

   I have made these moldings using 3 methods.

   Hand carved
   Not nearly as difficult as it would seem, and this is coming from a mediocre carver.

   Router fitted the a single point fence.
   I made my fence from some scraps of steel and a router bearing. The stock for the molding is sawn to the goose-neck profile on its one edge (either the inside or outside). Then draw the molding shape on the end of the stock and using various round nose and straight router bits, route to the drawn profile. You can get a very accurate profile that will require only a minor amount of hand carving and scraping. You can also route the straight return moldings with the same set up. You must plan your cuts carefully in order to maintain good support for the router. This means leaving a strip of wood intact at the inside edge of the profile. This edge can later be hand carved, or possibly shaped with a piloted router bit in the router table. The only downside to this method, is it that it requires a fair amount of concentration to maintain contact with the bearing point on the fence, and keep the cuts concentric with the goose-neck profile. Don’t bother to refine the molding too much, until after the returns have been mitered, and the molding installed, as quite a bit of work will be required to make the profiles match.  This method came mostly from an article by Jeffery Greene in Fine Woodworking sometime in 1998(?) Another similar article by Phil Lowe appeared in FWW in 2003(?) His article was nearly identical to the Greene article, but used the single point fence in the router table, instead of being hand held. If you'd like a photo of this guide, I can post one. I could not find a photo of it in use.

   The final method, I’ve used, was shown in the Vandal book on Queen Anne Furniture. It amounted to bolting a router motor to the arm of a RAS, and guiding stock sawn to the full shape of the goose-neck molding, between two bearing points. This worked okay, but scared the life out of me. Even with light cuts, I was afraid of the bit grabbing and pulling my fingers into the router.

    

   I have attached two photos. One of a Townsend highboy I made. This was one of my very early pieces, that frankly stank, as did the photography. The other is a New Jersey Tall Case Clock, while the workmanship improved, the photography did not.
   Rob Millard

   
1. 
   termites | Mar 17, 2006 03:18am | #6

   Thanks for the reply Rob.  Method numbers one and two are most likely the ones that I will try.  I'm most comfortable with carving so I will try that method first.   In the event that doesn't work, I'll crank up the router.  After reading your post, I already have some ideas as to how I could make a single point fence.  I'll also track down that issue with the article by Phil Lowe.  Hopefully the carving will work because I really dislike using a router.

   Regarding your Townsend highboy that you say " This was one of my very early pieces, that frankly stank".  Just remember, everything is relative and I thought it was awesome.  I wish my pieces stank that bad.  As always, nice work and thank you for your comments. 

   One other thing, I have seen your name on the wesbite for SAPFM.  Is that just for professionals (those who make a living or derive an income from their furniture) or are their members who are average woodhackers, like me.  If the later, is it worthwhile to belong too?

      

1. 
   RMillard | Mar 17, 2006 12:52pm | #7

   I too dislike routers, and never use one without considerable apprehension.

   If you saw the highboy in person, you'd agree with my assessment. The carving was okay, and the joinery was fine, but the finish was the big downfall. It was rather dark and lifeless, and the surface preparation was not up to level it should have been.

   The SAPFM is open to anyone. The highlight of a membership is the Journal which is published once a year. It has member contributed articles on a range of period furniture interests. The other benefit is the membership has various meeting around the country, most notably at Williamsburg in January. While I have not attended any of these, they would be a valuable experience.

   Rob Millard