I am trying to make a table-top Shaker writing desk as illustrated in Kassay’s Book of Shaker Furniture.
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I can’t figure out how the left side is constructed. There is only ¼ inch of stock plus the bead molding on each side of the paper drawer. It is not shown as end grain, i.e., from the back and front pieces extending through. I had assumed that below the shown dovetails, the side and front and back were mitered… but now it seems really unlikely one could cut and miter such a tiny piece and not have it break off. In the drawings, there is a small line across at the drawer top; is it a mock miter with the side pieces just glued on and not true continuations of the rest of the side? Has anyone seen the originals or otherwise solved this puzzle?
–PlaneJane
Replies
I can only guess that it is a mock miter as you suggest. But if I were making the piece I'd let the front and back pieces go through, showing end-grain on the side. You've already got the thru-dovetails above them anyway.
DR
Thanks for your observations and suggestion. The glued on detail seems unusually fussy and "false" for a Shaker piece, but endgrain next to the molding is also peculiar. Guess I'll have to experiment. Appreciate your looking at it with me.
PlaneJane
PlaneJane,
My guess, looking at the Kassay drawing, is that the front and back pieces were mitered at 45 degrees below the dovetails and then small mitered filler strips were glued in to give a face grained surface, this would be the only way to explain the grain orientation and the small line that you noted to either side at the top of the drawer opening. Kassay's drawings show end grain where it is exposed on the original, such as the dovetail ends and at the side of the ink bottle drawer, which curiously didn't have the end grain hidden, presumably because the drawer lip would hide it.
More interesting, if you look at the dimensions, is that the bead moldings are flush with the inside surfaces of the front and back pieces which is why the little mitered fillers are only 1/4 inch wide not the 3/8 inch inch thickness of the sides they are covering. This is a fussy little detail, and a challenge to make, but once glued in place it would be reasonably strong.
John W.
Thanks for checking it out and sharing your observations and suggestions. I am working from a photocopy and guessing a bit, so the detailed remarks are helpful. As I noted to DR, the glued on detail seems fussy and false for a Shaker piece in some ways, and yet it also seems the most satisfying in terms of appearance. I appreciate your help in looking at the it.
PlaneJane
Glad I could be of some help, good luck with the project.
John W.
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