02-05-2015, 06:16 PM
I was impressed long ago by the beautiful simplicity of John Townsend's Queen Anne chest featured in Jeffrey Greene's spectacular "American Furniture of the 18th Century". The book included a full frontal photo I could scale from plus an exploded drawing showing construction details; enough to make the piece.
I had some silver maple set aside that had some moderate curl to some of the boards. I had practiced dovetails but never actually featured them as this piece does. This project is larger than most I tackle and would require careful craftsmanship, so I do not apologize for setting it aside twice and taking a total of four years to finally finish it.
Here is what I worked from:
![](/ssl_proxy.php?url=/ssl_proxy.php?url=http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w188/SirDoofus/Townsend%20chest/townsendplan_zps71a1cfe6.jpg)
Big drawer just out of clamps:
They cleaned up just fine:
Time to fit drawers:
Feet and moldings - all shaped by hand - are on, time for some tung oil:
I was worried about the through dovetails on the top; I think they came out okay:
I spent as much time applying the finish as it seemed to want. Most of the curl was featured on top and front.
The piece makes our stairway landing into a tiny room, with storage!
Brasses from Londonderry.
I had some silver maple set aside that had some moderate curl to some of the boards. I had practiced dovetails but never actually featured them as this piece does. This project is larger than most I tackle and would require careful craftsmanship, so I do not apologize for setting it aside twice and taking a total of four years to finally finish it.
Here is what I worked from:
![](/ssl_proxy.php?url=/ssl_proxy.php?url=http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w188/SirDoofus/Townsend%20chest/townsendplan_zps71a1cfe6.jpg)
Big drawer just out of clamps:
![](/ssl_proxy.php?url=/ssl_proxy.php?url=http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w188/SirDoofus/Townsend%20chest/townsendtails_zps98158060.jpg)
They cleaned up just fine:
![](/ssl_proxy.php?url=/ssl_proxy.php?url=http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w188/SirDoofus/Townsend%20chest/IMG_7776.jpg)
Time to fit drawers:
![](/ssl_proxy.php?url=/ssl_proxy.php?url=http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w188/SirDoofus/Townsend%20chest/townsenddrawers_zpsf59c4a2f.jpg)
Feet and moldings - all shaped by hand - are on, time for some tung oil:
![](/ssl_proxy.php?url=/ssl_proxy.php?url=http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w188/SirDoofus/Townsend%20chest/townsendinshop_zps5bdbbdc8.jpg)
I was worried about the through dovetails on the top; I think they came out okay:
![](/ssl_proxy.php?url=/ssl_proxy.php?url=http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w188/SirDoofus/Townsend%20chest/townsendtop_zps06260657.jpg)
I spent as much time applying the finish as it seemed to want. Most of the curl was featured on top and front.
![](/ssl_proxy.php?url=/ssl_proxy.php?url=http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w188/SirDoofus/Townsend%20chest/townsendtopfinal_zps42af2e4c.jpg)
The piece makes our stairway landing into a tiny room, with storage!
![](/ssl_proxy.php?url=/ssl_proxy.php?url=http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w188/SirDoofus/Townsend%20chest/townsendscene_zpsed128fcd.jpg)
Brasses from Londonderry.
![](/ssl_proxy.php?url=/ssl_proxy.php?url=http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w188/SirDoofus/Townsend%20chest/townsendfinal_zps13ee17b6.jpg)
Lumber Logs, domestic hardwoods at wholesale prices: http://www.woodfinder.com/listings/012869.php
Lumber Logs' blog: Follow the adventure
Lumber Logs' blog: Follow the adventure