Constructing

ED EVALU NITU

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

PLANS27"

andINSTRUCTIONS

withSTORICAL NOTES

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Daniel Diehl

QonstructingNlrdirual Furniturr

•Plans and Instructions with

Historical Notes

Daniel Diehl

STACKPOLEBOOKS

Copyright © 1997 by Stackpole Books

Published bySTACKPOLE BOOKS5067 Ritter RoadMechanicsburg, PA 17055

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form orby any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any informa­tion storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. All inquiriesshould be addressed to Stackpole Books, 5067 Ritter Road, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055.

Printed in the United States of America

109876543

FIRST EDITION

Coverdesign byCaroline M. Miller

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Diehl, Daniel.Constructing medieval furniture: plans and instructions with historical notes / Daniel

Diehl. - 1st ed.p. em.

ISBN 0-8117-2795-51. Furniture-Drawings. 2. Furniture-Reproduction. 3. Furniture, Medieval.

4. Measured drawing. I. Title.TTI96.D54 1997684.1-dc20 96-28404

CIP

To my mother,who had great faith in me throughout her life,

but did not live to see this book published.

•

qontcnts•

Acknowledgments ix 11. Curule Chair 81

Introduction xi 12. Candlestand 91

1. Woodworking Notes 1 13. Monastic Canopy Bed 101

2. Metalworking Notes 7 14. Fifteenth-Century Window Frame 111

3. Finishes 17 15. Wine Cabinet 119

4. Fifteenth-Century Bench 19 16. Gothic Cradle 131

5. Painted Wall Hanging 25 17. Fifteenth-Century Door 141

6. Fourteenth-Century Reading Desk 35 18. Glastonbury Chair 151

7. High Table 43 19. Mirrored Wall Sconce 161

8. Oxford Chest 51 Appendix A: Furniture Locations 173

9. Vestment Chest 63 Appendix B: Sources of MedievalAccoutrements 177

10. Ambry Cupboard 73

Index 179

vii

•

acknowledgments•

To accomplish truly worthwhile things, one must learnto work and play well with others. Certainly a projectof this scope could never be accomplished by one per­son. lowe a tremendous debt of gratitude to all of thepeople and institutions who generously allowed meaccess to their property and records: Dr. WilliamWixom of the Metropolitan Museum, Daniel Kletke atthe Cloisters, John O'Brien at Haddon Hall, DaveClodfelter of English Heritage, Dr. Sarah Bendall andthe Warden and Fellows of Merton College, Oxford,Dr. Dean Walker of the Philadelphia Museum of Art,Dan Mehn, and Nick Humphrey at the Victoria andAlbert Museum. Without their cooperation, this book

ix

would not exist . Special thanks go to Bob Rich, whoprovided background information and the artwork forthe chapter on painted wall hangings, as well as con­tinuing assistance in research.

Thanks also to Sally Atwater and Kyle Weaver, myeditors at Stackpole Books, for their faith in this pro­ject; to Allison Leopold, who has helped in more waysover the years than I can count; to 0. Tyler Huff, myphotographer; to my father, for a quarter centurytogether in the workshop; and especially to my friendand literary partner Mark Donnelly, who corrected mymanuscript, clarified my construction notes, and is thedriving spirit that keeps the dream alive.

•

Introduction•

I did not set out to write a book about the constructionof medieval furn iture. It was only when I realized th atone did not already exist that I determined to under­take the project. I was amazed, th roughout the courseof my research, at how little documentation onmedieval furniture and its construction exists. Evenmany of the better furniture encyclopedias pay littleattention to the medieval period . From the furnishingsof the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans, the lit­erature leaps into the Italian Renaissance. Are we thento believe tha t no one sat down for more than eighthundred years?

Despite archaeo logical and documentary evidenceto the contrary, historians of the decorative arts wouldhave us believe that our medieval ancestors had no lifebeyond building castles and butchering theirneighbors.

History needs to be more than dates, places, andnames of famous people. Only by understanding thedaily lives of the people who populated it can we reallyappreciate the past as a living place where people werevery much like ourselves, but at the same time madevery different by their social and polit ical surroundings.

Although I canno t imagine anyone wanting to re­create the polit ical cond itions of the Middle Ages, thesocial atmosphere of the age of chivalry still has a sim­plistic , romantic appeal. Tournaments, courtly love,and great feasts continue to capture our imaginationcenturies after they have ceased to exist.

Though there is an endl ess flood of books on variousaspects of life in the Middle Ages, there has not , to myknowledge, been anything written on the most visiblesurviving remn ants of domestic life of the period­household furniture. Here, then , is a collection of

Xl

medieval furniture representative of almost every roomand use in the castle and manor house.

The furnishings in thi s book are among the finestsurviving examples from the golden age of ch ivalry.These origina l, priceless pieces are housed in publicand private collections th roughout the United Sta tesand England. Accomp anying each photograph is adescription of the item and its current location, inmany cases still in the English castle or cathedral forwhich it was origina lly made. A few pieces, however,are probably from a north European country otherthan England . Considering the cultural intercha nge,peaceful and otherwise, that took place among England,France, and the Low Countries th roughout much ofthe Middl e Ages, similar furn iture styles must haveappeared simultaneously th roughout thi s part of theworld.

The measured drawings th at accompany the phot osof each piece of furniture will be of interest to scho lars,amateur histori ans, and woodworkers alike. Here forthe first time the reader can see how medieval furn iture­makers produced furniture that has withstood a thou­sand years of service without the benefit of glue, screws,or, sometimes, even nails.

The illustrations show the methods used in con ­structing the origina l furn ish ings. With few excep tions,the drawings were taken directl y from the or igina lpieces of medieval furniture. Because of the methodsused in making the origina l furniture, and the wearand tear of the centuries, most of the origina l piecesare not in square, or even symmetrical. Consequently,I have been forced to standardize dimensions andremove many of the slight variations in herent in primi­tive construction techniques. I have included the grain

pattern of the wood wherever possible, both to addinterest to the drawings and to indicate the directionof the grain.

In the accompanying text, there are occasional sug­gestions for alterations that will make reproductioneasier for the modern woodworker. A few of the draw­ings differ slightly from the way the piece of furnitureappears today. These changes have been made toreverse alterations that were made to some of the furni­ture over the years. I have also made a distinctionbetween marks from primitive construction techniquesand signs of wear and age, allowing the former toremain but removing signs of the latter. There shouldbe virtually no difference in a finished reproductionand the original from which it was copied, except forthe lack of six or seven centuries of wear and tear.

The drawings have all been done to accurate scale.When there are complex bits of carving or other detailshown on the drawings, they can be enlarged on aphotocopier to the size called for and used as a patternto be transferred directly onto the surface of the wood.

The level of skill required to execute the projects inthis book ranges from basic to fairly complex. Thechapters appear in order of complexity, beginning with

xii

the simplest. The construction notes may at timesseem simplistic to advanced woodworkers, but theyshould provide clarity for those who are still honingtheir shop skills. On several pieces, the amount of workrequired to produce the piece can be significantlyreduced simply by eliminating the ornamental carving.In no instance, however, is an elaborately equippedworkshop required to produce this furniture. Remem­ber, originally all of these pieces were made with handtools and without the benefit of electricity.

Before beginning any project, read the introductorychapters on woodworking, metalworking, and finishes,as well as the entire assembly instructions for the pro­ject. A firm understanding of the entire project willhelp you avoid unnecessary problems along the way.

Several projects in the book are not, strictly speak­ing, furniture. They are, however, items that probablywould have been found in the homes that containedthe furniture represented here. For anyone planning toexecute an entire room in medieval style, these pieceswill give the room a historically authentic look.Appendix B lists places that sell all kinds of medievalaccessories to provide the finishing touches necessaryto outfit any well-appointed castle.

1•

{ijoodmorkjng notes•

Here are a few general observations and suggestionsabout woodworking methods and materials that holdtrue for most of the project s conta ined in thi s book.

MEDIEVAL WOODWORKINGMost of the furn iture made dur ing the Middle Ageswas made from freshly cut, or green, wood. The processof aging and curing wood was unknown , and workingwith freshly cut wood was labor efficient . Because thewood was worked green, the methods of const ructiondiffered from those used when working with air-driedor kiln-dried wood. For example, during the Middl eAges, sections of furn iture that were to be joined withdowel pins were drilled so th at the holes were slightlyout of line. As the wood dried and shrank, the pieceswere pulled tightl y together. Today, because the woodwill not shr ink with the passage of time, pieces to bedoweled are clamped together and holes are drilled ina straight line.

Medieval woodworkers often set up temporary manu­facturing communities in the forest, where they couldfell trees and immediately turn them into lumber andthen into furniture. Woodsmen would fell the trees,and sawyers would cut them into boards either withsaws or by splitt ing them off the logs with wedges andsledgeha mmers. Craftsmen of all types would immedi­ately go to work turning the fresh lumber into usefulitems, coopers making buckets and barrels; carpentersproducing furniture and construct ion timb ers; andwrights building carts and wheels.

Working the wood in its green state was easier for avariety of reasons. Freshly cut wood may foul modernpower tools, but it is much easier to work with primi ­tive hand tools. By manufacturing the pieces of lumberor finished furnishings at the locati on where the trees

were felled, the workers avoided having to carry excesswood to the final destination, thus avoiding needlesslabor.

REPRODUCTION TECHNIQUESThough it may not be practi cal to set up shop in someremote forest to make copies of medieval furni ture,some of the period techniques can be adopted by themodern woodworker. Most of the furn iture in th isbook will look better- or more authent ic-if the workis executed with hand tools wherever possible. Forexample, chamfering the edges of a board with draw­knives and spokeshaves , rather th an with an electricrouter, will give you not on ly a more accurate lookingfinished product, but also a far better appreciation forthe way the original pieces were made.

If you are not famili ar with hand too ls, it willrequire some practice to get the hang of using them.Practice on scrap lumber, not on the custom milledoak you just ordered for a project.

GENERAL CONSTRUCTIONMost of the construct ion techniques in thi s book areextremely basic. Because of the limited range of too lsand technology available to the woodworker of theMiddl e Ages, it was essential th at construction bequick and simple. The on ly procedure th at would notbe considered elementary is the use of dovetail jointson a few of these pieces.

DowelingRegardless of the type of wood used in making anypiece of furniture in thi s book, I recommend the use ofbirch or maple dowels to hold it together. Maple is byfar the strongest wood for thi s purp ose, and it is the

wood from which most commercial doweling is made.You can purchase maple or birch doweling at anylumberyard or hardware or hobby store.

To fasten a wood joint with a dowel, begin by align­ing the two pieces to be joined and clamp them intoposit ion so th at they do not sh ift. Select a drill bit thesame size as the doweling called for in the materialslist, and drill holes in the locations called for in theconst ruction notes.

Prepare the dowel to be inserted in the hole asfollows: C ut a length of dowel no more th an 1 inch(25mm) longer th an the depth of the hole intowhich it is to be seated. Slightly round the end of thedowel th at is to be driven into the hole to allow easeof entry.

If the hole has been drilled to the actual size of thedowel, the dowel may need to be sand ed lightly soth at it can be tapped smoothly into place. The dowelshould tap into the drill ed hole with a wooden malletwithout undue force. A 2-inch (51mm) dowel shouldseat itself with four or five light strokes. If the dowel fitstoo tightl y, it may break off before it is seated, or itmay split the surrounding wood over time. If it is tooloose, it will not hold the piece of furn iture together.

ClampsThe construction notes in thi s book frequently call forclamps to be used to hold pieces together while theproject is being assembled. Long bar clamps, or cabinetclamps, are best for thi s purpose. They will generallyopen up far enough to hold even the largest pieces offurniture in thi s book.

When applying clamps to a piece of furniture, padthe jaws of the clamp with a small piece of wood, suchas a shim. Padding the clamps will prevent the metaljaws from biting into the wood and leaving deep scarstha t will need to be sanded out later.

WOODDuring the Middl e Ages, the woods most commonl yused for the construct ion of furniture were oak andpine, which still holds true today to a great extent.Any wood other th an oak or pine used in the furn iturein th is book is not ed on an indi vidual basis in thematerials lists.

If a project calls for oak, 1strongly suggest usingwhite oak rather th an red. Although it is more expen ­sive, whit e oak has a much finer and straighter grain ,will cut smoother, and is a better cho ice if carving isinvolved. The unevenness of the grain in red oak makes

2

carving very difficult and the results unpredictable.White oak is also closer to the English oak used in theorigina l furniture.

If the project requires pine, choose a good-quality,straight-grained fir. The straighter the grain in thewood, the better the finished project will look and theless chance of the boards warping over time.

The major difference between the wood used todayand th at used eight hundred years ago is not thespecies of tree from which the boards are cut , but howthey are cut. In medieval times, when lumber was plen­tiful and tools were primitive, the boards used in theproduction of furniture tended to be much heavier­both thicker and wider-than today's mill-cut lumber.For many of the project s in thi s book, it will be neces­sary to have the lumber custom milled to obtain boardsof the correct thickness, which will, of course, be moreexpensive than simply purchasing standard-dimensionlumber.

In some cases, the difference between making anitem from standard mill-cut lumber and using custom­milled lumber will be purely aesthetic, to give your fur­niture an authent ic medieval look. In other cases, theheavier lumber is necessary to the structural integ rityof the piece, or at least to make it fi t together as shownin the drawings.

An opt ion to having the oversize boards speciallymilled is to use old lumber. There are several compa­nies th at recycle old construction materials such asplanks and beams salvaged from barns and houses thathave been demolished. This wood is often available indimensions larger than can be found in new material.One of the largest of these companies in the UnitedStates is North Fields Restoration, Hampton Falls, NH03844, (603) 926-5383; ano ther is Architectural um­ber & Millwork, 35 Mt. Warner Rd., P.O. Box 719,Hadley, MA 01035, (413) 586-3045. To find the loca­tion of other such companies, look under "salvage" inthe yellow pages, or check with local historical orpreservation groups.

Another solution is to glue together standard­dimension boards to produce thi cker or wider stock.Many lumbermills and most cabinet shops will glue upstandard-dimension lumber to provide boards of anywidth and thi ckness. Professionally executed joints willbe as strong as the wood itself and barely noticeableonce they are incorporated into the furniture .

You can glue boards together for extra thicknessfairly easily yourself by spreading a thin, even coat ofcabinetmaker's glue on the faces that are to be glued

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SIMPLE DOWEL JOINT

------MORTISE ANDTENON JOINT

CORNER RABBET JOINT

.+ -_---JI

3

SPLINE JOINT

----------

-- ---------­~----­~ ----------~-----

SURFACE RABBET JOINT

DOVETAIL JOINT

4

together, letting it set for three or four minutes, andthen pressing the glued surfaces together and clampingtightly. Be careful when you are pulling the clampstight; the boards will tend to slide around as they arebeing pulled together and if the layer of glue is tooheavy, large amounts may squeeze out. Have an assis­tant help with this process, and have a wet rag handyto wipe off excess glue. After the glue has set overnight,remove the clamps. The resultant board will be asstrong as if it were a single ,board .

Gluing boards together for additional width is trickier.Joining boards along an edge can be done in several

5

ways. The simplest is by gluing the edges and clamp­ing as described above. The boards must be not onlyclamped tightly together, but also held absolutely flatwhile the glue dries. The seam where the boards arejoined will never be as strong as the boards themselves,and they may fracture along this seam as they age or ifsubjected to stress. To strengthen this seam, the boardscan be joined with dowels or splines. This is not par­ticularly difficult, but it does require the proper toolsand a bit of practice. Refer to a guide on basic cabi­netry to learn the procedure, and then practice a fewtimes before using it for your project.

2•

~ttalmorking l10tts•

Most of the hardware used on the furniture in thisbook falls into one of several categories: hinges, band­ing straps, lock plates, forged nails, and several stylesof pulls and handles. Since the procedure for makingthese items remains the same from project to project,general metalworking instructions are provided inthis chapter. Any changes, alterations, or guidelinesfor nonstandard work are covered in the individualchapters.

TOOLSThe type of metalwork used for medieval furniturewould have been executed by a blacksmith workingwith forge and anvil. Although it is certainly possibleto reproduce this hardware by the original methods,most of us do not have access to a forge. The same lookcan be achieved with the aid of modern tools, however.

All of the metalwork in this book can be executedwith just a few simple tools. For cutting the metal, aband saw with a metal cutting blade is ideal. A jigsawor reciprocal (saber) saw with a metal cutting bladealso will work. In addition to a saw, you will need aheavy vise and two shaping hammers. The shapinghammers should be ball peen hammers rather thanclaw hammers. One should have a 10- to 12-ounce headand the other a 16- to IS-ounce head. For finishing themetal, you will need coarse and fine steel files in eachof three shapes: flat, round, and triangular. Havingboth medium and small sizes of each shape will alsobe a great help.

To heat the metal so that you can work it intoshape, you will need a welding torch. There are twotypes that can be used for these projects. By far thebest is a combination oxygen-acetylene torch. It will

7

provide great amounts of heat quickly and make thejob of working the metal fast and easy. A single-tankacetylene gas torch will provide enough heat for mostof the work described in this book, but it will take con­siderably longer for the metal to reach malleability.(The small, hand-held propane torches simply will notprovide sufficient heat.) You will also need a pair ofwelder's gloves to protect your hands from the hotmetal.

For shaping the metal, you will need a mandrel, ajig around which a piece of metal can be bent intodecorative shapes. If you do not already have a mandrel,it is easy to make one. A mandrel is nothing more thantwo round metal pins, each 1/ 8 inch (3mm) in diameterand 2 inches (51mm) in length, inserted into a metalbase. The best material for making the mandrel isstainless steel or cold rolled steel, as these metals willnot soften when exposed to the heat of the torch. Fol­lowing the diagram, cut a base of steel, 1 inch (25mm)thick and 4 or 5 inches (102-127mm) in length, to awidth that will fit into the jaws of your vise; 1 inch(25mm) wide is sufficient. Using a drill bit the thick­ness of the metal pins, drill three holes into themounting block, I/ Z inch (13mm) in depth. Two of theholes should be spaced 1;4 inch (6mm) apart and thethird Vz inch (13mm) from the second. The metal pinsshould set firmly into these holes but remain looseenough that they can be removed and repositioned ifnecessary.

If you do not have access to metalworking equip­ment or feel that you do not have the skills toundertake the metalwork necessary, contact a localblacksmith or ironmonger to make the metal findingsfor your furniture.

MANDREL

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2" (51mm)

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4" (102mm)

1" (25mm) o o

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8

MATERIALSMost of the metal used in these projects is of a typecalled flat stock, which comes in straps or sheets thatare wider than they are thick. Metal also comes inround stock and square stock. Round stock is a roundbar of steel and square stock is a square bar of steel. Allof these types of metal stock are commercially availablein all of the sizes necessary for the projects in this book.For our purposes, the thickness of the metal will usu­ally be given in standard dimensions of inches andmillimeters. The amount and dimensions necessary tomanufacture the hardware for each piece of furnitureare given in the materials lists in each chapter.

FORGING METALIf you are unfamiliar with forging metal, make severalpractice pieces before you attempt any of the finishedhardware . A good place to begin is by bending a pieceof flat stock 11;4 inches (32mm) wide and Ya inch (3mm)thick into a right angle . This is a stock size common tomany of the hinges and bands on the furniture in thisbook. I suggest bending a right angle; this is a simpleprocedure, and you will have to execute it every timea hinge or band goes around a corner on a piece offurniture .

Bending Right AnglesPlace a section of flat stock, at least I foot (305mm) inlength, vertically into the jaws of the vise. Two or 3inches (51-76mm) of stock should be below the jawsof the vise and the remaining stock should projectabove the vise. The stock must be at right angles (90degrees) to the top of the vise, or the finished bendwill be crooked .

Heat the first 2 inches (5Imm) of the stock immedi­ately above the jaws of the vise. Do not hold the pointof the flame in one spot on the metal. Move it aroundon the area being heated, or the stock may melt atthe point of contact with the flame. When the metalbegins to glow a pink-red, it is ready to be formed . It isbest to have two people working on this project, oneheating the metal and the other doing the actual forg­ing. In this way, the metal will retain its heat and canbe shaped more quickly and easily.

To shape the stock into a right angle, use the heavierhammer to strike it at the point where the stock meetsthe jaws of the vise while pulling the free end of thestock gently toward the forging surface (the top of thevise) with your other hand. When the metal has beenbent to a right angle, strike downward onto it two or

9

three times directly at the angle of the bend where itlies against the surface of the vise. This will give it agood, sharp corner that will fit snugly against the edgeof the wood. This may take some practice, but theresults will be worth the effort.

Using the MandrelThe primary use of the mandrel is in forming the loopson each half of the hinge by which they are joinedtogether with a pin. It is also used in forging ornamen­tal curls on hinges and straps.

To practice using the mandrel, heat 2 or 3 inches(51-76mm) at the end of a length of flat stock, andinsert the tip between two mandrel pins that are set asclose together as possible. While continuing to applyheat, gently pull on the free end of the bar and tap onthe heated portion of the metal with a forging hammer.The metal can slowly be pulled into loops of any sizedesired . The hotter the metal, the more easily it can bebent. With a little practice, you will be able to formloops that fit snugly around the mandrel pin, a perfectsize for accepting hinge pins.

The ends of hinges, and their accompanying strapsand bands, are often forged into decorative shapes. Toreproduce these shapes, you will need to cut the hingeout of a larger piece of flat stock than the overall widthof the hinge might seem to indicate. This is taken intoaccount in the materials list .

To illustrate how to cut and forge these decorativeshapes, let's look at the hardware on the Oxford Chestand the Vestment Chest. The decorative Tshaped endson many of the metal bands on the Oxford Chest arerelatively easy to form. From flat stock Ya inch (Jrnm)thick and 11,4 inches (32mm) in width, cut the basiclength of the hinge as shown in the hinge pattern. Splitthe end of the strap into two tongues of equal width toa depth of approximately 3 Yz inches (89mm), as shownin the Oxford Chest hardware diagram. The stock canbe either cut with a metal saw or heated and split witha chisel. The second method is how it was historicallydone, although it involves quite a bit more labor. If theend of the strap is sawn rather than split, you can cuta 3 1,4 (82mm) long, V-shaped wedge from the end ofthe strap to form the tapering ends. Once cut or split,bend the tongues into semicircles, using the mandrelwith the pins spaced I/ Z inch (l3mm) apart. Be carefulwhen bending the metal outward; it will break rathereasily if not given enough heat. If you chose to splitthe metal rather than saw it, you will need to narrowthe tips of the tongues as you stretch and pull them

I. Lay out the tongues

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OXFORD CHESTHARDWARE

2. C ut and bend the tongues

3Yz" (89mm)

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VESTMENT CHEST HARDWARE

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11

outward and bend them around the mandrel. This maytake a bit of practice, so execute a few sample piecesbefore working on your project. If your pieces do nothave perfect symmetry, do not be concerned; neitherdo th ose executed by medieval craftsmen.

The tips of the decorative ears need to be bent intoloops just large enough to insert nail s through to tackthe strap in place against the face of the chest . Theloops should be formed on the mandrel. If th ey needto be reduced in size to hold the nail, they can bereheated and tightened with a pair or pliers.

Simil ar decorative treatment is used for some of theVestment Chest hardware.

Making HingesMost of the chest lids and doors shown in thi s bookare held in place with long strap hinges, many of themintegral to the banding that holds the furniture together.Most are made of V8-inch (3mm) thick flat stock.

In most cases, the two halves of the hinge are joinedtogether with a hinge pin passing through three inter­locking loops, one loop being on th e sho rte r end of thehinge and two loops on th e long end . This section ofthe hinge is called the spine . Using a band saw (orother saw), cut out the tangs, the metal fingers th atare used to form the loops, as shown in th e drawings.Remove th e burrs from th e sawn edges, th en sha peth em into loops on the mandrel as described above.There are slight variations in the length of the tangsand positioning of th e loops, described as nece ssary foreach project. Follow the directions closely so th at thehinge will operate properl y.

Two types of hinges are used on the furniture in thi sbook: butt hinges and flat hinges. They differ slightlyin the sha pe of the spine, but the basic construction,including the basic arrangement of the tangs on thehinge stock, is the same.

To make hinge pins, use a length of round stockthat will fit snugly, but not tightly, into the holes inthe hinge spine . Cut th e pin about 1 inch (25mm)longer th an the hinge. C lamp the pin tightly in thevise so th at only about 1/8 inch (3mm) protrudes abovethe vise. Heat the exposed end of th e pin. When itbecomes hot, strike the end with th e flat end of thesmall forging hamm er until it flares out slightly, likethe cap of a mushroom. Then use the ball end of th ehamm er to round the edges. When th e pin has cooled,fit it into the hinge. Ab out Y! inch (6mm) should pro­trude beyond the end of the hinge; cut it if necessary.Assemble the hinge and invert it on a forging surface

12

so that the unshaped end is sticking upward. Heat thisend of the pin and flare it with the forging hammer. Donot beat it too tightly against the hinge, or the hingemight bind.

BandingWhen makin g hinges or bands th at extend aroundseveral sides of a piece of furniture, allow several extrainches of stock, as some of the length will be lost inthe process of bending the metal at the corners.

The heating and bending process will slightly alterthe length of the metal stock in unpredictable ways,so do not try to make more th an one bend beforefitting the band onto the furniture case. Bend onecorner, fit it into place, and mark the position of thenext bend.

Distressing the MetalTo give the metal the look of hand-forged iron, lay iton the vise or an anvil, heat 3 to 4 inches (76-102mm)of its length at a time with the torch , and distress thesurface and edges with the round end of your forginghammer. Merely eliminate the factory clean edges ofth e metal; do not distort or misshape the stock. This ismost easily done after the metal has been cut , butbefore it has been bent to its final shape.

Lock PlatesLock plates, or escutcheons, prot ect the area aroundthe opening in the wood through which the key isinserted. Escutcheons are usually made of far thinnermetal th an the hinges and band s on a chest. Unlessotherwise indicated, use flat stock VI6 inch (Zmm)thick. Patterns for the lock plates are included withthe drawings for the project s.

LOCKSMost of th e medieval locks th at origina lly protectedth e contents of the chests and cupboards shown inthi s book have long since been removed, and only thedecorative lock plates remain. For thi s reason , heavyhasps or simple wooden turn buttons are used on sev­eral pieces of furniture th at appear to have a lock. Inre-creating these pieces of furniture, the simple solu­tion to the lock problem is to leave it off and use theturn button.

For medieval cupboards with standard doors, suchas the Ambry Cupboard, th e Wine Chest, and theFourteenth-Century Reading Desk, real purists canadapt a surface-mounted lock set, called a rim lock,

HINGE CONSTRUCTION

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Laying out th e tan gs

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Cutting the tangs

Forging the butt hinge

Completed sections of butt hinge (side view)

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13

HINGE CONSTRUCT ION

Forging the flat hinge

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I,

.,­/

Completed sect ions of flat hinge (side view)

Completed sections of butt or flat hin ge (front view)

_5 9L.-----_

Forming the hinge pin

14

The completed h inge

from a nineteenth-century int erior door. These locksets require only minor modificat ion to make authentic­looking locks for cupboard doors. These lock sets willnot work on chest lids, however.

Open the lock box and remove the catch and springtha t are normally operated by the doorknob, leavingon ly the key-operated dead bolt in place. Replace th ecover on the lock box and screw it to th e in ner surfaceof the cupboard door so th at the keyhole in the dooraligns with the keyhole in the lock box. (This mayrequire a slight repositioning of the keyhole in thecupboard door.)

NAILSFairly large quantities of nails are required for theapplication of hinges and hardware. Simple cut nailsdo not have the large heads necessary to hold the hard­ware in place. Rather, use hand -forged nails with large

15

heads. Although it is possible to make all of the nailsby hand, I don't recommend it. Forged na ils may beordered from Tremont Nail , p.o. Box Ill, Wareh am,MA 025 71; (508) 295-0038, or Jamestown Distrib uto rs,P.O. Box 348, Jamestown, RI 02835; (800) 423-0030.O ne of the most useful nails for attaching the hard­ware and hinges is Tremont Nail's 1Vz-inch wroughthead nail. Another resource for finding forged nails isthe Old HouseJournal Supply Catalogue, an annualpublication of the Old HouseJournal.

Many early nails were longer th an the thi ckness ofthe wood into which th ey were driven. The medievalsolut ion to thi s problem, either for added strengt h orfor expediency, was simply to bend over the end of thenail on the int erior of th e chest. Experiment with thi son a scrap of wood before trying it on a finished pieceof furniture, as some of th e modern reproductionforged nails are too brittle to bend without breaking.

3•

Finishes•

The conce pt of a clear, translucent finish of thetype applied to most furniture today was completelyunknown to medieval furnituremakers. The finishedpiece was made smooth by scraping the surface withthe edge of a flat piece of metal and was immediatelyput into service, or it may have been painted in brightcolors with designs and figures.

To create the appearance of the wear and tear ofthe cent uries, you can age your furni ture arti ficially.Use a wood rasp to wear down the corne rs, and strikethe surface here and there with a length ~f cha in or acloth bag holding a handful of various sized nails. Theentire piece can even be lightly sandblasted to removesome of the soft porti ons of the wood grain . Once theaging process is finished, go over the surface again withthe cabinet scraper so th at the damage doesn't looktoo new.

CLEAR FINISHESThe mellow surface tones of surviving pieces of furni ­ture from thi s period are the result of cent uries of useand clean ing. Most of thi s cleaning was done with aslightly oily rag, which, over the cent uries, investedthe surface with a vast quantity of natural moisture.By keeping the wood from drying out, th is also helpedprevent cracking and splitt ing.

If you want your piece to have a truly period look, donot finish the surface with sandpaper. The finish givenby the use of a good cabinet scraper is far more authen­tic looking, and adapts much better to an oil finish.

For a clear finish in keeping with the origina l treat ­ment, use oil alone. C oat the finished piece with eithertung oil or boiled linseed oil. Appl y light coats untilthe wood ceases to absorb the oil, and then polish to alow sheen with a soft cloth.

17

For a deep penetrating oil finish, begin with a mix­ture of four part s boiled linseed oil to one part spiritsof gum turpentine. Do not use mineral spirits, as theywill dry out the wood . For th e best penetrati on , warmthi s mixture sligh tly; do not allow it to boil. For safety'ssake, warm it on an electric stove, not gas.

If you want to darken the natural color of the woodto make it look older, you can add a bit of tinting color,of the type used to tint paint, to the oil and turpentinemixture. Use thi s sparingly; it will require only a fewdrops to make a significant chan ge in th e color of apint of finishing oil. Appl y a second coa t of plain oilon top of th e penetrating coat .

Ap ply additiona l coats of oil periodically to keepthe wood from drying out. For th e first year or two, oilsho uld be applied at three- or four-month intervals.Subsequently, once or twice a year sho uld be sufficient.

Between times, clean and polish your furniture withgood-quality furniture polish . One containing lemonoil is best, as th e lemon oil helps the polish soak intoth e wood. Do not use a polish th at contains wax. Ifyou want to continue darkening the piece, use the tra­diti onal formula of Genuine Old English brand polish.It has a dark brown color th at will soak slowly into thewood and add a richness to th e finish slowly over suc­cessive applications.

PAIN TED FINISHESBefore the invention of oil-based paint in the late1400s, nearly all painting, with the excep tion of frescowork, was executed in egg tempera. Egg tempera wasused for painting on wood, metal, paper, leather, andcloth, and thus can be used for any project in thi s bookcalling for paint.

Many of the ingredients used in the Middle Ages to

produce specific colors are extremely poisonous, butthere are safer pigments available today that will servethe same purpose.

When egg tempera is used, it is necessary to firstapply a base coat of gesso, a water-based primer availableat art-supply stores. Apply an even coat of gesso to theobject, or area, to be painted. If a large area is beinggessoed, be sure that the brush strokes are even and allrun in the same direction.

The ingredients used to make modern egg temperaare fresh egg yolks, pure ground pigments (available atart-supply stores), and distilled water. The egg yolkbinds the pigment to the gesso. To get pure yolk, sepa­rate a fresh egg and slide the yolk into the palm of yourhand. Gently roll the yolk back and forth from onepalm to the other. Each time the yolk passes out of onehand, dry the excess white from your palm.

After eight or ten passes from palm to palm, the yolkwill develop a tough surface as it begins to dry. Allowthe yolk to rest in the palm of one hand, and gentlypick it up by pinching the toughened yolk sac betweenthe thumb and forefinger of your other hand.

Suspend the yolk over a clean, shallow bowl andpierce the sac with a sharp knife. The pure yolk willdrip into the bowl. Discard the yolk sac.

18

Into the egg yolk, mix pure ground pigment untilthe desired color is reached. For the best results, thepigment should be ground into the egg to be certainthat they are thoroughly mixed. The grinding can bedone with a mortar and pestle, or on a glass palettewith a glass mulling tool. If the paint becomes toothick to work easily, add a few drops of water to thinit. Water will also tend to make the colors more trans­lucent. Denatured alcohol can be substituted for thewater to speed up the drying process and act as apreservative. Even with a few drops of alcohol, eggtempera must be stored in the refrigerator and willhave a shelf life of only five or six days.

When dry, egg tempera should not need varnish aslong as it is not taken outside. The dried egg yolk isalmost as hard as varnish.

Getting the knack of working with egg tempera maytake a bit of practice, and it may seem like a lot ofwork for large areas like an entire piece of furniture ora painted wall hanging, but it is the proper medievalapproach to the work. As an alternative you can sub­stitute artist's oil or latex paint for a wall hanging, orregular interior oil or latex paint for a piece of furni­ture. If you use a commercial paint, get one with as flata finish as possible.

4•

Fifteenth~qentury :Bench•

Benches, such as this French example, were the singlemost common type of furniture at all levels of medievalsociety. In peasant homes, crude benches or stools wereoften the only pieces of furniture other than a table.At the merchant level of society, benches constitutednearly all of the seating in the home, with the excep­tion of one chair each for the master and mistress ofthe house, and were also used for seating at worktablesand in trade stalls.

In abbeys and cloisters, monks sat on benches whilethey were at prayer and during mass. Perched on ele­vated stools, they laboriously executed illuminatedmanuscripts, and at long benches they ate, often intotal silence, in communal dining halls.

In the manor houses and castles of the nobility,seating served as precise symbols of social status. Thelord of the manor, his wife, and honored guests sat onelaborate armchairs during meals and at local courtproceedings . The marshal of the castle probably hada chair with no arms, as did ranking local merchantswho were often guests of the lord. Lesser guests wereseated on stools, and servants and peasants sat on longbenches called bankettes.

This handsome stool is now in the collection of theMetropolitan Museum of Art at the Cloisters.

CONSTRUCTION NOTESThis finely crafted little bench is simple in construc­tion and is made without metal fasteners or glue. Onlyfour small dowels hold the structure together. It is atestament to medieval craftsmanship that after morethan five centuries, the bench is still in good condition.This piece is an excellent choice for the beginner.

Although one end of the original bench was sawnoff and a notch was cut out of the other end, the plans

19

here show the piece as it would have appeared when itwas constructed.

LumberThe five boards used in the construction of this stoolare all l-inch (25mm) thick white oak. The leg boardsare quite wide for such a small piece of furniture andcould easily be made by gluing two boards together(the materials list reflects this approach).

Setting UpBefore beginning assembly, cut the legs, side rails, andseat to size and shape according to the plans . If youwish to cut the chamfer on the bottom edge of the siderails with a router, do so before fitting the seat intoplace; once the seat has been fitted onto the frame, thebench cannot be taken apart again.

Legs and Side RailsThe legs and side rails of the bench interlock witheach other. The primary carrying grooves are in thelegs, and there are also small grooves in the side railsto ensure that the pieces do not shift once the stoolhas been assembled. Cut the leg pieces first, makingsure that the side rails fit snugly into the grooves. Thelegs and side rails should fit together snugly enoughthat they can be pushed together with the pressure oftwo fingers. Note on the drawings that the tenons areshown 1/ 8 inch (3mm) wider at the top than they are atthe bottom. They must be cut in this manner to holdthe seat onto the frame . An easy way to do this is tosquare-cut the tenon to the wider dimension, and thenfinish it to a slight dovetail shape with a knife or rasp.

For the side rails, you can enlarge the drawing ona photocopier until it is the proper dimension and use

B EN CH, FRANCE, FIITEENTH CENT U RY. OAK; H. 21", W. 38", D. 121,4" . CLOISTERS COLLECTION, M ET ROPOLITAN

MUSEUM OF ART, N EW YORK CITY. COURTESY M ETR OPO LITAN M USEUM OF A RT .

it as a pattern. When you are cutting the legs and siderails, be certain that the points at which the two boardsintersect are the same dimension , 3 inches (76mm).

The side rails and legs may be assembled and takenapart to check for proper fit at any time before the finalassembly of th e stool.

SeatTo locate and cut th e mortise holes in th e seat, firstassemble the legs and side rails and turn them upsidedown onto th e seat. Ali gn the side rails and the legs soth at they are in square with th e seat and positioned asshown on the plans. Mark th e locati ons of the tenonson the surface of the seat to indicate the exact loca-

20

tions of the mortises. When cutting the mortises intoth e top, make them 1 inch (2Smm) wide, like the legboard , but I/ S inch (3mm) shorte r than the length ofth e top of th e tenon. Simply put, the mortise should bethe same dimensions as the bottom dimensions of thetenon.

If you are unsure about cutting such a precise mor­tise, it is best to cut it a bit smaller th an shown andfinish it by sanding or rasping away excess wood a littleat a time.

Compressing the TenonsTo fit the wedge-sha ped tenons into th e mort ise, thewide ends must be compressed. Position a C-clamp or

MATERIALS

WOODAll wood is oak, except maple dowels.

NUMBERPART OF PIECES THICKNESS WIDTH LENGTH

top 1" (25mm) X 12 114" (311 mrn) X 38" (965mm)

side rails 2 1" (25mm) X 4Yz" (l14mm) X 3 7" (940mm)

legs 2 I" (25mm) X I4 ljz" (368mm) X 20 " (508mm)

dowel W' round X 18" (457mm)

cabinet clamp around the upper half of each tenon.Tighten the clamps until the tenons are at least as nar­row at the top as they are at the base. Leave the clampsin place for three or four hours to allow the wood tosettle.

AssemblyFinal assembly must be completed within a matterof ten minutes or so, because once the clamps areremoved from the tenons, they will begin to spreadand resume their natural sha pe. First, assemble the legsand side rails. Then, with the bench in an uprightposition , align the morti se holes in the seat board overthe ends of the tenons. Place a scrap piece of woodacross the ten ons on one leg and tap it firmly with amallet or hammer. The scrap of wood will protect thetop of the stool from hammer blows. Do not strike toohard. As soon as the tenons on one leg begin to moveinto their mortises, repeat the procedure on the otherleg. By moving back and forth from leg to leg, you cantap the seat board into place without twisting thestructure of the stool.

If a tenon will not tap into its morti se, do not forceit. You may need to do a little sanding or shaving, oryou may need to recompress the wedges if they havebeen out of the clamps for more than a few minutes.Getting the seat board into place may be a little tricky,especially for the novice cabinetmaker, but the resultswill be worth it.

21

Once the mortises and tenons have been fittedtogether, the compressed wedges will slowly return totheir original shape, locking the legs tightly, and per­manently, into the top. They sho uld begin to resumetheir original shape within three or four hours of beingtaken out of the clamp. If they have not expandedenough to lock the stool together within twenty-fourhours, wet th e exposed ends of the tenons with waterand let th em dry slowly overn igh t.

DowelingFollowing th e doweling instructions in cha pter 1, pinthe side rails and legs together. Before drilling th eholes, ensure that the piece is square by pulling thelegs snugly against the offset shoulders on the side railswith a long cabinet clamp or bar clamp.

FinishAlthough the origina l bench has been severely weath­ered over the centuries, I believe that it had a simpleoil finish, except for the ch amfered edge at th e bot tomof the side rail, which appears to have been painteddark green or possibly deep blue-green. The originalpaint was probably an egg tempera, as described inchapter 3, but a simple flat or low-sheen oil paint willwork. If you choose to include this decorative detail ,gesso the area to be painted, and apply the paint beforeoiling the rest of the bench. Paint only the chamfer,and not the bottom edge of the side rail.

SIDEVIEW ENDVIEW

t- 12W Ollmm) -1

9"r- (228mm) ~

t--- 14'11" 068mm) -i38" (965mm)

26" (660mm)

C5mml

-,r~~~~T I20" (533mm)

~C 1~

5" (l27mm) ),

r ~~

TOP VIEW 5" (l27mm)

~f------ 38" (965mm)

~ 2 Y4" (57mm) ~- ~ T~~___ 2!;4" (57~) [}-

- - -==- _ ._- -~ .~ 12 'A" Ollmm)...-----" r-1

::::;::TI~-' -" ....~'-- _ .--'=- . - - _. __ ._ -~-~~ ~

22

LEG

SECTION A

18 '/ z" (470mm)to cente r

2'It": (s7mm)IIII

3W''\ (9smm)

\I

II

'"

2" (Slmrn)

4" (1 20mm)

T J•

I" (2smm) ...___-=----- 4 %"(Ill mm)

3" (76mm)

r %" 06mm

l~

s '/ z"(l40mm)

I" (2smm)

r- w' (l 9mm)

1 r

~ ~ I" (2smm)

1 :\J

II.2\4" :/ ' 1

( t I ,s 7mm) ~

1/ / ./1· //;I I;'/ ), '\~ Yz" (U mm)

SECTION A

sYz"(I 24mm) (I4 0m m)

+---*---~ ~ ~i.; 9" (229mm) -~- "\ 114'/ z" (368 mm)~

2W' (70mm)

3" (76mm)

~ I" (2smm)

20" (s 08m m)

23

5•

painttd {ijalllt\anging•

Tapestries, whether embroidered, like the Bayeuxtapestry, or woven like a carpet, added bright colorsand provided insulation to cold castle walls. Prior tothe mercantile revolution of the 1300s, however, tapes­tries were rare and expensive items reserved for thehomes of kings and archbishops. Nobles with moremodest treasuries imitated the look of tapestries bycommissioning ecclesiastical scribes, or illuminators,to execute painted wall hangings. These were usuallypainted on linen, but occasionally on silk.

Because of their ecclesiastical origins, wall hangingshave the distinct look of manuscript illuminations. Inearly works, the figures were outlined with heavy blacklines, which were then filled in with color and shadedto give the figures a slightly three-dimensional look.Later, the outlines were dropped. Unfortunately, assuch hangings were painted on relatively inexpensive,lightweight ground cloth, there are virtually no surviv­ing examples.

The facing page shows the January page from theTies Riches Heures du Duc de Berry, a medieval bookin the collection of the Louvre. Behind the feastingduke, a painted hanging can be seen on the wall. Thisproject will reproduce the far left portion of this hang­ing. The technique presented here for reproducingpainted hangings, based on the 1437 work of! talianmaster craftsman Cennino Cennini, was developedby Bob Rich, and the illustrations in this chapterare his.

EXECUTION NOTESMedieval painted wall hangings and armorial banners(flags bearing coats of arms) were executed on silk andlinen panels and colored with egg tempera.

25

MaterialsBecause of the nature of this piece there will be nomaterials list at the end of this chapter. All necessarymaterials are listed below. A medium-weight (l0- to12-ounce) unprimed artist's canvas approximates heavylinen and makes an ideal ground. How much you willneed depends on the size of the finished tapestrydesired. To be an effectively impressive and authenticmedieval tapestry, both in appearance and to serve itsfunction of keeping out drafts, it should be nearly wallsize. I have found that 4 feet (lm220mm) in height by8 feet (2m440mm) in length gives an appropriatelymedieval feel to a room but, basically, the piece shouldvisually fill a wall. Purchase slightly more canvas thanyou need so that you have extra material for hemmingthe edges and extra pieces on which to practice yourpainting technique. If you are new to painting on can­vas and don't want to start with a really large project,you might try using these same techniques to producean armorial banner 2 by 3 feet (600 by 900mm).

A range of paintbrushes will be necessary to coverthe variety of techniques and different sized spacesinvolved in the project. Because of the nature of thepainting techniques involved, I recommend buyinginexpensive brushes. The best brushes for this work aremade of hog bristle. They are cheap and durable, andcome in all shapes and sizes. You will need rounds insizes 00, 4, 8, and 12; flat brushes, also called brights,in sizes 1, 4, 8, and 12; and eat's tongue brushes in sizes2, 4, and 6. You may also want a stenciling brush.

You can use egg tempera, as described in chapter 3,or standard artist's colors in either oil or acrylic . Oilpaint is a much more traditional medium, and althoughit was not developed until the mid- to late 1400s, I rec-

LIMBOURG BROTHERS (FLEMISH, ACTIVE IN FRANCE 1380-1416). JANUARY PAGE, TRES RICHES

H EURES DU D uc DE B ERRY, FRANCE, 1413-16. COLLECTION OF THE L O UVRE, PARIS . COURTESY PHOTOGRAPHIE

GlRAUDON.

26

ommend it for thi s project. For a wall hanging ofapproximately 4 by 8 feet (lm220mm by 2m440mm),you will need between six and eight 2-ounce tubes ofpaint in various colors. Begin with two tubes of thebackground color and one tube each of the othercolors.

Preparing the CanvasHem all four edges of the canvas. Then either stretchthe canvas on a frame made of 2-by-2-inch (50-by­50mm) pine, similar to th at used for an art ist 's canvas,or attach it to a large sheet of plywood. I prefer thesolid easel board to the stretcher frame, as the solidsurface keeps the center of the canvas from springingwhen it is being painted. If your hanging is going to belarger th an a sheet of plywood, you can join two shee tstogether to give you an 8-by-8 -foot (2m44 0mm-by­2m440mm) board.

To attach the canvas to the plywood, use push pinsor very small nails at 4-inch (lOOmm) intervals aroundall four sides. Be sure th at it hangs square and level. Donot distort the canvas by stretch ing it outward at thecorners. It will take several readjustments to have theentire canvas hanging square, but it is necessary sothat the finished painti ng will hang with out distort ion .Lean the easel board against a wall at about 80 degrees.This angle should allow you to stand comfortably andstill see the ent ire painting at one time.

Priming the CanvasOriginally the material for these hangings would havebeen given th in ground coats of a starch-based size andgesso. If you are using oil paints, a ground of modernart ist's gesso is essent ial. If you are using acrylics, thegesso is optiona l. If you want your han ging to be fairlyrigid, or you do not want to paint on the rough canvassurface, apply a base coat of gesso. If you want a moresoft, draperylike look to the finished work, apply theacrylic paint directl y to the canvas with out gessoing it.

Developing the DesignUse the design provided here, or choose one from amanuscript illumination , medieva l painting, or tapes­try. The design you select shou ld have similar propor­tions to your canvas. If not, you will need to slightlyalter the proporti ons of your canvas, or simply elimi ­nate a porti on of the design.

Don't worry about your artist ic ability; the figures inmedieval tapestries and illuminations tend to be asmuch like cartoo ns as they are portraits. The figures

27

are essentially stock cha racters th at are more represen­tati ve of social position th an of actual indi viduals. It ison ly hair color, beards, and other personal affecta tionsth at distinguish one indi vidual from another. Sincethese works were often commissioned as vanity pieces,don 't hesitat e to pain t yourself and your family mem­bers in to th e design.

Reproducing the DesignEither of two methods can be employed to transfer thedesign to the canvas. The easy way is to use an opaqueprojector to th row the image directly onto the canvas,and trace around the projected images with a penci l.

A more authentic medieval meth od of transferringth e image is by means of a grid tran sfer. O n a photo­copy of th e design, draw a grid pattern th at dividesthe picture into 3i4-inch (20mm) or l-inch (25mm)squares. The size of the squares to use depe nds on thesize of the design; th e smaller the design, the smallerthe grid necessary to break the image down intoworkable areas.

Next , cover th e stretched canvas with large pieces ofwhite paper (butcher's paper or newsprint will suffice).Tape th e paper directl y over the face of the canvas.A rrange them so th at you will be able to take themdown and put them back in place in their proper order.By working on paper, rather than directly on the can­vas, you can make corrections as needed without .smudging th e canvas ground.

Now divide th e paper covering the canvas into agrid tha t has a correspond ing number of squares, vert i­ca lly and horizontally, to the gridwork on the photo­copied design. For example, if your photocopy isdivided into l-inch (25mm) squares, ten squares wideand five squares high, divide th e paper covering yourcanvas into a grid with larger squares, so that th ere areten squares in width and five squares in height.

Carefully reproduce the picture in the photocopyonto the large grid by copying the image one squa re ata time. Pay close attention to the places on the gridlines where the images cross from one square into th enext. By using thi s meth od , you can tran sfer any imageto a large-scale format.

O nce you are happy with th e enlarged image, markalignment points where the pieces of paper join so thatyou will be able to reassemble th e image, then removethe paper from the canvas.

With a sha rp object like a compass point, a too th­pick, or a knitting needle, prick holes along all of thelines in the drawing. Space these holes from 1/2 to l

inch (l3-25mm) apart, depending on the amount ofdetail in the area. The greater the amount of detail,the closer the holes shou ld be.

Now construct a pounce bag. Cut a piece of finelinen, muslin , or other fabric of similar weave, 3 or 4inches (75-100mm) square. Into the center of this pieceof cloth, pour a spoonful of carpenter's line-markingcha lk (available at hardware stores). Draw the clotharound the chalk dust and tie it shut with a string toform a small, tightly bound bag.

Replace one of the large sections of th e paper sten­cil onto the canvas. Generally, it is best to begin withthe section at th e far left side. Hold th e paper stencilsecurely against the canvas with one hand, and tap thepounce bag over the perforated lines in the area imme­diatel y around your hand. Be certain that the bag istapped against each hole in the stencil one or twotimes to ensure proper transfer of the design onto thesurface of the canvas. When th e ent ire section of sten­cil has been pounced, remove the paper. The design inthi s area has been neatl y transferred onto the canvas asa series of dots. Connect the dot pattern with a pencilto define the image on the canvas. Repeat thi s processwith each sect ion of th e stencil, in order, until the pic­ture is completed.

To make the pencil lines bold enough to see clearlyand easy to follow when filling in th e areas withcolor, use a size 00 round brush to go over th em witha medium gray or gray-green paint.

PaintingAfter you have outl ined the entire picture, it is time tobegin laying in the large color areas. Many of th e sim­plistic painted illuminations of the Middle Ages reliedon a three-tone system for creating shading and athree-dimension al look. In thi s system, the lightesttone is created by scrubbing a thin coat of color overthe canvas, allowing the white canvas to show th roughthe paint, effectively lightening the color. The middl etone is the color as it comes out of the tube, paintedonto the canvas until a solid tone is achieved. Theth ird tone, th e shadow area, is the middle tone mixedwith a bit of black, or a darker version of the color (forexample, deep blue is a darker version of medium blue).

Always lay in the lightest tones first. The scrubbingtechnique requires some practice. Scrubbing is apply­ing the paint in a dry-brush technique. With a size 12round brush or a stenciling brush, pick up just a smallamount of paint, tap th e ends of th e bristles almost dry

28

on newspaper, and then scrub the remaining coloronto the canvas. The process becomes easy with a littlepractice, although gett ing your tone s consistent maytake some time .

After the lightest tones have been painted, applythe middle tones, not only to their own areas, but alsoas a foundation or underpainting to the areas th at willbe painted with the darkest tones.

You can use the dry-brush technique to soften theedges between the lightest tones and the middle tones.Do not spread the middle tone too far into the area ofthe light tone ; just dry-brush the middle tone enoughto soften the edge. Don 't try to blend the two together.

Once the light and middle tones have been painted,the darkest tones can be laid down. Because thesetones define shadow areas, they should not be softenedat the edges. You may want to thin the paint just alittle for the dark tones so th at it will flow better andcreate a crisper edge. Since th e darkest color is beingapplied over an und ercoat of the middle tone, if it hasbeen thinned it will appear almost like a glaze, withthe color beneath shining through. Just be carefulnot to thin th e paint so much th at it runs down yourcanvas.

Details on painted wall hangings, as on manuscriptilluminations, are generally limited to dark outl inesand small areas of bright color. The outl ines are gener­ally either black or brown and are executed in the samecolor th roughout the work. The use of brown outl inesrather th an black prevents the piece from looking car­toonish. The outlines should vary slightly in breadthdepend ing on the size of the area they are defining.Smaller areas like faces, hand s, and drinking gobletsshould be outl ined with finer lines than those used forlarger areas such as gowns and cloaks.

Finish by painting highlight s such as jewels, eyecolor, and embroidery work in bright colors using asmall, round brush.

Allow the paint to dry, then remove the canvas fromthe standing easel, taking care not to kink or creasethe cloth in a way that might crack the paint, a par­ticular concern if the work has been done in oils or hasa gesso ground.

Displaying the Wall HangingTo display your piece, make straps for hanging thecanvas. Cut several l-foot (300mm) lengths of l-inch(25mm) wide bias tape, enough th at you can attach apiece every 6 inches (l50mm) along the top of the can-

vas. Mark the center of each piece of tape. Usingheavy thread, sew the twill tape to the top hem of thecanvas at this centerline, so that the tape runs perpen­dicular to the top of the canvas. When sewn to thecanvas, each piece of tape should form a pair of 6-inch(150mm) long straps that can be tied around a hang­ing rod.

29

Alternatively, you can sew brass or wooden draperyrings to the top hem of the canvas at 6-inch (l50mm)intervals.

Hang the finished tapestry from a heavy woodenpole or drapery rod. Be sure to mount the rod hangerssecurely to the wall to support the weight of thepainted canvas.

Gridding the original artwork

30

Transferrin g the drawing to the gridded cloth

31

O utl in ing the image on the cloth

32

Laying in the basic tones

33

Painting in the shadows, highlight s, and details

34

6•

~ourteenth,()entury

needing Desk•

This interesting desk is probably of ecclesiastical ori­gin. This can be assumed not only because of the sim­plicity of construction, but also because so few peopledurin g the Middle Ages, outside of the clergy, knewhow to read or write. The desk's exact function is lessclear. Its height would have made it convenient forsomeone of average height to stand behind it whiledelivering a lecture or sermon. It could have serveddual functions as desk and lectern , so it may have beenin a monastic order's chapt er house (classroom) ordining hall, where readings from the scriptures weredelivered during mealtime.

The slight lip, formed where the back boards extendabove the top surface, prevents books and papers fromsliding onto the floor. The interior compartment pro­vided storage space for books, papers, writing utensils,and parchment when they were not in use. The piecehas been altered and repaired several t imes over thecent uries. The design of the iron banding suggests thatthe desk may have origina lly been constructed so th atit could be disassembled for easy transportation fromone location to another.

This rare and unusual survivor of medieval literaryendeavors can be seen in the Philadelphia Museumof Art.

CONSTRUCTION NOTESThe construction of the wooden case of thi s attractivedesk is ext remely simple; however, the ornamentalironwork adds a bit of a challenge to the project as awhole.

35

There have been several alterations to thi s pieceover the past six or seven centuries, but the plan s givenhere are based on the original design of the piece.Should you wish to copy th e desk as it now stands, thenecessary alterations should be relatively simple tomake.

The most significant change made to th e desk is inth e door on the front . The door is now in two halves,forming an upper and lower door. In its origina l form ,however, there likely was one full-length door suppo rtedby only three hinges. When th e door was divided, itnecessitated the addition of a fourth h inge. It is likelythat the hinge set th at is now th e upper of the twomiddle sets of hinges was originally located at the bot­tom of th e door, and the current bottom hinge was alate add ition.

MaterialsAll of th e wood used in the body of thi s desk is Englishoak. Surprisingly, most of the boards in thi s massive­looking piece of furniture are on ly 314 inch (l 9mm)thick, so with the exception of the bottom rails, thedesk can be constructed with standard lumber whilesti ll retaining historical accuracy.

The width of the board s, however, is quite anothermatter. Ideally, you will discover a lumbermill that hasaccess to oak boards 11/ 2 feet (457mm) wide. Realisti­cally, you will have to butt-join boards to make theplanks used in building this desk (see chapter 1).

The bottom rails on the desk, which are in realityskids, are distinc tly oversized lumber. But they could

READING DESK, ENGLAND, FOURTEENTH CENTURY. OAK; H. 38 112", W. 43", D. 18112". COLLECTION OF

THE PHILADELPHIA M USEUM OF ART, COURTESY P H ILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART. PHOTOGRAPH BY GRAYDON WOOD ,

be made by gluing up an oak 2-by-8 (50-by-200mm)and a st'anda rd mill dimension oak l-by-S (25-by­200mm).

A ll of the fasteners, for joining wood to wood (unlessspecified as a dowel joint) and for attaching the hard­ware to wood, are 2-inch (25mm) hand -forged nails.On the origina l piece, where the nails come th rough

36

the inside face of the wood, they are crimped over forextra strength (see chap ter 2).

Setting UpBecause the constructio n of this piece is so simple, it ispossible to cut all of the lumber to finished dimensionsbefore beginning any actual construction. Label each

board so th at it can be easily located. All markingsshould be made in chalk so that they can be removedfrom the wood .

Allow an extra inch on the total width of th e plankselected for the desk top so that the front and rearedges can be trimmed to the angle necessary to achievea proper fit. The planks used for the sides and floor ofthe desk allow extra length at the point where they areto be morti sed into the skids.

Cutting the MortisesCutt ing the morti ses in the skids is the most tediouspiece of work on thi s project, but it need s to be donebefore any assembly can begin. A router can be usedto cut at least a portion of both the blind mortise,into which the side panels fit, and the open mortise, intowhich the floor board fits. Squaring the corners of themortises will require careful work with hammer andchisel.

The entire width of the floor board sits in a l-inch(25mm) deep blind mortise, but there also is anextended tenon that passes completely through a smallopen mortise in the foot board.

Take care th at the mortise for the side panels isboth flat and level on the bottom. The side panels sitdirectly on the bottom of thi s mortise, and if it isuneven, or if the side panels are sloppy, the finisheddesk may wobble or be uneven .

Be certain th at the mortising is executed so thatthe two skids are mirror images of each other and notidentical; there must be a left skid and a right skid.When the morti sing work is completed, the decorativeegg-shaped toe can be cut into the front of the skids.

As the mortises and tenons are being cut, checkfrequently to ensure that they will fit snugly together.Tenons should require a firm tap with the palm of th ehand or a wooden mallet to be seated into the mortises.

BaseBecause the interior shelf cannot be adjusted orremoved from the desk, the entire desk must be builtfrom the ground up, around the bottom and the shelf.The first step is to attach the floor boards to the skids.Turn the skids upside down (so that the mortise for theside panels faces downward) and seat the floor boardinto the mortises in the skids. Pull the assemblytogether with bar clamps or a strap clamp. Drill ali z-inch (l3mm) hole through the center of the openmortise and the floor board as shown in the drawings.Tap a maple dowel into the hole and saw it off even

37

with the bottom of th e skid . Turn the assembled bot ­tom unit into its upright position .

Side PanelsCut the Vz-inch (l3mm) offset at the front and rear ofeach side panel so that th e tenon sits in to th e mortisein the skid. C ut the tenon on ly on the oute r face ofthe panel. That is to say, the side panel s are 3;4 inch(l9mm) thick, and the tenon on these panels is to beVz inch (l3mm) thick. Remove the necessary l;4 inch(6mm) entirely from the side of th e panel th at will facethe outside of the desk.

When the tenons are cut, set th e side panels intothe mortises in th e base. If th e mortises and tenonshave been neatly cut, th e side panel s sho uld tap intoplace and stand nearly vert ical without additiona l sup­port. Determine the position of the interior shelf andmark its locati on on the inside of the side panels.Remove the side panels and drill pilot holes for theshelf nails.

Reinstall th e side panel s into the base and drill twoVz-inch (l3mm) holes through th e skids so th at theyintersect the morti ses as shown in th e drawings. Drive'/z-inch dowels through the holes and cut them offclose to the surface. When th e entire cabinet is assem­bled, you can come back and level th em with a rasp orsandpaper.

ShelfNail the shelf in place . Be careful when installing theshelf not to place too much strain on the dowel jointsat the base of the side panels by twisting or pulling thesides.

RearOn the rear of the desk-the side at which a personwould stand to deliver a lecture-at least the threecenter boards are replacements, so the widths of theboards may not correspond exactly to the originalones. Therefore, if yours differ sligh tly from the ones inthe drawing, it will make little historical difference.

Establish the left and right outside boards. The leftboard needs to be notched out at the lower left cornerand the right one at the lower right. The notches allowthe boards to fit over the edge of th e skid and extend'/ z inch (l3mm) beyond the edge of the side panels. Allof the back boards should rise 13;4 inches (44mm) abovethe low edge of the side panels. This will allow theback to rise 1 inch (25mm) above the bottom edge ofthe desk top and provide a book lip.

Before final installation of the rear panel boards,chamfer the inside edge of the boards where theyform the book lip. This edge is shown in detailB in the drawings. This chamfer is quite uneven onthe original piece and will probably most closelyresemble the original if it is cut with a drawknife orspokeshave .

When the chamfer has been cut, install the outsidepanels first and the rest of them sequentially from leftto right. Be certain that each board is square on theframe of the desk and is aligned at top and bottomwith the previous board. After drilling pilot holes, nailthe back boards onto both the floor and center shelfof the desk. The outside panels are also nailed to theside panels as shown on the drawings.

TopThe top plank may now be fitted into position. Withthe plank cut to length, lay it in position on top of thedesk. The book lip will keep it from sliding off thedesk. The top should overhang the sides by Yz inch(l Imm), making it flush with the outside edges of theback . The lower edge of the desk top must be cut toallow it to rest squarely against the book lip. By theappearance of the original desk, this angle, along withthe corresponding angle on the upper edge of the top,was cut with a spokeshave.

When the top rests evenly against the book lip, cuta corresponding angle at the front edge of the top sothat it is on a plane with the front edge of the sidepanels. The top may now be drilled and nailed intoposition into the side and back panels.

Front Panels and DoorAs with the back panels, establish the left and rightpanels and notch them to fit over the skids and extendli z inch (l3mm) beyond the side panels. These boardsshould be flush with the upper edge of the desk top.The top of these boards are square cut and not cut onan angle.

On the inner surface of these panels, mark the posi­tion of the floor and shelf boards. Also determine thepoint at which the ends of the hinges will pass throughthe front panels. Remove the panels, drill pilot holes,and cut the holes through which the hinges will pass,as shown in detail C on the drawings. Be very careful

38

when cutting the hinge slots; working this close to theedge of an oak board with drills and chisels is courtingdisaster if you are not careful.

Nail the panels into position and trim the doorpanel to size. Be sure that there is enough play to allowthe door to open when it is attached to the hinges.This will require the door panel to be about Y16 inch(Smm) narrower than the opening into which itwill fit.

Iron WorkForge the ironwork according to the instructions inchapter 2. The large, decorative circles on the ends ofthe hinges may be formed by using a wider piece ofmetal than the rest of the hinge requires and cuttingout the overall shape of the hinge. Alternatively, thecircular end of the hinge and, if desired, the fleur-de-lisdecoration may be cut from a separate piece of metaland welded onto a hinge body made of the specifiedl vz-inch (38mm) stock. In the materials list, these arelisted as though the entire section of hinge were beingcut from wide stock. If the entire hinge is cut from asingle overwide piece of metal, the fleur-de-lis willhave to be split or sawn, and bent into position. In thisinstance, follow the instructions for making lateralbends in metal in chapter 2.

After the hinges and straps are forged, attach themto the body of the desk. Set the door panel into place,positioning it so that most of the Yl6-inch (Smm) gapis on the left side of the door (the side that swings out ­ward), and attach the loose ends of the hinge to thedoor panel.

The escutcheon plate and striker plate from the lockare cut out of lightweight metal as specified in thematerials list.

Door LockIf you want the door to lock, refer to the section onlocks in chapter 2. This would be an ideal place toadapt an antique door lock. If you do not wish to havea working lock, you may still want to cut a keyholeand make and install an escutcheon plate . Cut the key­hole in the door before nailing the plate into place.

The turn buttons that currently hold the doors shutwere added to the desk in the I920s. Their installationhere is up to the builder.

MATERIALS

WOODAll wood is oak, except maple dowels.

NUMBERPART OF PIECES THICKNESS WIDTH LENGTH

front left panel %" (l9mm) X 1314" (336mm) X 37" (940mm)

front right panel 1 %" (l9mm) X 12 Yz" (317mm) X 37" (940mm)

door 3;4" (l9mm) X 17" (432mm) X 37" (940mm)

side panels 2 W' (l9mm) X 17" (432mm) X 29" (737mm)

left side back panel 1 W' (19mm) X 14" (356mm) X 32" (813mm)

right side back panel 1 W' (l9mm) X 12" (305mm) X 32" (813mm)

back panel 1 W' (l9mm) X 5" (l27mm) X 32" (813mm)

back panels 2 W' (19mm) X 6" (152mm) X 32" (813mm)

skids 3 21jz" (63mm) X r (178mm) X 21W' (552mm)

bottom 1 WI (l9mm) X 17" (432mm) X 44" (lm118mm)

top 1 %" (l9mm) X 18" (457mm) X 43" (lm92mm)

shelf 2 W' (19mm) X 17" (432mm) X 41Yz" (1m54mm)

dowel 1 Yz" (l3mm) round 24" (610mm)

METALAll metal is hot-rolled flat stock.

NUMBERPART OF PIECES THICKNESS WIDTH LENGTH

left side straps 3 WI (3mm) X 2" (51mm) X 1714'1 (438mm)

door hinges 3 YB" (3inm) X 2" (51mm) X 17WI (451mm)

right side straps 3 YB" (3mm) X 1Yz" (38mm) X 16%" (425mm)

escutcheon and latch 1 1/16" (Zrnm) X 5" (l27mm) X 10" (254mm)

39

FRONT VIEW

33Yz"(85 Imm)

r----- 21W' (552mm)-~

17" (430mm)

I!l" (I3mm) \2" (5Imm)I IW' (32mm)

..,j '" It Vz"I I (I3mm) YI" n{

""'

.•..:..-:.===:._,••I '.VT:!"(38mm) ~ I ) (I9mm)r H_~. I 1',4" (32mm) ~ . IJ f

6" (I52mm) --II ,..0- 5" ~ 2Yz" (63mm) .: ::-: I" (25mm)

, .r-' 7" I ~ -------i6"(406m;S'" - - - _(I27T~)~ -t-- ~f

~ ~~~I l=:='~:~~~~'~4~~m~n~r ii~~:"~7~=~ ~ :ffi~i 2'/ z" r W (I9mm) )

(63mm)

DETAIL A, SHOW ING END, PROFILE, AND CUTAWAY

40

FRONT VIEW, CUTAWAY

33'/ z"(S51mm)

T

2 114" (57mm)

20" (50Smm)

\ ~5" 6"

(6"

127mm) (l52mm) (l5 2mm)

39" (991mm)

BACK VIEW

l\T-~~"""'------

DETAIL B

DETAILC

Yz" (l 3mm)

\ 1\\ ~~

\

' II

1%"(41mm)

--L\ VI{ \

W (6m,;~

41

4W'~ (l 2lmm) -?l 11jz" (38mm)

• DESK HARDWARE

11 1;'4" (286mm)

•

•

4 1;'4" (108mm)o

•

1 I ~" Ir---_~O~(44mm)

2 1;'4" (57mm)

•

•

•

16" (406mm)

W' (l9mm)

•

3 1jz" (89mm)

T

---==- ~1~---------- 44" (lml18mm)

I '12" (38mm) 11jz" (38mm)

2 1;'4" (57mm)

1'12" (38mm)

IVB" (48mm)

51;'4" (133mm)

---1<---1/ )

•

•

I Ji4" (32mm)

121jz" (317mm)

42

7•

lligh Tablr•

The great hall in a medieval castle served a variety offunct ions. It is best known as th e site of magnificentfeasts and ente rta inments . It also served as the lord'soffice, a meeting hall where courts and other functionswere held, and for many of the castle 's inhabitants, abedroom.

Because the great hall served such a broad variety offunctions, the long banqueting tables, on wh ich mealswere eate n, had to be collapsible. When not in use,most of the tables were disassembled, moved out of thehall, and stored. O ne table th at stayed in the great hallat all times, however, was the high table. This was thetable used by the lord of the castle, his family, andhonored guests. The high tab le served as the noble'stable at meals, his office, and the bench from which

. justice was dispensed in local courts. To prevent impor­tant legal documents from winding up covered withgravy spots, one side of the top was used as a diningsurface, the other as a desk; from thi s practice camethe expression "turning the tables."

The designation high table came not only from theeminence of its owner, but also from the fact th at itusually rested on a slightly raised dais. In thi s waythose seated at the table were kept physically, as well associally, elevated above everyone else in the room.

This high table, dating from the fourteenth century,is located in the banqueting hall at Haddon Hall ,Bakewell, Derbyshire.

CONSTRUCTION NOTESThe numb er of components in thi s massive table arefew, but the ir sheer bulk should present all of the chal­lenge any cabinetmaker could want . There are threepedestal columns under the table, one at the center

and the others about 5 feet (lm500mm) to either side.I have shown on ly two in the drawing, supporting asho rtened top, so th at I could fit the drawing on onepage, but it does indicate how such a table might bescaled down for use by th ose who do not have a greathall. The top board on the materials list is the fulllength of the origina l table, but it can be sho rtenedto fit the space available. The table could even beredesigned as a single-column game table.

The origina l table seems to have been built incor­rectl y and repaired sho rtly thereafter. The block th atrests on top of each column and holds th e braceth at supports th e tabletop was obviously added afterthe table was built. Likely the table had been built toolow for comforta ble dining. A riser was added to th e

. top of each column, raising the table by 3~ inches(95mm). The original top braces were set in the top ofth e column itself. The rect angular scars of the origina lbraces are shown in the first drawing, directly underthe riser blocks. The origina l braces were peggedth rough the columns. The ends of th e pegs can beseen in the side view of th e pedestal on the first pageof drawings.

MaterialsThe top and columns of th e tab le are said to be ofelm, but it would certainly have required an elmof monumental proportions to produce a slab of woodlarge enough to form the top of this table. Either birchor pine would make a perfectly acceptable substitute.Because of the dimensions of th e lumber required tomake thi s table, it will be necessary to glue up stockfor both the top and the columns. The column feet aremade of oak.

43

HIGH TABLE, ENGLAND, FOURTEENTH CENTURY. ELM AND OAK; H. 34", W. 16'6", D. 29". COLLECTION OF H AD­

DON H A LL, B AKEWELL, E NGLAN D. COURTESY H A DDO N HA LL. PHOTOGRAPH BY D. TYLER HUFF.

ToolsBecause much of the work on the columns relies oncarving away excess wood, you will need rasps, files,chisels, carving gouges, and a good, sharp drawknife.To keep from resting the end of the column directlyagainst your stomach while you are working on it,you will need a bench dog, or stop, against which youcan seat the column. A bench dog is simply a heavyblock of wood that has been clamped or bolted alongone edge of the workb ench. In this case a, l-footlength of 4-b y-4 (300mm in length and lOOmm

44

square) should be adequate to prevent the columnfrom shifting. To work the drawknife with ease andefficiency, stand at the bench with the bench stopdirectly in front of you, your stomach resting againstthe back of the bench stop. Lay the column on theworkbench with the base firmly planted against thestop. Pull the drawknife toward you, across the topof the column, taking a thin shaving of wood offthe surface with each pass. This work could be donewith broad-bladed chisels, but it is easiest with adrawknife.

TopThe massive tab letop, 2 inches (Sl mm) thi ck, 29inches (737mm) wide, and 16 Vz feet (Sm29mm) long,might best be constructed by gluing up several boards.To prevent warping and make the strongest possibletop, use two layers of l-inch (2Smm) boards and stag­ger the joints.

If you are makin g a sho rte r table, it may be possibleto locate a single plank of sufficient width. Plankdoors and old workbench tops will often make a finetabletop.

Once the top has been glued up or cut to the desiredsize, set it aside until the columns are built.

ColumnsBecause all of the columns are identical, constructiondirect ions are given here for a single column. Repeatthe process as often as necessary.

O nce again , because of the massive dimensions ofthe column, you will probably have to glue togetherseveral boards to obta in an adequate-sized base block .These boards should be the full width of the column­1O -Y! inches (273mm)-and not less th an l 1/ z inches(38mm) thi ck.

The combina tion molding built up around th e baseof the column is not applied work, but is carved directlyfrom the full-size column base.

O n all four sides of the column base, strike a lineat the height of the cent ral foot, at each of the threeelements in the group of combination moldings abovethe foot, the 21!4-inch (S7mm) wide collar above themain group of moldings, and th e single, topmost bandof half-round molding. When these lines have beenmarked, sketch the profile of each section of the columnbase in the appropriate area. Be certain that the out­lines are clean and the dimensions are accurate .

Now begin to remove the excess wood from thecolumn. Start work on the largest area at the top ofthe column, above the top of the half-round molding.With a handsaw or table saw, cut to the depth of thefinished dimensions of the base of thi s area, 6 Vz inches(l 6Smm). Then use chisels and a drawknife to carefullyremove excess wood and begin to sha pe the large topsection of the column. When working with a drawknife,it is easiest to remove material from the corners of theblock first. Work slowly and carefully, bearing in mindthe gently curving lines of the column. Do not , how­ever, lose sight of the fact that the column has four flatsides; it is not round. Be careful not to split the lowerportion of the block with chisels or drawknife. A more

45

time efficient approach to removing such a largeamount of wood is to use a circul ar saw to cut multiplekerfs into each face of the column. The depth of thekerfs must be adjusted to follow the outl ine of the col­umn , and should stop at least Vs inch (3mm) sho rt ofthe finished dimensions. The kerfs should be spacedapproximately lis-inch apart. The sh ims left from thecutting of the kerfs can be removed with ch isels.

An additional aid to sha ping the upper portion ofthe column is a hand-held belt sander. A coarse gritbelt will remove large amounts of wood from the roughcolumn. When th e column has been roughed intosha pe, it can be smoothed with a rasp and a mediumgrit sandpaper.

Do not yet work the inward curve at the uppermostend of the column. Leave it the full dimensions of th erough block . This will allow th e block to sit level onth e workb ench whil e you sha pe th e complex moldingsaround th e base.

Next , make saw cuts beneath the single bandof half-round molding and at the base of the 21f4-inch(S7mm) wide collar. This collar is just slightly smallerth an the bottom of th e column. Remove the excesswood around the half-round molding before youremove excess wood around the collar. Much of th iswork can be made easier by the use of a radial-arm sawfitted with a dado-head saw blade. Use a circular sawto cut ano ther series of kerfs to remove unwanted areasof wood quickl y and without dan ger of chipping themain block. If you are approach ing thi s with authent icperiod technology, just chisel carefully. When you havethe collar area roughed in, smooth it with a rasp andshape the half-round molding with a combination ofcarving knives and a rasp. Be careful when shaping thehalf-round molding; you will be working across thegrain , and the end grain can break easily.

Now cut out the three areas of compound molding.Starting with th e band of molding nearest the collar,rough-in the bands one at a time. Begin with a saw cutat the bottom of the first section of the molding andthen remove excess wood with a series of kerf cuts,always being careful to keep th e saw blade at least lisinch (3mm) above the finished surface. The 2-inch(Slmm) high block at the very base of the columnremains th e full dimension of th e unworked block anddoes not need to be shaped. The three molded areasbetween the base block and the collar are each cappedwith a different shaped molding, but each has a flat­sided base on which it rests. Chisel or use the dadohead to remove excess wood to the level of the square

MATERIALS

WOODThe top and the pedestal column of this table are elm, and the feet are oak. Birch is the best substitutefor elm, but pine or poplar may also be used. Doweling should be maple or birch.

NUMBERPART OF PIECES THICKNESS WIDTH LENGTH

top 1 2" (51mm) X 29" (737mm) X 16'6" (5m29mm)

column 1 103;4" (273mm) X 103;4" (273mm) X 28'1t" (718mm)

feet 4 3 'Iz" (89mm) X 6" (152mm) X 1831t" (476mm)

column plug 1 1 'Iz" (38mm) X 2 11t" (57mm) X 10" (254mm)

riser block 1 3 31t" (95mm) X 12" (305mm) X 12" (305mm)

top brace 1 l'/z" (38mm) X 2i1t" (57mm) X 26" (660mm)

dowel 1 W' (19mm) round 84" (2m134mm)

Note: Materials are given for a single pedestal. The number of pedestals you will need depends on thelength of the table.

base on each of these moldings. Then, with carvingknives, rasps, and files, carefully work the top of eachof these moldings to its proper shape. Start concavemoldings with the rounded side of a wood rasp andfinish with round files. The flat side of a rasp will easilyshape convex moldings.

Next, cut out the pedestal foot at the base of thecolumn. On the sides and bottom of the column, markthe location of the 4-inch (102mm) square foot. Makesaw cuts on each face of the column around the topof the pedestal foot. You can use a handsaw, radial-armsaw, skillsaw, or chisel to cut out the foot. The diffi­culty in sawing out the foot will be finding a saw witha blade that will make a deep enough cut. If you arechiseling it, do not try to wedge off an entire side at onetime; remove the wood a bit at a time to avoid splittingthe column or having the chisel follow an irregularityin the grain of the wood into the body of the foot.When the foot has been roughed into shape, smooth

46

it with a rasp. Because the feet rest against the sides ofthis central foot, it must be as square as possible.

Now work the top end of the column to its finalshape.

When the column has been shaped, you can, if youso choose, cut the channel for the original top brace(listed as a column plug in the materials list), and pegit into place. Into the top of the column, make twosaw cuts to form the sides of a channel, or rabbet, intowhich the top brace will be fitted. Chisel the excesswood out of the rabbet. Make certain that the plug willtap snugly into place. It should require several gentletaps from a wooden mallet to seat it into place. DrillVi-inch (l9mm) dowel holes through the column andthe column plug, tap the dowels into place, and finishthe ends of the dowelsso that they are flush with thesides of the column.

Finish-sand the entire column in preparation forattaching the feet.

FeetEach column has four identical feet, plus a cent ral footth at is part of the column. The feet are not stableenough to support the weight of the table without theaid of the central foot . C ut out the four feet accord­ing to the drawings, and finish-sand them. Whenarranged in the rather swastikalike shape shown in thedrawing, the feet should fit neatl y und er th e edge ofthe column base. All of the feet must rest even ly onthe floor.

Predrill two Vi-inch (l 9mm) dowel holes, from bot­tom to top in each foot, as shown in the drawings.Position the feet on the bottom of th e column, andusing the holes in the feet as pilots, continue drillingthe dowel holes into the column base. Be very carefulnot to drill the dowel holes too deep into the column,or they might split th rough the side of the orna menta lmoldings.

Tap the dowels into place thro ugh the bottom ofthe feet and into the column. Saw off the excess so th atthe dowels are flush with the bottom of the feet.

Attaching the feet to the column with vert ical dow­els only may seem like inadequate support, althoughthe origina l seems to have survived well enough. Ifthis table is intended for daily use, you could insert anadditiona l dowel th rough the side of each foot and int othe centra l column foot . By being doweled in twodirections, the feet will be less likely to work loose.

47

Riser BlocksIf you are using risers cut them to size, and insert thetop brace in the same manner th at the column plugwas set into th e top of the column. Int o the top face ofth e riser, make two saw cut s to form the sides of therabbet into which the brace will be fitted. The braceshould fit snugly into place. Chisel th e excess wood outof th e rabbet . Tap the top brace into place. Note th atthe top brace is oriented in th e same direction as th egrain in the riser block. It is th e way the origina l tableis constructed, but it is bad enginee ring. The riserblock would be far less likely to break if the top bracewere seated across the grain in the riser block.

Drill two '/2-inch (l 3mm) diameter dowel holesth rough the top brace and on th rough the riser block,and two additiona l Vi- inch (l9mm) dowel holes th roughthe surface of the riser block.

Set the riser block, with the top brace in place, ontop of the column. Center the block on the column.Using the predrilled dowel holes as pilots, drill dowelholes, between 11/ 2 and 2 inches (3S-S l mm) in depth,into the top of the column. Start with the larger dow­els, and drill and dowel one hole at a time to avoid get­t ing the holes out of alignment. Use a mallet to tap thedowels into place.

Fin ish-sand as necessary, and apply an oil finish tothe columns and top. Then simply set the tab le top onthe pedestals.

i32" (813mm)

16'6" (5m29mm)

/

;

C6• (l51mm)

PEDESTAL DETAILS

12" (305mm)

3'/ z" (89mm)7" ( 178mm)

1ljz" (38mm) 1~ r

-r I

2'/ z" (63mm) 1~I~

-26" (660mm) ~

7"r 12" (305mm) ---n-178mm)

'/ z" (I3mm)__-,-,~ 21,4" (57mm)

>-'::::::':::~"""tr=:::I l.:rn=""'2 '/:""'Z "-(6-3--Jmm'-~""""{:-I -- L 7" 12" 7"

11

1JlIz,,!- 13Yz" (343m~ -"- r~~~m)~ ~305mm) ---t(l 78mm)

(89mm) JW'(95,:m)r~n

26" (660mm)

2',4" (57mm)--.-... '--."'--==I ~

~--=""-~4W' I(I08mm)

32" (813mm)

4 1,4" (I08mm)

48

/

I

'----..3W' (89mm)

2 Yz" (63mm)

PEDESTAL DETAILS

i W (l9mm)

11;4" (3 2mm) ~".£...i~...,..L--+--+­

Yz" (I3 mm).L v

'" Ys" (I 6mm)1" (25mm) -if- r'-+--:h--+--+"­

Va" (9mm)~ yI Yz" (I3mm) II

---.,.- / ('"1Yz" (38mm) /

~ .

-+1"(25 mm)

4" (102mm)

18 %" (476mm)

FOOT DETAIL, BOTTOM

I

~ 4" ~(lOZmm)

2 Yz" (63mm)

K

PEDESTAL COLUMN

4W' (l08"~ 1111/\ I

T ~13W' (343mm)

49

9 '/ 2" (241mm)

lOW' (273mm)

1\

PEDESTALBASE 4" (102mm)

6" (l S2mm) { /

l I \ / I (/

I' I

6 Y1" (l6Smm)

8Y2" (216mm) HALF-ROUN DMOULDING

I l ')

21;4" (S7mm)J

COLLARSY4" (l46mm)

-t \," '-~

71;4" (l84mm)

SW' (l4 6mm)8 1f4" (209mm)

50

8•

Oxford qhtst•

This sturdy chest from around 1300 is, and probablyhas been throughout its existence, the property ofMerton College, Oxford University. In 1276 ArchbishopKilwardby, known in the records of the college as "theVisitor," ordained that the college's valuables shouldbe kept in chests, two of which were to have threelocks each. Merton historiari~- believe that this is oneof those two chests.

Alterations have been made to the chest over theyears. The top, now formed from two boards ratherthan a single plank, is unquestionably a replacement.Evidence that the archbishop's three locks were addedlong after the chest was built can be seen where thebanding straps have been cut away to make room forthe lock covers. An earlier single lock, located behindthe middle strap, formerly secured the lid. If this isindeed one of Archbishop Kilwardby's chests, it musthave been built before 1276 and altered to have threelocks.

The chest may have originally been several inchestaller than it now is. The unusual open work on thefeet of the chest indicates that there may have beenmore to the design of the leg than survives. An exampleof a similar complete leg is shown in the constructiondrawings at the end of the chapter. If one of the feethad become badly damaged, or if moisture had causedthem to rot, it would have been reasonable to saw offthe legs to a level above the damage.

CONSTRUCTION NOTESThis chest's massive plank construction and heavybanding straps were intended to discourage theft ofMerton College's property. Despite the bulk of thepiece, construction methods are fairly simple. Most ofthe work involved in the construction of this chest is

51

in making the assortment of banding iron that encir­cles its body.

MaterialsLike most of the furniture in this book, this chest isconstructed of white oak. In this case, there are somevery large planks used in the construction. There islittle chance of finding planks large enough for theframing members of this chest. The front and backpanels, the bottom, and the end panels can be gluedup as described in chapter 1. Before ordering wood,decide whether you want to make the feet the way theyprobably were originally (see drawing) or as they nowappear. To create the original feet, you will need toadd 4 inches (l02mm) to the length of each leg.

Because the front and back of the chest taper slightlyinward at the bottom, the length of the lumber for thelegs and the width of the panels for the front and backare slightly greater than the dimensions shown on thedrawings .

Framing MembersThe entire construction of the chest hangs on the cor­ner posts. These four columns serve as both structuralties to which all of the other boards attach and as thelegs that support the finished chest.

Mill the legs to the proper thickness, then cut andcarve the foot decoration before cutting the mortiseslots into which the side panels will fit. The amountof turning and maneuvering necessary to executethe foot designs could result in the thin walls ofthe mortise being split or cracked, and it would benearly impossible to detail the feet once the chest isassembled . Carve the foot roughly Vz inch (l3mm)longer than shown in the drawings. If you are exe-

.. ~ ,. I __..- ,

CHEST, ENGLAND, c.1276. OAK; H. 32 3/4" , W. 69", D. 24". COLLECTION OF MERTON COLLEGE, OXFORD, ENGLAND.

COURTESY THE WARDEN AND FELLOWS OF M ERT ON COLLEGE. PHOTOGRAPH BY D. T YLER H U FF.

cut ing th e open foot design, wait to cha mfer the bot­tom of th e foot until the chest is assembled. Onceassembled, you will need to work the top and bottomedges of th e front and back panels, and th e legs, tocompensate for th e slight inward pitch of the chest .To use a more modern approach to the problem,the legs can simply be cut to length, as shown, at a2-degree angle. Be certa in to cut both ends of eachleg at the same angle, and that th e angled cuts areparallel to each other.

After th e foot designs have been executed, cut th emortise slots into which th e front , back , and side pan­els will be inserted. Note that although the mortiseslots reach the level of the bottom of the four panel s,

52

they stop below the top edge of th e leg. By not allow­ing the mortise slots to come th rough the top of theleg, the joint construction does not show on the insideof th e finished chest.

End PanelsC ut the end panel s so tha t they have the slight tapershown in the drawings. These panels are longer th anthey are wide, and the grain runs vert ically. Leaveenough extra width on the boards to allow for the ten­ons. After the end panels are cut to width, cut thetenons. The tenons should run to the bottom of thepanel but stop short of th e top of the panel, as shownin th e drawings.

Front and Back PanelsWhen you cut the tenons on the front and back pan­els, leave an extra Yz inch (13mm) on both the top andbottom edges of these panels to allow for the levelingthat will be necessary because of the sligh t angle of thefront and back. A lterna tively, you can precut the topand bottom edges of these panels to the same 2-degreeangle as the top and bottom ends of the legs. As withthe legs, make certa in th at the angles on the top andbottom edges are parallel.

Cut the tenons on the sho rt ends of the front andback panels as shown in the drawings. Again, thetenons do not go all the way to the top of th e panel.

You should now be able to atte mpt a first assemblyof the legs and panels. The mortise and tenon jointsshould fit together with a light tap from a mallet ora firm rap with the palm of the hand. If you haveachieved a good fit on these joints, the pieces of thechest should have no trouble standing alone as a chestframe without botto m or lid.

Bottom PanelNote in the drawings th at the botto m panel fits intothe front, back, and end panels by dropping intoa mort ise tha t is open on the bottom-essentially asimple rabbet join. The only th ing tha t prevents thebottom from falling out is the points at wh ich themortise runs th rough the legs.

If you have precut the angles on the top and bot tomedges of the legs and front and back panels, the pro­cedure for cutt ing the rabbet for the bottom will beslightly easier, although less true to medieval tech ­nology. Mark the position of the bottom panel ontothe inn er surface of the legs. If you have not precut th eangles, the bottom will be level with the inner edgeof these panels, not with the outer edge, which will beslightly lower because of the angle of the front andback.

Disassemble the frame of the chest and cut thechannel in the legs into which the botto m fits. If youprecut the angles on the top and bottom ends of thelegs, cut this channel at the same 2-degree angle,ensuring th at the angle is parallel to those on the legs.If you did not precut the angles on the ends of thelegs, cut the rabbet for the bottom board on a 2-degreeangle so th at the inner edge of the rabbe t slopes awayfrom the carved foot and toward the top of th e leg.The rabbet does not go all the way th rough the innerface of the leg; it must stop VB inch (22mm) from theoutside edge of the leg. If the rabbet run s all the way

53

across the inner surface of the leg, there will be a holein th e end of each leg when the chest is assembled.

The rabbets in the front, back, and end panels are abit simpler to deal with. In th e end panels, they aresimple, square-cut rabbets th e thi ckness of the bottomboard and % inch (l6mm) in depth. O n the front andback panels, the rabbets are the same width and depthas on the end panels. On these panels, however, th erabbets are at a 2-degree angle. The side of the rabbetth at rests against the inside surface of the bottomboard must be cut at a 2-degree angle. If you have pre­cut the angles on the top and bottom of these panels,the angled side of th e rabbet will be parallel to th eangles on the top and bottom of the panel. If you didnot precut the angles, th e rabbet must be cut on a2-degree angle so that the in ner edge of the angle ofthe rabbet slopes away from th e bottom edge of th eside panel. Thus the rabbet will be sligh tly thi cker atits inner face (the center of th e side panel) th an it isat its outer edge.

Once the rabbets are cut in the legs, side panels,and end panels, the chest and bottom can be assembled.The entire piece sho uld be able to stand without theuse of straps or nails.

LidThe basic assembly of th e lid can be accomplished byposit ioning the lid braces beneath th e outer edges ofth e lid boards as shown in th e drawings. Pull the lidboards tightly together and nail th em onto the braceswith large-headed cut nails as shown. The nails aredriven th rough th e lid boards into th e braces and arevisible on the top surface of the lid.

Final AssemblyThe large, 13i4-inch (44mm) long nails th at hold thechest together are rather unusual. The heads have adiameter of VB inch (22mm) and are % inch (9mm) inheight. The surface of the heads are smooth, as th oughth ey had been cast, but it is unlikely th at nails werecast from steel before 1270. Thus, they probably wereforged by hand and finished to a smooth, rounded sur­face in th e same way th at weapons and early bits ofarmor were formed. To make accurate copies of th esenails, they must be forged or mach ined on a lathe. Tomach ine the nails, turn the sha nk of the nail first,leavin g it rather thick in th e body, not unlike a turnedversion of a forged nail. Then reverse the nail , placingth e sha nk into the chuck and turning the head.

If you do not wish to make your own nails, you can

MATERIALS

WOODAll wood is oak.

NUMBERPART OF PIECES THICKNESS WIDTH LENGTH

legs 4 211t" (57mm) X 7W' (l97mm) X 32Vz" (825mm)

front and back 2 1Vz" (38mm) X 24" (61Omm) X 51 Vz" (I m308mm)

lid 2 I WI (32mm) X 12" (305mm) X 69" (lm753mm)

lid braces 2 I W' (32mm) X I Vz" (38mm) X 22 Vz" (572mm)

bottom 2 1W' (32mm) X 19" (483mm) X 63 WI (lm607mm)

ends 2 1Vz" (38mm) X 20 1jz" (521 mrn) X 23" (584mm)

METAL

NUMBERPART OF PIECES THICKNESS WIDTH LENGTH

long end straps 2 ,/s" (3mm) X I Ijz'I (38mm) X 62" (lm575mm)

short end straps 4 ,/s" (3mm) X I Vz" (38mm) X 28" (711mm)

lid straps 3 Vs" (3mm) X 1'It" (32mm) X 25" (635mm)

hasp straps 3 lfs" (3mm) X 1 ~" (44mm) X 21" (533mm)

short hinge straps 2 VB" (3mm) X 1114" (32mm) X 61" (lm549mm)

long hinge strap 1 VB" (3mm) X l ilt" (32mm) X 70" (lm778mm)

body straps 2 Vs" (3mm) X 1WI (32mm) X 51" (l m295mm)

hasps 3 VB" (3mm) X 2W' (57mm) X 6" (l52mm)

lock plat es 3 V'6" (2mm) X 5W' (l33mm) X 5" (l27mm)

h inge staples 3 lfs" (3mm) X 1;4" (6mm) X 81jz" (216mm)

54

assemble the case with standard forged or cut nails ofthe same length, and apply an upholstery tack with alarge, decorati ve head over the head of each nail.

Cl amp the chest together t ightly before beginningto nail the corne rs. Drill pilot holes before nailing toprevent splitt ing the oak. Position the nails so tha t thelarge heads do not cross over the seams between thelegs and the side panels but sti ll get a good bite in tothe wood of the tenon.

If you have not yet leveled off the top and bottomedges of the front and back panel s and the legs, do soat thi s time. First stand the chest upright, and with aplane or drawknife, level off the top edges of the frontand back panel s and the legs.

Now, with the chest standing on a level surface,scribe a line around the bottom of each leg to the levelof the inside of the foot-that is, the side of the footth at is raised sligh tly off the ground. Turn the chest onits top, and plane or rasp the feet to the level of thescribed lines.

Finally, level off the bottom edges of the front andback panels with a drawkni fe or plane so th at they arelevel with the bottom board.

Straps and BandingThe bands that wrap the chest vert ically help supportthe insubstantially mounted bottom board, and threeof them form part of the hinges th at faste n on to thelid. These straps are sligh tly narrower th an th ose th atencircle the chest horizont ally.

The two outermost st raps th at continue aroundthe chest and form hinges do not line up front to back(see drawings). This is because the metal was forgedint o place while st ill hot and twisted as it was beingapplied. Additionally, these two straps were cut off onthe front of the chest when the two outermost lockswere insta lled.

55

The topmost front end of the central band thatwraps the ches t contains the keyhole that reveals thelocation of the origina l lock on the ches t. This en largedlock plate, or escutcheo n, is the most difficult to form.O rigina lly, these st raps were all forged from muchth icker pieces of metal, and the width and th icknessof the stra ps could be contro lled fairly easily. If youdo not plan to forge the bands, but will make themfrom commercially avai lab le banding iron , either theen t ire band will have to be cut out of a wider piece ofmetal to allow for the width of the escutcheon, or theescutcheo n will have to be welded onto the st rap as aseparate piece.

The specific details for forging the decorati ve endsfor these st raps are given in cha pter 2.

The straps th at band the ends of the chest are ofseveral different lengths. The central band is consid­erably lon ger than the top and bottom bands. O n theback of the chest, this central band crosses over the topof the hinge st raps as an extra security measure. Thetop and bottom bands only lap around the fron t andrear corne rs of the chest far eno ugh to hold the sidessecurely in place .

The straps locat ed on the un derside of the lid noton ly help to st rengthen the lid, but also hold the haspend of the locks. Conseq uen tly, these inne r st raps mustbe formed with half of a hinge on one end. The topof the hasp forms the other end of the hi nge. Thebody of these hasp stra ps are decorated with a spade­sha ped end . These were origina lly forged into shape,but they can easily be cut to shape from a len gth ofstrap iron .

C ut th e straps and form them into sha pe around thechest as explained in the cha pte r 2. Then drill holes atthe locati on s shown in the drawin gs, and attach thestrap work and lock plates with l -in ch (25m m) forgednails.

FRONT VIEW

69" Om753mm}

49 ljz" Om257mm} 7W' -1097mm)

8Yz" (216mm)

o'--- .

•

...:Lr- 7W' 1>--- - ---0 97mm)

32W' (832mm)

REAR VIEW

20" (508mm)•

•

•

-

65" Om651mm}

- _ . 25" (635mrn) -t---t-+-t---tt---'-fVl

•--r- .~ . - - --------.... .o 0 0 ___

20" (508mm)

•

~ 2\;4" (57mm)

~

Il<=i't-+-+-+t---+-+ 25" (635rnm).~

56

FRONT VIEW-RIGHT SIDE DETAIL

I

\

---- - --- --- ---- - --------

o

Il-t- 9" (228mm)

14 Yz"(368mm)

o

-- ._--

W 03~nm) O( / /o W0 (12i~m) ) (/

.:»: --- /oI (

o 0

1 r1114"

(32mm)

- "- .. --- --.-

7" (l78mm)

---------o

17Yz" (444mm)

o

o

6 '14" (l59mm)

o

0 - ...........

0 - -'

57

REAR VIEW-LEIT SIDE DETAIL

o ~

o

o

o

3" (76mm)

1

o6" (l 52mm)

f- 2" (5Imm)-1

I

_._- - --~

o

i r1'14"

(32 mm)

---..............

HINGE STAPLE

o

25" (635mm)

20" (50 8mm)

~ 2" (5Imm) -1/-:- ( )

W (6mm)

o

o

- 0

1---1 0 __

IS" (38Imm)

/I

o 0

o

\I 7 Y-t" (l97mm)

/

I I/ I" (38mm)

58

J~· l(32mm)

DECORATIVESTRAP

LID-TOP VIEW

7" (l78mm)

17 Y2"(444mm)

LOCK PLATE

-,.,-r. 17 Y2"

.... 1111"(32mm)I I

ORIGINAL LOCK PLATE

69" (lm753mm)

5" (l27mm)

18"(457mm) -

5'11" (133mm)

HASP

6 \4" (l59mm)

INSIDELID

STRAP

1%" (35mm)

59

END VIEW

1,......--- 23" (S84mm) --~

8 Yz"(216mm)

-If-l-'-.......L..-~~_~~

T8 14"(209mm)

1-1t t-- 16W (419mm) ----1

2'14" (S7mm) '-./2114" (S7mm) 0

END VIEW CONSTRUCTION DETA IL

I" (2Smm)

I W' (38mm)

~rr»:

FRONT VIEW CONSTRUCTION DETAIL CUTAWAY VIEW

\\

~I

I

\'

I\{-"n- 16Yz" (419mm) -;~I

jIt----'\__ 19" (483mm) - -ill

.'. - 20" (S08mm)

j

II ../I{

"

I" (2Smm)

1Yz" (38mm) r~l;--~_----\

60

FOOT DETAIL

PROBABLE ORIGINAL FOOT

3" (76mm)

2 Y1" (63mm)

~ 3" (76mm) ~ W ~(l9mm)

Y1" (13mm)

-L ---- .~ 3 W' (95 mm) -1

TOP VIEWCONST RUCT IONCORNER

I" (25mm)rY: " ~

I" (25mm) (l3~m) I

61

DETAIL A

%" (l6mm)

11jz" (38mm)

W' (l9mm)

9•

VEstmEnt qhEst•

The Roman Ca tho lic church , with its power and pag­eant ry, was an integral part of the fabric of the medie­val world. While the various feudal sta tes of Europeand Britain alterna tely threatened and made treati eswith one ano ther, the Holy Church was one of the fewbinding threads th at ran throughout the fragile struc­ture of Western civilization.

Vestments are the elaborate gowns worn by mem­bers of the clergy. In the Middle Ages, when the out­ward display of wealth was equated with the holding ofpower, the costl ier the clothes, the more power wasatt ributed to the wearer. If an ambitious churchmanwas going to advance himself properly, he had to lookthe part.

The richly orna mented vestments of the politicallypowerful clergy were stored in almost as much gran­deur as they were worn, in vestment chests such as thi sone. This oak vestment chest belonged to one of theearly household chaplain s at Haddon Hall, Derbyshire,England. The simplicity of th e coats of arms on thechest suggests th at it is probably from the mid- to latefourteenth century. This chest has probably remainedat Haddon Hall throughout its ent ire six-hundred-yearexistence, moved only from the chapel to its currentlocation in the long gallery.

CONSTRUCTION NOTESThis massive vestment chest is monumental both insize and in the bulk of materials necessary to constructit. If you do not have the space for a piece of furniturethis size, it can be scaled down to two-thirds or halfsize for use as a storage chest or tea table. Medievalchests were constructed in every size, level of orna­mentation, and degree of security imaginable.

It is interesting to find dovetail corner joints on

63

such an early piece. Although rudim entary in execu­tion , these joints illustrate an important developmen tin the art of cabinetmaking.

The feet th at can be seen in th e photo are lat eadditions and for that reason are not included in theplan s here.

MaterialsThis chest is made entirely of oak including the origina ldoweling. The plank s from which it was constru ctedmay have been split with mallets and wedges rathertha n sawn from logs, and then smoothed with a single­edged broad ax and drawknife. Because of the size ofth e planks used in the construction of thi s piece, youwill have to glue up the materials from smaller boards(see chapt er 1).

LidThe two planks that form th e lid of the vestmentchest are pegged together. The stress placed on thesepegs by the weight of the top long ago caused th e pegsto break. Some of thi s stress could be compensa ted forby increasing th e diameter of the dowel from % inch(I6mm) to 314 inch (I9mm).

Place the two boards of th e lid on top of each otherso th at th e edges that will be pegged together areabutted. At intervals of roughly 4 inches (102mm),mark doweling locati ons across the face of both boards.Be certain that the dowel markings on the boards areperfectly aligned with each other. If the holes are notaligned, the dowels will not line up properly. A dowel­ing jig will facilitate accurately locating th e dowels.Once you have marked all of the dowel locations, drillthe dowel holes. Keep them straight so that they lineup from one board to the next. To ensure enough sup-

V ESTMEN T CHEST, E NGLAND, FO U RT EEN T H CENTURY. O AK; H. 23Vz", W. 106", D. 31". COLLECfIO N OF HADDON

H ALL, BAKEWELL, E NGLA ND. COURT ESY HADDO N HALL PHOT OGRAPH BY D. TY LER H U FF .

port to carry the weight of the planks, drill the holes atleast 2Vz inches (63mm) deep into each board .

Next , taper both ends of the dowels slightly so th atthey seat easily. For the greatest control in joining theplanks, dowels sho uld be alternately seated, first in oneboa rd and th en the other. Then place the two boardson a level work surface, and drawn th em togethereither by tapping th em with a mallet or, preferably, bypulling th em together with bar clamps. They must bebrought together almost simultaneously along theentire length of the boards. If one end is pulled too farout of line, the pegs may bind, making it difficult , ifnot impossible, to bring the boards back into square.Pull the boards tightly together; the tighter the seambetween the boards, the less the chance th at the pegsholding them together will break.

The pegs and th e lid boards may or may not haveorigina lly been glued into place. Certainly, using a

64

good cabinet glue along the seam between the boardswould help take some of the strain off the pegs.

When the boards are joined, lay the lid facedownon your workbench and mark the location of the edgecha mfer, which runs along three sides of the lid. Theback edge remains flat to accommodate the hinges.C ut th e chamfer with a drawknife to give it the slightlywavy surface found on the origina l lid. When thecha mfer is finished, set the lid aside.

DovetailingEach corne r of the chest has a triple dovetail joint .One of the wedge-shaped tails is visible on the front ofthe chest at the left and right corners. There are twoadditional dovetails on each front corne r, but they arecovered by the metal brackets th at bind the corners ofthe chest together.

At th e top edge of the chest , there is a slight lap

joint where a sliver of the side plank extends to thefront of the chest, as shown in the top and side viewdrawings of the dovetail.

Lay out the dovetails on the sides and ends of thechest. C ut the dovetails with a coping saw or reciprocalsaw (saber saw). C utt ing th rough the 2 Vz -inch (63mm)th ick oak is not easy, but that is part of what makesthi s chest so secure . C ut the dovetails one corne r ata time. When a corner fits, mark the location of thatcorne r and move to the next. Marking the corne rsis important because inevit ably there will be sligh tvariations from corner to corner, and you will need toknow which pieces fit together to facilitat e finalassembly.

When all four corners are dovetailed, assemble thesides of the chest. The chest sho uld rest on a level sur­face during assembly.

At thi s point, you must decide whether to executethe carvings on the front of the chest before the case isassembled or afterward. If you want to do the ca rvingbefore final assembly, place the front of the chest onyour workb ench and skip ahead to the sect ion on carv­ing. If you prefer to do the carving on the assembledchest, cont inue const ruct ion with the chest floor.

FloorThe floor of the chest is made from two boards of rela­tively the same width. It is not known whether theyare pegged together in the same manner as the lid, butit would seem likely because the bottom is also peggedto the sides of the chest.

Make sure the chest is square and plumb, then trimthe bottom boards so that they fit snugly into the inte­rior of the chest. Remove them from the chest and pegthem together in the same manner as the lid. Insert thepegged bottom into the frame of the chest.

Making cert ain th at the bottom board is flush withthe bottom edges of the side panel s, drill and dowel thebottom int o place . Using VB-inch (I6mm) pegs, dowelthe bottom at six points along the front and back asfollows: Place one dowel 4 inches (I02mm) on eitherside of the cent ral strap, and two dowels equally spacedbetween each outside strap and the chest corner. These.dowels sho uld reach a depth of 2 Vz inches (63 rnrn)into the floor board .

Considering the massive construction of thi schest, these few dowels were probably not intendedas the only support for the bottom, but merely tohold the bottom in place until the metal straps wereapplied.

65

CarvingEnlarge the drawin gs of the coa ts of arms, by handor on a photocopier, to the size ca lled for. The borderdesign is the same on both carvin gs. Transfer thedesigns onto the front of the chest, and execu te themas relief carvings. Although the ca rvings are relati velyflat , they are carved on three different levels. Thedesigns on the coa ts of arms are at the same level asthe face of the che st. The sh ield-sha ped backgroundis about 114 inch (6mm) below this, and the large circu­lar background is '14 inch (6mm) lower st ill-Vz inch(I3mm) below the surface of the chest. The sha mrock­sha ped designs around the edge of the circle are onlysligh tly lower than the face of the chest, but the centerof each leaf in the shamrock is dimpled into a sha llowbowl sha pe.

If you executed the carving before assembling thechest, do the floor constru cti on, as explained in the pre­ceding sect ion.

Straps and BandingTo secure the corners of the chest, forge the hor izontalcorne r brackets for the chest . The straps on the rearcorne rs of the chest are 2 inches (5Imm) shorte r th anthose on the front.

The decorative ends on these brackets are widerth an the flat stock called for in the mat erials list .Originally, these st raps would have been forged frommuch thicker pieces of metal so that the width andthickness of the st raps could be ch an ged as the strapswere forged. If you plan to use commercially availableflat stock rather than forging the bands, you will haveto cut out the entire band from a wider piece of metalthan is called for in the materials list, or weld the dec­orative ends on to the strap as a separate piece . Whenthe corner brackets are completed, drill nail holes andnail them in place with I'/ z-inch (38mm) long forgednails.

The bands that wrap the ches t vertically help sup­port the bottom and also form the back sect ion of thehinges that connect the lid to the chest. The two out­side bands have the same decorative end designs as thecorner brackets and the top ends of the hasps.

The decorative fleur-de-lis sha ped ends of the cen­tral band are applied orn amentat ion. Cut the fleur-de­lis from flat metal stock, and place the end under theend of a short , square-ended arm on the central strap.Heat the top strap and bend it over the ornamentalfleur-de-lis so that the central band and the decorativeends lie flat on the face of the chest.

MATERIALS

WOODAll wood is oak, except dowel is maple or birch.

NUMBERPART OF PIECES THICKNESS WIDTH LENGTH

front and back 2 2V2" (63mm) X 19 W' (489mm) X 104" (2m642mm)

ends 2 21jz" (63mm) X 19 W' (489mm) X 30 114" (768mm)

bottom 2 2V2" (63mm) X 12%" (321mm) X 99" (2m515mm)

top 1 2 114" (57mm) X 14" (356mm) X 106" (2m69 2mm)

top 1 2'/4" (57mm) X 17" (432mm) X 106" (2m692 mm)

dowel VB" (16mm) round X 225" (5m715mm)

METAL

NUMBERPART OF PIECES THICKNESS WIDTH LENGTH

front corner brackets 4 Vs" (3mm) X IV2" (38 mm) X 23 V2" 597mm)

rear corner brackets 4 W' (3mm) X I Ijz" (38 mm) X 25 1jz" (648mm)

bracke t tips 32 W' (3mm) X I Ijz" (38mm) X 4" (l02mm)

hasp stra ps 2 W' (3mm) X 2" (51mm) X 18" (457mm)

hasps 2 3132" (2mm) X 2"(51mm) X 14" (356mm)

lock plat es 2 V16" (2mm) X 9V2" (241mm) X 12" (305mm)

outside hinge straps 2 I/ S" (3mm) X 2V2" (63mm) X 70%" (lm797mm)

outside lid st raps 2 Vs" (3mm) X 2 1jz" (63mm) X 29" (737mm)

center hinge strap 1 W' (3mm) X 3" (76mm) X 731jz" (lm867mm)

cen ter lid strap 1 W' (3mm) X 3" (76mm) X 30" (762mm)

center strap tips 4 W' (3mm) X 4" (l02mm) X 5" (l27mm)

lock plate staples 4 W' (Jmm) X V2" (13mm) X 13" (330mm)

66

On the lid of the chest, there are two decorativecurls on the butt end of the large central hinge. Forgethese curls from the same piece of stock as the body ofthe hinge (see chapter 2). The tiny fleur-de-lis ends atthe tips of the curls will have to be cut separately andwelded into place.

Locate the sections of the hinges that go on the lid,drill pilot holes, and attach themin place with forgednails, allowing the spine of the hinge to hang over therear edge of the lid. Set the lid in place on the chest.

Elevate the chest on blocks of wood so th at the strapscan be passed und er the chest. Bend the long straps to

fit around the body of the chest. The first bend shouldlocate the spine of the hinge so th at it can be pinnedto the porti on of the hinge attached to the lid. Theremainder of the strap slides snugly under the bottomof the chest. Nail the straps to the back of the chest.Bend the strap around the front of the chest, and nailit into place. Always drill pilot holes before nailinginto the oak.

67

Now form the hasps, following the draw ings in thi schapter and the instructions in chapter 2, and con­forming them to the offset on the front edge of the lid.Attach the hasp to the lid of the chest .

Cut the lock plates according to the drawings andforge four lock plate staples. The staples should behigher than they are wide. When the staples have beenforged, file th e end s to points as shown in the draw­ings. Pierce rectangular holes in the lock plates to

receive th e ends of the lock plate staples. Position thelock plates beh ind the hasps, and drill pilot holes forthe lock plate staples and lock plat e nails. Nail thelock plates into place on the face of the chest. Insertthe staples through the lock plates and the pilot holes,heat the ends of the lock plate staples where they comethrough the inside face of the chest, and crimp themwith a hamm er.

Finish the chest with an oil finish as described inchapter 3.

FRONT VIEW

19W' (489mm)

104" (2m642mm)

+- ~~ .=....J:J::.:::......:::::::::----===--W-~ :::::::=:::::::~-lr~-

TOP OF LID

+14" (356mm)

17" (432mm)

-_.---- .~~..~~. ~

106" (2m692mm)

25" (635mm) ~ k---

3" (76mm) 36" (914mm)

i---36" (914mm)_ --11,1 r-- 36" (914mm) - __~ 13"I , F(330mm)1

131" (787mm)

BACK VI EW

... -- -- - - ------ ' - ' .- .- · ""'"- "2.- ---. . . · - ~ ------- · . . .--- _ . . c ----I-c . -

) · · .------------ ·<--- -. ..----_ .-~ . ----- - .-----

? · ..-- - - -. . ·- - · .· ·- - · --

T23 Vz" (597mm

.i.,~ 1 2"~~

(305mm)38" (965mm) 38" (965mm) ., ~ 1 2" ~

(305mm)

68

FRONT DETAIL, RIGHT SIDE

12" (30Smm)

"y

,..

I" (2Smm)

J y

Ii

---::- H!t" (S7mm)v

3" (76mm)

3 11l" (82mm)

I-- 1M ' (292mmljSO W' (Im289mm)

I Y4" (44mm)

- - - _._--._----

•

4" (102mm)

17ljz"

(44Smm) -

-

DOVETAIL DETAIL,SIDE VIEW

I W (38mm)~

-..- ~~~

W (I3mm)

2W (63mm)

~1DOVETAIL DETAIL,

TOP VIEW

LEFT END DETAIL

Vi" (6mm)

9W' (24 8mm)

8" (203mm)

=}--v,.(13mm)12" (30Smm)

T

3" (76mm)

1

30W (768mm)

31" (787mm)

UL......:...-.2::::===.:.-=--....:..==----~~--,.r­

~63mm)

21 W(S40mm)

69

7'14" (l84mm)

CARVING DETAIL

o

o

6 ljz" (l65mm)

6'/ z" (l65mm)

T

LOCK PLATE

10" (254mm)

o IYz" (38mm) 0

~ -;;(38mm) 7 Yz"~ (l90mm)

~ 1<.----"------"l- I;'z" (l3mm)

;"v1:-;r l4"(51,~m) (l9mm)

U 0

ljz" (l3mm) W (l9mm)

'/ z" (l3mm)

~- 3" (76mm) i

o

(5Imm)

LOCK PLATESTAPLE

1'14" (32mm)

~ I '14" ~(32mm)

o

o

HASP

I " (25mm)--II--

11;'1" (38mm) ~{:j/-,,;- ;/7:'/

lOW (273mm)

70

III

SYz" (I40mm)

3"(76mm)

eHINGE ASSEMBLY

4 1jz" (I l-lmrn) HARDWARE

J 1Ys" k(41mm)

r__-+-----A-~~~ 4" (102mm)

6 1/.1" (I59mm)

2" (51mm)

,. 15hnm),\ 1 ( 1~~32mm)

4" (I02mm)

T (D

0 (D 5" (I 27mm)8" (203mm)

e

1 0 fl)

Yl" ( lIrnm)~ -, " 2'/1" (63mm)

--.r-r-~

71

10•

t3[rnbry ()upboard•

The ambry cupboard was, in essence , the first kitchencabinet. In its earliest form , the ambry was a recess in achurch wall where vestments, silver, and other goodswere stored. By the high Middle Ages, it had evolvedinto a free-standing wooden cabinet and had beenadapted to domestic use, ut ilized for th e storage of foodas well as dry goods. In its function as a food cabinet,the ambry was often referred to as a livery cupboard ordole cupboard.

Ambries widely varied in size and shape but weregenerally around 4 feet (Im220mm) high, 3 feet(900mm) wide, and 1 to 11/ z feet (300 to 450mm) deep.They were of plank construction and had a single doorin the center of the front face. Because they were purelyfunctional, orna mentation was kept to a minimum,usually limited to carved tracery or spindle work at theventilation holes, which were necessary to keep thefood inside from molding.

This ambry has spent most of the last six centuriesin the kitchens at Haddon Hall , Derbyshire County,England .

CONSTRUCTION NOTESThis ambry has been altered at some point in its exis­tence. A piece was added to the right side of the door,and the bead molding nearest the door, on the leftpanel, was cut off. Perh aps the cooks at Haddon Hallfound the origina l 9-inch (229mm) wide door toonarrow for their needs and had it widened. The plan spresente d here show the cabinet in its origina l propor­tions. The wheeled castors at the corners of the ambrywere probably a nineteenth-century addition and havebeen left off.

The turn button closure on the door is almost cer­tainly of much later date than the cabinet itself; how-

73

ever, there is no evidence of an earlier closure mech a­nism. It is possible, th ough hardly practical, th at th edoor did not origina lly have a lat ch and was simplypushed shut. The treatment is up to the discretion ofthe individual cabinetmaker.

MaterialsThis cabinet is reportedly made of elm. Elm in anyquantity, or in dimensions suitable for the constructionof furniture, is almost impossible to find today. Pine,fir, birch, or poplar would be a suitable substitute .

Boards of th e dimensions called for in thi s pieceshould be readily available, with th e exception of theside panels, which will need to be glued together.Because of the light structure of thi s piece, I recom­mend th at you have them professionally joined at alumbermill or cabinet shop.

Setting UpCut all of the pieces to size before beginning con­struction . Mark each board with its final position soth at you can easily locate it as needed. Make all mark­ings in chalk so th at th ey can be removed from thewood.

Frame ConstructionBegin construction by assembling the case of theambry. First , mark the relative locations of the shelveson both the inside and outside faces of the side panelswith cha lk. Drill pilot holes th rough th e side panels.Locate the shelf boards into position and nail them tothe end panels with forged nails. The shelf boardssho uld line up flush with the rear edge of the side pan­els but should be l,4 inch (6mm) sho rt of the front edgeof the side panels so th at the front panel s will fit prop-

AMBRY CUPBOARD, ENGLAND, FIFTEENTH CENTURY. ELM; H. 29", W. 32 1/ 2" , D. 171/ 2" . COLLECTION OF HADDON

HALL, BAK EWELL, ENGLAND. C OU RT ESY HADDON HALL. PHOTOGRAPH BY D. TYLER H UFF.

erly. If your lumber varies from this, adjust the widthsof the boards as necessary to compensate.

Hold the shelves in place with corner clamps whilethey are being nailed, or have an assistant hold thepieces together while you assemble them. When boththe upper shelf and the bottom have been nailed intoplace, the rear brace board, shown at top right in

74

the right side interior view, can be nailed into place.Drill pilot holes in the brace to avoid splitting the endgrain.

Back PanelsAttaching the back panels will stabilize the structure.The back boards overlap the side panels so that the

seam between side panel and back board is visiblewhen the cabinet is viewed from the side.

Check th at the frame of the ambry is square, dr illpilot holes, and nail a back board to one edge of theambry. When nailing the back boards to the braceboard, provide back support und er the brace to absorbthe shock of the hammer. Next , nail a back board tothe opposite edge of the ambry. Fit the last two boardsbetween the fi rst two and nail them into place. Theboards need not be pulled tightly together. If th e lastboard does not drop into place, plane the edges until itis an easy fit.

When all of the back boards have been nailed intoplace, the cabinet should be relatively sturdy. Nowinstall the front brace board, shown at top left of theright side int erior view, first drilling pilot holes.

TopNow attach the top boards to the body of the cabinet.Attach the rear top board first, keeping it flush withthe outer edge of the back boards and allowing ~ inch(l 9mm) overha ng on either side of the cab inet. Drilland nail the board into place as shown. Repeat theprocess with the front board. The top should extend1 inch beyond the front edge of the side panels.

Front PanelsCutting the Rabbets. Rabbet the two front panels

along one edge where they overlap th e side panels (seedetail A) . The panels are slightly different widths , soestablish left and right panels before cutt ing therabbets. Be certa in th at the rabbets allow the panels tofit snugly against the side panels and lay flat against theface of the shelf and bottom.

Moldings. The vertical moldings on the face of th efront panels are so sha llow th at they canno t beaccurately depict ed. The basic shape is a convex, half­round, central molding surrounded by two concavehalf-round moldin gs. In even simpler terms, themoldings are rounded, W-shaped depressions in theface of the wood. The molding is on ly I/S inch (3mm)deep and Vz inch (13mm) wide. The moldings areabout ~ inch (l9mm) from the edges of th e panel.They were probably cut with a molding plane holdinga single, wavy-shaped blade. This is still the best wayto cut such sha llow moldings. Alternatively, the outer,concave depressions could be filed or sanded into thewood and the center, convex sha pe sanded into theridge between the depressions. Whichever approach

75

you use, clamp a guide to the face of the panel to keepth e moldings straight as you cut th em.

Carving. Transfer th e designs for th e carv ings tothe front panels and th e door. First, en large th em on acopier to the dimensions indicated on the drawings.Trace the pattern onto the front panels and doorboard , and with a coping saw or reciprocal saw (sabersaw), cut out the areas of the designs that are shown asshaded areas in the drawings. Although these carvi ngsare wedge shaped, cut the sides of the tracery vert icalat thi s t ime. Be conce rned on ly with getting the shapesof the openings regular, not with tapering the sides.

Then work the sides of the tracery int o th eir wedgesha pe with a series of files or small rasps. For flat,straight areas, use flat or trian gular files; for curvedand rounded areas, use round files; and for corne rs, usetr iangular or square files. Your wood sho uld be rela­tively soft, so sha ping the edges of the open workshould prove fairly easy. The narrow bands of tracery,especially where it runs across the grain, will be veryfragile, so be careful th at you do not break the carv­ings. Keep the boa rd on which you are working firmlyweight ed or clamped to the work bench . Work only onthe first inch (25mm) of th e open work nearest theedge of the workb ench, and even less if you are work ­ing on an area th at is cut across the grain of the wood.This will require a lot of moving and readjust ing ofthe panel, but it will prevent breaking the delica tecarvings. After th e open work has been filed to shape,finish it with sandpape r (glass paper).

When the tracery has been completed, lay the panelflat on the workb ench and use carving kni ves andgouges to carve out the sha llow corner decorati ons thatdo not pierce through th e wood . The smaller theseareas, th e sha llower th e carving, but the deepest onesare no more th an half the th ickness of the board onwhich they are being carved. Finish by sanding, beingcareful tha t you do not round over the edges.

Installing the Front Panels. Set the carved andmolded front panel s in place , drill pilot holes, and nail.Trim the lintel and doorsill plat e to fit snugly betweenthe left and right side pan els. The sill plate should lieflush with the face of the cabinet and the thickness ofthe floor board. Nail the sill plate and lintel into place,providing back support for the lintel while nailing, asthere is very little support ing the brace into which thelintel is being nail ed.

Then countersink all of the nails in the front, sides,and top of the ambry to a depth of l/ S inch (3mm)

MATERIALS

WOODAll wood is elm. Birch is the best substitute, but pine, fir, or poplar could also be used.

NUMBERPART OF PIECES THICKNESS WIDTH LENGTH

front panel 1 314" (19mm) X 11WI (286mm) X 29" (737mm)

front panel 1 WI (l9mm) X 11 ~" (298mm) X 29" (737mm)

door 1 ~" (l9mm) X 9" (229mm) X 20" (508mm)

door braces 2 ~" (l9mm) X 2" (51mm) X 8" (203mm)

doorsill plate 1 WI (l9mm) X 1" (25mm) X 9Yz" (241mm)

door lintel 1 WI (l9mm) X 3" (76mm) X 9 '!zi1 (241mm)

side panels 2 WI (19mm) X 15 Yz" (394mm) X 29" (737mm)

back panels 2 WI (19mm) X 8" (203mm) X 29" (737mm)

back panels 2 WI (l9mm) X 8WI (209mm) X 29" (737mm)

top 1 1" (25mm) X 8Yz" (216mm) X 34" (864mm)

top 1 1" (25mm) X 9" (229mm) X 34" (864mm)

bottom boards 2 1" (25mm) X 7~" (l97mm) X 31" (787mm)

shelf board 1 WI (19mm) X 8" (203mm) X 31" (787mm)

shelf board 1 WI (19mm) X 7 '!zil (l90mm) X 31" (787mm)

top braces 2 1" (25mm) X 3" (76mm) X 31" (787mm)

METAL

NUMBERPART OF PIECES THICKNESS WIDTH LENGTH

hinge, large end 2 .32 ga X l WI (44mm) X 2" (51mm)

hinge, small end 2 .32 ga X lWI (44mm) X 1 ~" (44mm)

forged nails 72 1'!zil (38mm)

76

beneath the surface of the wood, again providing backsupport when countersinking the nail s in the lintel.

Installing the Door. The door should fit into theopening in the front of the cabinet so that there is agap of about '/s inch (3mm) on all four sides. Removethe door and prepare to attach the back braces asshown in the edge view of the door in the drawings.Note that the braces are 1 inch (25mm) shorter thanthe width of the door, and all four edges of the bracesare cut at 30-degree angles.

Position the braces so that they are % inch (l6mm)from the top and bottom edges of the door and Vl inch(l3mm) from the front and rear edges of the door. Nailthe braces into place from the rear, through the bracesand into the back surface of the door. Use nails thatare l'!4 inches (32mm) long so that they will not piercethe front of the door, and drill pilot holes before nailing.

HingesPrecut the butterfly-shaped blanks for th e hinges,and bend the tangs to form the spine as described inchapter 2.

FinishThis ambry has had a great deal of use over the cen­turies, but evidence remains that it may have beenpainted a rusty ocher, not unlike the color of richl yoiled wood. Before finishin g, fill the nail holes withwhite putty or thickened gesso. When the filler is dry,finish-sand the entire piece of furniture.

. If you wish to paint the piece, give the top, sides,and front of the ambry a coat of gesso to serve as aprimer. When the gesso is dry, sand the cupboard again,and then finish with a coat of egg tempera or flat-fini shoil paint (see chapter 3).

77

If you prefer a natural oil finish, tint the putty in thenail holes with wood stain so that it matches the colorof the wood, and then oil the ambry as described inchapter 3. The back, interior, and inside of th e door donot appear to have been finished in any way.

Hanging the DoorNail the hinges to the door before attaching the doorto the face of the cupboard. The short end of the hingeshould be attached to the door, and the longer end tothe cabinet. Set the door in place , with equal amountsof space above and below the door but with th e entire'!I-inch (6mm) gap kept to the left of the door, oppo­site the side with the hinges. This will allow the doorto swing easily. Nail the hinges to th e side panel.

Bug ScreenFood being stored in ambries was generally protec tedfrom flying insects by covering the open-work tracerywith a piece of loose-weave cloth. This cloth mayhave been woven of either linen or horsehair. Cut thecloth into panels about 1 inch (25mm) larger th anthe carved areas they are intended to cover.

Attach the cloth panels to the inside of the ambry,behind the tracery carvings, either with a few tinynails tacking the cloth directly to the wood , or withthe help of small strips of wood nailed to th e innersurface of the cupboard, with the cloth sandwichedbetween the strip and the cupboard. If the cloth is tobe nailed directly onto the wood, the edges of th ecloth should be hemmed to prevent fraying. I recom­mend simply tacking the cloth directly to the side pan­els, because the interior of the ambry is a difficult areain which to work, but using th e small strips of wood onthe inside of the door for a neat appearance.

FRONT VIEW

6!4" (l7Imm)

8 W' (209mm)

• 3 Yz" (89mm)•

3" (76mm)

'\j , I

:.I i\~ \ ---r-tttt-+--->.

;. \ 0 ---tttt-+---..:-

il~~~I~ 1 0f& 6W' (J7lmml

'r~~~

.• \-.L- 1 1 \ I

1 J:w * 4W l 3 '","(95mm) (I Zlmm) (82mm)

11 '11" (286mm) 9" (229mm) IIW (298mm)

o

32 Yz" (825mm)

DOOR FACE DOOR, EDGE AND REAR

I" (25mm) I'/z" (38mm)

j Vi (I3mm) ~ 9" 1229mm) -1W (l 9mm)

Yz" (Brnm)

78

TOP VIEW, CUTAWAY

HINGE f-- I 'I!" 4 ~ I" .,lI (J 2mm) I l(2smm) I

I<D e e

Iw' (44mm)

Y4" (I9mm) r 8" (203mm) 1

~....------ 34 " (864mm)

I " (2smm)

---~

RIGHT SIDE

4 1;4" (l08mm)

RIGHT SIDEINTERIOR VIEW

W (l9mm)

••/

: \

Yz" (l3mm)

I"(2smm)

30" (762mm) 0 •

II

f 00

1"---: ""'---: r-- - =:::::

~ r 3" (76~~

/ 12"(JOsmm)

W (I 9mm)/

1./

lOW (267mm)

r ' 1\) 1 / I" (Zfirnm)- .... ~- --- . _ .~

t'\ Is yz" (J94mm) ~) ,

J

I/ Z" (l Jmm)

79

CARVING DETAILS

~~ oW' (I71mm) ----1

r- 6W (l71mm) ---lI~~

l~~

6 Y4" (l71mm)

~ 4~" (121mm) ~

DETA IL A

I" (25mm)

---._- ----

W (l9mm)

W (l9mm)

80

11•

Ourulr Ohair•

The basic design of curule chairs, or X chairs, as the yare frequently called, dates to the dynasties of ancientEgypt. Curule cha irs were reserved for use by magis­trates and members of the patrician class in ancie ntRome, and during the medieval period , when chairs ingeneral were reserved for the nobility, the curule wasassociated with high-ranking clergy and midlevelnobility.

It was probably most popular among these classesbecause the design of the cha ir allowed it to be foldedslightly, a great advantage for anyone required by hisoffice to travel with a limited num ber of wagons forcartage. Additionally, the soft, sling-style seat and backwere more comfortable th an the hard seat of a massiveth rone or clerical cha ir.

Although they were produced with a wide varietyof detailing, all curule chairs have a knuckle joint th atallows the legs to interlock. Nearly all medieval versionsof the chair have a decorative boss, or rosette, thatconceals the knuckl e joint and a floor-level stretcherthat runs between front and rear legs. The und erside ofthe legs forms a slight Gothic arch.

This cha ir is in the collection of Daniel Mehn ofNew O rleans. Mehan produces and sells copies of thecha ir.

CONSTRUCTION NOTESThe interlocking knuckle join t in the legs is the onlycomplex detail in the assembly process. I recommendmaking cardboard patterns from which to copy all ofthe pieces.

In the drawings, the sha pe of th e legs has been illus­trated on a grid to show its compound curves. Transferthe design for the leg onto a grid of I inch (25mm)

81

squares to produce a full-scale leg pattern. All four legblanks are interchangeable until the knu ckle jointand the tenons have been executed. The execution ofthe knuckle joint is explained in detail later, but it isessent ial th at you und erstand the workings of the jointbefore beginning construction.

The rear face of the arms has a sligh t backwardslope. This fact is dealt with in detail in both thesenotes and the drawings, but it is important not to over­look it.

MaterialsThis cha ir is constructed of oak, altho ugh I have seenexamples of th e same piece made from walnut and, at alater period, from mahogany. It is necessary to use full­dimension lumber to ach ieve a structurally sound pieceof furniture.

Setting UpBecause there are on ly ten pieces necessary to th ebasic construct ion of thi s chair, it is possible to rough­cut th em all before executing any detail or finish work .Executing all of the rough cutting at one time allowsyou to conce ntrate on the detail work later on with outworrying about returning to rough work .

Rough CuttingFollowing the cardboa rd patterns, rough-c ut four iden ­tical leg-and-arm sections, two each of the arm andfoot sections, and two seat supports.

Work th e rough-cut blanks into their fina l uncarvedsha pe. Because of th e complex curves and angles onsome of th ese parts, it may be necessary to do some ini­tial sha ping with a rasp or a pad sander. The top and

C UR UL E CHAIR, ENGLAN D, c .1500. O AK; H. 34", W. 27~4", D. 193/4". COLLECTION OF DANIEL). MEHAN, NEW

ORLEANS. COURTESY DANIEL). MEHAN. PHOTOGRAPH BY WARD/BRITT PHOTOGRAPHY.

82

bottom edges of the arms can be rounded over. If youare using a router, use a 1!4-inch (6mm) roundoverbit for this operation. Also sand the edges of th e legpieces, seat supports, feet, and the rear edge of the armblanks, but do not round them over.

Now cut the tenons on the seat supports. Do theprimary shaping of the tenons on the top and bottomof the legs, but leave an extra YB to 1;4 inch (3- 6mm)of wood around the tenon to allow for final sha pingwhen the pieces are fit together.

MortisesCut out the mortise openings in the foot units and onthe botto m of the arms. The distances between themortises on arms and legs must be exactly lOYz inches(267mm), the same distance as the length of the seatsupport , excluding the tenons.

Knuckle JointRead the following description of the knuckle jointcarefully. When the conce pt is clear, execute and sandthe knuckle joints.

The mechan ism th at allows the two leg sections tointerlock is an interlocking egg-carton type design.The X shape of the leg is achieved by crossing two ofthe leg sections. The left arm support and the right legare a single piece of wood, as are the right arm supportand the left leg. The point of juncture, where the legscross and interlock, is indicated by the shaded circleon the leg diagram. Half of the thickness of the woodis cut away from each leg at the point of intersection .On one leg of the X, the wood is removed from theback side; on the opposite leg, the wood is removedfrom the front face. Once this excess wood is removed,the two sections of the leg unit should interlock so thatthey are the same thickness at the point of junctureas they are at every other point along their length.

Before removing the excess wood, the legs are inter­changeable. Decide which leg will be in which position:left and right , front and rear. In the front X assembly,the left leg-right arm support should be the top half ofthe knuckle assembly; in the X assembly on the backof the cha ir, the right leg-left arm support forms the tophalf of the X. This arrangement is critical for the chairto fit together correctly. When the position of eachleg-and-arm section has been determined, mark eachpiece so that they can be kept in order throughout theproject.

When you are removing the excess wood from

83

the knu ckle joint, follow th e complete outl ine of thecircle. The knuckle will fit and operate properly onlyif the circular outl ine is followed accurately and th efaces of the join t where the sections of leg interlock aresmooth.

When the knuckle locks together and workssmooth ly, adjust the knuckle stops. The stops are thepoints at which the bottoms of th e arm supports andthe tops of th e legs rest on each other. The stops mayrequire slight sanding or adjustment so th at the bot­toms of the leg units are the same distance apart.

Seat SupportsMark the location of th e seat support mortises on theinside faces of the leg assemblies. Cut th e mortises intoth e legs. The tenons on the seat supports should seatsnugly into place with a firm rap with the palm of thehand or a mallet. You sho uld now be able to carry outa trial assembly of the chair frame. At thi s point, theframe consists of th e four leg-and-arm sections and thetwo seat supports.

CarvingIt is wise to execute the carving before final assemblyis begun. C arve the rosettes on the arms of the cha ir.Note th at they are carved on both the inner and outersurfaces of each arm. You may also carve the acanthusleaf designs that cascade down th e rear of the arms andthe lion's paws on the front of the feet. Finish-sand thecarving.

Foot AssemblyWorking on a level surface, trim the tenons on thebottom of the legs to fit into the mortises in the feet.These joints should have the same snug fit as the seatsupports. The tenons must be cut square so that thech air remains level and the foot units are in line. Dry­fit the pieces one at a time, and th en assemble them asa unit with the seat supports in place . Clamp the frametogether so that it does not sh ift while the arms arebeing fitted.

Arm AssemblyTrim the tenons on the tops of the arm supports sothat they fit squarely into the mortises on the under­sides of the arms. This will include trimming the topsof the arm supports to fit against the curve on theund ersides of the arms. This procedure will require alot of careful trimming and fitting.

MATERIALS

WOODAll wood is oa k, except maple dowels.

NUMBERPART OF PIECES THICKNESS WIDTH LENGTH

arms 2 2Yz" (63mm) X 6%" (l71mm) X 20" (508mm)

sea t supports 2 1Yz" (38mm) X 1%" (44mm) X 12ljz" (317mm)

feet 2 2Yz" (63mm) X 2%" (67mm) X 20ljz" (521mm)

legs 4 2" (51mm) X 6" (l52mm) X 40 " (ImI6mm)

large rose ttes 4 1" (25mm) X 4" (102mm) X 4" (l02mm)

dowel 1 W' (6mm) round X 36" (914mm)

UPHOLSTERY MATERIALTwo pieces of fabric and a liner will be needed for the sea t and back, unless they are to be made ofheavy-weight leather, in which case on ly one layer will be needed .

PART

seat

back

lining cloth

NUMBER OF PIECES

2

2

2

WIDTH

15" (381mm)

9" (229mm)

25" (635mm)

X

X

X

LENGTH

30" (762mm)

3 1" (787mm)

30" (762mm)

Final AssemblyO nce the pieces all fit snugly together and the chairsits squarely, disassemble and final-sand . Then fit thepieces togethe r for final assembly. It is wise to glue andnail the seat supports into place, rather than peg them.Disassemble the cha ir, glue the mort ise and tenonjoints on the seat supports, and reassemble the ent irechair before the glue sets. Pull the seat supports intoposition with bar clamps stretched across the outsidesurfaces of the front and back arm supports, placing apad under the jaws of the bar clamps so that they donot bite into the wood of the legs. Workin g from thetop side of the arm supports, drill a pilot hole into thearm support and th rough the tenon on the seat sup-

port. Nail together with l Ilt-inch (32mm) headless cutnails. Have someone hold a wooden block against theoutside surface of the arm support when you drive thenail into place to absorb the shock of the hammer thatwould otherwise be transferred into the leg. Wipe offany excess glue with a damp cloth.

DowelingWhen the glue on the seat supports is dry, clamp thearms and feet in place for doweling. To keep the cha irlevel, it is best if one end of a bar clamp is placed overthe top of the arms and the other end is hooked overthe underside of the table on which you are working.In other words, clamp the chair directly to the tabletop

84

so th at equal pressure is applied to the arms and feet.Being clamped onto the table will help keep the ch airlevel while it is being pegged together.

Drill 'A-inch (6mm) pilot holes th rough the armsand feet for the dowels. Hammer the dowels into posi­tion and saw them off near the arms and feet . If thedowels are too tight to be hammered easily into place,either enlarge the pilot hole by one drill size or sandthe dowels slightly.

Remove the clamps from the cha ir, and sand th edowels flush with the surface of the arms and feet.

Large RosettesThere are four large rosettes used to cover the facesof the knuckle joints on the legs. Lathe-turn fourrosettes to the profile indic ated in the drawings.Finish-sand each piece while still in the lathe. C arvethe florette (flower) design int o only one of therosettes . This decorated rosette will be used on thefront of the cha ir. The remaining three rosettes areleft uncarved.

It is not known how these rosettes were or igina llyattached to the cha ir. I recommend gluing them to thesurface of the knu ckle joint, takin g care not to get anyexcess glue into the joint , and nailing each one int oplace with two small, modern finishing nails.

Seat and BackThe sling-style seat and back can be made from heavyleather, tapestry, or velvet. Take measurements for theseat and back from the chair frame, as every chair may

85

vary slightly. The seat sho uld be long enough th at itcan be nailed to the und erside of the seat support rails.The top of the seat should be wide enough th at itextends nearly to th e outer edges of th e arm supports,about 13 inches (330mm) front to back. The port ionof the seat th at wraps around the seat supports sho uldon ly be the width of the supports, 101/ 2 inches (267mm).C ut and finish the leather or fabric. If you are usingfabric, sew two pieces back to back so th at there is afinished surface on both sides. Sandwich a piece ofcanvas or burlap between the two pieces of fabric forextra support.

Fit the seat and back int o place, but do not nailth em to the chair. If desired, add trim or fringe to th efabric or execute tooling on th e leather before finalinstall ati on .

Attach the seat cover first . To be sure th at the cha irdoes not begin to fold together while th e seat and backare being attached, clamp the cha ir onto the worktab leonce again. Pull th e seat cover tightly around th e seatsupports and nail it into place with barbed upholsterynails, using seven nails on each side of the seat. Thennail large-headed decorat ive upholstery nails into thetop surface of th e arm supports at the front and rearcorne rs of the seat.

Stretch the back panel across the back of th e cha irand approximately 1 inch (25mm) around the sides ofthe arms. Nail the back panel to the rear edges of thearms, using at least three tacks on each side. Wrap theends of the back around th e outside edges of th e armsand tack into place with large-headed upholstery nails.

34 1jz" (876mm)

SIDE VIEW

19 W' (502mm)

3%" (86mm)

13W' (349mm)

4 1;4" (108mm)

=if,\\" (63mm)

20W (521mm)

23Yz" (597mm)

n w' (705mm)

25Vz" (648mm)

FRONT VIEW

-----------1i~-----,c;---

2 1;4" (57mm)

2%" (67mm) 1

--'--1 J ~-2Vz" (63mm)-t--

86

2"(5Imm)

~ W' (I3mm)

~ ARM DETAIL

I -, ~I", '6W (I7Imm) ~"'--",,:> -,

~ 2" "-

~:\. {(5Imm)~ . " S.2W' (63mm)...' <, <,

r ~,- - , - I \i4" <, , 2"

I 0 I (32mm)\_" __"'~ ::-s55~~m~ '>__

5 1/.1" (I33mm) l<W' (I9mm)lOW' (273mm)

19W (489 mm)

SEAT SUPPORT( W' (13mm)

I II"1W (3~mm)~ f r-:st::::::--~---.::'_--:-~-------"""'s:::::----~~--:;;g""""""· :4~ Yz" (I3mm)

f lOW (267mm) ~ l TOP VIEW

IE------- 12 Yz" (317mm)~(38mm)t I" (25mm)W (I3mm) -t

END VIEW It ~ -===-...............",.__-_.- ~ Yz" (13mm)

l ~" (J2~:J~ 1W0mmJ~~-===---.~ -~ --,,-U " ~ =--= ----~ SIDE VIEWJ ri.. f r-- lOW (267 mm) --1 '\ ~ I" (25mm)

Yz" (I3mm) .'" W' (Brnm) 12W' (317mm)~

W (I9mm)

Yz" (I3mm)J-- 6" (I52mm)

lOW (267mm) ,I 2W I(57mm)~

FOOT DETAIL

- - -----.> . ' .....-_. _-~ (32mm) : 0 I

3" (76mm) <, '. '-... _ _~I_~

::::::--.... " ----4W (I08mm) ~

8Yz" (216mm)

"

IW'(44mm)

P;Wbo,,;~~~-...::::t

W z" (89mm) ....... --'

2Ya" (67mm)

20W ' (52Imm)

87

/,

Y'B" (22mm)~~ 1w r~(I6mm)

VB" (9mm) 2 Vz" (63mm)

26 Vz" (673mm)

LEG LAYOUT

\ ,-------\'\

KNUCKLE ,".-

\""/) ,-

,-

\;

r-- 3 Vz" (89mm)r---- 4" (I02mm)

. ~.-.-

SEAT SUPPORT OUTLINE I/ Z" (I3mm)

j ..-'- {jJ-~,,;.~ .. .:

7%" /:r~\ .... '-(I94mm) .. .> ?~\

,.,. Ifz" (l Imrn)

" .... " 114"1--+--+-----1I---+--+-----1~+_____P'_.d~:t___=='+__"'_i::~+__+__+,-;l-t- .. ".. (44mm)

FOOT CARVING

28 }-4" (730mm)

88

KNUCKLE ROSETTE

IH--- W' (I9mm)Ys" ( 9mm)i~

I"(25mm)

1W' (44mm)

Va" (Iornm)4" (102mm)

ACANTHUS LEAF CARVING

ARM ROSETTE

89

I 2Yz" (63mm) 11Yl"

r-(38mm)~

7" (I78mm)

12•

qandlcstand•

Heavy wrought-iron candlesticks and hanging chande­liers similar to this were used to bring brilliant, shim­mering illumination to the dark, cavernous interiorsof churches, manor houses, and castles throughoutEngland and Europe during the Middle Ages and intothe Renaissance.

This candlestand is unusual in that the candles arenot held in cups or stuck on spikes; rather, they sitinside free-standing rings that stand between the driptray and the inner decorative ring. Though this can­dlestand does not hold as many candles as some othersthat survive, all of the side candles would have hadto be nearly 2 feet (61Omm) in length and the centralcandle would have been nearly 3 inches (76mm) across,an extravagant use of expensive wax.

The entire piece is forged metal, mostly wroughtiron, and has a rather bulky look. Standing over 6 Yzfeet (Zm) high, it is a most impressive piece of work.This piece probably dates from the sixteenth century,but its place of origin is unknown. It is now locatedoutside of the Fuentiduena Chapel in the MetropolitanMuseum's Cloisters.

CONSTRUCTION NOTESThis room-size candlestand is constructed entirely ofhand-forged iron. Reconstructing it in a home shopwill require a few adaptations and a little time, butthe results will be impressive. To shape and bend thevarious parts of this candlestand, use the methodsdescribed in chapter 2. The joints and seams that wereoriginally heat forged can be welded or brazed together.

MaterialsAll of the basic pieces of the candlestand are con­structed from standard-dimension sheet metal and

91

steel bar stock, available from machine shops or iron­mongers. Three kinds of metal, referred to as stock,are used for this piece. The legs, decorative ornamen­tation, and support pieces in the crown are made offlat stock; the main shaft is made of 3/.!-by-%-inch(l9-by-19mm) square stock; and the drip pan anddecorative ring in the crown are made of sheet metal.

LegsThe first step in forging the legs is to make the feet.Place one end of a piece of leg stock into your vise toa depth of 1Yz Inches (38mm), and bend it to a 90­degree angle. Repeat for the other two legs. Then flat­ten and splay the ends of the feet by reheating themand forging them with a forging hammer.

Now bend each leg to a 90-degree arc-a quartercircle 10 inches (254mm) in height and in width. Toensure that all three legs arebent to the same arc, firstcut a wooden pattern against which they can be fitted .Do not try to forge the hot metal against this pattern;simply use it as a gauge of your progress in shaping thestock.

When all three legs are bent, the next step is tojoin them together. The legs on the original piece wereheat-forged onto a flat iron disk the same thickness asthe legs, at the center of which was a Va-inch (l6mm)hole. For reproduction purposes, you can weld the legsto a large, flat metal washer. You may, however, have tomanufacture a washer to the necessary specifications.Arrange the ends of the legs onto the surface of thewasher, spaced so that the three legs form an equilat­eral triangle at their juncture. The outer ends of thelegs should be equally spaced. Clamp the legs intoposition on the washer using a Cvclamp, and weld thelegs onto the washer. The completed leg unit should

CANDLESTAND, EUROPE, SIXTEENTH CENTURY. IRON;

H. 77". CLOISTERS COLLECTION, METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF

ART, NEW YORK CITY. COURTESY METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART.

92

stand 10 inches (254mm) off the floor and scribe acircle 24 inches (61Omm) across at the tips of the feet.

Main ShaftThe main shaft of the candlestand is formed from alength of square stock. The bottom of the shaft mustbe forged to fit through the hole at the juncture of thelegs. Heat 1 inch (25mm) at the end of the shaft andforge it to as near round as possible. When the forgedportion of the shaft can be fitted into the washer onthe leg unit, weld it to the top and bottom surfaces ofthe washer, first ensuring that the legs are resting on alevel surface and that the shaft is standing as verticalas possible.

The top of the shaft head holds the drip tray andcrown. To provide a stable seat for the frame of thedrip tray, this end of the shaft must be larger than thebottom end.

To simulate the heavy forged head on the originalshaft, weld a piece of 13i4-inch (44mm) round stock tothe top of the shaft, making certain that the head is ina parallel line with the body of the shaft so that thecrown will sit straight on the completed candlestand.

Once the head is welded into place, turn the entireunit upside down, so that the head is on the groundand the legs are in the air. To create the wedge-shapedtaper between the shaft and the shaft head shown inthe drawings, build up a l-inch (25mm) high pyramidof weld around the shaft. When it has cooled, work thesides of the pyramid smooth with a grinder and files tosimulate the sloped shoulders beneath the head.

At the center of the shaft head, drill a hole '/s inch(3mm) in diameter and a Vz inch (l3mm) deep. Intothis hole, insert a piece of Vs-inch (3mm) steel rod 1inch (25mm) in length. If you heat the area around thehole in the shaft head until it begins to glow slightly,the rod should tap into place easily and, once cooled,will never come out. This rod will eventually hold thedrip tray and crown in place.

Drip Tray FrameThe four-armed frame of the drip tray is made in muchthe same manner as the leg unit. The frame can easilybe made in three pieces: one main arm that runs theentire width of the tray and two shorter arms weldedto either side of the main arm to form a cross. First,bend 1Y4-inch (44mm) tabs on both ends of the mainarm of the drip tray frame. Bend similar tabs on oneend of each of the short arms. Flatten and splay the endsof these arms in the same manner as the feet. In each

of the four tabs, drill a hole large enough to receive arivet, as shown in the drawings.

Lay the three arms onto a welding surface so th atthe short arms rest against the main arm at its centerpoint. The arms should touch each other, but not over­lap. The pieces now form a cross like the one shown inthe drawing of the bottom of the drip tray. When thepieces are in position , weld the sho rt arms onto thelong arm unit, and then file th e weld joint flat. Whenfinished you should have a four-armed frame with aninner diameter of about 16 inches (406mm).

At the point where the four arms cross, dr ill a 3/ 16­

inch (5mm) hole so th at the drip tray frame will fitover the pin on the shaft head.

Drip TrayThe drip tray is made in two pieces. The bottom issimply a circle of sheet metal, and the sides are madefrom a band of the same sheet metal.

To make the bottom of the tray, mark out a circleof sheet metal16 -Y-! inches (425mm) in diameter. Markanother circle 1 inch (25mm) smaller th an the first,or 15 314 inches (400mm), inside the first circle. Thesmaller circle is the actual size of the bottom of thedrip tray; the larger circle will provide tabs with whichto attach the bottom of the tray to the sides. C ut th elarge circle out of the sheet of metal stock. At li z-inch(l 3mm) intervals around the circumference of th elarge circle, cut V-shaped notches Vz inch (l 3mm) deep.The innermost point of these notches should just touchthe inner circle. If properly spaced, there should beapproximately one hundred notches cut around thecircle. Using pliers or a hammer, bend the tabs at rightangles to the circle. You should wind up with a shallowtray 15 -Y-! inches (400mm) in diameter and 'Iz inch(l 3mm) deep.

To form the side of the drip tray, take a piece of thesame sheet metal, 3 Yt inches (82mm) in width by 52inches (lm321mm) in length , and form it int o a circlearound the outside of the sha llow drip tray. Where theends overlap, clamp them together with a C -clamp. Drilla hole large enough to receive a rivet throu gh the lappedends of the circle. Without removing the C -clamp, slipthe band of metal off the bottom of the tray. Insert arivet into the hole and peen the end of the rivet untilit is tightly in place. Now remove the C-clamp.

Fit the band back over the bot tom of the tray andsolder the tabs on the bot tom tray to th e inner faceof the band . Do not atte mpt to weld these piecestogether; the heat from the torch may melt the metal.

93

Now bend the top Yt-inch (6mm) of the sides of thedrip tray outward to a 60- or 70-degree angle by rest­ing the outer edge of the side of the drip tray againstth e edge of a workbench or an anvil and gently ham­mering it outward. Do not hammer too hard, or the sol­der joints might break. This flared edge is very unevenon the origina l piece, so don 't worry if it looks a littleirregular.

Inner Ring Support LegsBend th e three legs that suppor t the deco rative innerring according to th e dimensions provided in thedrawings. When all three legs have been bent , drilltwo 'Is-inch (3mm) holes in th e sho rt side (the foot) .Rivets will be placed through th ese holes to att achth e legs to th e bottom of th e drip tray. Drill ano ther'Is-inch (3mm) hole 1 inch (25mm) from th e end ofthe long side of each leg. These holes will receive therivets th at hold the decorat ive ring in place .

Inner Ring Support BracketsThese three brackets stabilize the decorative inner ringby attach ing it to the large candle holder at the centerof the crown. Bend both ends of th e bar stock to 90­degree angles to form feet, th e foot on one end being-Y-! inch (l 9mm) long and th e other 1Vz inches (38mm)long. These feet should face in opposi te directions.

Central Candle HolderForm three legs from bar stoc k as called for in thematerials list. Bend a 1114- inch (32 mm) foot at one endof each leg. At th e other end, bend th e last 4 inches(l02mm) of the stock in the opposite direction fromth e foot , at about a 30-degree angle, to form the flaringtop of the candle holder as shown in th e drawings.

Drill a 'Is-inch (3mm) hole in each of the three legsof the candle holder 1 inch (25mm) below the pointwhere it begins to flare outward. Drill ano ther holeabout 6 inches (l52mm) up from the bottom of the leg.To position thi s hole exac tly, temporarily bolt togetheran inner ring support leg and one of the inner ringsupport brackets. Set these pieces next to one leg ofthe central candle holder so th at the three pieces arein the position the y will be in when the candlestand iscompleted. Mark the location of the rivet hole on theinside foot of the inner ring support bracket at thepoint where it rests against the candle holder leg. Markeach part so th at you can fit the same pieces togetherfor final assembly. Sligh t variations in the pieces maynot allow them to be int erch angeable.

MATERIALS

METALAll metal is hot rolled for easy shaping .

N UMBERPART O F PIECES THICKNESS WIDTH LENGTH

legs 3 V8" (3mm) X 11/4" (32 mm) X 17" (432mm)

leg washer 1 V8" (3mm) X 2" (5 1mrn) round / %" (l 6mm) hole

shaft 1 %" (19mm) X %" (19mm) X 44 " (Lm l l Smm)

sh aft head 1 13;41' (44mm) round X I Ijz'I (38mm)

sh aft pin 1 WI (3 mm) round X I" (25 mm)

d rip tr ay 1 .3 2 ga X 16" (407mm) X 16" (407mm)

d rip tr ay ring 1 .3 2 ga X 3" (7 6mm) X 52" (lm321mm)

d rip tray frame , 1 V8" (3mm) X 1l;4" (32 mm) X 20"(508mm)long ar m

drip t ray frame, 2 '/8" (3mm) X 1 ';4" (32mm) X 9 %" (238mm)short arms

Join the th ree legs of the cent ral cand le holder atthe base by welding them onto a washer as you did forthe large leg unit. The washer sho uld be on the inside,not the outside (bottom), of the candle holder.

Heat-forge two rings of the same bar stock used toform the legs of the central candle holder. These ringssho uld form circles just large enough to slide inside thelegs of the central candle holder. When each ring fitsinto the candle holder, weld the ends of the ringtogether. Drill three holes in each ring to correspondwith the holes in the legs of the candle holder. Rivetthe rings into place.

AssemblyAt this point you are ready to undertake the first stageof the assembly of the crown. Position the three innerring support legs around the inside edge of the drip trayat equal int ervals. Mark the location of the holes inthe feet onto the floor of the drip tray, remove the legs,

94

and dri ll 'Is-inch (3mm) holes thro ugh the floor of thedrip tray as marked. Rivet the inner ring support legsinto place.

Inner RingThis decorative ring is made in much the same man neras the sides of the drip tray. The material is slightlyheavier, because it carries the weight of twelve decora­tive loops, but the construction technique is the same.Bend the metal into a circle th at fits inside the innerring support legs. Where the ends of the ring overlap,clamp them with a C -c1amp.

Remove the ring from inside the legs, drill, and rivetit together. Then remove the C-c1amp and fl are outthe top 1!4 inch (6mm) of the ring as you did the side ofthe drip tray. Set it into position inside the inn er ringsupport legs. Position the riveted joint in the ring sothat it is located equidistant between two of thesupport legs. Mark the locat ion of the rivet holes in

NUMBERPART O F PIECES THICKNESS WIDTH LENGTH

inner ring 3 W' (3mm) X Ys" (1 6mm) X 9ljz" (241 mm)support legs

inner rin g 3 I/ S" (3 mm) X Ys" (1 6mm) X 6ljz" ( 165 mm)support brackets

central ca nd le hold er 3 Vs" (3 mm) X Ys" (1 6mm) X 21ljz" (546mm)

centra l ca nd le hold er Vs" (3 mm) X 2" (51 mm) round / 3/16" (5mm) holewasher

cen tra l ca nd le rings 2 Vs" (3mm) X Ys" (16mm) X 9ljz" (24 Imm)

decorative ring .32 ga X 2'14" (57mm) X 39" (99 1mm)

decorat ive loops 12 .3 2 ga X 1" (25mm) X 6" (1 52mm)

central shaft 4 Vs" (3mm) X 314" (19mm) X 8" (203mm)decoration

bottom sh aft 4 W' (3 mm) X W' (19mm) X 4ljz" ( Ll -lmrn)decoration

leg decorat ion 3 l/S" (3 mm) X 1" (25mm) X 7" (1 78mm)

rivets 50 I/ S" (3 mm) d iame ter X 1;4" (6mm)

the support legs, remove the decorative ring, and drillthe holes.

Decorative LoopsThe twelve loops around the decorative ring appear tobe purely orna mental in nature. They are made fromstrips of the same metal as the decorative ring intowhich they are moun ted (see materials list ). To shapethese loops, cut away enough material from each end ofthe strips to leave a pin of meta l 1 inch (2Smm) longand no more than a '!4 inch (6mm) wide at the pointwhere it joins the body of the strip of metal (see detai lA in the drawings).

Bend the pins at right angles to the strip of metal sothat both pins point in the same direct ion. Then bendthe strips of metal into rings. You can heat the metalslightly to make the process easier, but thi s is not nec­essary, as the metal is lightweight enough that it shouldbend easily with pliers and a hammer. Do not worry

95

if the loops are not perfectly round; the loops on theorigina l piece are far from perfect .

Small Candle HoldersThe frame of the three small candle holders are madefrom a single piece of flat stock. The spearhead-shapeddecorative device at the top of the cand le holder iseasiest to make before the frame is bent to shape. Fol­lowing the dimensions in the drawings, cut the pointto shape with a jeweler's saw or band saw, or simply fileit to shape. The origina l piece seems to have beenmade by a combination of heat forging and cutting thehot metal with a chisel.

When the decorative work has been completed,measure 11 inches (279mm) from each end of the stockand mark the location of the base of the candl e holder.Bend the holders into their bracket shape , working asclosely to the lines as possible to ensure that the twosides of the frame are equal in height.

Form the I Y4-inch (32mm) support ring for thecandle holder following the procedure for makin g therings in the cent ral candle holder. Then drill the ringand bracket for rivets, insert the rivets, and assemblethe piece. Drill an additiona l Vs-inch (3mm) holeth rough the center of th e base of the bracket so th at itcan be riveted to the drip tray.

Crown AssemblyBegin assembly of th e crown by attaching the candl eholders to the bottom of th e drip tray. They should bepositioned between the decorati ve ring and th e side ofthe drip tray, at points equid istant between the innerring support legs. When you have located thi s point foreach of the three candle holders, drill a lis-inch (3mm)rivet hole th rough th e bottom of th e drip tray.

The easiest way to rivet the candle holder to the driptray is to drop the rivet downward th rough th e candleholder and then th rough th e hole in the floor of th edrip tray. Drop a steel rod th rough the candle holderunt il it rests against the head of the rivet , and then peenthe rivet into place from the bot tom of the drip tray.

The next step is to attach th e decorati ve loops toth e inner ring. To locate the points at which th e loopsare to be atta ched, temporarily set th e ring into posi­t ion on the support legs. The point at which the ring islapped and riveted sho uld be located behind one of th ethree candle holders. Mark locati ons for four decora­tive loops bet ween each of the three candle holders.Then remove th e inner ring from its frame, and drillholes in the ring large enough to accommodate the pinson the back of th e loops. Both pins on a loop shouldgo th rough a single hole. Insert the pins on each loopint o a hole, and gently spread the end s of the pins out­ward until they rest against the inner face of the innerring.

Now attach th e in ner ring support brackets to thecent ral cand le holder, which has not yet been installedin the crown. Place the heads of the rivets on the insideof the candle holder and peen the rivets over againstthe outer face of the suppor t bracket .

Next, place th e inner ring inside th e inner ring sup­port legs. Place the central candle holder, which hasthe inner ring support brackets att ached to it, insidethe inner ring. Align the three rivet holes in the innerring with the holes in the support legs and th e supportbrackets. The decorative ring should now be sandwichedbetween the support legs and the support brackets.Place th e rivets so th at th e heads face the centralcandle holder and th e peened end is exposed to view.

96

Attaching the CrownDrill a Yl6-inch (5mm) hole th rough the drip traydirectly in line with the hole in the washer at the baseof the central candle holder. Set the drip tray into thedrip tray arms. The li z-inch (l3mm) long pin protrud­ing from th e head of the shaft should pass throu ghthe holes in the drip tray frame, the drip tray, and thewasher at the base of the central candle holder.

Drill four holes thro ugh the sides of the drip tray inline with the holes in the drip tray arms. Insert rivetsint o these holes so th at the heads face the inside of thedrip tray and the peened ends are exposed.

Peen the end of the pin th at sticks up th rough thecentral candle holder by resting the end of a steel rodagainst it and tapping the rod with a hammer. You mayheat the pin with your torch to make it easier to peen,but be careful not to melt a hole in the thin metal ofth e dr ip tray.

Decorative WorkThe decorative orna mentation at the middle of thecentral sha ft and at the point where the shaft joins thelegs can now be formed. Form the curls with the use ofa mandrel as described in chapter 2.

The large curling orna ments on top of the legs aremade from the same bar stock used for the legs. Shapethe decorative curls first, then curve the body ofthi s piece in the same way th at the legs were formed.Use either the legs themselves or the wooden patternagainst wh ich the legs were shaped to ach ieve thecorrect curve.

The small orna mental curls at the base of the shaftand the double-curl ed orna ment in the center of theshaft are shaped in th e same way the leg decorationswere formed.

When these orna mental pieces have been formed,clamp them into place at the locations shown on thedrawings and spot-weld them onto the legs and thecentral shaft. File away any excess weld to provide asmooth seam where the orna ments meet the struct ureof the candlestand.

FinishThe original candlestand is made of wrought iron andhas a uniform black surface. A similar finish can beobta ined with old-fash ioned stove polish or flat blackspray paint.

The drip tray would origina lly have contained a bedof sand about liz inch (l3mm) deep to catch the drip­ping tallow or wax from the candles.

o

CROWN

19" (483mm)

11;4" (32mm)

TOTAL HEIGHT77" (955mm)

17Yz" (444mm)

24" (6IOmm)

BASE

T3" (76mm)

...J:'..-

II " (279mm)

o

I ljz" (38mm)

~W

W z" (l40mm)

21Yz" (546mm)

+

10" (254mm)

8 1;4"(209mm)

W' (l9mm)

~\\"...\\,,\\\\ ...'\\\\ ' \\\,\" ,.

~ 16" (406mm) --+--1--+----------;11

97

DECORATIVELOOPS

~ S" (l 27mm)

II

r2" (SImm) L

-§)=- I" (2Smm)

~

TIIWIJ,mml

i IW' ~ ~(J2mm)

SMALLCANDLE HOLDER

3" (76mm)~CENTRAL

CANDLE HOLDER

3"

1

2',-4" (S7mm)

f

2"(SImm) (76mm)

7Yz" (l90mm)

W (l9mm)

!!.I" (I9mm)

4" (102mm) - - II I

9" (229mm)

S" (l27mm)

19" (483mm)

II " (279mm)

1 ~"\. W (l9mm)

6"(IS2mm)

l'

2" (SImm)

~Yz" ( lJmm)

-,,;-

11 IW' ~

(J2mm)

98

%" (I 6mm)

DRIP TRAY WITHDRIP TRAY FRAME,

BOTTOM VIEW

,\\ \\\'" f3" (76mm)

--1

o

/I \ \ \\ \ \"\\ \\

16" (406mm)

3/16" (Smm) hole

in frame and drip tray

11;4" (32mm)

DRIP TRAYAND CROWN,

TOP VIEW

16" (40 6mm)

2" (Slmm)

DRIPTRAY

99

13•

~onasti( Ganopy :Bcd•

Severity, humility, and dedication to God were thecornerstones of medieval monastic life. The furnishingsin monks' cells reflected their Spartan existence. Thismonk 's bed is part of a re-created cell at Mount GracePriory in North Yorkshire County. Mount Grace was amonastery of the Carthusian order, where monks livedin almost total isolation, unlike th e majority of mon­astic orders, where the brothers lived communally.Each monk's cell at Mount Grace was actually a smallhouse th at contained all the brother would need tolive and carry out his appointed work. The cell had anentry passage, a living hall, study, work room, andbedroom.

In the bedroom were a simple canopy bed , storagechest, and stool. The bed was no more than a boxmade of oak with a floor only 3 inches (76mm) abovethe plank floor of the cell. The interior of the bed wasfitted with a large, rough-woven cloth sack filled withstraw. The canopy, with its coarse cloth curtains, wouldhelp keep out the biting winter winds and snow thatundoubtedly swept through the shutt ered, glasslesswindows of the cell during the cold North Yorkshirewinters. With the dissolution of the monasteries duringthe reign of Henry VIII , virtu ally all physical remnantsof English monastic life disappeared, along with themonastic structure itself.

CONSTRUCTION NOTESThis monk 's bed is no more th an a paneled box chestwithout a lid, and its construction is approached asthough it were a simple chest. This bed is made com­pletely of wood and is put together without the use ofeither glue or metal fasteners.

MaterialsThe monk's bed is made of oak, altho ugh the pegs maybe maple or birch. Do not use oak veneer plywood forth e panel s; th e raised surface of th e panels face towardthe outside of th e bed, and th e layers of the ply wouldbe plainly visible. Most of the wood called for in th ematerials list will be readily obta inable th rough alumbermill , th ough it may have to be specially planedto width and thickness. The raised panels, however,will probably have to be glued up from two or threeboards. Only the overall dimensions of th e floor of thebed are given in the materials list . This is not to sayth at it is one solid board. It would have been con­structed of whatever width boards were lying aroundthe shop. The goal is simply to provide a level floor.

Getting StartedCut the four upright corner posts, the long bottomrails, and the long top rails to length. Because the topand bottom rails are different dimensions, the tenonpositions need to be marked out carefully to preventmaking any mistakes in cutting.

Lay two corner posts, a top rail , and a bottom rail ina simple rect angular sha pe on a level work surface. Theends of the top and bot tom rails sho uld fit inside thecorne r posts. The top rails sho uld be situa ted so th atone of the 3-inch (76mm) sides is lying facedown onthe work surface. The bottom rails are square, so theirorientation does not matter. Viewed from above, thesurface of the posts and rails falls on three differentplanes. This uneven face will be the inside of the bedframe. The bottom of the rectan gle, the face lying onthe work surface, will be the exterior face of th e bed.

101

102

REPLICA OF FIFTEENTH~CENTURY ENGLISH CANOPY BED. OAK, IRON, AND WOOL. COLLECTION OF M OUNT GRACE

PRIORY, N ORTH A LLERTON , ENGLAN D. COURTESY ENGLISH H ERITAGE. PHOTOG RA PH BY D.T YLER H UFF.

103

Top RailsKeeping this arrangeme nt carefully in mind, removethe top rail from between the corne r posts and markthe location of the tenons so that they will in tersectthe corner posts in the manner shown in detail C inthe drawings. The tenons sho uld be centered on thetop rails so tha t there is a %-inch (l 9mm) wide tenoncentered on the 2-inch (5 Imm) wide face of the rail.There shou ld be a Va-inch (l 6mm) wide shoulder oneither side of th e tenon. C ut the tenons to thi s widthand trim them to th e height indicated in details Aand B. Repeat this process on both ends of all four toprails.

Bottom RailsThe tenons on the bot tom rails are situated off-center.Here, as on the top rail, the tenons are % inch (l9mm)wide and have a Va-inch (l 6mm) wide shoulder on theouter face , but because of the width of the bottom rail,there is a 2 Va-inch (54mm) wide sho ulder on the innerside of each tenon. The tenons on the bottom railsshould be the same 1lA-inch (32 mm) length as th oseon the top rails. Unlike th e tenons on the top rail ,however, they are not step ped down from the height ofthe rail and are the 3 li z- inch (89 mm) height of therail. O nce they have been laid out , cut the tenons onbot h ends of all four bottom rails.

Corner PostsInto the top and bottom ends of each corne r post, cutmortises to receive th e tenons of the top and bottomrails. A ltho ugh th e tenons on the top rails are cen­tered, the mortises in the corne r posts will be sligh tlyoff-center because the top rails and the corner postsare different widths (see detail C ).

Mark all posts and rails as to th eir position, andalso mark the outside faces (those th at fit flush witheach other) of the rails and posts. It is wise to markeach mortise and tenon joint as it is finished, as theparts will not be interchangeable. If the parts are notmarked, it can take hours to relocate each piece inits proper place . Make all markings with chalk oron pieces of masking tape so th at th ey can easily beremoved from the wood.

Be certain th at th e tenons fit snugly into the mor­tises. You should be able to seat the tenon into th emortise with several firm taps with the palm of the handor with one or two taps of a wooden mallet. The jointsmust also fit squarely.

104

Frame AssemblyWhen all of the morti ses and tenons have been cutand finished to a snug fit, assemble the frame of thebed. Because the bottom rails are wider than thecorne r posts int o which they are tied, you will haveto cut a notch into an inside edge on one of the bot­tom rails at each corne r (see drawing labeled botto mrail from above). C ut these notches in the sho rt railson the ends of the bed rather th an in the long siderails. When the bed has been assembled, you shouldhave what is essentially the wooden outl ine of a six­sided box.

StilesSet the bed frame on a level surface, and check th atthe structure is square and plumb in all directions.Locate the panel dividers, or stiles, on the long sidesof the bed frame. The stiles are 2 by 3 inches (51 by76mm) and should be positioned so th at their exteriorface is 3 inches (76mm) in width. In -this position , thestiles should be th e same th ickness as the top rail, 2inches (5Imm). Mark the locat ions of the stiles on thetop face of the bottom rail and on the botto m side ofthe top rail. Inside the outlines of the sti les, mark thelocati ons of the mortises as shown in detail C. Cutthe tenon ends on all four st iles.

Disassemble the bed frame and cut the eight mor­tises that will receive the stile tenons. Again, fit eachst ile into place one at a time and mark its location ,with cha lk or on masking tape, so th at you will be ableto easily reassemble the entire structure.

When the mortises and tenons have been cut forthe stiles, reassemble the ent ire bed frame. Thereshould now be a tot al of sixteen components, all ofwhich must join square and plumb with each other.

Locating the PanelsAround the interior circumference of all eight panelframes, scribe locator lines to mark the rabbets th atwill hold the raised panels (see detail D). These linesshould be marked in pencil and run conti nuouslyaround th e edge of each panel. O ne line should be li zinch (13mm) from the outside edge of the frame, andthe other line sho uld be Vz inch (l 3mm) inside the firstline, or 1 inch (25mm) from the outside edge of theframe.

Now disassemble the frame. Cut a J!4- inch (l 9mm)deep rabbet between each pair of lines scribed on theframe. Rabbets may be cut with mallet and chisel or on

a table saw. The rabbets can run the ent ire length ofthe top and botto m rails with out regard for the loca­tion of the stile mortises. They should also run theenti re length of the stiles. If they clip away a bit of thetenons on the top and bottom of the stiles, thi s willhave no effect on the final assembly of th e bed.

When cutt ing the rabbets into the corne r posts,however, the rabbets should not extend above the mor­tise for the top rail; in other words, do not cut the rab­bet th rough the top of the corne r posts.

PanelsThe panel sizes called for in the materials list allow anextra Y4 inch (l9mm) in both height and width on allof the panels to provide the tongue th at seats into th erabbeted groove in the bed frame.

The cha mfered edges on these panels were origina llyshaped with a drawknife. Though they are easier to cuton a table saw or with a plane, using a drawknife willgive the cha mfers the irregular surface found on theorigina l furn iture.

Before you begin to cut the cha mfer, mark off theport ion of the panel th at will be cut away. Markthe fi nished width of the panel around its outer edgeand the width of cha mfer around the face of the panel.The face of the cha mfer is 2 inches (51mm) wide,includin g the area th at seats into the rabbet.

The outer face of the rabbets may need to beangled slightly with a chisel and mallet to accom­modate the chamfered edge of the panels. Do not cutaway more th an is necessary, in order to maintain asnug fit.

Final AssemblyAs the panels are chamfered and fitted into the rab­bets, begin assembling the bed. Working on a level sur­face, assemble one of the sho rt end s of the bed first,then assemble the long sides, and finally th e remainingshort end of the bed. When the frame and all of thepanels have been assembled, check th at the bed is leveland square.

Pull the entire structure of the bed together, usingstrap clamps or bar clamps, and begin to drill pilotholes for the dowels. Do not drill all of the dowel holesat one time. First dowel the top and bottom rails to thecorner posts. When the corners of the bed are secure,drill and dowel the stiles to the top and bottom rails.Tapering the ends of the dowels will allow them to seatinto the pilot holes more easily.

Floor BoardsNow cut the floor boards. For the greatest support , thefloor boards should run across the width of the bed,rather th an its length. The boards need not rest tightlyagainst the backs of the panels, but they should bewide enough th at th ey can not fall off the bottom rail.Not ch them to fit around th e corne r posts and st iles.There is no need to attach the floor boards to th e bot ­tom rail.

To adapt the bed for a modern mattress, you canraise the floor to about 10 inches (254mm) below thetop edge of the bed frame. To do so, attach 2-by-2-inch(51-by-51mm) support rails, the length of the interiorof the bed, to the inside of th e bed frame at the stilesand corner posts. These supports are on ly necessaryalong the long sides of the bed. Use modern woodscrews to att ach the se supports. Lay the floor boards ontop of these support rails.

FinishWhen assembly is complete, sand the bed and give itan oil finish.

CanopyFrame . The metal canopy is a simple welded frame

of round steel stock. Working on a level surface,arrange two long and two sho rt lengths of 1j2-inch(l 3mm) round stock in a rectangular sha pe 71 inches(lm803mm) by 35 1/ 2 inches (902mm). At each corne r,stand one of the 21j2-inch (63mm) pieces of 1j2-inch(l 3mm) round stock as a corne r post at the junctureof the frame members (see th e detail drawings of thecanopy frame) . Check that the pieces are all at 90­degree angles to each other, then weld the corners ofthe frame together. At the center of each long sideof the frame, weld another 21j2-inch (63mm) long postto the inside face of the frame.

Onto one of the 71-inch (lm803mm) long, %-inch(9mm) rods, slide twenty of th e l-inch (25mm) chainlinks, and clamp the rod to the free ends of the corne rposts on one of the long sides of th e canopy frame.Arrange the chain links so th at th ere are ten links oneither side of the central divider post. Weld the rod tothe corner posts and the cent ral divider post. Repeatth is process on the other long side of th e canopy frame.

Slide twelve, l -tnch (25mm) cha in links onto oneof th e sho rt , %-inch (9mm) rods, and weld th e rodbetween the support posts on one of the sho rt end s ofthe canopy frame . Repeat the process on the other end

105

MATERIALS

WOODAll wood is oak, except dowels, which may be maple or birch.

NUMBERPART OF PIECES THICKNESS WIDTH LENGTH

top rail sides 2 211 (51mm) X 3 11 (76mm) X 68'1211 (lm740mm)

top rail ends 2 211 (51mm) X 3 11 (76mm) X 3411 (864mm)

bottom rail sides 2 3 1/211 (89mm) X 3ljz" (89mm) X 68'1211 (lm740mm)

bottom rail ends 2 3 '1211 (89mm) X 3ljz" (89mm) X 3411 (864mm)

corner posts 4 3 11 (76mm) X 3 11 (76mm) X 20ljz" (521mm)

stiles 4 211 (51mm) X 3 11 (76mm) X 16 '1211 (419mm)

side panels 6 111 (25mm) X 15 '12 11 (394mm) X 21 '1211 (546mm)

end panels 2 111 (25mm) X 15ljz" (394mm) X 31 11 (787mm)

bottom 111 (25mm) X 32 '12 11 (825mm) X 69 11 (lm753mm)

dowel 1 lAII (6mm) round X 13011 (3m302mm)

of the frame. You should now have a frame similar tothe one shown in the drawings . Turn the frame so thatthe chain link rings are resting on the work surface.The frame will now be in the position it will assumewhen it is hung above the bed.

On top of each of the four corner posts, weld a l-inch(25mm) chain link. The canopy will be suspendedfrom these rings.

Installing the Frame . Place the assembled bed intoits permanent location before attaching the canopy.The canopy can be hung at any height. The figureshere show it at 96 inches (2m438mm) above the floor.Attach eye bolts into the ceiling joists directly abovethe corners of the bed. If there are no joists at theselocations, use toggle bolts instead of eye bolts. Tyingdirectly into the ceiling joists will provide the best sup­port, however.

From the bolts, suspend lengths of chai n or rope,

106

attaching one end securely to the bolts. If you areusing chain, cut each to the desired length and hookthe bottom links through the rings on the corners ofthe canopy frame. If you are using rope, thread theends through the four support rings on the canopyframe. Lift the frame into position and tie off the firstrope. Tie off successive ropes, ensuring that the canopyframe is level, until all four corners have been tied. Itwill take a bit of patience to get the frame level.

Drapes. The length of the drapery material in thematerials list is given for a bed canopy frame that issuspended 96 inches (2m438mm) above the floor. Ifthe height is more or less, adjust the length of materialaccordingly. You will need a total of six drapery panels.Leave the machine edges exposed as the edges of thedraperies; medieval monks would not have madehems unnecessarily. Hem the top and bottom of eachpanel, however. Along the bottom edge, sew a l -inch

METAL

NUMBERPART OF PIECES DIAMETER LENGTH

canopy side, to p rail s 2 Y2" (1 2mm) round X 71 " (Im803mm)

canopy end , top rails 2 Y2" (l2mm) round X 35ljz'1 (902mm)

canopy posts 6 ljz'1 (12mm) round X 2"(51mm)

canopy hangers and 68 I" (25mm) chain linksdrapery rings

canopy side , bottom rail s 2 3jg'1(9mm) round X 71" (Im803mm)

canopy end , bottom rails 2 3jg'1(9mm) round X 34ljz" (877mm)

FABRICFabr ic is coarse, open -weave wool, dye d gray- brown .

PART

side pane ls

canopy

NUMBER O F PIECES

6

WIDTH

52" (lm3 21mm)

46" (lmI 68mm)

X

X

LENGTH

96" (2m438mm)

82" (2m83mm)

(25mm) wide, double-turned hem. At the top end ofthe drapery, sew a I li z-inch (38mm) wide, double­turned hem.

Sew the draperies to the drapery rings on the canopyframe. O ne drape will go at the head of the bed, one atthe foot, and two on each side. The drapes on the sideare opened and closed as required, and the single pan­els on the ends of the bed are usually left extended.

Cover. Make a cover for the canopy frame using asingle piece of fabric the length and width indicated inthe materials list. Cut a 4 Vz-inch (Ll-lmm) square fromeach corner of the unhemmed canopy cover. This willallow the canopy to extend beyond the hanging ropesand drop down around the sides of the canopy frame.

107

Hem the edges of the canopy cover, includin g aroundthe cutout s, with a liz -inch (l 3mm) wide, double­turned hem.

Tie light string or heavy thread across the open topof the canopy frame to serve as a temporary supportfor the canopy cover. Only four or five stri ngs arenecessary in each direction-just enough to supportthe canopy. Place the canopy cover over the top of theframe and adjust it so th at it hangs straight and evenon all four sides.

Use heavy thread to sew the canopy in place aroundthe top edge of the canopy frame with a loose whip­stitch. When all four sides have been sewn to the frame,cut away the string support.

SIDEVIEW

ENDVIEW

14" (356mm)

~u.::::=====~~ 35 '/ z" (902mm)

20 Yz" (521mm)

---172" (lm829mm)

-L-~ ......,.. """"

14" (356mm)

72" (lm829mm)

( -.. 1Ir----.,------~_+_-:___+.

4" (l02mm)

20 '/ z" (521mm)

, (902mm)

1TOP VIEW

-- 68" (lm727mm)

31 Yz" (800mm)35 Yz'

I

.... 2" (51mm)

1 rc. J .l~ }, ---

l "------"72" (lm829mm)

3" (76mm» ). ~

V---.--

108

SIDE VIEW, CUTAWAY

3" (76mm) JJ ~

----- ­_ CL

3" (76mm)

3" (76mm)

DETAILS A AND BDETAILS A AND B,SHOWING JOINTS

\jz" (l3mm)2Vz"

(63mm)

- = 1 r_ . 1/ " (6 ) o~-"- 2'14"--><-- r - - ., ~ 14 mm I

I I - ~ 0 J (S7mm)o - )\

l W (~32mm-rl--))-----'T(r:=r--\\\'I \ ~ ~ --- \

( '- <,

1 3" t 1 3" t(76mm) (76mm)

\\ \ \

- --+- 11

\

/ lis" (9mm)

114" (6mm) ( -:--- '

~ ~ - - ----.e-"--- _

I Vz"0 8mm)

2" (Slmm)

l\

DETAIL C, TOP VIEWSHOWING JOINTS

~ 2Vz" ~~63mml

W' (l9mm)

%" (l9mm) 1t ~'- I W (J 2mm)

109

BOn-OM RAILFROM ABOVE

'/ z" (13mm)I" (2Smm)

I" (2Smm)

3"

DETAIL DBOn-OM RAIL AND

FLOOR BOARD

'/ z" (l 3mm)

'14" (6mm)

Yz" (Brnm)

W z" (89mm)

3"(76mm)

20" (S08mm)3"(76mm)

CANOPY FRAME

36" (9 14mm)============:!jJ[=========

f-72" (lm829mm)

FRAME CORNER FRAME CORNER,CUTAWAY VIEW

3mm)

(2Smm)ii"i Yz" (IJrnm)

-...,- ,..., ;) f~

W (9mm)2 \jz" (6

i .L2Smm) 't"'"

~ "II

I"

I" (

2Yz" (63mm)

Va" (9mm)

I" (2Sm m)

" Yz" (l3mm)

FRAME CORNER,TOP VIEW

110

14•

Fifteenth,Qenturylijindom Frame

•

The ornate carving in the trefoil headings of this late­fifteenth-century window frame is identical on boththe inner and outer faces, suggesting that the windowwas never intended to hold glass. Such a fine windowwould only have been made for the house of a richmerchant, and yet there was no attempt at protectingthe occupants of the home from the elements. Thereare rabbets on the inside face of the frame that wereprobably intended to hold wooden shutters, but thisonly gave the homeowners a choice between exposingthemselves totally to the elements and living in nearcomplete darkness.

The window also indicates that the ceiling height ofthe room from which it came was hardly grand. Evenconsidering the loss of several inches at the bottom ofthe uprights and the elimination of the sill plate onwhich they rested, the room cannot have been muchmore than 6V2feet (about 2 m) in height. None ofthese factors, however, detract from the impressiveworkmanship. This beautifully worked window framemay not serve as much of a window, but it would makea marvelous room divider or screen-wall.

This marvelous artifact is currently in storage in theVictoria and Albert Museum.

CONSTRUCTION NOTESThis window frame bears many scars from being builtinto the frame of a house. Since these details have nobearing on the use or design of the window, we will notinclude them in our re-creation. If you wish to use there-created window as an actual window in an exterior

111

wall, some provisions will need to be made to accom­modate glass. In this case, I recommend that a large,double-glazed picture window be mounted acrossthe entire surface of the window so that the lines andstructure of the piece will not need to be altered.Whether the glass is located on the inside or outsideof the frame is up to you but because the mullionsare set toward the inside face of the frame, the glassshould logically be placed on the outside of themullions.

If, on the other hand, you plan to use the windowframe as an interior room screen, feet will need to beadded to allow the piece to become free-standing.

MaterialsThis window frame is made entirely of oak. Obtaining5 V2-by-7-inch (I40-by-178mm) oak timbers may provechallenging. If necessary, glue up the structural mem­bers of the window frame as discussed in chapter 1.Other woods may be used for this project, but do notuse pressure-treated or weatherproofed constructionlumber, which will split and warp in a short period oftime.

FramingThe first step in building this window is to layout andconstruct the frame. Note that the sill fits between theside beams, and the lintel fits across the top of the sidebeams. Keeping this arrangement in mind, proceed asfollows.

Cut the tenons on the top end of the side beams

WIN DO W FRA ME, ENGLAND, FIFTEENTH CENTURY. OAK; H. 70", W. 78", D. 5 1/ 2" . COLLECfIONOFTHEVICTORIA

AND ALBERT MUSEUM , L ON DO N . COURTESY VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM.

and on both ends of the sill plate, as shown in th edrawings. When th e tenons have been cut, arrangethe side beams and th e lintel on a level floor in properrelation to each other. Ensure tha t th e three pieces are.at 90-degree angles to each other, and mark the loca­tions where th e tenons sho uld be mortised into thelintel. Remove the lintel from the floor. Following thesame procedure, place the sill plate in posit ion againstthe side beams, make certa in th at th e pieces are at90-degree angles, and mark th e locations where the

112

tenons on the sill plat e will be mortised into the sidebeams.

Then cut the mortises into the lintel and side beams,maintaining a snug fit. The process of cutt ing the mor­tises can be simplified by using a drill to remove someof the excess wood from the mortise. The finish workwill have to be carried out with a mallet and ch isel.

When the mortises have been cut , assemble the fourpieces of the frame, being certain th at the fit is snug,level, and square. Working on a piece of furniture

as large as this window requires some practi ce. If yourframe is slightly out of square, small sh ims can beinserted into the morti se and tenon joints to compen­sate for a slight twist. Do not , however, rely on sh im­ming and wedging to take the place of carefulcraftsmanship. The structure is strongest when theparts fi t together well.

Locating the MullionsWith the assembled frame laid out on the work floor,mark the locations of the four mullions. Note in thedrawings th at the mullions are against the inside faceof the window frame, not in the center of the frame ,and th at the two window openings on the right sideof the frame are slightly narrower than the three onthe left. Trace the outline of each mullion on the topsurface of the sill plate and on the bottom side of thelintel. For ease in marking the mullion outl ines, makea cardboard template based on the mullion detaildrawing. The template does not need to have th emoldings ind icated; the general outl ine of the pieceis sufficient.

O nce you have drawn the outl ines of the mullions,mark the locat ion of the mort ise inside the outl ine ofeach mullion. A lso mark the location of the moldededges on the side rails and the lintel. Mark the pointwhere the sill plate int ersects with the side rail. Thislocates the bottom edge of the side rail molding. Themolding is broken by a series of returns as it crosses thelint el. There is a return at each mullion, as well as atthe outside corners of the window. The returns at theoutside corners of the window are square (a 90-degreeangle), but those at the mullions are wedge shaped.This can be seen in detail on the window frame con­struction drawing. These wedge-shaped returns areimport ant, because porti ons of the molded design onthe mullions do not line up with the molded designon the frame, and the wedge masks thi s discrepancy.

MullionsLeaving the frame temporarily, move on to the mullionbars. Even before the decorati ve moldin g is cut, theblank mullion is closer to diamond shape th an it issquare. For thi s reason , start with a rect angular blankthe size of the greatest dimensions of the mullion , 4 1/ 2

by 3% inches (114 by 92mrn), From thi s blank, workthe decorative molded edges first, and later cut thewedge-shaped back side of th e mullions.

These moldings are complicated and must be exe­cuted slowly and with care . Porti ons of them can be

cut with a router or a hand-held grinder, but because ofthe extreme convolutions, they are best executed eitherby an old-fashioned molding plane or on a professiona l­qualit y molding cutter.

After you have cut all of the moldings and backsonto th e mullions, cut a tenon into the top end of themullion (the end th at will be fitted into the lintel).

Cutting RabbetsNow disassemble th e frame. C ut the rabbets intowhich the trefoil decorations are seated, into the mul­lions, th e lintel, and the side beams. Not e in the trefoildet ail drawing th at the rabbets run slightly deeper intothe side rails than they do in the lintel. The rabbetsdo not pass through th e mullions; each mullion hasseparate rabbets for th e trefoil on the left and for th eone on the right. The shaded areas in th e section Adrawing show how the se rabbets line up across the faceof the window.

For ease of cutting, the rabbet in the lintel can berun the entire width of the window opening. It doesnot have to stop at each mullion .

Cutting MortisesC ut the mortises in both sill plate and lintel at thelocati ons you marked previously. The rabbets and mor­tises will overlap each other on the lintel, but thi s is ofno consequence because the mortises are considerablydeeper th an the rabbets.

Fit the mullions into the mortises in the lintel.Check th at the wedge-shaped returns line up with theacorn -sha ped bead on the front edge of the mullion ,and make any necessary adjustments. Marking whichmullions fit best into which mortises may save you timein relocating th em later. It is unlikely th at they will befully int erchangeable.

Edge MoldingNow cut the moldings along the inside edges of theside beams and the lintel. These relati vely simplemoldings can be cut with either a router or moldingplane. At least two cuts must be made: one on theouter surface of the frame, and the other on the innerface of th e window opening. C ut the moldings on sidebeams first , becau se they are a straight, uninterruptedrun from the top of the sill plat e to th e end of thebeam. Cut the point where the molding stops at th etop of the sill square with small ch isels or carvingknives.

Next, cut the molding into the lintel, using the

113

MATERIALS

WOODAll wood is oak, except dowels, which may be maple or birch.

NUMBERPART OF PIECES THICKNESS WIDTH LENGTH

side beams 2 5Vz" (140mm) X 7" (178mm) X 67" (lm702mm)

lintel 1 5Vz" (140mm) X 7" (178mm) X 78" (lm981mm)

sill 1 5Vz" (l40mm) X 7" (l78mm) X 70" (lm778mm)

mullions 4 4Vz" (l14mm) X 3%" (92mm) X 51" (lm295mm)

trefoils 3 1" (25mm) X 11 Y4" (286mm) X 12" (305mm)

trefoils 2 1" (25mm) X lIlA" (286mm) X 11~" (298mm)

dowel 1 Vz" (l3mm) round X 60" (lm524mm)

dowel 1 W' (19mm) round X 30" (762mm)

same process. Pay careful attention to the returns, allof which will have to be finish-carved with chisels andcarving knives. To execute the final carving around thewedge-shaped returns, insert the mullions into the lin­tel to ensure the best alignment of the returns with thefront of the mullions.

Fitting the MullionsNow reassemble the side beams and the sill plate, mak­ing certain that they are in square. Align the lintel,with the mullions in place, on top of the side railsand rest it on the side rail tenons. The bottom endsof the mullions should be resting on top of the sillplate.

Realign the entire structure to ensure that all piecesare in square. Position each mullion in line withthe proper mortise hole in the sill plate, and mark theexact length of each mullion bar. Then remove themullions from the lintel and cut the bottom tenons.With the exception of the trefoils, the entire windowframe should now fit together snugly with the tap of amallet.

114

TrefoilsCut to length the boards from which the trefoils willbe cut, so that they fit between the mullions. Reas­semble and square the entire frame with the trefoilblanks in their proper places. Then draw a line aroundthe top and side edges of the trefoils, and mark eachtrefoil so that it can be returned to the same windowopening after it has been carved. Remove the linteland lift the trefoils from the window frame.

Enlarge the trefoil detail drawing on a copier untilit fits properly onto the trefoil board . Using a sharpknife, cut around the decorative outside edge and theinside piercing of the trefoil design. Trace the patternonto the trefoil board and use a coping saw or a recip­rocal saw (saber saw) to cut out the inside and outsidedesigns. Finish-sand all of the edges. With gouges, ahand-held grinder, or a router, cut back the inner andouter faces of the design as shown in the drawings.These edges are slightly concave and are worked onboth the inside and outside surfaces of the window.Finally, execute the low relief carvings, shown asshaded areas in the drawings.

FeetIf the window frame will be a free-standing piece, youneed to construct feet. The feet should be th e samedimensions as the side beams, 5 Vz by 7 inches (140 by178mm). To support the height of the window frame,they will have to be 38 inches (965mm) long. Thusthey will extend beyond the front and rear faces of thewindow a distanc e of 16 inches (406mm) .

The exposed ends of the feet can be given decora­tive treatment, such as the lion's paws on the CuruleCha ir, or left simple, like the feet on the GothicCradle. The top edges of the feet can be chamferedslightly to relieve the harsh edges.

The feet will need to have braces running from nearthe outer edge of each foot to approximately 16 inches(406mm) onto the side rails. Cut the bottom 5 inches(127mm) of each side rail into a tenon 3 inches (76mm)square. Cut a corresponding morti se in the center ofthe foot . The braces do not need to be cut into a deco­rative shape. Attach them to the feet and legs asdescribed for the leg braces on the Gothic Cradle.

Final AssemblyIf you are building the window frame with out feet, itwill have to be assembled lying down. Repeat the stepsfor assembly, be sure the frame is square, and clamp ittogether so th at it does not shift during pegging. Usebar clamps or strap clamps, or tie hemp ropes (do notuse nylon ropes, which will stretch ) around the frameand tight en them by placing a short st ick between the

ropes and twisting the st ick until the ropes tighten.Pad th e points where th e clamps or ropes come incontact with the window frame to avoid scarring thewood.

DowelingWhen the window has been squared and clamped, drillpilot holes for th e dowels and drive the dowels int o th eholes. Tapering th e dowels will make th em seat easier.The dowels used for the main framing members are 'l4inch (19mm) in diameter, and th ose used to hold themullions in place are on ly I/ Z inch (13mm).

When the dowels are in place, remove the clampsand finish the ends of the dowels flush with th e surfaceof the window.

Attaching the FeetThe feet can be attached before or after the windowframe has been assembled. If they are attached to theside beams before th e wind ow is assembled, the win­dow must be assembled in a standing position . In thi scase, once th e feet have been attached to the sidebeams, insert the sill plat e into the side beams andthen set the mullions into th e sill plate . Set the trefoilsin place between th e mullions, and place the lintel ontop. Then square, clamp together, and drill and dowelthe ent ire frame. If th e window is assembled in astanding position, the drilling and doweling procedurewill be slightly more difficult th an if th e piece is lyingdown .

11 5

SECT ION B

. I

I :'I i·

! \

10"(254mm)

10"(254mm)

Ij

10"(254mm)

I9W' I

(248mm) . ~III 461jz"l(l m181mm)

70" (lm778mm)

(lm600mm)

7"(l78mm)

~

m)

- 1\'-\ \

1/1I

) \

rJI

Il

I~ I 2" (51m

J,

IF

1" (25mm)

1"(25mm)

7"(l 78mm)

SECTION A 1" (25mm) 1 r

~~~=-fr:-:::~ 10" ~~---~~140mm)(254mm) 2" --"--

3 VB" (92mm) I j (51mm) 2"::::!-/ (51mm)

1 0,w(70mm) M~~~\iN4'/ 2" (l l-lmm)

'14" (6mm)

Ijz" (Hmm)

116

DETAIL A

5"(l27mm)

-,

1-r- \~

4" (102mm)

%" dowel

7"(l78mm)

lOW (267mm)

(76mm)

II1I

W dowel 11/

tI

- - =- - - - ---- - -- -------.,_ ~ 2Y1" f --=----~ (63mm)

~:::::Z ljz" (63~ r-- i- - - -~ - - ~ -r - - -

l3 ljz" (343mm)

-- -._--- ---

9W' (248mm)

WINDOW FRAMECONSTRUCTION

L 7" Jr (l78mm) I

%" (l9mm)

DETAIL B

(r 3"

1(76mm) 2" (51mm) ; o...,x........-r-,r - - - ---.- L. _.J _--- , - -

7" J r -·4 ljz" 0 1 2 ljz" -- ·-·(l14mm) ~ (l78mm) "---- (63mm)nr· .u---- =:=--- ========...

2" (51mm)

5 ljz"(l40mm)

\ I

2" (51mm)

11 7

SECTION B

Il iA" (286mm)

IO Y2(267mm)

1"(25mm)

1 rI - -.., ------,.-

II

TREFOIL DETA IL

SECTION B

~ I" ~(25mm)

"---- '7" (i78mm) <, -,

<,

I W (38mm)

y

I VB" (29mm)

I lls" (47mm)

I" (25mm)

W' (i 9mm)

>f I "7

I Ys" (29mm)

I 5 '11" (i 40mm) ., (

7" (178m m) I /

/ / /,/,/ I / I

. /~ -t--x---

~'--t'-----"Ir--""~--t----r-

11 8

15•

{{lint qabintt•

Medieval merchants frequently fulfilled the function ofboth wholesaler and retailer, and th ose engaged in theimporting and selling of wine were no exception . Forthe nobility, rich merch ants, and other large-scale cus­tomers who kept their own wine cellars, wine merchantskept an ample supply of wine in kegs and butts.

Ca tering to the needs of small-scale customers suchas less wealthy individuals and neighborhood tavernscreate d a problem. The technique of stor ing wine inglass bottles had not yet been discovered, and sellingsmall quantities was difficult and messy. The solutionwas to keep several large pitchers, each fi lled with adifferent vintage, in a cupboard in the wine shop. C us­tomers would bring their own pitchers to the shop andhave them filled from the large sto rage pitchers, calledjacks.

The cupboard in which the wine merchant keptthe jacks had to be specialized in size and design. Thecasework had to be att ractive enough to grace the salesroom of the shop, and th e cabinet had to be spaciousenough to hold several large pitchers, each of whichcould conta in as much as 5 gallons (18 liters) of wine .To allow the wine to breathe, and to entice the cus­tomers with the heady aroma of the wines, the door ofthe wine cabinet was pierced with open-work carvings.

This handsome reproduction wine cab inet gracesthe sales room and shop at the Medieval Merchant'sHouse in Southa mpton , one of the oldest survivingmerchant houses in England.

CONSTRUCTION NOTESAlthough the lines of th is wine cabinet are simple, thethickness of the boards used in construction and theattention to detail in the carving and metalwork markthis as a fine piece of furniture. There are some surpris-

ing subtle ties in the construction of thi s piece th atmake it a work of trul y fine craftsmansh ip.

MaterialsThis cab inet is made of oak, and the dowels used inassembling it may be either birch or maple. The hard­ware on the door of thi s cabine t is metal , but no metalfasteners are used in the construction of the casework.Wood for the framing members of thi s cab inet, alongwith material for about half of the panels, should bereadily available from any lumberyard . The large panelsfor th e door, the primary side panels, and the largeboard on the top will have to be glued up. To preventsuch wide boards from warping, glue them up fromthree or four boards rather th an on ly two.

Before beginning constru ction of thi s cabinet, studythe materials list carefully. Not e th at the top and bot­tom connecting rails on the front , sides, and back ofthi s cabin et, th ough all the same thi ckness, are all dif­ferent widths.

Mortises and TenonsAll of the tenons used in the construction of th is chestare I/ Z inch (13mm) wide and located slightly off-centeron the rails (see corner post and rail assembly, topview). Likewise, all the tenons are the full height of therails from which they are cut (see detail B, top corne rassembly). Because the tenons are the full height of therails, take extra care in cutti ng the mortises. Any over­cutt ing on the height of the mor tises will be visibleafter the pieces are joined together.

FramingLay out the framing members for the front of the cab i­net, corne r posts, and top and bottom rails on a level

119

R EPLICA OF FOU RTEENTH,CENTURY E N GLISH WINE CABINET. O AK; H. 62 '12" , W. 33", D. 26 112". COLLECTION OF

MEDIEVAL MERCHANT'S H OUSE, SOUTHAMPTON , E NGLA N D. COURTESY M EDIEVA L M ERCHANT 'S H OUSE. P HOTOGRAPH BY 0 T YLER H UFF.

120

work surface. The wide sides of the corne r posts shouldbe oriented toward the front and rear faces of the cabi­net. Ensure th at the boards are in square, then markthe locations where the top and bottom rails will jointhe corner posts.

Remove the top and botto m rails from between thecorner posts, and on the ends of the rails, mark outthe tenons as shown in detail A and corner post andrail assembly, top view. Mark the locations of the cor­responding morti ses on the corne r posts.

Cu t the tenons and the mortises into which th ey fit.Because the morti ses and tenons are slightly off-center,bear in mind which side of each board will face theoutside of the cabinet , and the fact th at the left andright ends of the top and bottom rails should be mirrorimages.

The tenons should fit snugly into the morti ses, sothat the tenon can be seated with several firm tapswith the palm of the hand or with one or two taps ofa wooden mallet . The joints must also fit squarely.

Mark all posts and rails as to their position , as wellas the outside surfaces of the rails and posts. Also markeach mortise and tenon joint as it is finished, as thesehand-cut parts will not be inte rcha ngeab le. If th e partsare not marked, it can take hours to relocate eachpiece in its proper place. Make these markings withcha lk or on pieces of masking tape so th at can beeasily removed from the wood.

When the front of the cabinet has been fittedtogether, repeat the process for th e back. Then dis­assemble the pieces, lay the top and bot tom rails aside,and repeat the entire process with the side panels (seedetail B, top corner assembly, side). Again, because thebottom rails on the front and back of the cabinet arenot the same width, pay careful atte ntion as to whichof the corne r posts belong to the front of th e cabine tand which belong to the back. The right side rails con ­nect to the right front corne r post and th e back leftcorner post.

When all the mortises and ten ons have been cutand finished to a snug fit, assemble the frame of thecabinet. Set the cabinet on a level work surface so th atall of the joints will fit square and plumb. You shouldnow have a framework th at is basically the outl ine ofthe finished cabinet.

Panel RabbetsOn the left and right sides of the cabinet frame, markthe locations where the side panels will be seated (rab­beted) int o the top and botto m rails. The side panels

121

are set into the frame from the inside of the cabinet(see detail C and detail D of th e side assembly draw­ing). All of th e rabbets are Y4 inch (l9mm) deep by1 inch (25mm) high . Mark an identical rabbet on theinside of the front bottom rail. This will support thefront edge of the cabinet floor.

O n the outside face of the back of the cabi net, marktwo more rabbets of the same dimen sions. These arefor th e back panels, which, for reasons unknown, arefitted to the outs ide of the cabinet rather th an th einside.

Now mark the locations of the bottom braces shownin detail D.These braces will support th e floor boardsof the cabine t. Mark the 2-inch (51mm) outl ine of thebraces on the inside faces of th e front and rear cornerposts so th at the top surface of the brace will be on aplane with the bottom of the rabbet s into which theside panels will fit.

Disassemble the cabinet frame and cut the rabbetsas marked.

Bottom BracesC ut two 22 liz-inch (571mm) bottom braces from 2-inch(51mm) square stock. O n both ends of each brace, cuta l-inch (25mm) square tenon in the center, leaving aliz-inch (l 3mm) wide sho ulder all around the tenon .

Lay out and cut corresponding mortises on the cor­ner posts inside the outl ines of the bottom braces.

Assembling the FrameAft er the rabbets have been cut, reassemble the framingmembers on a level surface, as descr ibed above, but thistime including the bot tom braces. Make certa in th atall of the joints are square and th at the cabinet is plumb.

C lamp th e cabinet together with bar clamps posi­tioned near the top and bottom side rails on all foursides, and begin drilling pilot holes for th e li z-inch(l 3mm) framing dowels. Drill and dowel one joint ata time. Cut each dowel about 1 inch (25mm) longerthan necessary, and taper the end sligh tly so tha t itcan be driven into the hole more easily. When thedowels are seated, cut off the ends and sand flush withth e cabinet.

When the corners of th e cabinet are doweled, dowelthe bottom braces to the side rails. Each brace shouldbe doweled at two equally spaced points along itslength. The pilot holes sho uld be drill ed through thebottom brace and about 1 inch (25mm) deep intothe side rail. These dowels will not come th rough theoutside of the cabinet .

MATERIALS

WOODA ll wood is oak, except dowels, which may be maple or birch.

NUMBERPART OF PIECES THICKNESS WIDTH LENGTH

corner posts 4 1%" (44mm) X 5" (l27mm) X 61" (Im549mm)

door 3,4" (19mm) X 21 1jz" (546mm) X 46" (lmI68mm)

wide side panels 2 W' (l9mm) X 17 1jz" (444mm) X 47" (lmI94mm)

narrow side panels 2 W' (l9mm) X 4 1;4" (108mm) X 47" (lmI94mm)

bac k panel 3,4" (19mm) X 6" (l5 2mm) X 48" (Im219mm)

back panel W' (l9mm) X 7" (l78mm) X 48" (Im219mm)

back panel 1 3,4" (19mm) X 8" (203mm) X 48" (lm219mm)

top panel 1 I Ijz" (38mm) X 7 Yz" (190mm) X 33" (838mm)

top panel 1 I Ijz" (38mm) X 19" (483mm) X 33" (838mm)

fron t top rail 1 lW' (44mm) X 2"(51mm) X 24" (610mm)

side top rails 2 1%" (44mm) X 3" (76mm) X 23 1jz" (597mm)

bac k top rail 1 lW' (44mm) X 2" (5 1mm) X 24" (61Omm)

fron t bottom rail l W' (44mm) X 4" (102mm) X 24" (610mm)

side bo ttom rails 2 1%" (44mm) X 4" (102mm) X 231jz" (597mm)

back bottom rail 1%" (44mm) X 3" (76mm) X 24" (61Omm)

bottom I" (25mm) X 21" (533mm) X 28" (711mm)

bo ttom braces 2 2" (51mm) X 2" (51mm) X 22 Yz" (571mm)

frami ng dowel 1 ljz" (13mm) round X 72" (lm829mm)

panel dowel 3/8" (9mm) round X 72" (lm829mm)

122

METAL

NUMBERPART OF PIECES THICKNESS WIDTH LENGTH

hinge straps 2 VB" (3mm) X 2" (51mm) X 20 W' (527mm)

h inge butt ends 2 VB" (3mm) X 3" (76mm) X 6" (l5 2mm)

bolt ljz" (13mm) round X 8 1;4" (209mm)

bolt ba rrel 3 VB" (3mm) X W' (19mm) X 4 ljz" (114mm)

h asp Y3Z" (Zrnm) X 1lJ4" (32mm) X 5" (l27mm)

ca tch 3/ 16" (5mm) round X 5" (l 27mm)

ca tch plate W' (3mm) X I" (25mm) X 3" (76mm)

Side PanelsTrim the side panels, two wide and two narrow, soth at they drop easily into the rabbets on the inner faceof the side rails. The panels are loosely tongue-and­grooved together and do not quit e come into contactwith either the front or rear corner posts of the cabinet(see side wall cross section drawing).

O n both sides of the cabinet, the narrow side panelis located next to the front and the tongues of thetongue-and-groove joints are on the narrow panel. Thetongues are lA inch (6mm) wide with a lA-inch (6mm)wide shoulder on either side.

The space between the side panels and the frontand rear corner posts is about 1/ 16 inch (2mm). Thisgap likely was not the result of sloppy cabinetmakingbut a way to allow the wine inside the cabinet tobreathe.

After the panels have been tongue-and-grooved andset into position, drill and dowel them with -Ys-inch(9mm) doweling. There should be two dowels each inthe top and bottom of the narrow board, and five dow­els each in the top and bottom of the wide board . Drillthe pilot holes from the inside of the cabinet so thatthey go first throu gh the side panel s and extend to adepth of Vz inch (l3mm) into the side rail. The dowelsshould not come through the outside face of the siderail.

123

TopNext, attach the top of th e cabinet. Drill and peg thetop boards directly into th e top rails at the locati onsshown in the drawings. The narrow board is located atth e rear of the cabinet. Overhangs are as indi cated inthe drawings.

BottomThe bottom of the cabinet is made of two, three, oreven four boards of various widths. Because it is notseen , the exact width of the board s is not important.The front board will need to be notched slightly to fitaround the corner posts. The boards sho uld fit easilyint o place, but they sho uld not be loose or sloppy.Because th ey cover the bottom of th e side panels, theywill help to hold them into place if they are a good fit.

Back PanelsThe back panels, as shown in th e rear view drawing,are attached from the outside of the case. There areslight gaps between all of th e boards in th e back, asthere are between the side panels and th e front andrear corner posts.

After the panels have been drilled and pegged intoplace , merely rough-fini sh the dowels. They do notneed to be cut flush with th e panel surface. The ext e­rior surface of the back boards also remain s rough-cut.

DoorThe origina l doo r is one piece of oak, but you shouldhave the piece glued up at a mill. A glued door will beless likely to warp th an one cut from a single plank.Trim the doo r so th at it is 114 inch (6mm) smaller inboth height and width th an the opening into which itwill be placed.

En large the door-carvin g design ona photocopier tothe size called for. Tran sfer the design to the face of thedoor at the locat ion indi cated in the front view draw­ing. Then use a coping saw or reciprocal saw (sabersaw) to cut out the twenty-four triangular areas th atmake up the design . The trian gles should be separa tedby a 'Ys-inch (l 6mm) wide latticework of wood. Rasp,file, and sand the int erior edges of the lattice to asmooth finish, being very careful not to break the frag­ile latt icework .

Now carve the face of the finished tr iangles asshown in the profile of carv ing drawing. This carvingcan be done with a small hand router, such as a Dremeltoo l, or with a carving gouge. Because th e lattice isvery fragile, I recommend using a hand router unlessyou are a very expe rienced carver.

Finish the design by carving th e outer circle and thesmall wedges to a depth of about YI6 inch (4.Smm).

Additional ShelvesYou may want to install one or more interior shelves.Attach small blocks to the inside faces of the cornerposts with modern wood screws to suppo rt additiona l2-by-2- inch (SI-by-Slmm) braces on which to rest theshelves. Posit ion th ese braces parallel to th e bottombraces.

FinishWhen the cab inetwork is completed, finish-sand theent ire piece with sandpaper (glass paper) and give it anoiled fi n ish as described in th e chapt er 3.

HingesC ut the long straps on the hinges from a section of2-inch (Slrnm) wide metal stock. On one end of thehinge strap, cut I I/ z-inch (38mm) long hinge tangs asdescrib ed in chapter 2. C ut the decorative head at theother end. The 2-inch (Slmm) wide metal stock willnot quite accommodate the two outward curls near thehead end of the hinge. The tips can either be weldedonto the body of th e hinge or cut straight and forgedinto the curled sha pe as describ ed in cha pter 2. If youheat- forge the curls in the proper medieval manner,

when you cut the shape of the head, cut the arms thatare to be elirled as twclong,-st ra igh t points, like thetin es of a fork. The points shou ld follow along the sidesof the small diamond-shaped design at.the end of thehinge head. (If you look at the drawing of the hingeand imagine the two curls being straightened out, theprocedure for cutting and bending them shouldbecome clear.) II) the space between the tangs and thehead, taper the shaft of the hinge from the 2-inch(Slmm) plate near the spine to -X inch (l 9mm) behindth e decorat ive head, as shown in the drawing of thehinge. Form the butt (short) end of the hinge in thesame manner.

CatchCut and drill th e catch plat e as shown in the drawings.Form the staple from a length of 3/ 16-inch (4.5mm)round stock, and file the ends to wedges (flat points).Insert the staple, points facing upward, into the jaws ofa vise to a depth of 1114 inches (32mm). Place the catchplate over the ends of the staple. Heat the ends of thestaple and bend them toward each other as shown inth e drawing.

Barrel BoltHasp. Lay out and cut the hasp as shown in the

drawings. Then cut the slot in the center of the hasp,either by heating the metal and cutt ing it with a chisel,or by cutting it with a jeweler's saw. File the edges ofthe hasp, inside and out, until they are smooth.

Locate the area on the bolt barrel where the hasp isto pass th rough. File a flat spot wide enough to allow adrill bit to bite into the surface of the bolt. Drill severalholes, in a straight line, the width and thickness of thetongue on the hasp. This is probably th e most frustrat ­ing procedure in makin g th e entire cabinet. When theholes are drilled , remove the metal between them withsmall pin files.

Insert the tongue of the hasp th rough the slot in thebolt barrel, heat it, and crimp it over as shown in thedrawings. The crimped edge will face the front side ofth e barrel bolt.

Bolt Barrels. Bend a l-inch (2Smm) ear on oneend of one of the three pieces of flat stock. When bent,you will have an L-shaped piece of metal with one leg1 inch (2Smm) long and the other about 3 Yz inches(89mm) long. Leave the sho rt end of the L in the vise.Heat the exposed end of the bracket and, using a pieceof round stock just slightly larger th an the bolt as aform ing mandrel , shape the long end of the bracket

124

around the mandrel into a sha pe similar to a questionmark. You will need an assistant for thi s procedure, oneof you heating and bending the metal, th e other hold­ing the mandrel firmly in place.

When cool, remove the metal from th e vise, insertthe unworked end int o the vise, heat it, and bend ituntil the two ears are on a single plane, creating a boltbarrel similar to the one shown in the drawings.

Repeat th is process for the remaining two bolt bar­rels. Then drill attachment holes in the ears of thethree barrels.

Place the three bolt barrels on the face of the cabi­net , two on the door and one on the corne r post. Therelative positions of the barrels are shown in the draw­ings. Drill pilot holes for the forged nails th at willhold the barrels in place. Position the bolt and twobarrels on the door, and nail the barrels in place withI I/z-inch (38mm) forged nails. Heat and crimp the

nails on the inside of th e door to hold the barrelssecurely in place.

Attaching the HingesAttach the long arm of the hinges to the door withforged nails, again predrilling the holes and crimpingthe end s of th e nails. When the hinges are attached tothe door, set the door in place, allowing a gap of aboutYs inch (3mm) above and below th e door and 3116 inch(5mm) between the door and th e corne r post on theedge of th e door where th e barrel bolt is located (theside of the door th at swings open).

Attach the small end s of the hinges to the doorframe (corner post), and the final bolt barrel to theopposite corne r post. Latch the door shut, and dropthe hasp against the door. The catch should be nailedto the door so that th e slot in the hasp falls over thecatch ring when the bolt is in the locked position .

125

3 liz" (89mm)

RIGHT SIDE VIEW

G26Yz" (673mm) J7Yz" +-- 19" (483mm) I

I/ z" (38mm)

{l90mm}1 ~....".

"- !4" {l9mm}

--,~~_=-::.

V . ~ • JI

\\VB I..-

} I

1\ ~ I I

45" (lmI43mm) I

49mm) \1\ !/ -

. III'- >- 21" (533mm) H

I / \ J1.I~ __~ ~ .

) T9" (229mm)

---' IL- U ---lI...-

IW (44mm» ) f

61" {lm5

3" (76mm

W' {l9mm}

3 1;4" (82mm)

20W (521 rum)

33" (838mm)

{l27mm}

FRONT VIEW

21li z" (546mm}--f-----lt

x

"

12" (305mm)

TOP VIEW

7Yz" {l90mm}

Ij T

33" (838mm)

~--~. ~ .

:=- ~>~ 1 ' 6"'" {673mml

----------~ 19"_ ~(483mm)

~-~ J .l

126

CABINET WITH FRONT REMOVED REAR VIEW

.. -=

IH-t--- 28" (711mm) --t+-~I\I

2" (5Imm)

II " (279mm)

\ ....

I I I

\

\

BACK ASSEMBLY

I W' (44mm) "-

. \- I DETA IL C

---Li r_v

3" (76mm)2" (5Imm)

SIDE ASSEMBLY

2" (5Imm)

I W' (44mm)~

~--"'--

I" (25mm) .t./--.--

Vi" (l9mm)

SIDE WALL, CROSS SECTION

inside outs ide

LW'~(44mm)

4" (102mm)

DETAIL D

inside

\---,.;- \

1 2" \ \ ~(5Imm) ~ k

1 I W' I(44mm)

\ ,outside

2" (5Imm)

<, I W' (44mm)!===:::::::::;~.:::J

~ 5" (l27mm) -1~

127

DOOR CARVING

DETAIL ATOP CORNER, FRONT

l' [Y4" ~DETAIL B '/ z" (32mm)

TOP CORNER (l Jrnm) i f lASSEMBLY, SIDE

[ V-t"(44mm)

~vPROFILE OF CARVING

(W(6mm)

i t~n~W (6mm)

Y8" (22mm) U-.r-~ ~

%" (I omm) J

CORNER POSTANDRAIL ASSEMBLY,

TOP VIEW

.-----=---- '/ z" (13mm)

1W' (19mm)J

114" (6mm) =- [ ljz' I (38mm)

128

[ WO (44mm)

!jz" (l I mm)

[ V-t" (44mm)

HARDWARE 3" (76mm)

1_BARREL BOLT

W' (l 9mm) ASSEMBLY

8 1,4" (209mm)

IW' (29mm)

I lis" (35mm)

I Vg" (29mm)

HINGE W' 0 9mm)

---r--+--t- ~ r

~ IW ~(32mm)

~

CATCH

Iw3 3"(76mm)

-"'-~;r-;--

~ I" k(25mm)1-- 0

11/1"3" (76mm) (38mm)

4" (102mm)

~Vz" (l3mm)

I" (25mm)

W 09mm),(l 9mm)Y4"

4" 002mm) 2W57mm

3 1,4" (82mm)

T

VB" (22mm)

I Ijz'I (38mm)

r 2 Vz" (63mm)

f3W (82mm) VB" (22mm)

v

BOLTBARREL

1 IW r(32mm)

f

HASPVl"

r: Vz" . 03mm) f r0 3mm) '-------"-

I" (25mm)

T 4" 0 02mm)

2W (57mm)

-:L 1_

129

16•

(3othic qradlc•

Even in the Middle Ages the advantages of being ableto rock babies gently to sleep were well recognized.This beautifully carved cradle, decorated and orna ­mented in the restrained Go th ic style of the fourteenthcentury, ind icates parents of considerab le wealth andsocial status. In a cradle very similar to thi s one, thefuture Henry V once took his naps.

While the majority of medieval furn iture was stur­dily constructed, in the case of cradles, durability wasa necessity. Not only were medieval cradles routinelyused over the course of several generations, but peoplehad large numbers of children to compensate for highinfant mort ality.

This cradle, made of fine English oak, has a bright,painted finish. The overall ground color is yellowocher, and the orna mentation and outl ines are red.O rna te, polychrome finishes such as thi s were notuncommon in the Middle Ages, and helped brightenup the almost perpetual twilight that existed in virtu­ally all medieval buildings.

This reproduction cradle is part of the collection atthe restored Medieval Merchant's House in Southamp­ton, England .

CONSTRUCTION NOTESThe origina l cradle is made of oak and painted inyellow ocher and red, but there are a variety of optionsopen to the craftsman.

While the combina tion of the fi nest wood andpaint ed orna menta tion is historic ally correct, so isthe practice of using more humbl e woods, such as pine,and hiding their mediocrity beneath a layer of brightpaint.

Altern atively, you might choose to show off thegrain of the oak with a simple oil finish .

MaterialsAlthough the origina l cradle is const ructed enti rely ofoak, if you plan to paint it, you may wish to considerusing a wood th at is slightly less expe nsive, such aspine or fir. In either case, the dowels should be mapleor birch. The end panels, side panels, and botto m onthe cradle will probably have to be glued up, and thebraces laminated from two thinner boards. The sidepanels in th e cradle at the Medieval Merchant's Houseare single panels, but there is no str uctural reason forthi s. Because they are held in posit ion by the end pan­els, they could just as easily be two boards, and if th eboards were joined behind the line of the cent ral siderail, the difference would not be visible. A ll of theother materials sho uld be readily available.

End PanelsLay out the finished sha pe of th e end pan els on theend panel blanks, with th e grain running verti cally,and then cut them to sha pe. Now lay out the positionof the slots (rabbets) into which the side panels areseated. These slots are lfz by I/ Z inch (13 by 13mm)square and 14 inches (356mm) in length . Their exac tposition is shown in the bed construction drawing.Although th e side panel s are seated int o the end pan ­els, the bottom panel of the cradle bed is not joinedto other structural members.

C ut the side pan el slots. Then lay out the posit ionof th e morti se joints into which the side rails will befitted. C ut the mortises in both end panels.

RailsC ut the side and bottom rails to the dimensions calledfor in the materials list. Rabbet out the bottom rail asshown in the bed construction drawings so th at it will

131

R EPLICA OF FOURTEENTH,CENTURY E N GLISH CRADLE. O AK; H. 32", W. 36", D. 34 3/4". COLLECT ION OF M EDIEVAL

M ERCH A NT 'S H O USE, S O UTHAM PT ON , ENGLAN D. COURT ESY MEDIEVAL M ERCH ANT'S H OUSE. PHOT OGRAPH BY D. T YLER H U FF.

132

support the bottom of the cradle. Mark the tenon endson the side and bottom rails, and begin to cut thetenons. Fit each tenon into a morti se as it is finished.They should fit together snugly. A snug fit has beenachieved when the tenon can be seated with severalfirm raps with the palm of the hand or one or two tapswith a mallet . Mark the locat ion of each matchingmortise and tenon joint to aid in the final assembly ofthe bed. Make all markings on the wood with chalk oron masking tape so th at they can be removed easily.

When all twelve of the morti se and tenon jointshave been fitted, assemble the frame of the cradle bed.Ensure th at the frame of the bed is square and plumb,then slide the side panels into place. If they are tight,or if any of the side rails interfere with their slidinginto position, correct th e problem at thi s time. Whenthe side panels can be slid into position with relativeease, the bed is ready for final assembly.

Bed AssemblyWorking on a level surface, assemble the rails and endpanels. Make certa in th at the bed frame is level andsquare. Pull the side rails snugly into the end panelmorti ses with bar clamps. Drill and peg th e morti seand tenon joints with VB-inch (9mm) dowels. Slightlytapering the dowels will allow them to seat more easily.When all of the dowels are in place, trim off th e end snear the surface of the wood.

Put the bottom panel into place in the cradle bed,and insert the side panels into place. The side panelsshould hold the bottom panel in place.

FinialsThe ball finials on the four corn ers of the cradle bedserve as locks to hold th e side panels in place. Carve orlathe-turn the finials as shown in the drawings. Thebase of the finials should be 2 inches (5Imm) square,sufficient to cover the top of the side rail and the widthof the end panel.

O n the botto m of each finial, turn or insert a VB-inch(9mm) dowel pin to a depth of 1 inch (25mm), withanother 1 inch (25mm) extending from the finial base.Drill a dowel hole at a corresponding location on eachcorn er of the cradle bed. If the dowels fit fairly snugly,they should not need to be cross doweled to hold themin place. Set the bed aside.

Leg UnitsCut the main support posts and feet as described inthe materials list. Cut the tenon on the bottom of both

main support posts. The tenons on the support postare 21/ 2 inches (63mm) long so th at it will pass com­pletel y th rough the foot. This will provide as muchsupport as possible for the cradle and help preventthe structure from wobbling. Throughout the processof constructing the leg units, keep the components ofeach leg separate , because the pieces will probably notbe int erch angeable.

Lay out the design of the leg braces, allowing plentyof wood from which to cut th e tenons at the top andbottom of each brace. The outl ine of th e brace may been larged, by hand or on a photocopier, from the bracein the carving detail drawings. Cut the tenon on thetop end of each brace only.

Position the braces on the sides of the support postsand mark the point at which they will join, makin gcerta in th at th e bottom of the braces are level with thebottom of the support posts. Then lay out and cut mor­tises in the support posts to receive th e tenons at thetop of the braces. Set the braces int o the support postsbut do not dowel them.

With a square, draw a line across the bottom of thesupport posts and th e braces to mark the posit ion onthe braces where th e tenons will begin . This line mustbe kept at a 90-degree angle to th e side of the supportposts or th e ent ire structure will be out of square.

Mark the tenons on the bottom of the braces,remove the braces from th e support posts , and cut thetenons.

With the braces again set into the support posts, alignth e posts and brace unit with the feet and mark thepositions of the three mortises th at need to be cut int oeach foot . The tenon on the main support run s com­pletely through the foot, but those on the braces do not .

When both leg units have been brought to thi spoint, assemble the components and mark the positionof th e brace panels on the inside face of the braces andlegs and the tops of the feet. Disassemble th e leg units,and cut the rabbets into which the panels will beinserted. These rabbets are only '14 inch (6mm) deep.

Brace PanelsTo cut the brace panels, it may be wise to reassemblethe leg un its and trace around the panel openings inorder to make template s from which to cut the panels.Add '14 inch (6mm) around the tracin g to allow for theportion of the panel th at will be set into the rabbet.Cut the template s from thin plywood or heavy card­board so th at they can be test-fit into the frame beforecutting th e final panels.

133

Chamfered EdgesWit h a chise l or ha nd router, cut the cha mfered edgeson the top of the feet , along th e outside edge of thebraces, and on the inside face of the support post abovethe brace (see side view drawing).

Support Post CarvingLay out the Gothic spire on the top of th e supportposts and the deta ils of the panel carvings, accordingto the carving deta il drawing. The panel carvingon ly appea rs on the outside face of each support post,but there are small t riangles carved near the top ofthe spire on the side faces of th e posts (see side viewdrawing).

The panel carvi ng on the outside face of th e supportposts is on ly 114 inch (6mm) deep. The main area of thepanels is completely flat. The narrow, 1;4-inch (6mm)edge band ing around the panel s is slightly concave .This can be executed with either a round gouge or ahand -held router such as a Dremel tool.

Brace Panel CarvingEnlarge the detail drawing of the panel carvings on apho toco pier until it fits onto th e brace panel board,allowing for the II4-inch (6mm) rabbet. Use a sha rpknife to cut th e pattern around the outl ine of th epanel designs. Trace th e pattern onto th e brace panel,and cut out th e inside and outside designs with a cop­ing saw. The designs on thi s panel are too small to cutwith a reciprocal saw (saber saw).

Fin ish-sand the int erior edges of th e cutou ts. Withgouges or a hand-held grinder, sha pe the concaveedging around all of the panel s. Note in th e section Bdrawing th at th e concave edge design is executed onboth sides of th e panel. When the cut edges of thedesign have been carved, the low relief carvings (thoseshown in the drawings as shaded areas between thepierced designs) can be executed .

Rocker SlotO n the inside face of each support post, locate theposition of the slot th at will hold the spindle. Theopening int o wh ich the spindle is dropped is 8 inches(203mm) below the top of the support post; the lowestpoint in th e slot is 1314 inches (44mm) lower on thesupport post. The dim ensions of thi s slot are shownin the rocker mech ani sm drawings. The rocker slotsshould be on the same side of th e finished leg assemblyso th at they are mirror images of each other, not iden­tical. C ut the rocker slots.

134

Leg AssemblySand all of the pieces, then assemble the leg units inth e same manner as previously. Pull the joints togetherwith cabinet clamps, being careful not to damage thecurved surface of the brace. Drill and peg the supportpost into the foot with %-inch (9mm) dowel. Followthe same procedure with the mortise joints on bothends of the braces.

StretcherCut a l-inch (25mm) long tenon, Y4 inch (l 9mm)thi ck and 1114 inches (32mm) wide on both ends of thestretcher. Mark an outl ine for a corresponding mor­tise on the interior face of each of the leg unit s. Thestretcher should be in th e center of the foot, direc tly inline with the suppor t post. Position the morti se so th atthe stretcher will be 1;4 inch (6mm) above the floor. Incutti ng the morti se, you may cut into the edge of thetenon on the support post; th is will have no effect onthe structure of the cradle.

Insert the stretcher into the morti ses and pull theentire structure together, makin g certa in th at it issquare and plumb. Drill dowel holes into the underside(bottom) of the foot and through the stretcher teno ns.Dowel the stretcher into place.

SpindleThe origina l rocker spindle would und oubt edly havebeen forged by a smith . You can turn the spindle on amodern metal lathe. Follow the diagram of the spindlein the drawings, leaving the spindles slightly longerth an necessary, to allow for an exac t fit when they areinstalled on the cradle.

Drill eight mounting holes around the outer ring ofthe spindle. Locate the spindle on the end of the cradlebed. The center of the spindle should be centered onthe width of the end panel and 4lJz inches (Ll-lmrn)below the top edge of the panel.

The origina l spindle is mounted with forged nails,which are probably all the support th at will ever benecessary, although if I were building a cradle for mychild, I would atta ch it with coarse thread screws.

Before mounting th e spindles, measure the com­bined length of the bed and spindles, and compare th atmeasurement with the distanc e between the farthestpoints of the rocker slots. The ends of the spindlesshould just touch the outside walls of the rocker slots.If th ey are too sho rt, the frame can wobble; if they aretoo long, they will push th e frame outward, creatingstress on the entire structure. If necessary, cut a length

MATERIALS

WOODOriginal painted version is made of mixed wood s. For natural finish , build of oa k or birch.

NUMBERPART OF PIECES THICKNESS WIDTH LENGTH

end pan els 2 1314 11 (44mm) X 21 11 (533mm) X 21 11 (533mm)

side panels 2 '/ 211 (13mm) X 1411 (356mm) X 26 11 (660mm)

bottom '12 11 (13mm) X 1811 (457mm) X 25 11 (635mm)

side rails 4 11/ 211 (38mm) X 211 (51mm) X 27 11 (6 86mm)

bottom rails 2 211 (51mm) X 2 '1211 (63mm) X 27 11 (6 86mm)

stret che r 1 1'1411 (32mm) X 2314" (70mm) X 3211 (813mm)

feet 2 2 '1211 (63mm) X 3 11 (76mm) X 34314'1(883mm)

braces 4 1Xt'1 (44mm) X 5 11 (l27mm) X 20 11 (508mm)

brace panels 4 % 11 (19mm) X 8 '1211 (216mm) X 13 '12 11 (343mm)

posts 2 2 '12 11 (63mm) X 2314" (70mm) X 32 11 (813mm)

finials 4 211 (51mm) X 211 (51mm) X 2314" (70mm)

dowel % 11 (9mm) round X 72 11 (lm829mm)

METAL

NUMBERPART OF PIECES THICKNESS WIDTH LENGTH

spindle rods 2 % 11 (16mm) round X 1114" (32mm)

spind le plates 2 11411 (6mm) X 2 '12 11 (63mm) X 2 '12 11 (63mm)

of 2-by-4 (51-by-102mm) the exact length of the ends of the cradle. The cradle bed should now dropcradle bed and attach the spindles to the ends. This into position.will allow yOLi to file or grind the ends of the spindlesto the right length without the encumbrance of work- Finishing around the cradle. When the spindles are the cor- Finish the cradle with either a painted or an oiled fin-rect length, drill pilot holes, and atta ch them to the ish, according to the instructions given in chapter 3.

135

END VIEW

127'/ 1" (698mm)

18 Xl" (476mm)

34Xl" (884mm)

32" (813mm)

28'/1" (724mm)

32" (813mm)

I2ljz" (63mm)

I

1Xl" (44mm)

36" (914mm)

30" (762mm)

11;4" (32mm)

----

SIDE VIEW

J"17q_f _

136

BEDCONSTRUCTION

Y2" (l 3mm)

1'/ 2" 0 8mm)

y

cente rline 2 1A" (57mm)I

(Y2"

\ (l3mm)\ y\

\\14" (356mm)

\Y2"

(5 1mm)

l Yz"(38mm)

21" (533mm)

15 Yz" (394mm)

137

VB" (9mm) 2'/ 2" (63mm)

1" (25mm)

6'11" (l59mm)

_------eL

LEG UNIT CONSTRUCTION

W' (I9mm)

3" (76mm)

r3" (76mm)

(38mm)

LEG. COLUMN.AND FOOT JOINTS

PANEL AND LEGASSEMBLY

---- ..._--

I!l" (I3mm)

I" (25mm)

IW'(44mm)

\~ 2W' rI (70mm) I~ '

\\

-N)_

1'IJ" (38mm)

~.> E1fl ;:':-(38"''''1\."'- I ft·. ~ 3" (76mm)

UNDERSIDE OF FOOT SECTION A

138

'/ 2" (l Jmm)

Ys" (9mm)

I" (25mm)

I" (25mm)

I W (44mm)

2Y4"(70mm)

CARVING DETAIL

2Ys"(60mm)4%"

(l24mm)

1Ys" (9mm)

2Ys"(60mm)

SECTION B

o3" ~-- 8" (203mm) --t~

(76mm)

12 Ys" (60mm)l 1fL' Va" (l6mm)

I :II

IIII+-..".--­II

16" (406mm)

W (6mm) y

5" (l27mm)

Va" (l6mm) _

1W (38mm)

'A" (6mm)

SECTION B

'A" (6mm)

( -n-"" (9onon) 1\ f

!!.I" (l9mm)

1" (25mm)

139

ROCKER MECHANISM

END VIEWOF SPINDLE

1'14" (32mm)

t VB" (l6mm)

Yz" (l3mm)

~~J

2Yz"(63mm)

1Y4"(44mm)

~ 2Yz"I (63mm)

1J

I ljz" (38mm) ')

W' (I9mm) 1

1W' (44mm)

W' (l9mm)

\ ""

!li 1,4" (6mm)2111" -')

i;~m) \~

1Yz" (38mm)

l W' (44mm)

INSIDE SUPPORTPOST

SIDE VIEW OF SPINDLEMOUNTED ON END OF CRADLE,

RESTING IN CHANNEL ONSUPPORT POST

140

17•

Fiftccnth~qcntury Door•

The door has been a primary symbol of security sincethe concepts of privacy and persona l property firstdeveloped. In the Middle Ages, hermet ic monks, some­times known as anchorites, used doors to protect notproperty, but privacy. The Ca rthusian monks at MountGrace Priory, Yorkshire Co unty, England, were noexceptio n in the quest for solitude despite their com­munalliving arrangement.

The fi fteenth century saw tremendous growth inmany of the richly endowed monastic communities,including the one at Mount Grace. Here, the commu­nity of monks lived in a complex of ind ividual cellsthat were as comfortably appointed as any merch ant­class house. Each cell was a four-room house completewith an attached walled garden and piped-in water.These pleasant surroundings, however, did not lessenthe physical severity and social deprivation to whichthe broth ers subjected themselves. Their isolation wasnearly complete. Even their meals were passed througha slot near the entrance door of the cell.

To ensure such privacy, stout doors were needed.This pegged oak door, from reconstructed cell numbereight at Mount Grace, is a masterful example of th ecarpenter's art . Constructed completely of oak, withoutmetal fasteners or hinges, thi s heavy door swings aseasily as any modern door.

CONSTRUCTION NOTESAn interesting feature of thi s door is th at it is heldtogether with wooden nails. They are not simply pegs,as are most wood- to-wood fasteners, but are fully devel­oped nails, with a head on one end, carved from oak.

The door is made even more int eresting by havingno visible hinges. The main carrying timb er (the plankon the hinge end of the door) is set with two large

141

pins, one each at the top and bottom. These pins arein turn set into sockets in the door lintel and the sillplat e, which in medieval buildings usually sat abovethe floor boards. Though having the sill plate above thefloor may have been a nuisance when someone movedfrom room to room, it greatly facilita ted the construc­tion of post-and-beam walls.

Because th ere is no locking mechan ism on thi s door,it may not technically have an interior and an exteriorface; however, judging from its locati on at MountGrace Priory, the flat side of th e door should be con­sidered the outer side and the face with th e cross bracesth e inside. C onstruction of thi s piece may appear quitesimple, but brace yourself for a real cha llenge.

MaterialsThe door is made ent irely of oak. The wooden nailsalso should be oak, because they are such a visible partof th e structure. The door itself can be made of eitherwhite or red oak, and could conceivably be made of adifferent wood, but th e wooden nails must be made ofwhite oak, because it is much harder th an most otherwoods. The hinge pins, or swing pins, sho uld be madeof maple or birch, which are more resistant to wearth an oak.

NailsBecause th e entire structure is held together withwooden nails, the y should be the first items made. Theoverall length of the finished nails is 3 inches (76mm),but they will be easier to handle while th ey are beingcarved if they are worked, one at a time, from lengthsof stock about 1 foot (305mm) in length. You sho uldbe able to carve about three nails from a l-foot (305mm)length of oak stock.

R EPLICA OF FIFTEEN TH-CEN TU RY ENGLISH DOOR. OAK; H. 711,4", W. 30". COLLECTION OF MOUNT GRACE PRIORY,

N ORTHALLERTON, ENGLAND. COURTESY ENGLISH H ERITAGE. P HOT OGRA PHS BY D. TYLER H U FF.

142

143

Mark the location of a nail head at one end of alength of Vz-inch (l3mm) square stock. The nail headshould be the full dimension of the stock and Vz inch(l3mm) in height, and the body of the nail 3fs inch(9mm) in diameter.

With a jeweler's saw, fine-tooth coping saw, or verysharp carving knife, score a line around the bottom ofthe nail head . On the flat sides of the stock, the scor­ing should be cut to a depth of only VI6 inch (Zmm).Because the body of the nail is round and the headsquare, the cut will need to be deeper at the corners ofthe stock.

Now carefully shape the body of the nail. When youare carving toward the head of the nail, be careful notto chip away the corners of the head. At some pointin the carving process, you will need to saw the nailfree from the length of stock. When the nail is nearlyround, finish shaping it with sandpaper (glass paper).You will need good, sharp, clean corners where thebody of the nail joins the head so that the nail will seattightly against the face of the door.

When the body of the nail is complete, sand orcarve a bevel around the head and another bevelaround the bottom of the nail. The bottom bevel willallow the nail to be driven into the pilot holes moreeasily. You will need a total of thirty-four nails .

Swing PinsTrim the carrying timber (the thick plank on the hingeside of the door) Vz inch (l3mm) shorter than theheight of the door opening. Locate the position of theswing pins on the top and bottom of the carrying tim­ber. The pins should be Vz inch (l3mm) from the out­side edge of the door, as shown in the door mountingdrawings, and at the center of the carrying timber's211t-inch (57mm) thickness. The pins must be at thesame locations on the top and bottom of the carryingtimber so that the door will operate without binding ortwisting.

Drill pilot holes for the swing pins to a depth of 2inches (51mm). The holes must run perfectly straightinto the carrying timber or, again, the door will notswing properly. Set the swing pins into the pilot holeswith a wooden mallet. The pins will drive more easilyif you sand a slight chamfer around the bottom edge.When the swing pins have been seated, there shouldbe lIlt inches (32mm) of the pins sticking beyond theface of the door. Sand chamfers onto the exposed ends .

To make the swing pins more stable, they can becross pinned (fastened to the carrying timber) by

inserting a YB-inch (9mm) dowel through the door andthe swing pin . The dowel should run through the facesof the door, not into its edge. (For more informationon cross doweling, see chapter 18.)

Door BoardsThe combined widths of the boards allow this doorto fit in its frame. The widths of the boards in yourdoor may vary depending upon the width of your doorframe. This door can be widened to 33 or 34 inches(838-863mm) without developing any structuralproblems. The finished width of the door must beVB inch (22mm) narrower than the interior dimensionof the door frame to allow the door to swing freely onthe swing pins . When the proper widths of the doorboards have been established, trim the boards to thesame length as the carrying timber.

Cross BracesThe length of the braces is determined by the widthof the door. If your door is wider or narrower than thedoor in the drawings, adjust the length of the bracesaccordingly. The braces must be long enough to pro­vide a 1~- inch (44mm) tenon on one end and stop l/ Z

inch (l3mm) short of the outside edge of the door onthe other.

The brace is 1 inch (25mm) thick, and its widthnarrows from 4 inches (102mm) at the point where itmeets the carrying timber to 3 inches (76mm) nearthe outer edge of the door.

Rough the brace into shape, then cut the tenon. Thetenon, as shown in the section A drawing, is flush withthe surface of the brace on the side that lies againstthe door boards. On the opposite side, the tenon is off­set by 1;4 inch (6mm), leaving the tenon ~ inch (l9mm)thick. The tenon should be offset from the top andbottom edges of the brace by 1;4 inch (6mm). This slightoffset will conceal the edges of the mortise .

Next, chamfer the edges of the braces as shown inthe end view of the brace drawing.

Cutting the MortisesLay the carrying timber and the door boards on a levelwork surface . Then lay the braces on top of the doorboards with their tenon ends touching the carryingtimber, spacing the braces along the height of the dooras shown in the inside face drawing, and at a 90-degreeangle to the carrying timber. Mark the location of the

. tenons on the carrying timber. Then lay aside the doorboards and the cross braces .

144

Cut the morti ses into th e carrying timb er so th atthe tenons will fit very snugly. A very snug fit willrequire three or four taps with a wooden mallet to seatthe tenons into the morti ses. If you have to drive thepieces together, they are too tight, and th e wood maysplit from the pressure. The morti ses must be cutsquare into the face of the carrying timb er. If th ey arenot square, or if the tenons are not a good fit, the doormay sag.

Cut each morti se individually until one of thetenons fits, and then mark them for reassembly, as thepieces may not be interchangeable. Markings shouldbe done with cha lk or on masking tape so th at theycan be easily removed.

Assembling the DoorLay the carrying timber and the door boards in theirproper positions on a level work surface. For th e fin­ished door to look right , the edges of the boards mustbe absolutely flush against one ano ther. If there areslight gaps or irregulariti es on the joining edges of theboards, plane them until the boards fit smooth ly. Oncethe boards have been placed in their final arrangement,lay the cross braces into position and tap the tenonsinto the morti ses on the carrying timb er.

Place bar clamps across th e width of the door andpull the boards together until they are snug. Pad theends of the bar clamps with a shim of wood or card­board so th at they do not bite into the wood.

Nailing the DoorNow lay out the pilot holes for the wooden nails. Marka line throu gh the center of the cross braces. A nailwill be located l/Z inch (l 3mm) on either side of theseam where each pair of door boards abut and inthe cente r of each board, except at the extreme endsof the cross brace. The nail th at ties the cross brace tothe carrying timber is located -Y-t inch (l 9mm) from theinside edge of the carrying timber, as shown in the sec­tion A drawing. Also, the spacing of the nails on theoutside door board is determined by th e length ofthe cross brace, not by the width of the board.

With the cross braces set firmly in place, drill pilotholes for the nails that tie the cross braces to the carry­ing timber. If you are doubtful about the seating of themortise and tenon joint, place an additiona l bar clampacross the braces and the carrying timb ers to holdthem in place, but don 't let the clamp get in the wayof drilling the pilot holes. Next, slide one end of thedoor beyond the edge of the bench far enough to drive

145

a wooden nail th rough the pilot hole. Following thesame procedure, attach th e remaining cross braces tothe carrying timb er. It is important to have someoneapplying back pressure behind the pilot hole so th atth e nail does not splinter the door as it breaks th e sur­face. The wooden nails will protrude beyond the surfaceof th e door and can be trimmed off lat er.

Conti nue th e nailing sequence to th e door boardnearest the carrying timb er. Drill and nail th e top andbottom cross braces to the door board . Next attach thetop and bottom cross braces to th e middle door board,and finally to the outside door board. Throughout thenailing process, have someone applying back pressureon the cross braces while the nails are bein g driventhrough the door. In order for the door to fit securely,the cross braces must also be held firmly againstthe door boards while the pilot holes are drilled andthe nails are driven .

When all three door boards have been nailed to thetop and bottom cross braces, attach the outside doo rboard to the remaining cross braces, and finally, drilland nail th e middl e cross braces to the int erior doorboards.

Slide the door back onto the work surface so th at allof the nail heads rest on the surface . With a mallet,gently tap around th e base of each nail to pull the crossbraces tightly against the surface of th e door boards.You may want to take a small block of wood and drill ahole in it so th at it can be placed over the nail. A firmtap on the block sho uld seat the brace against the doo rboard. Do not hamm er too hard; you might sha tter thewooden nail heads. When all of the nails have beenseated, saw off the ends of the nails and sand themflush with the surface of the cross braces.

ChamferingUsing a ch isel or router, cut the decorati ve cha mfer onthe carrying timber, in the spaces between the crossbraces, as shown on the inside face drawing. A lso, cuta lA-inch (6mm) cha mfer along the outside edges ofthe carrying timber. This will reduc e the clearan cenecessary to swing the door open and closed.

LatchC ut th e two latch supports, shown in profile in the endview drawing of the latch, and also cut the lat ch bolt ,shown in the straight-on view of the latch mechanism.Finally, make two doorknobs. Although the knobsappear fairly round in profile (side, cutaway viewdrawing), they are nearly square when viewed straight

MATERIALS

WOODThe door can be red or white oak, but the wooden nails must be white oak. The swing pins should beeither maple or birch.

NUMBERPART OF PIECES THICKNESS WIDTH LENGTH

carrying timber 1 2 114" (57mm) X 8" (203mm) X 7 P!4" (l m81Omm)

door boards 2 I" (25mm) X 71/ z" (l90mm) X 71 W' (Im810mm)

door board 1 I " (25mm) X 71/ z" (190mm) X 71 ';4" (lm81Omm)

cross braces 4 I" (25mm) X 4" (102mm) X 22 314" (57 8mm)

latch bolt 1 I " (25mm) X 1'Ys" (41mm) X 9" (22 9mm)

latch supports 2 I" (25mm) X l '/ z" (38mm) X 7%" (l 97mm)

knobs 2 IVz" (38mm) X 1'lz'1(38mm) X 2" (5 1mm)

wooden n ail stock 1 Vz" (13mm) X Vz" (13mm) X 144" (3m658mm)

shaft 1 '/ z" (13mm) round X 4" (102mm)

swing pins 2 1114" (32mm) round X 3 '14" (82mm)

on. In the center of the face of the latch bolt, drill ali z- inch (13mm) hole.

O n the inside face of the door, arrange the latchsupports and the latch bolt in their proper position , atthe height indicated on the inside face drawing of thedoor. Making certain th at the mechanism is squared to

the edge of the door, mark the position of both latchsupports on the surface of the door, and also make amark on the door throu gh the hole in the latch bolt .Set aside the pieces of the latch .

Draw a line th at passes th rough the mark forthe hole in the latch bolt across the width of the out­side door board. Make certain th at thi s line is at a90-degree angle to the edge of the door. This line isthe cente r of the slot th rough which the doorknobshaft will pass. The slot should be Ys inch (l6mm)wide and 2Vz inches (63mm) long, and should begin

146

2Vz inches (63mm) from the edge of the door. Cutthi s slot throu gh the door by drilling out the ends ofthe slot and removing the wood between the holeswith a chisel or router. Keep the slot neat ; it will showon the outside face of the door.

Drill holes 1 inch (25mm) deep into the flat end ofthe doorknobs into which the '/ z-inch (l 3mm) shaftcan be driven . Tap the shaft into one of the knobs.Next, tap the shaft-and-knob unit th rough the hole inthe latch bolt . Two inches (51mm) of shaft should pro­trude th rough the opposite side of the latch bolt.

Mounting the LatchMark and drill pilot holes in the ends of the latch sup­ports. Replace the latch supports on the door in thelocat ions previously marked, and continue the pilotholes throu gh the door board.

Now remove the latch supports, and set the latchbolt into place with the shaft through the slot in th edoor. Allow the edge of the door to hang over the sideof the bench so th at the shaft can fall th rough. Replacethe latch supports and nail them to the door, driving thenails throu gh from the back surface of the door.

C ut and sand the end s of the nails, and attach theremaining knob. Do not force the knob against theface of the door, or the bolt will not move smoothly.

FinishSand the door, then give it a natural oil finish asdescribed in chapter 3.

Hanging the DoorThe door as originally constructed was hung at thesame time th at the frame around it was install ed. Theupright posts on either side of the door were morti sedinto the sill plate, and the lintel above the door wasmorti sed into the upright posts. The swing pin on thebottom of the door was set into a receiving hole inthe sill plate, and the post and lintel assembly droppedinto place from above. As the tenons on the door postsdropped into the morti ses in the sill plate, the swingpin on top of the door fitted into a receiving hole inthe lintel.

The receiving holes must be slightly larger than theswing pins to allow the door to move easily, but not so

147

large th at the door wobbles. A receiving hole 1/1 6 inch(Zmm) larger than the swing pin sho uld provideeasy operation. The receivin g holes must be centered1J4 inches (44mm) from the inner face of th e doorjamb to allow the corners of the door to pass betweenthe swing pin and the jamb.

The swing pin on the bottom of th e door must besligh tly longer-about 14 inch (6mm)-than th edepth of the receiving hole into which it fits. Thiswill raise th e door off the floor and allow it to swingfreely.

C onversely, th e swing pin on the top of the doorshould be slightly sho rter th an the depth of the receiv­ing hole.

In a modern application, the door could be mountedagainst a flush floor (without an exposed sill plate) aslong as there is a floor joist beneath th e threshold int owhich the receiving hole can be drilled. Drop a smallwasher or disk of nylon bushing material into th ereceiving hole to provide a pad on which the swing pincan rest . This will provide long years of operationwithout the bottom of the swing pin wearing downfrom the friction of rubbing against the bottom of thereceiving hole.

Whether the bottom of the door is mounted on asill plate or a smooth floor, the lintel must be set inplace after the door so that the top receiving hole fitsover the swing pin on top of the door.

END VIEW OF BRAC E

3" (76mm)

_ L

I"!(25mm)I ~..... - 4--><.----/--r-

15W'(400m m)

. I

IN SIDE FACE!J\1. 2" (5Imm)

1'14" (32 mm)n~\rfl~d;;\?~~.:1.1.~o-o-l::::::::o~:~/~~ ~:;tc, \ J\tt't=(I:{~m)

Vz" (13mm) -/ \ \ ( 1\ \\-+\----++-+-----

1\\(I Ii

\

33" (838mm) I )/ \ 16"{ (406mm)

/ J

( / \ I" (25mm) \

I / I ~ \

lfG=o 0=:=0 0 (f 0-> n ~ r1\ I \/ / / I I I W (I9 mm)

-' "-- ~--~---Jl--~--:-.......Ll...-......:...L_-"T""T.--_--L-

~ 7" I. t v: +7 Yz" + 8" .u 71.~Yz" (63m m)(I 78mm0 (I90mm) (I90mm) (203mm)

i 17"(432mm)

71'14"(I m81Omm) 2'14"

'. (5 7mm)

\\\

I" I"

SECTION A

(25mm) (25mm)

\ I I I \

IW' (44 mm)~ ~

\

J/"v, " \ 14

\ \ . (I9~m) (I9mm) Lr R

f '\!: Yo" (6mm)

I" (25mm)4" (I02mm)

4" (102mm)

/

I

3" (76mm) Lo--o-o. --o~~o 0

Vz" (13.nm) .-/Jd1\ II \ II

B J

) ) I1/ /-...-

I \

to 0 n .... 0 0..

0 o 0 0.-

30 " (762mm)

148

~

I Yz" (38mm)

FRONT VIEW

1_--==:->n~::::f'=tI:~ 7W' (I9 7mm)r--..L....tFFfl'<::rl 1'/2" (38mm)

-i

TOP, CUTAWAY VIEW

DOOR MOUNTINGS1" (2Smm) \. 1',4" (32mm)

,.~/ W]~;<~ {~-"_.:"E!- -VI{>')'; I~'/1" (l I mm)

6" J6" - (IS2m m)

W ( ;5;,"~m)J,.. (~ 8,"'~ )/

(I9mm) \( (1' ~ )j~D DfDODz/

VB" (I6mm)

1 "( 2Sm~ f

1" (2Smm)

- r--~r7Ti:-n::::::::::==:::;::1" (2Smm) 1--~+-+1I't1-- _...---

1" (2Smm)

1'/1" (38mm)

1" (2Smm)

\.1-1 '/2" (38mm)

WOODEN NAIL

END VIEWW' (I3mm)

~--~,,~

SIDE, CUTAWAY VIEW

149

18•

~Iastonbury Ohair•

The basic style of the Glastonbury chair is called afaldstool, meaning folding seat. When adapted toecclesiastical use, the style was referred to as a litanydesk. These cha irs were built at the medieval abbeyat Glastonbury, England, around 1500, and one ofthem is on display at the Bishop's Palace in Wells,Somerset.

G lastonbury Abbey was the richest and oldestChristian enclave in England . Having been a place ofChristian worship since the first century, and reputedlythe site of the tomb of King Arthur, the power andinfluence of Glastonbury was unrivaled.

What sets the Glastonbury Chairs apart from othersof this style is the richly decorative Latin script on thearms and back. Across the top of the back of thi s chairare the words "Monacus Glastome," identifying itsplace of origin, and on the arms are the phrases "Godsave him," "May the Lord give him peace," and "Praisebe to God." On the inner face of the right arm is"[ohanus Arthurus," the Latinized version of the nameJohn Arthur Thorne, treasurer of the abbey, for whomthe chair was built .

In 1539 Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries. Histroops burned Glastonbury Abb ey to the ground andkilled the abbot and two of the monks, one of whomwas Brother [ohanus Arthurus.

This chair is an early period copy of the Glaston­bury cha ir now located in the lobby of the George andPilgrim Hotel in Glastonbury.

CONSTRUCTION NOTESThis marvelous chair may be the most visually strikingpiece of furniture in thi s book. It is also the most diffi­cult to construct. Not only is the carving extensive anddetailed, but some of the joints are trickier than they

151

appear. If you are willing to take your time, however,th e results will be worth the troubl e.

The drawings provide all of th e information neces­sary to build thi s chair, but I suggest making cardboardpatterns, at least for the arm and leg pieces. Even slightdeviations from the drawings may alter the angle of someof the miter cuts or the location of the dowel holes.

To ensure proper fit and to maintain th e structuralintegrity of th e cha ir, it is best to use full-dimensionlumber as noted in the materials list.

Framing MembersWith the exception of th e arms, all of th e framingmembers of the chair pieces can be planed down frommill-dimension 2-by-4-inch (51-by-102mm) oak. Thearms require an 8-inch (203mm) wide board; by inter­locking the narrow ends of the arms when laying themout before sawing, both arms can be cut from a single3 Vz-foot (lm67mm) long board. The legs and the siderails on the seat and back are all 1 inch (25mm) thi ck,but the legs are 2~ inches (70mm) wide and th e siderails are 3 inches (76mm) wide.

Seat and Back PanelsOn the origina l cha irs, the seat and back panels weremade from a single ~- inch (l 9mm) thi ck oak board,but even in th e centuries-old copy shown here they aremade of two board s glued together along th e joiningedge. I recommend gluing together seat and backpanel s th at are three boards wide, rather th an two, forreasons of economy. Do not use oak veneer plywood.When the panels are cut down to fit into the rabbetedgrooves in the frame memb ers, the plywood would losestrength , and the layers of the ply would show on theback side of each panel.

REPLICA OF FOURTEENTH,CENTURY GLASTONBURY CHAIR. OAK; H. 33", W. 24", D. 20". COLLECTION OF GEORGE

AND PILGRIM H OT EL, GLASTONBURY, E NGLAN D. COURTESY GEORGE AND PI LGRIM H OTEL P HOTOGRAPH BY D. T YLER H UFF.

152

Use standard mill-dimension l-b y-o-inch (25-by­152mm) and l-by-Svinch (25-by-203mm) oak boards.The seat, because it is wider th an the back, is made oftwo l-by-Svinch (25-by-203mm) and one l-bv- S-inch(25-by-152mm) board. The back is made from twol-by-ti-inch (25-by-152mm) and one l-by-Sv inch(25-by-203mm) board. Allow an extra Y.t inch (19mm)in both the height and width of these panels to providethe tongue th at seats int o the rabbeted groove in theframe that goes around both the seat and back.

The chamfers were origina lly shaped with a draw­knife or a plane, but they can more easily be cut on atable saw or router. Using a drawknife or plane willgive the cha mfers the slightly irregular surface foundon the original pieces.

The seat and back panels join together along thecross rail located underneath the back panel. The seatpanel inte rsects this rail at an angle of about 110degreesto the back. To allow the seat board to fit properly int othe chamfer in the cross rail, the cha mfer slot will haveto be cut on a 20-degree angle.

Notch the rear edge of the seat panel to fit aroundthe side rails of the back. To ensure a tight fit, assemblethe back structure, place the seat board between itsside rails, and slide thi s unit into posit ion over the backstruct ure. O nce positioned, it should be easy to markwhere the seat will need to be notched.

Framing ConstructionThe origina l cha irs were made without the use of glue.The large dowels th at extend th rough th e side rails andinto the cross rails of the seat and back were held inplace by small dowels, as illustrated in details A and B.This combination of large and small dowels held theback and seat frames together, which in turn heldthe back and seat panels in place. For thi s procedureto work properly, you must have a good, snug fit at allof the major joints. A snug fit means th at the piecesshould go together with a firm tap with the palm ofyour hand . The small dowels, of which there are eight(one connecting each large dowel on the seat and backinto the cross members, and one in each of the twodowels in the leg stretcher), should need to be drivenlightl y into place with a mallet . Cut the small dowels1 or 2 inches (25-51mm) longer th an necessary, andtrim them off carefully with a knife after they havebeen driven into place.

If you wish, you can replace the small dowels withscrews. The heads of the screws should be countersunk114 inch (6mm) beneath the surface , and th e hole

plugged with a sho rt length of dowel. The finishedwork will be virtually indi stinguishable from th e origi­nal mean s of construction .

ArmsPositioning the arms to fit correctl y is the most diffi­cult phase of construction . Because the seat is 2 inches(51mm) wider th an the back, the arms must rest ona slight angle. As a result , the holes thro ugh whichthe large dowels pass will also be on an angle. To pro­vide a properly angled surface against which to posi­tion the arms, use the side rails of the seat and back asa jig.

Predrill a pair of seat and back side rails to receivethe large dowels, and join th em at the point where theywould naturally join at the base of the seat by insertinga sho rt length of 1Vs-inch (29mm) dowel thro ugh th ecorresponding holes. Be sure th at the seat rail is rest­ing on top of the back rail. A lign the free ends of theseat and back rails with the top and bottom ends of anarm. The three pieces should now be posit ioned in atriangle, in th e same way they would be if th ey wereattached to the cha ir. C lamp the seat and back rails tothe workbench so tha t they can no t shift out of posi­tion . They can now be used as a jig against which theends of the arm can be fitted .

In order for the ends of th e arm to rest flat againstthe side rails, the inside surfaces of bot h the top andbottom ends of th e arm must be worked down at anangle of about 5 degrees. Achi eve the proper fit byslowly removing the excess wood a littl e at a time witha rasp or hand sander. Do not drill the holes for the •large dowels in the arm until th e arm rests flat againstthe side rails. Because the arms lie on an angle , thedowel holes must be drill ed at a corresponding angle toslide over th e dowels properl y.

LegsAlthough the four legs are all the same dimensions,the outside legs will need to be notched out to a depthof 114 inch (6mm) at the point where the legs cross soth at the legs will interlock sligh tly. By interlocking inthi s manner, the legs th emselves will support theweight of anyone sitt ing in th e ch air, rather than thedowels.

Dowels and WedgesThe entire chair is held together by eight I lls-inch(29mm) diameter dowels. The end s of six of thesedowels must be inserted into 1114-inch (32mm) thick

153

MATERIALS

WOODAll wood is oak, except the dowels and wedges, which are maple.

NUMBERPART OF PIECES THICKNESS WroTH LENGTH

arms 1 111411 (32mm) X 8 11 (203mm) X 42 11 (lm67mm)

legs 4 111 (25mm) X 231411 (70mm) X 27 11 (686mm)

side rails 2 111 (25mm) X 3 11 (76mm) X 19'/ zll (496mm)

seat rails 2 1 '14'1 (32mm) X 231411 (70mm) X 18 11 (457mm)

top rail of back 1 1'14 11 (32mm) X 3'/ zll (89mm) X 18 11 (457mm)

leg stretcher 1 2'14" (57mm) X 2'14" (57mm) X 24 11 (61Omm)

panel boards 1 ~II (l9mm) X 8 11 (203mm) X 48 11 (lm219mm)

panel boards 1 WI (l9mm) X 611 (l52mm) X 48 11 (Im219mm)

wedges 1 1411 (6mm) X 211 (51mm) X 3611 (914mm)

large dowel 1 1'/811 (29mm) round X 72 11 (lm829mm)

small dowel 1 '14" (6mm) round X 48 11 (Im219mm)

cross rails; reduce the 2 Yz-inch (63mm) section ofeach dowel th at will be inserted into the cross rail toa diameter of % inch (l9mm).

Be very careful when drilling the holes into whichthese dowels will be inserted in the end of the crossrail. The holes must be straight, and drilling into endgrain can be tricky. If possible, use a drill press or bor­ing machine for this operation.

The small dowels that hold the large dowels inplace should be positioned so that they help bear theweight of anyone sitt ing in the chair. The small dowelsin the top and bottom rails of the back should beinserted vertic ally, and those in the front rail of theseat horizontally.

The wedges in the ends of the large dowels are

154

actually what hold the chair together. For the greateststrength, cut them from lA-inch (6mm) thick maple orash. The slots into which these wedges are seated aredifficult to cut . Start these slots by drilling two holesY4 inch (6mm) in diameter in the large dowel. One ofthem should be a vertical hole at the rear of the wedgeslot, and the other on a 15- or 20-degree angle at thefront. Remove the wood between these holes with asharp knife.

The rear edge of this slot (the edge closest to thechair) should extend slightly beneath the surface ofthe arm (or leg) against which the inserted wedge willrest. This way, the wedge is actually pulling againstthe body of the chair and not just against the end ofthe slot.

Carving and FinishingExecuting the carving on this chair is tedious andtime-consuming. The complex arrangement of lettersand the difficulty of working with oak probablymake this a job only for the experienced woodcarver.Although the ornate carvings are an integral partof thi s chair, the piece is still both attractive and ser­viceable if it is left uncarved.

155

Undoubtedly this chair was originally designed tohave a pillow or cushion on the seat. Select the fabricfor the cushion cover based on the amount of carvingon the chair and the darkness of the finish. A richtapestry, a damask trimmed in fringe and tassels, orleather in natural or dyed colors would all be histori­cally appropriate seat covers.

ARM,TOP VIEW 5°

H---"L-1:-:- 4" (102mm)

27" (686mm)

156

TOP VIEW

17'/ 1" (444mm) -----1

I" (25mm).[r

U 'A" (6mm)

2", ~(63mm)

2W (63mm)~

WEDGE DETAIL

19 W (495mm )

22 'H' (571mm) ~ I24" (61Omm) ---t1

1"(25mm)

~ 17'/ 2" (444mm) jII--- 15'/ 2" (394mm) ----1

~ -------

2%" (70mm)

FRONT VIEW

SIDE, CUTAWAY VIEW

DETAIL A

17'/2" (444mm)

33" (838mm)

157

TOP RAIL, FRONT

15W' (394mm)

BACK PANEL

Yl" (13mm)

CARVINGS

SIDE RAILS

SIDE RAIL PROFILE

3"I" (25mm) r-(76mm)1

~~~"-1 t r

1" (25mm) ') \. W (l3mm)

158

DETAIL B

2" (5Imm)

~<-----

TOP RAIL. REAR

15'/ z" (394mm)

14" (356mm)

LEFT ARM

27" (686mm)

159

1

3'/ z" (89mm)

OUTSIDE

INSIDE

RIGHT ARM

27" (686mm)

160

INSIDE

OUTSIDE

19•

~irror[d lijall ;8eone[•

Dating from the mid-fifteenth century, thi s wall sconceis a fine example of German Gothic-period craft andingenuity. An iron candle arm is positioned in front ofa convex bronze reflecting mirror, which reflects thecand lelight th roughout the room. One such sconcehung near a desk, or several located around a room,would add greatly to the amount of light provided by avery few candles. In the Middle Ages, beeswax candleswere very expensive, and inexpensive tallow candlesfilled the air with oily smoke and an acrid odor.

The piece was originally brightly polychromed toadd to its reflective and decorat ive qualities. Theexposed areas of the wooden face were painted ocher,the side panels deep green , and the foliate carvings arich red-brown. The front-facing edges of the sidepanels were gilded.

Additional decoration and reflecti ve surface wasgained by the insertion of glass panels in the four tri­angular spaces outside of the large ring on the sconce'sface. Each of these panels is reverse painted witha heraldic device that serves to personalize the piecewhile adding to its ornamentation.

This sconce is located in the Campin Room of th eMetropolitan Museum 's Cl oisters in New York City.Although this piece has suffered some damage to thecarvings and painted glass, and a few components areprobably replacements, it is a handsome piece. Theonly other surviving example of such an item is in th eNational Museum in Nuremberg.

CONSTRUCTION NOTESThe actual construction of thi s interesting and highlydecorative piece is relatively simple. The orna te carv­ing and the brass mirror, however, add cha llenge to

the project. Study the drawings and photograph wellbefore beginning construction.

Back PanelThe back panel for thi s sconce is made of two boardsglued together horizontally. G lue and clamp the twoback boards together. Further strength will be addedwhen the complete structure is assembled. To provideadditiona l support to th e back panel while it is beingworked on , attach braces to the back side of the panelalong the left and right outer edges with wood screws.The screws sho uld not penetrate more th an V2 inch(l Zmm) into th e back pan el. This done, you are readyto begin carving the circular and square bands into theface of the sconce .

From th e appearance of too l marks on the face ofthe panel, it would seem th at all of the circular shapeson the face were turned on a primitive foot-poweredlathe. If you have access to a lathe th at will swing thenearly 26-inch (660mm) diagonal measurement ofthi s board, it is probably th e most histori cally accurateapproach to the project . If not , use a router. Makeseparate templates for each inner and outer cut-onetemplate to scribe the area on which the mirror isseated, and ano ther for th e in ner surface of the ringth at encircles the mirror. The decorati ve mold ings onthe face of the back board are set sligh tly off-center.The moldings scribe an 18-inch-square area (457mm)on a back board that is 18 by 181/ 2 inches (457 by470mm), the extra 1/ 2 inch (l 3mm) being at the topof th e back board. All ow for thi s in laying out th edesign on the face of th e back board . If you plan toturn th e piece on a lathe, the mounting plate shouldbe mounted slightly below center on the board .

161

S CONCE, GERMANY, FIFTEENTH CENTURY. IRON, BRONZE, OAK, GLASS, AND EGG TEMPERA; H. 223/ 8" , W. 20",D. 53

/ 8 " . CLOISTERS COLLECTION, METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART, NEW YORK CITY. COURTESY METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART.

The rest of the deep carving on th e face of thesconce was executed by hand. That includes the out­side face of the outermost ring and the inside face ofth e tr ian gular areas at th e four corne rs of the board.

162

If you wish, you can continue working with the router.If you use the router for these areas, you will need tomake templates ; it is nearly impossible to cut a straightedge with a router without a template to follow.

The corners will have to be worked by hand. Makethe walls of the triangular areas in the corne rs asstraight as possible; glass panels will be cut to fit intothese areas, and uneven or sloped sides will make th atprocess more difficult .

Side PanelsEach side panel is made from a single piece of wood.The orna te Gothic carving in the angle of thi s piece iscarved in relief on both the inner and outer faces.Technically, then, there is no left or right side panel ;the pieces are identical on both sides.

Although the Metrop olitan Museum lists the entiresconce as being made out of oak, the delicate carvingsin the side panels and the top crest would be exceed­ingly difficult to execute if these were made of oak.The gessoed and painted finish makes identificationof the wood difficult, and it would be best to select awood th at is relatively straight-grained and easy tocarve but still structurally sound, such as pine , poplar,or mahogany.

If the decorat ive base block on the side panels ismade as a separate piece, the general construction ofthe side will be much easier. Rough the base into sha peon a band saw or jigsaw, and then finish it with carvingknives and files.

The main shaft of the side panel is in the form of awedge-shaped column, with the point of the wedgefacing forward. This is easiest to shape by simply cut­t ing the faces of the wedge on a table saw with theblade set at a 45-degree angle. Do not cut so far intothe board th at you cut into the area where you will beexecut ing the ornamental carving. Once the face ofthe wedge is cut , carve the cutouts at the base of thewedge with a carving gouge or utility knife.

Crest BoardThe decorative crest board in which the majority ofcarving is executed is fairly thin; take care not to breakit. Incise the rounded edge along the botto m edge ofthis board before beginning the carving.

CarvingsThe execution of the carving on both side panels andcrest board will be time-consuming and laborious, butthe results should be well worth the effort.

For stability, execute as much of the carving as pos­sible before cutting away the excess wood around theoutl ine, or profile, of the side panels and the crest.When you do cut the profile, the board should be lying

on a flat work surface , with on ly Vz inch (I 2mm) orso hanging over the edge of th e table at a time. Moreoverha ng th an thi s increases the cha nces of breakingth e delicat e carvings along th e grain of th e wood. Youcan use a band saw to cut out the profile, but a copingsaw or jeweler's saw will allow greater control. For thegreatest level of safety, the board sho uld be clampedfirmly in place whil e it is being sawed, and th e posit ionof the area being cut relative to the edge of the tableshould be adjusted each time the cut is extended'/z inch (I3mm) or so. Alternatively, you can clamp aback board in place behind the carving and simply cutthrough both of them so th at there are no exposedareas of the carved board to be broken .

The intertwined vines on the crest work are allopen work-the area between th e carvings has beencut away. Unfortunatel y, it is almost impossible toshape the edges of these vines without first cutt ingthem free of the surrounding wood . This will requireextra caution when carving them so as not to breakthe delicate tracery.

The carving on the side panels is not piercedth rough the wood. All of the carving is in relief asdeep as possible, considering th at there is carving onboth sides of the panel , and th e wood is on ly :x inch(I9mm) thick. The relati ve depth of the carvings isshown by the degree of darkness in the shading on thedrawing; the darker the shading , the deeper the areais to be carved.

Priming the WoodSand the carved wooden pieces until they are verysmooth . This will prepare th em for th e application ofthe painted finish. Apply two coats of gesso to all sur­faces before assembly, then sand them again withextremely fine sandpaper (glass paper). When finishedand sanded, the gesso should provide a surface nearlyas smooth as if th e piece were cast in a mold .

AssemblyThe pieces are now assembled with cut nails. Drillpilot holes for the nails so th at the wood does not split.The heads of the nail s sho uld be countersunk slightly.Begin by nailing th e side panel s into place on the backpanel using 1Vz-inch (38mm) cut nails. Next, positionthe shelf board into place between th e side panels, andnail it into place using the same size nails, first nailingthrough th e side panels into the ends of the shelf, andthen through the top of the shelf and downward intothe back board . Finally, with the sconce lying on its

163

back, position the crest board into place according tothe drawings. Drill pilot holes, and nail the crest boardonto the shelf board and end panels with l -inch(25mm) cut nails.

FinishingFill the nail holes with putty, plaster of paris (the mostsimilar to medieval gesso), or a mixture of sawdust andglue (used in medieval days as nail hole filler). Sandand gesso th e filled holes.

The origina l piece was probably painted with an eggtempera (see ch apter 3), but any flat oil-based paintwill work. All of the carving and the incised cut thatseparates the wedge-shaped column from the plane ofthe side panel are painted a deep red-brown. I recom­mend painting thi s color first so that the green paintand gold leaf can be applied up to the edge of thebrown, which is easier than workin g the other wayaround. The decorative base block is painted the samered-brown as the carvings. Paint the entire face of theback board a rich ocher color and the inside and out­side faces of the side panels a soft moss green . Applygold leaf to the face of the wedge-shaped column up tothe point where it joins int o the carving.

The entire crest board is painted with the samered-brown as the carvings on the side panel, and theund erside of th e shelf board appears to have beenpainted black. It is possible, however, th at thi s area hasbeen discolored from centuries of candle flames andmay origina lly have been painted red-brown as well.

MirrorThe brass mirror on this piece is almost certainly areplacement. The original may have been made ofbrass or bronze . For ease of working and cost effective­ness, make the mirror of brass .020 inch in thickness.All metal rolled thi s thin has a certain hardness, calledtemper, obta ined through the manufacturing process.To make th e brass easily workable, place the sheet ofbrass on a cookie tray and put it into a 400-degree Foven for two to two and a half hours. When youremove the brass from the oven , leave it on the cookietray and let it air-cool; do not immerse it in water tospeed the cooling.

The mirror will be shaped from the back by pressingthe metal into a mold. Carve the mold or turn it on alathe, so th at it forms the shape of the mirror, as shownin the cross section, in reverse. Essentially, the moldshould be a sha llow bowl th at is the negative of th esha pe of the mirror. The central portion of the mirror

164

is slightly convex, the center being about I.4 inch (6mm)higher than the outer edge. The decorative ring aroundthe outer edge is '/2 inch (l3mm) high and %inch(l9mm) wide.

When the mold has been made, cut a circular pieceof brass .020 inch thick and 14 inches (356mm) indiameter. The thinner the brass stock, the easier it willstretch into the mold, but it should not be so thinth at it tears during the working process or when it istrimmed around th e edges. Locate the center of thisdisk and drill a small hole at the center point. Tack themirror through thi s hole to the center point of themold. Do not pull the brass tight against the mold, butonly tight enough to draw it down slightly at thecenter.

Make a forming tool from a piece of l-inch (25mm)diameter wooden dowel or a l-inch (25mm) squarepiece of wood about the length of a pencil. Sand oneend so th at it is rounded into a half circle . Beginningat the outer edge of the face of the mirror, inside thedecorative outer ring, gent ly rub the brass into placeagainst the surface of the mold with the forming tool.Hold the brass in place with one hand so th at it doesnot simply turn under the pressure. The brass is thinenough that it will slowly stretch into place and takethe form of the mold. As the metal pulls into shape,it will become loose on the tack at the center. As itloosens, tap the tack down against the back, never somuch th at it pulls the metal, but just enough for asligh t pressure. When the face of the mirror has beenpulled completely into place, the tack should be tightagainst the face of the mold.

When the face of the mirror has been formed, fol­low the same procedure to shape the decorative ringaround th e outer edge. This will require making twomore forming tools from smaller dowels, one 34 inch(l9mm) in diameter and one Y2 inch (l3mm) indiameter. As the mirror takes shape, the extra metalaround the outside of the mold will twist and wrinkle.As long as the wrinkles do not extend int o the mirroritself, do not be concerned.

When the entire mirror has been shaped, carefullyremove the tack at the center and take the mirrorout of the mold. Carefully trim off the wrinkled metalaround the outside edge with a small pair of metalshears.

To polish the face of the mirror, gently press themirror, face up, into a bed of sand deep enough th atthe sand fills the back of the mirror. This will providesupport so th at you can polish the thin metal without

danger of denting it. Polish the face with a brass cleaner.After two or three applications of brass cleaner, themirror should have a soft sheen .

Position the mirror in place on the back board. It isfastened into the back board at eight points around theouter edge of the brass ring: at the top, bottom, left , andright of the mirror, and at four points halfway betweenthese. The nails must not be placed with in 1/ 2 inch(13mm) of the seam between the upper and lower backboards. Drill pilot holes slightly smaller th an the diame­ter of a l-inch (25mm) forged nail. Nail the edge of th ebrass mirror into the back board at a 45-degree angle.A fine nail set should allow you to drive the nail snugagainst the mirror without denting the brass.

The large brass tack at the center of the mirror hasa head 314 inch (l9mm) in diameter. Use an oversizedupholstery tack to simulate thi s large tack.

Corner DecorationsThe decorative painting work in th e triangular areas atthe four corners of the back panel are th ought to belate add itions to thi s piece, so their inclusion is purelya matter of taste. The designs on these panels areheraldic coa ts of arms, but they are so deterioratedthat copying them exactly would be nearly impossible.They are painted in reverse on glass panels, but becausetheir age is unknown, it is uncertain whether they areexecuted in egg tempera or oil paint. Egg tempera willadhere fairly well to clean glass, but if you wish to useoil paint, check at an art store for a material that youspray onto the glass before painting so th at the paintwill adhere properly.

Have a professional glass cutter cut pieces of glassto fit into the triangular areas at the corners of thesconce. Because the triangular areas are probably notquite symmetrical, be cert ain th at you know whichpane fits into which area, and which is the front andrear face of each pane.

O n paper, sketch heraldic designs, based on thesurviving designs shown in the drawings, to fit the tri­angular glass panes. The painting process will be easierif the sketches are rend ered in full color. Then lay apane of glass face side down on top of the color sketchand paint the design directl y onto the back of theglass. Be sure to paint on the side of the pane th at willlie against the back board, not the surface th at will beexposed. To paint in reverse, you must first paint anyfine line details, allow them to dry, then paint the largecolor areas over top of th em. The process may soundconfusing, but a little practice will make it clear.

165

When finished , the work is turned over and viewedth rough th e glass.

When the paint is well dr ied, put the panes in placeone at a time and drive tiny wire nails into the sides ofthe trian gular frame to hold them in place. O ne nailper side should be sufficient. Then run a narrow beadof glazier's putty around the edges of each pane, follow­ing the directions on the can . If you do not feel confi­dent about doing thi s, have the glazier who cut theglass panes mount the panels and apply the putty. Donot risk breaking the painted glass panels.

In a week or two th e glazier's putty will harden .Paint over the white putty with th e same red- ocherpaint used on the rest of the face.

Candle Cup ArmThe main arm of the candle holder is a replacementand does not fit quit e properly th rough the bracketplate.

The bracket plat e is a rectangular piece of 1/16-inch(Zrnm) gauge metal cut to size as shown in thedrawings. At th e center of thi s plate, drill a YB-inch(9mm) hole. As indicated in the drawings, drill fourmore holes near the corne rs of th e plate just largeenough to accept forged nails. Drill pilot holes intothe back panel , then attach thi s plate to the face of theback panel with four large-headed , forged nails.

Make th e candle cup arm from the 8~-inch

(222mm) piece of %-inch (9mm) square stock. Formth e offsets in the arm by clamping th e stock in a vise,heating with a torch, and bending the heated metalwith a hammer. The bends in th e arm are not a full 90degrees and are more for decorati on th an to serve anyfunction . The elongated loop at the front end of thearm is beaten to a tapered edge over the last 11/ 2 inches(J 8mm) of the length of the arm. Work th e stock int oa taper before you bend it into th e loop. The taper canbe worked by heating the metal and slowly hamm eringit out on an anvil or in the vise. Work th e metal a littl eat a time so that you ach ieve a nice, smooth taper.As you beat the metal thinner, it will become wider.When you have ach ieved a gentle taper, from th e origi­nal thickness of the stock to a fine edge over a lengthof 1V2 inches (J 8mm) , cool the metal and then grindor file away th e excess width.

Drill a VB-inch (Jmm) hole 114 inch (6mm) deep inthe candle cup arm 114 inch (6mm) behind the pointwhere it begins to taper. Heat th e metal and, using th emandrel, bend the elongated loop onto the taperedend of the candle cup arm.

The pin that connects the candle holder and candlecup to the candle cup arm is made from a piece of Ys­inch (9mm) round stock linch (25mm) in length. Usea lathe or file to reduce the last '14 inch (6mm) of stockat both ends of the pin to a diameter of lis inch (3mm).

Candle CupThe decorative candle cup is essentially to catch drip­ping wax as it falls from the candle. The cup is madefrom a piece of .020 gauge metal lVz inches (38mm)high and 6% inches (l71mm) long.

Trace the fleur-de-lls design along one edge of themetal for the candle cup. Cut out the design with verysharp metal shears or, preferably, jeweler's shears, anduse pin files to file the edges smooth. To keep frombending the metal, it must be held in a vise very closeto the area being worked. This will require frequentturning and repositioning of the metal. If the metalbecomes slightly bent during the working process, itcan be gently hammered flat again.

When the design has been cut out, gently roll thestock into a cylinder 2 inches (5Imm) in diameter.This should allow an overlap of approximately Vz inch(l3mm). Clamp the cylinder together, drill two Vs-inch(3mm) holes along the overlapped seam, and insertsmall rivets into the holes, with the heads on theinside of the cylinder. Peen the rivets into place andremove the clamp.

The top of this cylinder must now be flared outward.The flaring process must done with a mold form in thesame way that the mirror was worked into a mold. Intoa block of wood 2 inches (5lmm) in thickness, lathe­turn a cup-shaped mold. The mold should have thesame dimensions and curved sides as the exterior sur­face of the candle cup, as shown in the drawing. Setthe metal cylinder into the mold, decorative edgetoward the bottom. Using a %-inch (l9mm) dowel rodas a tool, slowly work the sides of the cylinder into theform of the mold by rubbing the dowel rod back andforth around the inner surface of the cylinder. Themetal will slowly stretch to the form of the mold.

Cut a disk 2% inches (70mm) in diameter from apiece of metal the same weight as the sides of thecandle cup . Inside of this disk, draw another circle 2 '14inches (57mm) in diameter. At 14-inch (6mm) inter­vals, cut V-shaped notches around the outer edge ofthe circle . Cut the notches to the depth of the innercircle . Remove the cutouts, then bend the remainingtabs at right angles to the metal circle to form a shal­low tray, 2 '14 inches (57 mm) across and 114 inch (6mm)

166

in depth. At the center of this tray, drill a hole Vs inch(3mm) in diameter. Check that the end of the candlecup pin fits through this hole.

Gently press the metal tray inside of the candle cup.When it fits snugly, solder it in place. With a pair ofsharp metal shears, remove one of the fleur-de-lis orna­ments from the candle cup to the level of the newlyinstalled bottom. This will allow the cup to fit over thebracket arm.

Assembly of Candle Cup and ArmClamp the candle cup arm into a vise so that theYl6-inch (5mm) hole in the arm is 2 inches (5lmm)beyond the vise jaws. Heat the area around theY'6-inch (5mm) hole. When the metal begins toglow slightly, set the candle cup onto the candle cuparm so that the space created by the removal of onefleur-de-lis ornament straddles the candle cup arm.Align the lis-inch (Jmm) hole in the bottom of thecandle cup with the corresponding hole in the candlecup arm. Holding the candle cup pin with a pair ofpliers, place one of the small ends of the candle cuppin through the Yl6-inch (5mm) hole in the bottom ofthe candle cup and into the heated hole in the candlecup arm. If necessary, tap the pin gently into placewith a hammer. When the metal cools, the pin shouldbe permanently in place.

Candle HolderBend the four arms of the candle holder by heating themetal slightly and bending it with a pair of needlenosepliers. Bend the arms so that they conform with thedesign in the drawings.

From a piece of lis-inch (3mm) thick metal, cut adisk Vs inch (22mm) in diameter. In the center of thedisk, drill a hole slightly more than lis inch (3mm)in diameter so that the disk will slip onto the top ofthe candle cup pin. To this disk, weld the four candleholder arms. Position the arms so that they extend 114inch (6mm) below the disk as shown in the drawings.

When all four arms have been welded to the disk,place the disk over the candle cup pin. Place a metalrod or the tip of a screwdriver onto the top of thecandle cup pin and tap on the end with a hammer tobend over the end of the candle cup pin so that thecandle holder is held tightly in place.

Attaching the Candle CupThe replacement candle cup is held in place simplyby having the end of the candle cup arm ground to a

MATERIALS

WOODThe wood can be pine, poplar, mahogany, or other straight-grained soft wood.

NUMBERPART OF PIECES . THICKNESS WIDTH LENGTH

back board 1 VB" (22mm) X 9" (229mm) X 18" (457mm)

back board 1 VB" (22mm) X 10 (254mm) X 18" (457mm)

crest board 1 %" (9mm) X 3Vz" (89mm) X 20" (508mm)

soffit board 1 Vz" (13mm) X 4 lfs" (l05mm) X 18" (457mm)

end panels 2 1" (25mm) X 5" (l27mm) X 21VB" (549mm)

METALAll metal is bar stock or round stock steel, except the mirror, which is brass.

NUMBERPART OF PIECES THICKNESS WIDTH LENGTH

hanger straps 2 VB" (3mm) X JA" (l9mm) X 6 11t" (l59mm)

hanger rings 2 VB" (3mm) round X 18" (457mm)

mounting plate 1 1/16" (2mm) X l ilt" (32mm) X 3" (76mm)

candle cup arm 1 %" (9mm) X %" (9mm) X 8W' (222mm)

candle holder pin 1 %" (9mm) round X 1" (25mm)

candle holder fingers 4 V16" (2mm) X 3116" (5mm) X 3" (76mm)

candle cup 1 .020 X l ilt" (32mm) X tv: (l90mm)

candle base 1 VB" (3mm) X VB" (22mm) diameter

mirror 1 .020 (brass) X 14" (356mm) X 14" (356mm)

forged nails 12 1" (25mm)

cut nail s 12 1ljz'1 (38mm)

167

circular point and inserted int o a hole drill ed into theback board. The or igina l candle cup was likely fastenedin a more complex manner.

Hanging StrapsThe iron hanging straps on the back of thi s piece areformed in the same way as all decorati ve hardware inth is book. Using a hacksaw or band saw, cut away astrip Y4 (6mm) wide and 11/ 2 inches (38mm) long fromeach side of one end of the strap to provide a narrowtongue from which to form th e loop. Heat the narrowtongue of metal, and bend it around a forming mandrelto produce a l-inch (25mm) ring. Leave the ring open114 inch (6mm) .

168

From an I8-inch (457mm) length of liB-inch (3mm)round stock, form two rings 11/2 inches (38mm) indiameter. First form a ring at one end of the stock,using a mandrel to sha pe the ring. Allow the piece tocool, and then saw off the ring. Reheat the ring andclose th e circle. Repeat for the second ring.

Drill holes in the hanger at the locations indicatedin th e drawings. Insert a finished ring into the loopat the end of each hanging strap , and tap the loopsclosed. Attach the hangers to the sconce, first drillingpilot holes to prevent the side rails from splitt ing,then using forged nails to affix the hangers to the backedge of the side rails, takin g care not to damage thepaint.

FRONT VIEW SIDE VI EW

3 Yl" (89mm)

1(%" (9mni.)r- 5"

I (l 27mm) ~

1

Y4" (l9mm)~ 6" (l5'mml =l

20" (S08mm)

\L 18" 1457mm)

\. I" (2Smm)

3 1/ z"(89mm)

~~~~~~~~~~~~-----tL-

18 Vz"(470mm)

22 VB" (S68 mm)

CROSS SECTION

6" (lS 2mm)

"%" (l9mm)

I" ~(2Smm) I~

Yl" (I3mm) Vz" (l3mm) Va" (l6mm) ,

( {\ W' (l9mm).~1 ~ 'I r (3~~~) 1 r i rjwI,=r: (~~ 7: 7-

----.- -----' - I-V-!'-' (-6-m-m-)-:)-+--I/;-z'-' (-f12

-m-m-)- - - - - - ---"'l\'- - - - - - - - --t

169

BRACKET CUTAWAY

VB" (9mm)

r

5" (l27mm)

4 '!4" (108mm )

2"(slmm)

3 Yz" (89mm)

BRACKET CARVING

1<-- - 5" (l 27mm )----t

170

SCONCE HARDWAR E

BRACKET PLATE HANGER

1W (38mm)

eIjz" (l3mm)

"Va" (l 6mm) r~ 1'14" (32m m)

(38mm)

e J!', !W (6mm)

11-----3" (76mm)

5"(I 27mm) e

e

1w' ~(22mm)1

I CANDLE HOLDER~ w t(l9mm)

2Yz" (63mm)

CANDLE BASE

PIN

lis" (9mm)

~l ~ W (3mm)

v '#I" (25mm)

~ ~~~w (Jmm)

x

) " (76mm)~ "" j ""(19mm) (19mm)

6Yz" (l65mm) 1

/. " (l3 mm)

1-L-Va" (l6mm)

2Ys" (54mm)~--

CANDLE CUP

2Y4" (70mm) -1

,L

1'14" (32mm)

-t---~.- ~

171

I" (25mm)

'Iz" (13mm)

SYz" (216mm)

RIGHT SIDE CORNER DETA IL

6" (I52mm) ~

W (ornm)

SW (216mm)

~---.,.--

"VB" (22mm)

------rI Yz" (3Smm)

j ,

~" (I9mm)

1"

)1 "VB" r

(22mm)

I" (25mm)

LEFT SIDE CORNER DETAIL

COLUMN BASE r"": YB" (3mm)

~4 y

1---"P'~'450 W' (I9mm)

l ~ < W (l Irnm)

1J!4" (44mm)

N

6" (I52mm)

172

APPENDIX A•

Furniture Locations•

Fifteenth-Century Bench, Candlestand, andMirrored Wall SconceThese three items, along with thousands of otherexquisite medieval pieces, are located at the Cloisters,a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. TheCloisters is a monastic compound, much of it takenfrom actual medieval buildings, housing a magnificentcollection of medieval artifacts, primarily of a religiousnature. It is located on the northern tip of ManhattanIsland in Fort Tryon Park. For more information, call(212) 923-3700.

Painted Wall HangingThese interesting tapestry look-alikes are painted byBob Rich. They can be ordered in any size and can becopied from medieval tapestries or manuscript illumi­nations, or adapted from photos of your family. Writeto Bob Rich, 1211 Logan Ave., Tyrone, PA 16686.

Ties Riches Heures du Duc de Berry (The BeautifulBookof Hours of the Duke of Berry) J a hand-illuminatedbook of devotions and miniature paintings, is held inthe Louvre, Paris.

Fourteenth-Centurv Reading DeskThis desk is part of a limited but extraordinarily finecollection of medieval artifacts and armor at thePhiladelphia Museum of Art. Many of the pieces areunique, and the museum is dedicated to quality pres,ervation and restoration. For more information, writeto the Philadelphia Museum of Art, 26th and theParkway, Philadelphia, PA 19130.

High Table, Vestment Chest, and Ambry CupboardThese three items are part of an amazing collection

of medieval and Renaissance furnishings at Haddon

Hall. The hall dates from the twelfth through the six­teenth centuries and is one of the homes of the Dukeof Rutland. Haddon Hall, which is open to the public,has appeared in films such as The Princess Bride andJane Eyre. For more information, write to the EstateOffice, Haddon Hall, Bakewell, Derbyshire DE45 lLA,England.

THE CLOISTERS OF THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF

ART, NEW YORK CITY. C OURTESY M ETROPOLITAN M USEUM

OF ART. PH OT OGRAPH BY 0 TYLER H UFF.

173

HADDON HALL, BAKEWELL, ENGLAND. COURTESY H ADDON H ALL. PH OTOG RAPH BY D. T YLER H UFF.

MEDIEVAL MERCHANT'S HOUSE, SOUTHAMPTON,

ENGLAND. C OURTESY ENG LISH H ERITAGE.

174

Oxford ChestThis chest, in the private collection of Merto n Col­lege, Oxfo rd University, Oxfo rd, England, has beenwith the college since its construct ion . A lthough thechest is not on public view, a visit to Merton Co llegeand Ox ford University is an experience in history th atshould not be missed.

Curule ChairThis fine cha ir is owned by Daniel Mehn, a furniture­maker who produces a variety of medieval copies andadaptations. For a brochure of h is products, write toDaniel Mehn, 1820 S. Carrollton Ave., New Orleans,LA 70118-2830 .

Monastic Canopy Bed and Fifteenth-Century DoorThe community of hermetic monks at Mount GracePriory lived in virtual isolation , not only from the out­side world, but also from each other, spending most oftheir lives inside th eir small cells. The furn ishings, likethe buildings, are reconstructions. This restored priory,located in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, England ,was spared the destruction of Henry Vlll's dissoluti onof the monasteries and is a remarkable place to visit.

Fifteenth-Century Window FrameThis window frame is part of the excellent collectionof the Victor ia and Alb ert Museum in London,although it is not currently on display.

Wine Cabinet and Gothic CradleThe Medieval Merchant's House, located at 58 FrenchStreet, Southa mpton, England , is a wine merchant'shome and shop dating from about 1290 th at has beencompletely restored to its origina l condition and fur­nished with magnificent reproductions. The site andits conte nts look as they might have when they werenew nearly a millennium ago.

Glastonbury ChairThe Glastonbury ch air copy is located in the Georgeand Pilgrim Hotel , # 1 High St. , G lastonbury, Somerset,England . This hotel, located on ly a few hundred feetfrom the entrance to th e ruins of G lastonbury Abbey,origina lly served as a hostelry for pilgrims coming toth e abbey. King Henry VIII stayed the night here,watching as his troops sacked and burned the abbey.For reservations, call 1-458-831146.

The origina l Glastonbury cha ir, owned by JohnArthur Thorne, is located in th e Bishop's Palace,Wells, Somerset, and is open to public view but wasunavailable to be photographed.

NOTE: Several of the sites from which the furniture was selected for this book, including the Medieval Merchant 's House and Mount G racePriory, are in the care of English Heritage, an organization th at operates over three hundred historical sites in England and Scotland, manyof which hold re-creationist events th roughout the year. Discount cards and memberships are available. For more information, contac tEnglish Heritage, C ustomer Services Department , 23 Saville Rd., London WXl lAB, United Kingdom.

175

APPENDIX B•

~ources of ~edieoalaccoutrements

•

SOURCEBOOK

Ye Old Pagesc/o Kalligraph ikaP.O. Box 328102Farmington , MI 48332

A sourcebook for more than two hundred com­panies cate ring to the medieval marketplace.

CALLIGRAPHY AND ARTWORK

Gabriel Guildc/o Karen Go rst6 North Pearle St. (404E)Port Chester, NY 10573(914) 935-9362

Produces some of the fi nest available customcalligraphy and illuminat ion and occasiona lly dealsin origina l manuscript pages.

GIFTWARE

Design Toscano17 E. Campbell St .Arlington Height s, IL 60005

High-quality stat uary, sculpture, and tapestries.Catalog $4.

SanctuaryC ustomer Service Ce nterP.O . Box 641129Los Angeles, C A 90064-6129

A collection of medieval and medieval-inspiredaccessories and decorative items assembled byenterta iner Cher. Ca ta log $3.

Past Times CatalogueWhitney, Oxfo rdEnglandor280 Summer StreetBoston, MA 02210-1182

A variety of gifts and accessories from England'spast.

Elizabethan England LtdBronsil, Eastnor HR 8 lEPEnglandor14014 38th Ave. N .E.Seattle, WA 98125

Period preserves, jellies, and toiletries.

Acorn Alchemyc/o Melinda Shoop1500 West Mead, Apt #3Yakima, WA 98902

Soaps and scents.

177

Mountain Trail Baskets631 Valencia Rd.Mars, PA 16046

Weaves a wide variety of historically accuratebaskets.

ARMS AND ARMORAll of the following companies produce high-qualitymedieval armor, blades, and battle regalia.

Blacksword Armoury Inc.11717 S.W. 99th Ave.Gainesville, FL 32608

MacKenzie-Smith Medieval Arms and Armourc/o Robert MacKenzieP.O. Box 3315Truckee, CA 96160

Vorhut FahleinArms and Armour17228 Voorhes LaneRamona, CA 92065

CLOTHING

Museum Replicas LimitedP.O. Box 840 MKConyers, GA 30012

Produces and sells good-quality period clothing,battle-ready arms and armor, jewelry, and accessories.

RaimentsP.O. Box 93095Pasadena, CA 91109

Patterns and supplies for the do-it-yourself medievaltailor.

Chivalry Sports7718 E. Wrightstown Rd., Ste, 210Tucson, AZ 85715

Good-quality medieval clothing, patterns, andaccessories.

178

FOOD AND DRINK

Take 1,000 Eggs or MoreP.O. Box 106Sussex, NJ 07461

One of the better medieval cookbooks available.

To the King's Tastec/o Metropolitan Museum of Art Gift ShopFifth Ave. at 82nd St.New York, NY 10028

A compendium of recipes from the court of RichardII, adapted for the modern kitchen.

The Meadery at Greenwich, Inc.RR#4, Box 4070Greenwich, NY 12834

Produces a variety of medieval mead drinks.

ORGANIZATIONS

Richard III Foundation Inc.47 Summit Ave.Garfield, NJ 07026

These folks are on a crusade, trying to clean up themuch maligned reputation of the last Yorkist to holdthe throne of England .

Society for Creative AnachronismP.O. Box 360743Milpitas, CA 95036

A broad-based medieval re-creationist group withbranches in North America, Australia, Japan, England,and several other European countries.

Aging furniture, 17Amb ry cupboa rd, 73, 173

back panels, 74-75bug screen, 77door, 77drawings for, 78-80finish,77frame construct ion, 73-74front panels, 75-77hinges, 77material s for, 73, 76photog raph of, 74setting up for, 73top, 75

Architectural Timber & Millwork , 2Arm s and armor, sources for, 178

Bands, 12Bed, canopy, 101, 174

bot tom rails, 104building canopy, 105- 7corner posts, 104drawi ngs for, 108-1 0fina l assembly, 105finish, lOSfloor hoards, 105frame assembly, 104getting sta rted, 101materials for, 101, 106, 107panels, 104- 5pho tographs of, 102, 103stiles, 104top rails, 104

Bench , 19, 173assembly, 21dowelin g, 21drawings for, 22-23finish ,2 1legs and side rails, 19- 20lumher,1 9materials for, 21photog raph of, 20seat, 20sett ing up for, 19tenons, 20-2 1

Bishop's Palace, 175

Ca lligraphy and artwork, sources for, 177Ca ndles

beeswax, 161tallow, 161

•

Indo•

Ca ndlestand, 9 1, 173asse rnbly, 94cent ral cand le holder, 93-94crown, 96decora tive loops, 95decorative work, 96dra wings for, 97-99drip tray, 93drip t ray frame, 92-93finish ,96inner ring, 94-95inne r ring support brackets, 93in ner ring suppo rt legs, 93legs, 9 1-92main shaft , 92mate ria ls for, 9 1, 94-95photograph of, 92small can dle holders, 95-96

Ce n nini, Ce nnino, 25C hai r, curule, 8 1, 174

arm asse mbly, 83carving, 83doweling, 84-85drawings for, 86-89final asse mbly, 84foot asse mbly, 83knuckl e joint, 83materi als for, 8 1, 84morti ses, 83photograph of, 82rosettes , 85rough cutting, 8 1-83scat and back, 85seat supports, 83sett ing up for, 8 1

Cha ir, G lastonbury, 151, 175arms, 153ca rving and finishing, 155dowels and wedges, 153- 54drawings for, 156- 60framing const ruct ion, 153framing members , 151legs, 153materials for, 154photograph of, 152seat and back panel s, 151-53

C hest , Oxford , 51, 174bottom panel, 53drawin gs for, 56-61end panel s,S2final assembly, 53-55

179

framing memb ers, 51-52front and back panels, 53hard ware, 9- 12lid, 53mate rials for, 5 1, 54photograph of,S 2st raps and hand ing, S5

Chest, vestment, 63, 173ca rving, 65dove ta iling, 64-65drawings for, 68-71floor , 65hardware, 9- 12lid, 63- 64mater ials for, 63, 66photograph of, 64straps and banding, 65-67

C lamps, 2C loth ing, sources for, 178Construction techniques

clamp s, 2doweling, 1- 2joints, 3, 4

C radle, 131, 175bed assembly, 133brace panel carving, 134brace pan els, 133cha mfered edges, 134drawin gs for, 136-40end panel s, 131finials, 133finish , 135leg assembly, 134leg unit s, 133mater ials for, 131, 135phot ograph of, 132rails, 131- 33rocker slot, 134spind le, 134- 35stre tche r, 134support post carv ing, 134

Desk, reading, 35, 173hase, 37door lock , 38drawings for, 40-42front panel s and door, 38iron work, 38materials for. 35- 36 , 39mortises, 37photograph of, 36

Desk, readin g, conrinuedrear, 37-38sett ing up for, 36-37shelf,3 7side panels, 37top, 38

Door, 141, 174assembling, 145cha mfering, 145cross braces, 144door boards, 144drawings for, 148-49finish, 147hanging, 147latch ,145-47materials for, 14 1, 146morti ses, 144-45nailing, 145nails, 141-44photographs of, 142, 143swing pins, 144

Doweling, 1- 2

Egg tempera, 17-1 8

Faldstool, 151Finishes, 17

clear, 17painted, 17-18

Food and drink, sources for, 178

Genuine O ld English brand polish, 17George and Pilgrim Hotel, 151, 175Gesso, 18G ifrware, sources for, 177G lastonbury Abbey, 151, 175

Haddon Hall, 43, 63, 73, 173pho tograph of, 174

Henr y Vill (kin g of England), 101, 151, 175Hinges, 12

drawing of, 13-14

Jamestown Distributors, 15Joint s, drawings of, 3, 4

Kilwardbv, Archbishop, 51

Lock plates, 12Locks, 12-1 5

Mandrel, 7drawing of, 8using the, 9- 12

Medieval marketplace sourceboo k, 177Medieval Merchant 's House, 119, 131, 175

photograph of, 174Mehn, Daniel, 81, 174Merton Co llege, Oxford University, 51, 174Metal

distressing, 12forging, 9- 12types of, 9

Metalworking, 7banding, 12bending right angles, 9distressing metal, 12forging metal, 9-12lock plates, 12locks, 12-15making hinges, 12materi als, 9nails, 15tools, 7types of metal used in, 9using mandrel , 9- 12

Met ropolitan Museum of Art , C loisters branch,19,91,1 61,173

photograph of, I73Middle Ages, xiMount G race Priory, 101, 141, 174

Nails, 15hand -forged, sources for, 15

North Fields Restorat ion , 2

O ilboiled linseed, 17tun g, 17

Old House]ournal , 15Old House] ournal SupplyCatalogue, 15O rganizat ions, 178

Paintart ist 's, 18inte rior, 18

Philadelphi a Museum of Art , 35, 173

Rich, Bob, 25, 173Roman Catho lic church, 63

Scone, mirrored wall, 161, 173assembly, 163-64back panel, 161- 63candle cup, 166- 68candl e cup arm, 165- 66candle cup and arm assembly, 166candle holder, 166carvings, 163corner decorat ions, 165crest board, 163drawings for, 169-72finishing, 164hanging straps, 168materi als for, 167mirror, 164- 65photograph of, 162priming wood for, 163side panels, 163

Table, high, 43, 173columns, 45-46drawings for, 48-50feet, 47materials for, 43, 46photograph of, 44

180

riser blocks, 47tools for, 44top, 45

Tapestries, 25Thorne, John A rthur, 151Tremont Nail, 15Tres Riches Heures du Duc de Berry, 25, 173

Vestments, 63Victoria and Albert Museum, III , 175

Wall hanging, painted, 25, 173developing the design, 27displaying, 28-29drawings for, 30-34materials for, 25-27painting, 28photograph of, 26preparin g the canvas, 27primin g the canvas, 27reproducing the design, 27-28

Window frame, Ill, 175doweling, 115drawings for, 116-1 8edge moldin g, 113-14feet, 115final assembly, 115framing, 111-13materials for, Ill, 114mortises, 113mullions, 113, 114photograph of, 112rabbets, 113trefoils, 114

Wine cabinet, 119, 175back panels, 123barrel bolt, 124- 25botto m, 123botto m braces, 121catch, 124door, 124drawings for, 126- 29finish, 124frame, 121framing, 119- 21hinges, 124, 125materials for, 119, 122- 23mortises and tenons, 119panel rabbets, 121photograph of, 120shelves, 124side panels, 123top, 123

Wood, 2- 5custom milied lumber, 2green, 1oak, 2old lumber, sources for, 2pine , 2standard-dimension, glueing, 2-5

Woodworkin gconstruction techni ques, 1- 5medieval, 1reproduct ion techniques, 1

FURNITURE MAKINGlWoodworking

"An authoritative and beautiful book"

- Allison LeopoldAuthor of Victorian Splendor

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

CONSTRUCTING MEDIEVAL FURNITURE offers you designs for building 16reprodu tions of furnishings from the Middle Ages. The detailed plans are based oncareful study and measurement of rare originals. and the complete, step-by-stepinstructions. materials lists. and notes on woodworking. meta lworking, and finishesprovide you with the means for recreating these pieces accurately in your own homeshop.

Everything you need to furnish a well-appointed manor house is included:

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Fifteenth-Century Bench • Fifteenth-Century Door

• Fourteenth-Century Reading Desk • Candlestand

• Painted Wall Hanging • Wine Cabinet • Monastic Canopy Bed

• Gothic Cradle • Glastonbury Chair • Mirrored Wall Sconce

• Oxford Chest • Curule Chair • High Table

• Vestment Chest • Ambry Cupboard

• Fifteenth-Century Window Frame

• • • • • • • • • • • •

ISBN 0-8117 - 2795 -5STACKPOLE

BOOKS

$19.95 U.S.Printed in the U.S.A.