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Just finished building this Irish Gibson chair. It’s probably the simplest chair construction I’ve encountered. Details on our blog today.As the rain began to taper off in the afternoon, Jonathan looked both chests over one final time to see if there was anything he missed. His bony fingers searched for dust nibs, his eyes scoured for irregularities. He had been over these pieces time and again but wanted to make sure all was satisfactory. Mr. Johnson was pleased. The proportions were most agreeable, the drawers ran smooth, and the paint was just right. Nothing ostentatious, just tasteful and neat. It was a $14 well spent. Of all the furniture Jonathan made for his neighbors, this commission was the largest. Most customers ordered light stands, blanket chests or simple kitchen chairs, but the money from this project was an unexpected godsend to their family. — from “Hands Employed Aright: The Furniture Making of Jonathan Fisher (1768-1847)” by Joshua A. Klein #Hands_Employed_ArightAnd how should we finish up this Chest of Drawers? “The Joiner and Cabinet Maker” suggests grain-painting it to look like oak, then adding wooden knobs that are ebony or painted to look like it. Also recommended: Adding a strip of flat or beaded wood around the bottom of the case to cover the dovetails. Then paint this strip black as well. Contemporary tastes don’t go for grain-painting, and we like our joinery exposed. And this chest looks just fine to the modern eye if simply varnished. In fact, some people have asked me if the piece was a Shaker design. That’s an interesting comment, as early Shakers were from England and were trained in the shops of 18th-century masters. It wasn’t until the Shakers started training their own followers in cabinet making that the Shaker style became extremely refined like what you see in the Eastern Shaker communities in the middle 19th century. The chest in this book is made using American black cherry, which does not take well to complex dyes. So I decided to use a finish that would be simple, as this is not a high-style piece, and would be in line with the practices of the period. — from “The Joiner and Cabinet Maker” by Anon, Christopher Schwarz and Joel Moskowitz #The_Joiner_and_Cabinet_Maker@RudeMechanic on Twitter
- Dec. 14 Open House Special Guests blog.lostartpress.com/2019/12/13/dec… https://t.co/zMVQUFb7Sa 18 hours ago
- Another Gibson Chair blog.lostartpress.com/2019/12/12/ano… https://t.co/ACP2BcWsFP 1 day ago
- 2019 Anarchist’s Gift Guide, Day 10: Berea College Brooms blog.lostartpress.com/2019/12/10/201… https://t.co/x4MO81trXA 4 days ago
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Category Archives: The Joiner & Cabinet Maker
An Introduction to the Construction
This is an excerpt from “The Joiner and Cabinet Maker” by Anon, Christopher Schwarz, and Joel Moskowitz. When I decided to build the three projects featured in “The Joiner and Cabinet Maker,” my plan was to assume the role of Thomas W., the … Continue reading
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Bend and Screw the Hinges for the Schoolbox
This is an excerpt from “The Joiner and Cabinet-Maker” By Anonymous, Christopher Schwarz and Joel Moskowitz. Good luck finding steel hinges for this project that have the right look and bend in the right place to fit in the partition. I … Continue reading
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‘The Joiner and Cabinet-Maker’ Historical Reprint Ships Next Week
After fighting printing plant delays for the last eight months, we received good news on Friday. Our historical reprint of “The Joiner and Cabinet-Maker” was complete and being trucked to our warehouse in Indiana – weeks ahead of schedule. It … Continue reading
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A Change in Plans/Color for ‘The Joiner & Cabinet-Maker’
There was a mixup at the printing plant, and they ordered the wrong color paper for the cover of our special reprint of “The Joiner and Cabinet-Maker.” While we had ordered a dark green for the cover, the printing plant … Continue reading
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New in Store: ‘The Joiner & Cabinet-Maker’ Historical Reprint
You can now place a pre-publication order for our historical reprint of “The Joiner & Cabinet-Maker,” which will ship out in late September. The price is just $12 as a thank-you to everyone who has supported us during the last … Continue reading
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Coming Soon: ‘The Joiner & Cabinet Maker’ Original Text
One of our earliest and favorite books is “The Joiner & Cabinet-Maker,” a fictional early 19th-century account of young Thomas coming of age in a British furniture shop. The book was intended to introduce young people to what the woodworking … Continue reading
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Chisels Needed for Dovetailing
This is an excerpt of “The Joiner and Cabinet Maker” by Anon, Christopher Schwarz and Joel Moskowitz. After years of dovetailing, I noticed that two of my chisels were seeing almost all the action: the 1/4″-wide and a 3/4″-wide tools. I … Continue reading
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