Last weekend at the San Diego Fine Woodworkers Association I didn’t have time to install the chest lock on the campaign-style officer’s trunk I built for the organization’s fall seminar.
I’m always happy to revisit this particular book because it was such a fun project. Joel Moskowitz at Tools for Working Wood unearthed a very rare copy of this 1830 book that we reprinted. Joel wrote a nice introductory section to the book about woodworking during that period. Then I built the three projects shown in the book.
The pages in the pdf below are what I wrote about installing a chest lock, which is based on the excellent instructions in the original 1830 text.
P.S. Later this week I will post the other thing I promised to share with the club: A video of how to install corner guards and L-brackets on campaign pieces.
Our audiobook version of “The Joiner and Cabinet Maker” read by Roy Underhill was a grand experiment. (Is there another woodworking audiobook?) We love the result – I’ve listened to it three times now. But we made a mistake in pricing the CD version. It’s too expensive.
So effective immediately we have cut the price by 50 percent (to $13.50) and are offering free domestic shipping on the three-CD set. This price cut is permanent until we run out of the CDs. After that, the audiobook will be available only as a digital download.
We’ve also reduced the price of the digital download to $13.
Danny with a jewelry box he made for my mother. It is made out of poplar, African mahogany and cherry. It is dovetailed at the corners and has a tray that lifts out to allow for more storage. The tray is dovetailed at the corners with houndstooth dovetails.
Editor’s note: This summer John Hoffman met young woodworker Danny Spatz at the Lie-Nielsen Open House event in Warren, Maine. Danny is an enthusiastic young woodworker and spent the day working with all the demonstrators at the show.
During the day, Danny mentioned that he had written a book report on “The Joiner and Cabinet Maker” for school, and we have reprinted it here with his permission.
When Thomas starts out in Mr. Jackson’s shop as an apprentice, he is neglected until he could prove his worth. He shows his potential by taking on the odd jobs he is given with pride. This leads to Mr. Jackson giving him the packing box project. One of the major themes in The Joiner and Cabinet Maker, is proving one’s worth. Thomas gets to do this when Mr. Jackson gives him the task of making the packing box.
Thomas first gets a chance to show his potential, when he builds the packing box. When Thomas finishes it in the allotted time, Mr. Jackson is very pleased and says, “‘Well done Thomas, it is a very well made box, square and firm, and nicely put together. You may take it home to Mr. Green yourself.’” Mr. Jackson is delighted to see how Thomas made a good box with time to spare, and how seriously he took a minor project like this. He takes pride in his apprentice, and sees his usefulness. Also, as he is writing out his bills to Thomas for the odd jobs he has done, Mr. Jackson, “Finds the value of his apprentice, and treats him well accordingly.” These small jobs show his master that he is a hard worker, and he allows Thomas to build the next, higher profile job.
By making the packing box, Thomas is considered very highly by Mr. Jackson. Mr. Jackson then thinks Thomas is fit for making the schoolbox, and Thomas uses this opportunity to further prove his worth. Mr. Jackson remarks on the practice dovetail joints that he has cut, “‘Well, really it is not a bad joint, and I am very glad to see it, for I think you will be able to make the schoolbox for Master John.’” Thomas has proved he is worthy of the project, and he has exhibited that he spends his free time well, by practicing in his craft. After Thomas is finished with construction of the box, Mr. Jackson examines it and has no imperfections to point out, “‘Thomas it is a very good job, and for so young a workman you have not been long over it.’” Mr. Jackson is impressed by Thomas’ performance, and realizes his full potential to be a great journeyman.
Mr. Jackson, having seen that Thomas will become very skilled in the craft, begins to pay him after about half of his seven years have passed. Thomas seizes the opportunity to purchase tools of his own, and treats them well, like a responsible journeyman should. “Already Thomas is doing things which bring in profit to his master; and has begun to receive small weekly wages himself.” This proves that Mr. Jackson believes that Thomas is a trustworthy apprentice, and begins to pay him so he can have a full set of tools by the time he is working on his own. Thomas builds a full sized chest of drawers for his master to sell. Mr. Jackson is so pleased with the job that, “Mr. Jackson thinks it is very creditable to his young apprentice, and boasts that it is as well made and handsome a piece of furniture as need be sent out of any cabinet maker’s shop.” Thomas is such a favorite of Mr. Jackson, that he brags about how he has such a great apprentice, building such great projects. By the end of his apprenticeship, Thomas has proved to his master that he will become one of the most skilled craftsmen as could be.
Since Thomas started out in his apprenticeship doing the odd jobs with gusto, he was considered by Mr. Jackson as having potential. When Mr. jackson was presented the opportunity to give Thomas a project that the other apprentices considered was beneath them, Thomas got to prove his worth. This enabled him to take a step further in his education as a joiner.
The recent flood in Deggendorf, Germany, was rough on the woodworking workshop of Dictum GmbH. Though the employees got the machinery out, the flood buckled the floors and split the workbenches.
To my relief, the book survived fairly well. Only one or two pages came loose. Thanks go out to Phil Nanzetta at Signature Book Printing for making sure our books are well-bound.
My favorite project from “The Joiner and Cabinet Maker” is the Schoolbox. I like its simple lines, its perfect proportions and its robust joinery. I’ve made at least 10 of them since reading, editing and publishing the book.
But what is the project good for if you aren’t going to school?
I use the original as a small tool chest for household tools. Other people have told me they use them as jewelry boxes, book boxes or a place to hide their weed.
However, David wrote to me today to tell me what he did with his Schoolbox:
I enjoyed the book, “The Joiner and Cabinet Maker.” However, I suspect that many of the readers of the book are like me, and dislike the idea of working on a project without an intended use. I could not think of a use for the schoolbox.
But I needed a new lunchbox. The construction of my lunchbox is similar to the schoolbox. The only major differences is that it does not have a stopped dado. I cut several through-dados for removable partitions. The partition walls warped slightly after construction, which is perfect – the spring of the boards keeps the partitions from rattling, but they are still easy to remove.
I’ve used the lunchbox for almost a year now, and it is far better than any other canvas lunch bag I’ve used. Plus, it gets a lot of compliments at the office.
The sides are all 1/2″ thick and the removable panels are 1/8″ thick. The moulding is also 1/2″ thick, but I would consider making it thinner if I were to make it again. The inside dimensions are 10″ wide, 5-1/8″ deep, and 4-1/2″ tall. The partition dados are at (from left) 3″, 5″, 5-3/4″, but you can add more. It is handy to have more dados than partitions. The leather handle allows the box to fit into a backpack, and the stop-hinges prevent the top from opening too far.
The handle is from BrettunsVillage.Com and the hardware is from smallboxhardware.com.
