panels and the details of construction are my best guesses.
In the original, the carvings are very flat. They are simply outlines of leaves and branches with the edges rounded over. I originally carved the panels this way, but just wasn't happy with the effect. I thought they seemed rather lifeless and static, so I recarved the panels and added more relief.
Additionally, the crown moulding on the original comes flush to the bottom edge of the top, apparently attached to the edges. The closest router bit I could find (Freud 99-406) had a small fillet at the top. I thought this looked nicer, and rather than wrap the crown around the perimeter of the top, I set it below, letting the top overhang by Vs". This added one more shadow line, and if the top expands or contracts, then the joint between the moulding and the top won't show.
The third change was to the color. The oranges and reds on the panels are the same as the original, but the green stain is darker and deeper in color. The finish on the original varies in color, and I suspect that it may have faded or been refinished at some point. I decided to use a richer forest green, similar to a color that can be seen in another Byrdcliffe piece, a fall-front desk designed by Steele.
Oak and (not) Sassafras
Like the original, the visible parts of this cabinet are made of quar-tersawn white oak. The carved panels are often described as being made from sassafras, but they are obviously not. The carving depicts the leaves of a sassafras tree and in the original the panels are either poplar or basswood. I used bass-wood for the carvings, soft maple for the drawer boxes, and poplar for the interior web frames and back of the cabinet. The dust panels are birch plywood.
BYRDCLIFFE LINEN PRESS
DIMENSIONS (INCHES) T W L
CARCASE
1 2V2 54V4 Quartersawn white oak Miter long edges
1 2V2 54V4 Quartersawn white oak Miter long edges
|
□ |
8 |
Leg sides |
1/8 |
2V2 |
541/4 |
Quartersawn white oak |
Miter & rabbet long edges |
|
□ |
4 |
Side panel stiles |
3/4 |
312 |
441/2 |
Quartersawn white oak |
|
|
□ |
2 |
Side panel top rails |
3/4 |
6V2 |
83/8 |
Quartersawn white oak |
1V4" TBE |
|
□ |
2 |
Side panel middle rails |
3/4 |
|
83/8 |
Quartersawn white oak |
1V4" TBE |
|
□ |
2 |
Side panel bottom rails |
3/4 |
35/8 |
83/8 |
Quartersawn white oak |
1V4" TBE |
|
□ |
2 |
Lower arched rails |
7/8 |
|
83/8 |
Quartersawn white oak |
1V4" TBE |
|
□ |
2 |
Top side panels |
5/8 |
67/8 |
13 |
Quartersawn white oak |
V2" TAS |
|
□ |
2 |
Bottom side panels |
5/8 |
67/8 |
18V4 |
Quartersawn white oak |
V2" TAS |
|
□ |
1 |
Top |
3/4 |
183/4 |
41 |
Quartersawn white oak |
|
|
□ |
1 |
Front top rail |
7/8 |
25/8 |
343/4 |
Quartersawn white oak |
1" TBE |
|
□ |
2 |
Drawer rails |
7/s |
1V4 |
343/4 |
Quartersawn white oak |
1" TBE |
|
□ |
1 |
Bottom front rail |
7/s |
13/8 |
343/4 |
Quartersawn white oak |
1" TBE |
|
□ |
1 |
Bottom apron |
3/4 |
63/4 |
343/4 |
Quartersawn white oak |
1" TBE |
|
□ |
2 |
Stiles @ doors |
3/4 |
23/l6 |
193/4 |
Quartersawn white oak |
|
|
□ |
2 |
Stiles @ top drawer |
3/4 |
23/l6 |
712 |
Quartersawn white oak |
|
|
□ |
2 |
Stiles @ bottom drawer |
3/4 |
23/l6 |
8V2 |
Quartersawn white oak |
|
|
□ |
1 |
Drawer rail support |
3/4 |
13/8 |
32 3/4 |
Quartersawn white oak |
|
|
□ |
2 |
Fill behind crown |
3/8 |
15/16 |
1218 |
Quartersawn white oak |
|
|
□ |
1 |
Fill behind crown |
V4 |
15/16 |
32 3/4 |
Quartersawn white oak |
|
|
□ |
6 |
Web frame stiles |
3/4 |
2V2 |
3512 |
Poplar |
|
|
□ |
9 |
Web frame rails |
3/4 |
2V2 |
107/8 |
Poplar |
3/4" TBE |
|
□ |
4 |
Web frame panels |
3/4 |
103/8 |
143/4 |
Plywood |
|
|
□ |
2 |
Crown moulding |
1 |
2 |
48 |
Quartersawn white oak |
|
|
DOORS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
□ |
2 |
Door hinge stiles |
3/4 |
37/8 |
193/4 |
Quartersawn white oak |
|
|
□ |
1 |
Left lock stile |
3/4 |
37/8 |
193/4 |
Quartersawn white oak |
|
|
□ |
1 |
Right lock stile |
3/4 |
4V8 |
193/4 |
Quartersawn white oak |
|
|
□ |
2 |
Door top rails |
3/4 |
37/8 |
93/4 |
Quartersawn white oak |
1" TBE |
|
□ |
2 |
Door bottom rails |
3/4 |
37/8 |
93/4 |
Quartersawn white oak |
1" TBE |
|
□ |
2 |
Door panels |
5/8 |
83/4 |
13 |
Basswood |
V2" TAS |
|
DRAWERS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
□ |
1 |
Top drawer front |
3/4 |
712 |
31V4 |
Quartersawn white oak |
Opening size trim to fit |
|
□ |
1 |
Bottom drawer front |
3/4 |
8V2 |
31V4 |
Quartersawn white oak |
Opening size trim to fit |
|
□ |
2 |
Drawer sides |
3/4 |
7V2 |
141/4 |
Maple |
Dovetailed to front |
|
□ |
2 |
Drawer sides |
3/4 |
812 |
141/4 |
Maple |
Dovetailed to front |
|
□ |
1 |
Drawer back |
3/4 |
7V2 |
323/4 |
Maple |
In dado in sides |
|
□ |
1 |
Drawer back |
3/4 |
8V2 |
323/4 |
Maple |
In dado in sides |
|
□ |
2 |
Drawer bottoms |
V4 |
141/2 |
303/8 |
Plywood |
|
|
□ |
4 |
Drawer runners |
1 |
11/2 |
141/4 |
Quartersawn white oak |
3/4" TOE |
|
BACK |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
□ |
3 |
Back frame rails |
3/4 |
2V2 |
30 |
Poplar |
3/4" TBE |
|
□ |
3 |
Back frame stiles |
3/4 |
2V2 |
433/8 |
Poplar |
|
|
□ |
2 |
Back planks |
V2 |
47/8 |
433/8 |
Poplar |
V4 " rabbet one edge |
|
□ |
4 |
Back planks |
V2 |
47/8 |
433/8 |
Poplar |
V4 " rabbet both edges |
|
TBE |
= Tenon Both Ends; TAS= Tenon All Sides; TOE= |
Tenon One End |
|
NO. ITEM
36
Popular Woodworking April 2006
