Popular Woodworking 2008-08 № 170, страница 45

Up-to-the-minute design. Antique tall-case clocks bear the name of the maker of the

clocks are collected

their importance as furniture. The maker of the antique clock that I copied mixed the veneer species and special bandings to make this design a Federal masterpiece.

plus there is the satisfaction of producing what looks to be incredibly detailed works ofart.

Like most people, when I first saw the bandings on Federal furniture, I couldn't understand how they were made. 1 envisioned having to glue many small pieces directly onto a workpiece. In truth they are quite easy to make as a block with individual strips sawn off before being inlaid. It's a toss-up as to whether making bandings or veneering is my favorite aspect of this period.

Rivaling these bandings are the pictorial inlays known as "paterae." Pictorial inlays are a common feature of the Federal style and range from fans to shells and more. Many are incredibly artistic. Standing out among these pictorial inlays are the eagles that adorn many pieces. These are among my favorites, but conch shells are also impressive.

While not common, some inlays are funher enhanced by engraving fine lines and filling those lines with a mixture of lamp black and glue. And, from the standpoint of simplicity of construction yet with a formal appearance, nothing equals the various forms of a sand-shaded fan. I'm continually in awe of the way sand shading adds so much depth and brings these inlays to life.

Second only to veneer in the ease with which it enhances a piece of furniture, is stringing. Stringing is narrow strips of wood, either solid or multiple layers of contrasting species, used to set off various veneered elements, to accentuate the shape of components, or as geometric, decorative ornamentation.

Federal Has Curve Appeal

Curvesabound in Federal furniture, and they run the gamut from the gentle, such as those on a bow-front chest, to the bold, found on sideboards and card tables. Making these curved pieces is certainly a challenge, but the effort is rewarded with a piece of furniture of great visual interest that befits a true craftsman. Here again the veneering plays an important role in these curves, many of which, if made in solid wood, would either be impossible due the unstable nature of the species, or the grain pattern would take on an unnatural look from the undulating shapes.

Last but not least on the list of features that drew me to Federal furniture is the overall lack of carving - which matched nicely with my lack of carving skills. What carving there is, with few exceptions, is not the fluid foliage

Not just for straight lines. This basin stand (above) demonstrates the importance of string inlay. When wrapped around other inlay or used to define edging, stringing focuses your eye and influences the design.

Only simple carving required.

Most Federal furniture has little figural carving, but the reeding on the legs is one form of carving

that's found in abundance, fr