18th Century Dressing Table

Very nice dressing table Lee.

There has also been some projects made by mark DeCou and he stated that his web traffic picked up when he put his web address in his signature line.

You said you make custom cabinets. so You might change your signature to point to your web page.

-- Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

Lee -

Very nice table indeed. The carved ball feet look great. I appreciate all the construction detail in your description. Please forgive an ignorant question, what does compression methods refer to when you describe the use of wide boards? Thank you again for sharing this wonderful piece!

-- http://foldingrule.blogspot.com

Hi Carson,
Thanks for the comment on the table, and the suggestion to add the web address. I’ll certainly follow that advice!
Lee

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com

Great looking!

I love the ball claw feet!

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

Hi David,

Thank you for your comments on the dressing table.

When using wide boards, we clamp the board across the width of the board. Not to the point of causing it to cup, but enough to put some real pressure on it. While the clamps are still in place, we glue the piece up. (in this case, gluing the wide boards to the leg posts. The legs have 3 mortises cut into them. We glue the top and bottom tennon, and leave the center tennon float. This compression in the board results in it being able to expand as the humidity rises, which only eases the tension we created.

This was learned from a book titled “American Furniture of the 18th Century”, written by Jeffery P. Greene, and published by the Taunton Press. Whenever doing any 18th century furniture, which happens to be a personal favorite of mine, this book will be found on my workbench.

I can’t recommend this book highly enough for anyone interested in 18th century furniture. The author is probably one of the world’s leading authorities on the work of the Townsends and Goddards, and has been commissioned by a Rhode Island Museum to reproduce their furniture.

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com

Thanks Gary;

When I did them, I started on a Friday afternoon. I first carved a single leg, just to make sure I could do it, and then used it as a guide for the eight legs needed for the project.

When my partner saw the sample leg on Monday, his comment was ” I hate you”.

A good sign for sure!

Lee

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com

Impressive work, Lee. I wondered how you did the drawer face, and then you told us. Thanks for your construction details, they provide a great description of the process and really adds to the overall presentation here. The carving looks great as well.

-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)

very nice work lee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-- Phil, Chattanooga,TN

Impressive work Lee. I aspire to produce work like that someday.

-- Bill, Turlock California, http://www.brookswoodworks.com

Great job, love the claw feet, you don’t see many woodworkers doing that anymore. Nice construction. jockmike

-- Mike. Profisher50@yahoo.com

Wonderful job! Love that 18th Century furniture, also my favorite.

-- Don, on California's Central Coast

Thanks guys,

Your kind words are really appreciated.

Nothing worse than to pour your heart into something and not have it appreciated huh!

Lee

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com

In a word, WOW!! Great job on the ball and claw feet. Very impressive.

-- Measure twice!!

This is why I love LJ’s so much, Lee. Your high-end work is a great balance to the work I do as an recreational woodworker. It is inspiring to see what a pro can do with wood. And of course, it makes me appreciate even more what the craftsmen of the eighteenth century did with hand tools.

Thanks for share the details of this beautiful piece and what an interesting website you have – your work is brilliant and varied.

-- CanuckDon "I just love small wooden boxes!" http://www.canterburybaptist.org/

oooooooh myyyyyyy goodness!!!

Magnificent piece….. magnificent work…..... wonderful “how to” tips…

ha.. the “I hate you” definitely is the cream of the crop of compliments!!! :)

Well done. ‘Tis beautiful.

-- "Functional WoodArt" by Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

Thank you all for the kind words.

Lee

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com

I’ve been looking at your posts in reverse and loved the design of the modern pieces and the production methods to achieve them. Then to find the beautiful carvings and dovetails in an 18th century reproduction. Great range in your work I see.

-- Bob, Carver Massachusetts, Sawdust Maker http://www.capecodbaychallenge.org

Thank you Bob.

I really enjoy the variety we are fortunate enough to be hired for. Keeps things interesting and challenging.

That explains the confused look in my picture huh?

Lee

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com

great job hope I get there myself someday

-- piper

Lee … I can understand your partners comment!

-- http://www.woodsongsfurniture.com

Hi David;

Thanks for the comment. If you want to get there, you might want to change your expression. Unless that’s not you in the picture.

Lee

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com

Hi Dennis;

Funny thing was how he avoided asking me if I did them. He kept asking who was in the shop over the weekend.

After convincing him that no one else was there, that was his comment.

And thank you!

Lee

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com

I agree with your partner. I hate you. LOL

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

Again amazing! I can only hope to produce something of that caliber some day. Very inspiriing Thank You!

-- http://rjoneswoodworks.com/

Hello again Charlie,

Sometimes it’s nice to be hated! I’m beginning to enjoy it.

Thanks,

Lee

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com

Hi Ron,

Again Thanks.

Having seen your work, I’m certain you are already quite capable of producing whatever you would like. I have no training in this vocation, so if I can do it, so can you!

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com

More beautiful work! Fabulous!

-- Jesus is Lord!

Thaanks Os,

Kind words and compliments are always appreciated.

Lee

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com

Wow! Top notch work. I like the ball and claw legs and feet, the inward curved drawers and dovetails aren’t too shabby either. Excellent craftsmanship! It goes in my favorites!

-- --Chuck

Hi Chuck;

Thank you my friend, and welcome to lumberjocks.

Be careful, it can be habit forming!

Again, thanks for your kind words on my project, and adding it to your favorites.

It’s much appreciated.

Lee

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com

Excellent job Lee. Is it possible for you to help me out with the curved drawer fronts. I am in the middle of a project building a dresser with 12 drawers and all of them are curved drawer fronts. After making the drawer fronts (I did them with the same process you used) the most challanging part of this project is attaching the drawers to the drawer fronts. I see you used english dovetail joints. How did you cut these in the drawer fronts? The furniture I am copying was built with sliding dovetails and I have been trying to design a jig to cut those, but would rather use english dovetails. CAN you help me out with the process you used please?????

Hi Willie;

Thank you Willie for the kind words. I cut the dovetails for the drawer by doing the sides first, then using them to mark the fronts. (with a marking knife)

The starting point was to saw as much as possible with a dovetail saw, then finishing with chisels. The sides have a bevel cut on them, and the fronts have a matching bevel . This was to prevent the sides from protruding through the front.

I hope this helps.

Lee

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com