Cherry Curved Top Laminated Chest

Very nice chest. Fantastic execution!

-- Gary - Never pass up the opportunity to make a mistake look like you planned it that way - Tyler, TX

wow very nice chest. looks like it was very labor intensive but it was all worth it. great job.

beautiful…i love the finish…

-- Matt--Proud LJ since 2007

Lovely work, Abe. Very well done. Three pics are such a tease on a nice piece such as this. Photobucket this puppy so we can see more.

always,
J.C.

-- When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world. -- John Muir

Very nice work Abe… Had you done any steam bending before this project?

-- "Everything that is great and inspiring is created by the individual who labors in freedom" -- Albert Einstein

Wow Abe. That’s an amazing chest. The detail is incredible. How long did it take you to do this project?

-- Like a bad penny, I keep coming back!

Abe,

This is a nice chest and I really like the finish. It is well designed and the joinery looks solid.

-- Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful- Joshua Marine

Awsome, design, and ditto on the finish.

-- Tyler, Illinois

Great design, execution, and finish. Your chest has it all.

-- Bill - "Suit yourself and let the rest be pleased." http://www.cajunpen.com/

Really nice job.you’ve got to be proud

-- Bill in Mich

Hi Abe

I really love your chest! You did a beautiful job on it.

Tom

-- Mc Bridge Cabinets, Iowa

Abe, very nice work. It presents itself very well. Is that a coopered top?

Tom

-- Anybody can become a woodworker, but only a Craftsman can hide his mistakes.

Beautiful chest – Looks historic…

-- Dorje (pronounced "door-jay"), Seattle, WA

You’ve unearth a buried treasure… a absolute gem…Blkcherry

First, thanks for all the praise. I’ll have to look into making a photobucket.
I’ll try to answer the questions.
It is a coopered top. Each stave in the top is made of cherry shorts that were scarf joined to make them long enough. You can see the scarf joint in the shot of the undside of the top where I didn’t do a very good job of matching the color of the wood. I could say it was on purpose to emphasize the joiner. ;-)
This was my first attempt at steam bending. I did it by putting the 1/8” cherry a 26”l x 6”h x 6”d box with a 4” hole cut in the middle and placed on top of an old rice cooker for about 4 hours.
As for how long it took to do the project, about 3 years. Really I’d estimate 150 hours.
Not that it applies to my work, but somewhere I read that the really fine work is done by amatures because they are not trying to make a living.
When I do a commission piece I try to get $35 per hour, so, if you know anyone that has about $5000 to spare I would part with it and throw in some tears at seeing it leave my dining room. ;-)
Abe

-- Abe Low, Fine furniture, Sacramento, CA