Hand Tool Project (mostly anyway)

[Dave Diaman]

I would normally post this in the projects forum but since such a large portion of this was done using hand tools I thought this may be a bettr place. I can finally check this one off the bucket list now. This piece has been a real bear and is defiantly the most complex piece I have ever built. This was one of those pieces where nothing seemed easy. I have to take my hats off to the Newport cabinet makers who built the original. While I used power tools probably a good 70% of the time spent on this was hand tool work. I can’t even imagine doing everything with hand tools.

This is based on the Newport secretary in the Museum of Fine Art in Boston. Bob Whitley was kind enough to supply photos and patterns off of the original. Craig Bentzley was also a huge help. He answered a lot of construction questions the photos didn’t cover and made me a full scale drawing of the pediment which saved me a ton of time. Even with all that to make it easier I still spent a little over 250 hours on this piece which is saying something for me. The piece is all curly cherry from Horizon Wood Products with standard cherry and poplar as the secondary wood. I also want to add that carving the cherry was insane. The finish on this is actually a natural finish. I chemically aged it and finished it with tung oil/varnish, shellac and a top coat of lacquer. and before anyone asks I will be getting some better photos.

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[john brenton]

Dude, that is some serious woodwork. Congratulations.

Good point about the original designers. When you think about the man hours and wood costs, to think that they raised the bar and tackled these projects is really something. A doctor friend of mine has a bombe chest, and although I'm sure it's not the most spectacular specimen on the planet, it is still a real specimen and it just blows my mind.

[bob blakeborough]

*jaw hits floor* Wow! Nice work man...

[Jeff Hamilton Jr.]

Wow Dave. Each piece of yours is more impressive than the last. That is absolutely (to steal a phrase from bob, "jaw-dropping) magnificent. You certainly help define the term "craftsman." Though difficult as you mentioned, hopefully you had some fun along the way. What an accomplishment. Kudos.

[Brett Robson]

Dave, that is an amazing piece of furniture which undoubtedly would look good in the museum next to the original! I can't even imagine being able to execute such a piece.

You must be able to carve Newport shells in your sleep after that one!

[Chris Griggs]

DAMN! I can't even comprehend how one goes about building something like that. Thanks or sharing.

[Joe Fabbri]

Wow, that is some piece of work. I'm still working on a jewelry box, haha. Very impressive, thanks for sharing all the great pictures.

Let me ask you, when it comes to making the swan's neck pediment crown, is it done mostly by hand carving and scraping? Or did you use a router on some of that. Just curious.

Joe

[Jim Koepke]

Amazing work.

Do you have photos from the construction?

Hope you have heirs to pass that along.

jtk

[Dave Diaman]

Amazing work.

Do you have photos from the construction?

Hope you have heirs to pass that along.

jtk

I have probably 500 photos of the construction and will be doing a tutorial on it soon. Sadly this is a customer piece. One day I may actually build a piece for myself.

[Jim Koepke]

Sadly this is a customer piece.

I hope you were compensated well.

jtk

[James Owen]

WOW!!! What a fantastic piece and superb craftsmanship! Just....WOW!!!

[Harlan Barnhart]

I have probably 500 photos of the construction and will be doing a tutorial on it soon.

I'll keep an eye on your blog for sure. I bet most would appreciate a note here when you get it posted.

[Peter Aeschliman]

I'm speechless. That's really truly amazing. So many details.

One of my favorites is how you did the "clam shell" carvings on the front of the desk (what you can see when the door is closed). I like you you did two convex carvings and one concave... but they match perfectly.

Like somebody else said, I hope your customer paid a fair price!

[gary Zimmel]

That is one real sweet piece of furniture.... Exceptional work Dave.
I like to pop onto your website and now am really looking forward to this tutorial.
Thanks for sharing.

[John Keeton]

Dave, Gary Z. prompted me on this one - absolutely amazing work!!! And, the fact that you did much of it with handtools makes it all the more impressive. Thanks for inspiring the troops!!

[Jim Neeley]

Truly awesome, Dave. :)

[Matt Owen]

:eek::eek::eek::eek:

That is absolutely beautiful. You got skillz!

[Bob Warfield]

Dave, that's absolutely beautiful. And I was proud of myself for makeing a shooting board!
Bob

[jamie shard]

Not just a great build, but the details are wonderful. I've been doing some searches for the cubbyhole design, and this is the nicest I've seen. The different layers of carving and detail really make the piece. Is all of the design a copy or is some of it your own creation? Either way, it's a masterpiece.

[Dave Diaman]

Wow, that is some piece of work. I'm still working on a jewelry box, haha. Very impressive, thanks for sharing all the great pictures.

Let me ask you, when it comes to making the swan's neck pediment crown, is it done mostly by hand carving and scraping? Or did you use a router on some of that. Just curious.

Joe

Joe,
A lot of materialwas roughed out with a router just to get the bulk of the waste removed. Afterthat I used a combination of carving tools and custom profiled scrapers I madeto get the shape right.

[Steve Branam]

Absolutely gorgeous! My parents just got me John Townsend, Newport Cabinetmaker for my birthday, and the lower half of your secretary is a dead ringer for #17, his fall-front desk from 1765, just some different details to the shells. Yours would fit right into this book. Outstanding job!

[Dave Diaman]

Jamie, that is all from the original. I was able to use photos and rubbings I got from Bob Whitney reproduce it. It was a very standard design for Newport pieces. There was a little variation between desks but not much.

[Mark Maleski]

...I still spent a little over 250 hours on this piece...

sigh...that's the part of the post that fills me with the most envy. Dave, we met over at Fred Walker's shop, and I'm pretty sure I'll spend that same number of hours on the Benj Randolph chair repro. Can't imagine building a piece like this so quickly.

Who made the brasses? Love their design. Did you have to bend the center one in the top drawer?

[Derek Cohen]

Hi Dave

It is an understatement to say that piece is simply amazing. There is not one section, not one panel, not one joint .. that does not examplify the art of the craftsman and the goal of being a craftsman.

Sadly for you we have come to expect such high work from you ... work at rediculous heights ... and as a result you garner less praise than you should as we go "oh, another of Dave's pieces". Either that or most are sitting around like stunned mullets and unable to move. :)

I am very much looking forward to your detailed images of the work and its progression.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Bill Moser]

Either that or most are sitting around like stunned mullets and unable to move.

I'm definitely in the "stunned mullet" category. Thanks for that, Derek -- great name for a band, actually. And Dave, your work is exquisite. I hope you get paid very, very well.

[Dave Diaman]

sigh...that's the part of the post that fills me with the most envy. Dave, we met over at Fred Walker's shop, and I'm pretty sure I'll spend that same number of hours on the Benj Randolph chair repro. Can't imagine building a piece like this so quickly.

Who made the brasses? Love their design. Did you have to bend the center one in the top drawer?

Hey Mark, how is your chair coming along? All the brassesfor this piece came from Optimum Brasses. They are almost identical to the oneson the original. For the top drawer brass yes, I did have to bend it. I made apositive and negative mold and heated the brass to soften it a little andslammed it between the molds. I actually ordered extras incase I messed it upbut managed to get it right the first time. I guess I will save my extra brassfor my next one.

[Chris Griggs]

Dave, your work is truly amazing. I'm curious - where'd you learn to do this stuff? Did you go to school for it (e.g. North Bennet St. or the like), did you apprentice, do you come from a line of furniture makes, or perhaps you are self taught woodworking genius. Once again, just curious.

[john jesseph]

I was able to use photos and rubbings I got from Bob Whitney reproduce it.Was it Bob Whitney or Bob Whitley? Looks good, satisfying to complete I bet!

[Ed Looney]

Dave

That is absolutely fantastic work. You are a lucky man to be able to labor at a craft you enjoy. Keep up the good work. Pictures like you posted belong under the definition of made by a craftsman.

Ed

[Dave Diaman]

Chris,
About three years ago I decided I wanted to build furniture. I picked up a few of Glen Huey’s DVD’s and read everything I could get my hands on. From that base I just figured things out and taught myself. Every day is still a learning process and I think it will probably always be that way

[Chris Griggs]

Chris,
About three years ago I decided I wanted to build furniture. I picked up a few of Glen Huey’s DVD’s and read everything I could get my hands on. From that base I just figured things out and taught myself. Every day is still a learning process and I think it will probably always be that way

That's incredibly impressive and very inspiring!

[george wilson]

Absolutely great piece of work!!!

[David Weaver]

I still spent a little over 250 hours on this piece

This is the most impressive part to me. I'm pretty sure there aren't many people around who could build a piece as well done as that in that number of hours.

[Terry Beadle]

That's one beautiful piece of work.
Your bucket list must have a big check on it for craftsmanship!

Thanks for posting!

[Christopher Charles]

Jaw dropping indeed! I'll look forward to the tutorial!

Cheers,
Chris C.

[Dave Diaman]

Was it Bob Whitney or Bob Whitley? Looks good, satisfying to complete I bet!

It was Bob Whitley. The auto correct feature strikes again. It was really bad when a friend asked what size jointer I had. My reply was I had a 12" pointer. He didn't know if he should be impressed or appalled :-)

[Chris Griggs]

It was Bob Whitley. The auto correct feature strikes again. It was really bad when a friend asked what size jointer I had. My reply was I had a 12" pointer. He didn't know if he should be impressed or appalled :-)

Ha. Stupid autocorrect once caused me to write a thread about moving filibusters when I was in the market for a fillister plane.

[Jeff Hamilton Jr.]

My reply was I had a 12" pointer. He didn't know if he should be impressed or appalled :-) That's funny ... That'd be a tough question for most guys; 12" jointer, or 12" pointer? Guess it depends on age & "ability as a craftsman" :-)

[Prashun Patel]

You are amazing. Keep up the inspiring work. Really fantastic. I don't know where to start. Yes.

[Christopher Charles]

Hello Dave,

As I mentioned above, jaw dropping is an understatement.

I also just noticed and got a kick out the fact that you're in Bel Air--I finished high school there in the late '80s back when it was still just a cow town (as in the cows were still next to the shopping mall)! My brother still lives down the road in Aberdeen.

Cheers,
Chris C.

[mike roe]

wow. THis is an old thread but i haven't been on in a while. pretty incredible. I am just finishing up the block front from Huey's book. I'll post pics when its done. It was truly a learning experience. and i just realized your'e right down the road from me. I just moved to Port Deposit a couple years ago.

Mike

[Jared Withers]

Tip of the hat from another Harford County woodworker. I live in Havre de Grace and just got started into hand tool woodworking 6 months ago. Nice to know there are others around. If there are any neander gatherings in these parts I would love to hear about them.

Very impressive piece Dave! The carvings are stunning!

Jared

[Matt Hegedus]

Bravo, Dave! I'm curious... about how many board feet would I need to order to build this piece?

And, even though I'm going to go back and read your past posts, did you start out with a focus on period pieces? Or is that what your clientele were looking for? I'd love to hear more about your beginnings as a professional maker...

Thanks. Your work is inspiring.

[Frederick Skelly]

Bravo, Dave! I'm curious... about how many board feet would I need to order to build this piece?

And, even though I'm going to go back and read your past posts, did you start out with a focus on period pieces? Or is that what your clientele were looking for? I'd love to hear more about your beginnings as a professional maker...

Thanks. Your work is inspiring.

Hi Matt,
Be aware that this project was posted going on 6 years ago and it looks like Dave hasnt logged on with us in a couple months. The work really is inspiring, but you probably wont hear from Dave anytime soon. (Reviving ancient posts like this one isnt usually a great idea, for those kind of reasons friend.) But you might look him up on the web and contact him that way. I just noticed he included the name of his firm at the end of the original post, which should help.

Anyway, welcome to the Creek. Glad to have you join us!
Fred

[Jerry Olexa]

That is beautiful, stunning craftsman like work....Excellent!! Thank you for sharing your effort..