Curly Maple Chest on Frame

[Rob Millard]

This is a piece I recently completed. It is made from curly maple, poplar and eastern white pine. It stands 70 1/2" tall, 42 1/2" wide, 23 1/4" deep. The finish is aniline dye, oil and shellac.For a more complete description go to my home page at http://home.woh.rr.com/federalfurniture/
Rob Millard

[Mark Blumer]

Rob,

I saw this when you posted it on the FWW forum and I still have the same reaction...Stunning!!

Mark Blumer (East Lansing, MI)

[Mac McAtee]

A Masterwork!

[lou sansone]

hi rob

great work as usuall. What would you say is the region where that original would have come from... mid atlantic?

Do you do your quarter columns in one piece or do you do the fluted section seperate and then add the base and capital sections ?

regards
lou

post note..



OK now that I checked your link I see the info I was looking for. Great documentation and really nice work. I use a very similar method for my curly maple finish as well, including adding japan drier. I had not thought to heat the whole mess though. probably a good idea... I usually thin with turps so maybe it is sort of the same. Turps do leave a stink though unless you cover them with shellac.

lou

[Glenn Clabo]

Excellant...simply excellant. Your website is also very well done. Standing O!

[Roy Wall]

Rob,


Just outstanding.......thanks for sharing and helping me learn!!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Fantastic work Rob. Absolutely gorgeous!

[Wes Newman]

Well Done!!

[Jim Becker]

Mark already said the word that first came to my mind..."Stunning".

[Mike Tempel]

WOW - that is one fine looking piece!!! Good job doesn't say enough. Super job doesn't even come close either.

[Dennis McDonaugh]

Rob, that's beautiful!

[Dan Stuewe]

Extremely beautiful. Its just too bad that those claw and ball feet are at the bottom, I'd love to caress them every time I walked by! (nothing like the touch of wood)

[John Miliunas]

Absolutely gorgeous! Stupendous, even!:) Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll go throw the tools in my shop out. Hmmmm....Stamp collecting may be something I can handle...:rolleyes: :o :) :cool:

[Jason Tuinstra]

Rob, thanks for the eye-candy! The tiger maple is just great. Thanks for sharing it with us.

[Doug Cowan]

Absolutely stunning, a fantastic piece. Thanks for sharing the behind the scenes details on your web page.

[Brad Schmid]

Wow Rob, that's fabulous!
Brad

[Mike Scoggins]

Rob,

Wow; that is really really nice! I have not yet taken the time to read the write-up on your web page (but have looked at the pictures :D ), but I was wondering:
(1) how long have you been carving? and
(2) if you went to a course to learn how, which one?

Thanks for sharing the beautiful piece!

Mike

[Lee Schierer]

Really nice work. The maple is stunning. You have selected the pieces very well and the total effect is near perfect. Your finish draws out the tiger striping quite well. Will there be companion pieces to go with this?

[Martin Shupe]

WOW! If I could only produce something half that magnificent!

If you have not already, go to the webpage and read the writeup. Very informative.

Thanks for posting, Rob.

[Tyler Howell]

Beautiful work and great web site. Thank you so much for sharing.

[Dan Forman]

Exquisite work. I love figured maple, and the carving...

Dan

[Brian Knop]

It’s a beautiful piece.

[scott spencer]

Really impressive!

[Jeff Sudmeier]

Wow Wow Wow! Someday I keep telling myself, someday...

[Mark Singer]

Rob,

Superb crafstmanship!!! That is a work of art from start to finish! Great construction and Joinery.....I could go on and on...

[Ted Shrader]

Rob -

Exceptional work! The wood is absolutely beautiful. You made stunning selections when choosing the pieces. Well done!

Ted

[Richard Wolf]

Great Work!!

Richard

[Jon Olson]

I need to put in my WOW!!! Also. the website link is wonderful also. So much detail and a piece for the ages to show for it. congrats on completion!!!!

Jon

[Gale Castner]

Rob, Your work is absolutely beautiful. Thanks for posting the link to your web site, write up is very informative and much appreciated.Gale

[Bruce Page]

Rob, that is just spectacular! From the beautiful molding at the top, to those incredible ball & claw feet, your work is stunning!

[Corey Hallagan]

That is a beautiful piece of furniture! Thanks for sharing.

Corey

[Steve Wargo]

Rob, the piece is super, but I think the more important fact is that you're approching the 100 piece mile stone. That is nothing to scoff at. Are you planning anything special for it? Nice work.

[Nick Mitchell]

Very, very nice!

Great finish :cool:

[Philip Duffy]

Incredible! What a beautiful color and finish. Smithsonina here you go! Phil

[Alan Turner]

Rob,
Great work, as usual. The thing that amazes me most (and there are many) is that you build these pieces with a relative dearth of power tools.

[Rob Millard]

Rob,

Wow; that is really really nice! I have not yet taken the time to read the write-up on your web page (but have looked at the pictures :D ), but I was wondering:
(1) how long have you been carving? and
(2) if you went to a course to learn how, which one?

Thanks for sharing the beautiful piece!

Mike

Mike,
I've been carving since 1997 when I made a lowboy with a shell and I've made a total of 15 ball and claw feet. I have not taken any classes, but I did read everything I could find, and I watched the Phil Lowe video on carving feet. I find carving the least desirable aspect of making period furniture, mostly because I'm not really that good at it. I would not have made this piece if it had not been that my best customer wanted it. I can handle shells, finials, and feet, but any kind of leafage carving is beyond me. I would rate myself as a carver, a 5-6 on a scale of 1 to 10. This is why I focus on Federal furniture with inlay and veneer work, which I enjoy doing.
Thanks for taking the time to look at the website and comment on the piece
Rob Millard

[Rob Millard]

Rob,

Great work, as usual. The thing that amazes me most (and there are many) is that you build these pieces with a relative dearth of power tools.

Alan,

I know what you mean. When people see my work or find out that I make furniture, they always say you must have a large well equipped shop, when I actually have neither ( they think of Norm). I have only 4 power tools that I consider essential, the lathe, bandsaw, surface planer and router. I hate routers, and I have ruined more work with that tool than any other, but they make quick work of many chores. The band saw is king in my shop, but I like the speed of the planer if not the noise and dust. If it weren't for roughing out large moldings, I could throw away my $139.00 bench top table saw, and never miss it.

Thanks again Alan,

Rob Millard

[Tim Farrell]

WOW! Thanks for sharing.

WOW

[Martin Lutz]

I'm at a loss for words. Outstanding work!!

[Steve Roxberg]

WOW,

I'm not worthy of even looking at it.

That is what I aspire to do someday.

[Mark J Bachler]

Sometimes a simple "Thanks for sharing" is all that can be said. Whew.

[Mike Scoggins]

Rob,

Thanks for the response. You said:


I've been carving since 1997 when I made a lowboy with a shell and I've made a total of 15 ball and claw feet. I have not taken any classes, but I did read everything I could find, and I watched the Phil Lowe video on carving feet. I find carving the least desirable aspect of making period furniture, mostly because I'm not really that good at it. I would not have made this piece if it had not been that my best customer wanted it. I can handle shells, finials, and feet, but any kind of leafage carving is beyond me. I would rate myself as a carver, a 5-6 on a scale of 1 to 10. This is why I focus on Federal furniture with inlay and veneer work, which I enjoy doing.

I have never carved before (whittlin' on sticks during vacation in Colorado doesn't count), but your carving sure looks better than a 5-6 to me. It's interesting that you find carving the least desirable since you do so much of your work with hand tools. Care to share why that is?

Thanks,
Mike

[Rob Millard]

Mike,

I started making reproduction furniture after seeing a 3 part article on making a cherry highboy in Fine Woodworking in 1996. At first I had visions of making Queen Anne and Chippendale furniture. I found carving somewhat of a chore, and didn't care for it, because, as I said, I'm not that good at it. In 1998 I was asked to make a Federal Pembroke table, and while I had no idea of how to do it, the process came to me so naturally, that I didn't care if I ever carved again. Inlay and veneer work are where I feel most comfortable.

When I compare my carving to the period and today's masters, I might be stretching that 5-6 rating. People like Eugene Landon, Allen Breed, Phil Lowe, George Reid, Lonnie Byrd, Mack Headley and others, have obtained a level of skill, far beyond mine, when it comes to carving.

I use hand tools, because that is the only way to capture the look and feel, of the originals.

I know it doesn't make much sense to write an article about something you don't like to do. I recently change to a ISP that gives you space for a home page, and I got the idea to make a website describing the construction and this was the project I happend to be working on at the time. My next web page will be on a Baltimore Federal card table, a subject in my comfort zone, but that won't be done until June.

Rob Millard

[Rick Thom]

spectacular work!
I have experimented with finishing curled and birdseye maple with only marginal success.... sure am envious of your result. Intend to highjack your method and ingredients as listed on website.