Bookshelf Finally Finished

[Glen Johnson]

I finally finished my Thomas and John Seymore inspired bookshelf. Had I known what I was tackling, I probably would not have started. It took so long I transitioned from power tools and vacuum press to hand toos and hammer veneering for trim and doors. I think I started it six years ago. Its been so long, I can't really rememer. It seemed at every step something went wrong. I learned how to fix a lot of problems. I learned mahogany does not steam bend. I learned that muntins and mullions are fragile and break easy even if you have spend days cutting the bridal joints. I could go on. The carcass is ribbon mahogany. The yellow trim is satinwood. I used sapele on the inside of the doors.

[Kyle DuPont]

Very beautiful work! Congratulations on completion.

[Dave Beauchesne]

Wow! Spectacular.

[Mel Fulks]

That ain't no bookshelf! That there is a fine high style book CASE! Congratulations on persevering. One thing you might
consider is a bright fabric on the back, something like a silk moire. Really dresses up those things.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Wow! Spectacular.

Perzactly...............

[Harold Burrell]

Man, oh man, oh man! Absolutely stunning. :eek:

[James Pallas]

Beautifully executed woodwork. You must be pleased after having all of the trials you described.
Jim

[Steve Voigt]

Very nice!

[Nick Olimpi]

Wow, excellent work, absolutely beautiful!

[Stew Denton]

Glen,

Like Harold said, Absolutely Stunning! Spectacular work. Congrats!

Stew

[Brian Holcombe]

Gorgeous! Excellent work and excellent attention to details such as book matching.

[Jim Koepke]

An inspiring piece.

I hope that door next to is blocked from flying open into your beautiful book case.

jtk

[Malcolm Schweizer]

That is absolutely gorgeous, and worthy of residing in some royal palace.

[Glen Johnson]

Mel,

Thanks for the suggestion on putting silk on the back. I have seen pictures of some use of silk a curtains in the front to protect books from sun damage. I decided against that. Putting silk at the back of the case is an interesting idea. It would make the piece a bit brighter and I believe would still be authentic to period design principles.

[Jim Matthews]

I've got to avoid reading threads like these.

It's an accomplished piece, regardless of the time elapsed.
The veneering alone escapes me.

kudos

[Al Launier]

Absolutely outstanding! Words cannot describe the quality & beauty of your work. The only downside is that after seeing the finished product your wife has probably decided what your next project is. Hopefully it'll be shorter than six years. ;)

[george wilson]

Looks like a great job!!

But I must say that mahogany does steam bend. You must have been doing something wrong. Bending too thick a piece into too small a curve,etc. There are countless guitars out there with mahogany sides and backs. To say nothing of boats. I have made many guitars from mahogany. Keep up the good work,and the learning too.

[Patrick McCarthy]

Simply beautiful! You deserve to be proud.

[Mel Fulks]

It's easy to find pics ,you see it in a lot of old British libraries. What I would do is cover cardboard with the fabric and
just pressure fit in case . Even though it just shows over top of books it does a good job of "lighting".

[Glen Johnson]

George,

Thanks for your kind words. You have always inspired me with your craftmanship and artistics abilities.

Assuming I was doing something wrong would be a good assumption on steam bending or any other part of my woodworking. Certainly, as wood gets thinner, it bends easier. I was only trying to bend short pieces about a foot long and a half an inch thick and they all split no matter how long I left them in my steam box. When I researched it on the internet, the consensus was that mahogany was one of the more difficult woods to bend. I gave up on the steam and just cut the curved moldings. That would have been a better plan to begin with.



Looks like a great job!!

But I must say that mahogany does steam bend. You must have been doing something wrong. Bending too thick a piece into too small a curve,etc. There are countless guitars out there with mahogany sides and backs. To say nothing of boats. I have made many guitars from mahogany. Keep up the good work,and the learning too.

[Will Boulware]

Amazing work! Thanks for the inspiration!

[Frederick Skelly]

Wow. What a beautiful piece of work! Congratulations, you've just created an antique - people will cherish that piece for generations!
Fred

[Christopher Charles]

Looks great--your persistence paid off! May the long road and past mistakes fade each time you look at it!

Cheers,
C