Customer Christmas Gift Federal inlaid tea chest

[Rob Millard]

I made two of these tea chests as gifts for customers who purchased furniture from me. The third will be sold off to pay for making the other two. ( just call me a Christmas capitalist) They are based on an example shown in Volume 9 of American Antiques from the Israel Sack Collection. For a more complete description of their construction please see my home page at http://home.woh.rr.com/federalfurniture/ (http://home.woh.rr.com/federalfurniture/) I made the wae page so it would load fairly quickly, so it will be easy for those with dial up connections to view.
If I had it to do over again, I would have used an inlay of some kind inside the lid, in place of the paper, made the elongated oval stringing thinner, and maybe picked another paper to line the drawer. I also wasn’t entirely happy with the lock, but it was all that I could find, that would work in this application.
One customer has no interest in inlaid furniture, so he got stuck with the Chippendale mirror. The mirror is based on an original mahogany example shown on page 163 in The Mirror Book, by Herbert F. Schiffer. I don’t believe I have ever seen an original mirror in curly maple so I would call this an adaptation , rather than a reproduction. It measures 28 7/8” high by 16 7/16” wide. It is finished with Mosers honey amber maple dye, two coats of linseed oil with Japan drier added ( the first applied hot), a glaze of Minwax mahogany gel stain ( to add depth to the moldings and age), and topped with one coat of dark shellac and several more of blond shellac. It was an easy project requiring only a few hours to complete. I made it Thanksgiving day, including a trip to Wal-Mart and McDonalds plus taking a nap. Despite my dislike of adaptations, the figure in the curly maple, made the mirror a nice piece.

[Vaughn McMillan]

Great work on all four counts, Rob. The tea chests are far more substantial than the gifts I tend to make and give, for sure, and the figure in the mirror frame is gorgeous as well. Beautiful stuff all around.

I can fully relate to the Christmas capitalism, too. I'm planning to take something handmade to a party next weekend for the gift drawing, knowing full well that there will likely be future orders as the result of this group of people seeing my work. Gotta pay for the tools somehow, huh?

- Vaughn

[Alan Turner]

Wonderful work, as always, Rob. I have put your article on a separate screen so I can read it at a more convenient time. Your articles are reference works.

[Dan Forman]

You, sir, have some very lucky customers!!!

Dan

[Kirk (KC) Constable]

I was planning on giving some nice, 'better quailty' pens to a handful of my prior furniture customers...now that idea seems kiinda lame. :o

KC :D

[Rob Millard]

Dan,

I might have went a little overboard, with these gifts, but I think I'm the lucky one to have customers like these. They spent a considerable sum, to be the recipient of my yuletide largess.
Rob Millard

[Ken Fitzgerald]

The details on those tea chests is astounding! Fantastic work and nice mirror too!

[Corey Hallagan]

Beautiful gifts Rob! Excellent work. My favorite are the Tea Chests. Thanks for the look see.

Corey

[Lars Thomas]

Wow, I'm speechless. I have soooo much to learn.

[John Miliunas]

Holy smokes, Rob, I'd be honored to give any one of those to my best friend, much less "just" my customers!:D You may feel fortunate for having them as customers but, I daresay the reverse of that is equally true! They're getting some of the highest quality work out there and wonderful Christmans presents, to boot!:D Super job, Rob!:) :cool:

[Roy Wall]

Rob,

Thank you for sharing the details with us. Your work is truly amazing and masterful!!

[Dave Anderson NH]

I really like it Rob. Like all of your work it is truly magnificent. Are you going to Williamsburg in January? If so I hope to see you there.

[Jason Tuinstra]

Rob, marvelous pieces. Truly beautiful. And very gracious of you to provide for your customers. With service like this, I'm sure they'll keep coming back for more. Thanks for sharing.

[Michael Stafford]

Outstanding work, Rob! Way above my pay grade! Just excellent!:D

[Chris Barton]

Absolutely stunning!!!!

[lou sansone]

hi rob

nice work on the federal box.. that is a great example and I am going to put in on my list of boxes to build. thanks for your write up on the process. very generous indeed

regards Lou

[Jim Becker]

Wonderful work, Rob. You really get the most out of this style...the most excellent, that is!

[lou sansone]

Hi rob
I really want to build one of these tea chests. I have been looking and looking for good examples but have not come across one like this. What is the lower drawer for? Could you just give some basic dimensions as to height width and lenght ? I loved the your web site write up and will make carefull use of it. One thing you did not seem to cover is the little candy stripe molding the rings the lower edge of the lid. it sort of seems to stick out as a half round profile. any comments on it. also on the corner treatments on the lower box seem to have this candy stripe as well. is it just on the front face or on both the side and front where the miter meet?

thanks for a wonderful write up and great example

regards
lou

[Rob Millard]

Lou,

I had problems with my webpage layout, I think it is fixed now, but the dimensions show up in the title block on the home page. The chest is quite small, at 10" high, 13" wide and 7 3/4" deep. The rope inlay ( or candystripe) goes on all 4 corners. The section on the lower edge of the lid does project past the face and is worked to a bullnose. I described this process in the article. That section of the article is located just below the photos of the fan being made, at the bottom of the "inlaying" page.

I'm glad you liked the article, and if my poor grammar and writing skills didn't describe anything clearly, don't hesitate to ask, and I'll do my best to explain it more fully.
Rob Millard

[lou sansone]

hi rob

thanks again for the extra info. I just love these little pieces. They really show the craft and skill of the builder as you have said. Its funny that with all the big machines I own that I gravitate toward the little pieces ...

Could you recommend a good book with examples of tea chests. I do have quite a lib but none really cover what I would call decent examples of tea chests

BTW did you say what that lower drawer was for ? I have not see a tea chest with one before

thanks
lou

[Rob Millard]

Lou,

I really have no idea what the drawer is for.
I found a few tea chest by looking on the web, but not many, and most were English. Winterthur has a few nice one, ( in the Montgomery book on Federal Furniture) but they frown on people making reproductions of their pieces. I'd like to find some more examples myself, as I really enjoyed making them.
Rob Millard

[lou sansone]

Rob
I wonder if the drawer was for tea making paraphernalia, like strainers and spoons and tongs. Well you have found the most wonderful piece I have see, good going

Lou

[Shelley Bolster]

Amazing work Rob. I only hope one day to achieve something close to your obvious skills. Your customers will be blown away!