My Final Big Piece

[Carl Eyman]

Just about all construction and finishing work has been completed on the secretary/desk I've been making for the past year+. I'm pretty sure I won't try anything big again as my agility, strength, and stamina tell me not to. I'll be delivering this next week to my son and DIL in New Orleans; so I'll get to visit once in a while. Many of you have been following the slow progress and many have helped along the way.

The wood is walnut, of course, and the design is a melding of the piece Lonnie Bird (Pennsylvania Desk) did in a 3 part article in FWW in 2002, the piece Jeff Headley did in Williamsburg (Working Wood in 18th Century) in 2005 and some modifications by me. The finish is multiple coats of seedlac shellac sanded about every third coat and on the flat surfaces Behlem's Rock Hard Table Top Varnish rubbed out with Abrolon 500.1000.2000,4000, and polished with Menzerna's 2L and #16 via my trusty PC ROS and Surfbuf pads. On the curved surfaces where power polishing couldn't be done I sanded the shellac to 320 and applied a mixture to Waterlox original and satin to approximate the
sheen of the rubbed surfaces.

This piece will never be shown in a juried show or to a group of elite Creekers as was Alan Turner's desk, but in my family's N.O. living room maybe it'll look OK.

As you can see the backs of the cabinets remain to be installed. It is easier to lift the pieces w/o backs as one can get a grip on the shelves. I'll be installing the backs after delivery. Inquiring minds may also notice an escutchon missing. It's on order from Horton Brasses. I couldn't count as high as five.

Thanks for looking and to all creekers who helped with several questions. Special thanks to Creeker Lynn Sonier who is going to deliver it in his trusty pick-up

[Vaughn McMillan]

Wow Carl, that's an awe-inspiring piece. Very well done. I'm betting your son and his family will cherish it for generations. You might be wary of doing more big projects, but I'm sure smaller pieces done with this much craftsmanship will also be cherished by those who receive them.

- Vaughn

[tod evans]

well done carl! that`s work to be proud of. tod

[Ben Roman]

Awesome work Carl, You inspire all of us Newbies....

Ben

[Lars Thomas]

Carl, breath taking. I'm sure your son and DIL will cherish this piece. Lars

[Julio Navarro]

Indeed, an isnpiration. Thanks for sharing

[Gail O'Rourke]

Gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous.

[Rob Bourgeois]

Looks great Carl...Great looking wood on the top.

At least you got it finished before it got too hot down there.:)

[Mike Wenzloff]

Carl--that is lovely work. Wow.

Just plain gorgeous.

Take care, Mike

[Dan Oliphant]

Well done sir, looks outstanding!!!!

[Alain Tellier]

Exquisite and very nice workmanship!

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I'm impressed. That is a lot of very exacting work.

[Pete Harbin]

Really beautiful Carl! I bet this piece will be in the family for many generations.

Pete

[Dick Parr]

Those are really beautiful Carl! Thanks for sharing;)

[Jason Tuinstra]

Carl, this is a great looking piece of furniture. You did a great job choosing the wood for this piece. It may have been a lot of work, but wasn't it satisfying? That's the joy of woodworking, IMHO. And you should have pleanty of joy after getting this one done. Good job!

[Dave Ray]

Carl, your son and DIL are very lucky, you built something that will be passed along for many years to come. Not only beautiful woodworking, but built with love. Well done :) :) :)

[Ron Jones near Indy]

That is simply one of the nicest pieces I have ever seen. Great work!

[Joe Marotta]

That is a wonderful piece. Surely it will be a cherished heirloom for generations to come.

I only hope that someday I will have the talent (and patience) to produce a piece that is half as beautiful!

[Brad Schmid]

Great Job Carl, you should be very proud of that!

[John Buzzurro]

Great job, Carl. Nice attention to detail.

[Ralph Okonieski]

Beautiful piece with craftsmanship some of us can only hope to aspire to.

[Corey Hallagan]

Incredibley nice piece Carl, beauitful job!

corey

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Carl.........I hope you've signed that project! That is definitely a family heirloom! Beautiful!

[Tom Stovell]

Carl,
That is a great looking piece of furniture. Love the selection of wood on the slant-top. Your family will treasure your efforts.

Tom

[Dave Boxmeyer]

That is a wonderful gift - it says alot that you would put that much effort into such a wonderful gift. Your family is truly fortunate!

[Alan Turner]

Very nice work, Carl. Are you going to send it out for publication to SAPFM or FWW? It surely would be accepted in a flash.

I have been doing others things with my free time of late, and don't have a major piece going at the moment, but seeing your piece sure makes me wish I did.

What did you use for the secondary wood?

[Keel McDonald]

Beautiful, Carl. I love the color!

[Jay Knoll]

Carl

Wonderful work, you must have the patience of Job! Hope you signed it.

Jay

[Martin Shupe]

Beautiful work, Carl, and well worth your time.

I agree with Alan, please send pics to FWW. You have earned a place in the reader's gallery.

Congratulations!

[Carl Eyman]

Alan, the secondary wood is maple for drawer sides and Arkanas pine for interior frame pieces. When I ran out of maple I sneaked in a couple of pieces of poplar. I might send the final pictures when it is in place to SAPFM but I know the joinery is not professional grade; so feel I'm cheating when I send a picture of a piece that will not stand up to close inspection.

[John Timberlake]

Wonderful! Absolutely gorgeous in every way. Really nice grain, great color, excellent finish. This is a piece that you son, grandchildren, great grandchildren, etc. will cherish for the next two hundred years. This is how woodworkers achieve immortality. Hope you change your mind about making more large pieces. Would be a shame to lose a furniture builder like you.

[Jim Bills]

Fantastic work, your family will be very proud, and heirloom piece for sure.

Jim

[larry merlau]

karl that is definatly a very nice peice and maybe it took you longer than usual or you noticed that it was bit harder to do than last time, dont give up the ship! when we stop doing what we love we loose something that is vital to the inner being. so keep the "karl" that we know alive inside as well.. WE know you can do it. just take more breaks:)

[Jim Becker]

Carl, you did a very nice job on this project. Thanks for sharing it!

[David Duke]

Great looking piec Carl, isn't it a great feeling when you've finished a project like this and when you stand back and take a few minutes when your out in the shop by yourself and admire your own work!!

GREAT

[Zahid Naqvi]

wow! Carl that's a super fine piece of heirloom furniture. I am sure more than one generations will enjoy it.

[Charles McKinley]

Great piece Carl,

Send the pictures. I haven't seen colse up of jionery in the reader's gallery unles it was done for show and I'm sure that your joinery is better than mine!

It would be a great piece of documentation to hand down with the piece also.

[Dave Anderson NH]

As usual, a very nicely done piece Carl. Where did you find the plum pudding piece of walnut for the writing surface, it's a spectacular piece of wood? How many hidden compartments did you put in the prospect?

I understand your reluctance to do any more big projects. Just remember though that while aging is difficult, it beats the alternative by miles. to repeat myself, fantastic job.

[Carl Eyman]

Dave: The drop board came out of a piece of lumber I found at a local yard that caters to boat builders - or did before steel took over. It was just wide enough - not a quarter inch extra. Likewise the pieces for the panels in the upper doors came from there. I don't think they would have looked good for any other use. I consider myself lucky to have found those boards.

As to the secret compartments that is classified information, but for a fee . . . .

Thanks for the kind words.

[Rick de Roque]

Carl,
Great job. Love the walnut. The slant desk is my next project after the chest of drawers I'm making right now. I hope mine is half as good as yours.

Rick

[Art Davies]

A wonderful, great looking project. The wood and gain structure you pick for the front folding desk is just stunning. Any woodworker worth their salt, can see how much time and work when into this project, they do take time, don’t they? But a lot of people forget how much the finish contributes to the end project and you can tell that you know your way around the finish table, as well. Again great project and with the skill level you show should still do the big projects as they always give you the most satisfaction and the biggest wow factor from others.


Art

[Dana Nurmela]

Great job. More impressive than that is your patience. Not only did you finish an awesome piece, but you had the patience to do so.. ;)

[Al Navas]

Just beautiful - gorgeous!


Al