Norm's highboy

[John Piwaron]

I'm thinking about making the Queen Anne highboy featured on New Yankee Workshop not long ago. Heck, I've even gone so far as to buy the plans to check out some specific dimensions.

But there's one thing about it that's not clear from either the episodes of NYW where Norm built it or on the plans.

How is the upper case joined to the lower?

What I'd like is to use a screw/insert combination so I can separate the highboy into halves for making it easier to move around. But I suspect they're glued together. Neither method is clearly mentioned by the show or plans.

What's really done?

[Ernie Hobbs]

I'm not sure how Norm does it but, the traditional way it was done is to just have a base with a molding around it and have the upper case sit in it. You shouldn't need any additional fasteners, like screws, etc. because the weight of the piece will do the job. As long as you're using solid wood, it will be plenty heavy.

[Rich Torino]

email Norm .. He has a question and answer section on the New Yankee web site. http://www.newyankee.com/fanmail/shop_notes2.php3
...

[Carl Eyman]

John: I've had a yen to build that, too. But I've probably built my last major piece. I can't say I remember specifically, but I thought Norm screwed them together. I definitely would not glue them together, f you do use threaded inserts I'd suggest you use socket head screws. You can tape an allen wrench inside the case so it will be handy when needed. I'd feel safer if it were screwwd together, but then wife and I are parents of boys and remember how they sometime charge around like maniacs.

[Steve Schoene]

I don't think that historically there was any screw or nail attachment of top to bottom. Usually the top just sits on the base, with alignment set by the molding which is usually attached to the base unit. Sometimes the top section didn't rest directly on the topboards of the base, but on slats formed by the lower part of a two part waist molding. (The top part of the waist molding boxed in the upper case as usual.) Other variations were seen, with the thread being to avoid having the flat bottom board of the upper case rest on a flat top board of the upper case. Presumably this avoided problems if those boards warped a bit. By the way, there is a similar Bonnet-top High Chest in Norm Vandal's Queen Anne Furniture. Excellent drawings and construction tips. To my eye, the Vandal bonnet is a bit better shaped than the Norm version.

[John Piwaron]

Thanks for the advise.

[Don Brillhart]

Hi: I sat the top on the base and trimmed out the ledge. I then drilled four holes through the top's bottom board the fitted in 1/2" dowel pins as locators.
I glued the pins in the bottom case and left them just shy of the top surface of the bottom board of the top case.
I keep a piece of dowel handy to use as a driver to separate the two cases when moving.
Don Brillhart