Each month I receive newsletters from woodworking clubs and guilds around the country. These newsletters come from woodworking clubs and guilds I’ve been part of, while others are from people I met at furniture and woodworking shows.
The Wooden Word, a newsletter by the Washington Woodworkers Guild, caught my attention this month. On the first page of the newsletter (open the pdf below to read the page) a man is pictured standing next to a Massachusetts Block Front Chest. That would normally catch my eye by itself, but this article had my name associated with it as well. What did I do this time?
Tom Witzig, a skilled furnituremaker and member the guild, decided to build his Block Front Chest from a chapter in my book Building Period Furniture (Books) as a base. As I see it, he builds pieces exactly as he should. Tom can modify the design to suit his style of craftsmanship. He allows the material to determine the size of the pieces and makes any adjustments necessary. I believe that not following the instructions to the letter and the plan will help you better understand the process. Understanding the process allows you to apply those methods to future projects. You can only build one thing if you follow the instructions. You can create many projects using the same process if you know the procedure.
The downside to the article was that Tom did not attach the drawer runners to his case as I instructed. He was upset and promised to make rear drawer dividers and not nail the runners if he builds the piece again.
This would also upset me, but for a brief moment. I dont mind cracks in the case side due to wood movement , although my customers werent real fond of them. It makes furniture look more authentic when making reproductions. You’ll see many pieces of period furniture that have cracks at the sides when you look in museum collections. Its what happens over hundreds of years. Some of the pieces show old corrections or fixes while some stayed as they were.
You wouldnt dream of fixing an original John Townsend chest , would you? I let time take its course on my pieces. What would you do?
