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25th May 2021, 10:26 AM #1SENIOR MEMBER
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Campaign Desk Build - A second attempt
Campaign desks were owned by military officers in the 18th and 19th centuries and designed to be easily dismantled and transported from camp to camp. They were privately commissioned and the variations are many, including some by very significant cabinetmakers of the period.
About 12 years ago I built one which had been used in my study until recently. Suffice to say, I made some rookie mistakes during the design and build phase and although most people can’t see them, I can. The top, base and three sides were comprised of edge and butt glued panels of 19mm pine which were trapped inside the outer frame preventing seasonal movement. Inevitably, the top panel opened up. I also had issues with accuracy which is paramount in a design of this nature. So, the perfectionist in me demanded a remake which has taken about 18 months on and off, much to the cries of impatience from my far more skilled woodie mates. It was painstaking work because the design and execution demands a high degree of accuracy.
Old Campaign Desk - side view.jpg
I like the combination provided by Hoop Pine, Tasmanian Myrtle and my all-time favourite, Silky Oak. Since the top, base and side panels are all framed by both myrtle and silky, stability of the hoop pine panels was paramount. The solution involved a laminate of 3mm hoop pine to 12.5 mm sheets of marine ply. So, I set about buying vacuum bags, a pump and all the fittings required for vacuum veneering. Then on to YouTube to learn how to use it.
Laying up the 3mm veneers.jpg
The frame consists of silky oak with infill panels of hoop pine veneer, all of which are framed by Tassy myrtle.
Campaign Desk Side Panel Detail.jpg Campaign Desk Side Panels.jpg
In order to reveal the same grain figure on each of the four corner pillars, I used a wooden spline to fix two mitred faces.
Corner pillar assembly.jpg
The top and bottom were planed to the identical size to ensure that all the pillars would fit perfectly.
Campain Desk - Top and Bottom sized.jpg
Then the desk was assembled from the bottom up. The pillars are secured with shop made dowels and the panels glued to the base and pillars with epoxy. With the three walls in place, dividers were fitted between the drawers ready to accept Merbau drawer slides which were wetted and scraped before sanding to 600 grit producing a slick, hard wearing surface. The slides were set 2mm above the bottom of the drawer opening to allow for movement.
Campain Desk - Side Panels fixed (1).jpg
The top was then dry assembled and clamped to allow the drawer fronts to be sized. Rather than use blind dovetails to fix the drawer fronts, I use shop made dowels in a contrasting colour as a simpler solution. After a fruitless search for the lace figured Silky Oak for the drawer fronts, I received some beautiful pieces from a forum member in FNQ who went to a lot of trouble to help. Many thanks Richard!
Drawer detail 1.jpg
After setting the drawer stops in place and a bit of refining the fits, the top was secured.
Front view dry assembly.jpg
The trellises were assembled using lapped joints and glued only. I considered using a limiting device for the spread but decided that the space between the legs could be better used for the wastepaper bin and briefcase.
Trestles prior to poly.jpg
Three coats of wipe-on poly finished the job before loading it onto the ute for delivery to its eventual home in Sydney.
It looks like the website won't let me post the final photo so I'll post again. No, there it is below as an attachment.
mick
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25th May 2021 10:26 AM # ADSGoogle Adsense Advertisement
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25th May 2021, 11:22 AM #2
That's a lovely looking piece of furniture Mick. Congratulations.
It does beg the question though, what did you do with the old one now that you have a set.
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25th May 2021, 11:57 AM #3Woodworking mechanic
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That is magnificent!! I love the contrast in colours. Wonderful choice of timber’s.
Thanks for sharing the build.
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25th May 2021, 01:31 PM #4
Really nice design and execution, Mick. I particularly like the Georgian simplicity of campaign furniture, and its functionality.
For those who have not seen this genre before, campaing desks came in a range of styles. They had to be shipped to wherever needed and then used, wherever needed. Functionality and shippability were key, the Georgians abhorred ugly. Often wear points such as corners were reinforced with brass plates..
Campaign Desk 1.jpg Antique campaign desk on tressles.
Campaign Desk 2.jpgAntique campaign desk on pedestals.
In the latter design the desk top just sits on the two pedestals. Makes shipping easier.
If you just sit the campaign desk top on a pair of two-drawer filing cabinets, then it will be very functional, but lacking in aesthetics ..... until you start thinking about wooden pedestals. [I have a rather large desk, 2300 x 800 mm, sitting on three filing cabinets, and have been thinking about wooden pedestals for 20+ years.]
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25th May 2021, 01:33 PM #5SENIOR MEMBER
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25th May 2021, 01:45 PM #6SENIOR MEMBER
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Thanks Graeme,
I thought about the brass corner pieces and also handles on the ends, which many also had. However, I didn't want to make a repro, but rather a piece using native timbers and colours which would appeal to the modern eye but inspired by Georgian design.
mick
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25th May 2021, 02:32 PM #7
We now tend to think of Chris Schwarz as the one who popularised campaign furniture among woodworkers in recent years. He published a book on the topic, along with many magazine articles. My interest pre-dates Chris, back to my youth growing up in Cape Town, and the furniture of a colonial South Africa. There was a company, Binnehuis (translation: inside the house), who made modern versions of campaign furniture or, as it was also termed, military furniture. I loved the streamlined, less ornate versions.
Ten years ago I decided to build my version of a campaign chest, actually two of them (pre-dating Chris). I wrote this up on the forum, step-by-step, and it can be found on my website: scan down this Index page .... Furniture
Not great photos (sorry) ...
Regards from Perth
DerekVisit www.inthewoodshop.com for tutorials on constructing handtools, handtool reviews, and my trials and tribulations with furniture builds.
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25th May 2021, 03:54 PM #8
It worked!
I just like the functional simplicity, elegance if you like, of the concept. In my eye there is a continuity of this conception of simplicity of line and functionality over the eons including:
- Shaker furniture,
- Georgian campaign furniture,
- Scandinavian design,
- Bauhaus design,
- Modernist minimalism,
- Perhaps Japanese traditional.
All expressed in a few simple phrases:
- Form follows function,
- The line you leave out is as important as the one you include, and
- Eliminate the unessential, and nothing else.
Derek's work epitimises this.
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27th May 2021, 09:04 AM #9SENIOR MEMBER
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The displays coming out of the Sturt School of Woodworking and ANU reflect all the qualities of good design and execution to which this untrained amateur can only aspire.
I think Dieter Rams' 10 Principles of Design covers it all. "Less but better". Dieter Rams' 10 Principles for Good Design (3pillarglobal.com).
I think that the much copied Arne Jacobsen Series 7 chair might come out as the most successful design of the 20th century. 65 years later, it's still fashionable.
mick
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27th May 2021, 09:47 AM #10.
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