Thread: A George II Irish Elm Dressing Table

Originally Posted by Sawdust Maker

Powerscourt - I reckon that anything from Wicklow is claimed to come from Powerscourt - even my family if you believe my Aunt We were probably caught borrowing something "from Powerscourt"

That shell motif sort of appears in the coat of arms but even that is probably a furphy.

The owner's husband actually worked on the Powerscourt estate, so there's more than a fair chance it was a bequest, or was bought at the auction as a memento.

Originally Posted by Blue-deviled

Pyre-lighting. One could move onto bagpipes and banjo for the real conflag

You should never use bagpipes and banjos in the same sentence. Or the same room for that matter.

Originally Posted by rustynail

You should never use bagpipes and banjos in the same sentence. Or the same room for that matter.

True, only in the same fire

Comparing that Irish shell with an American one, it's immediately apparent what you mean. Something important was lost in translation.

Cheers
Michael

Originally Posted by Woodwould

The pendulous shell motif was popular on early to mid eighteenth-century Irish furniture (see more examples below), especially on side- and console tables etc.

The Americans also favoured the shell, but when they got at it – like most other furniture details they adopted – it was barely recognisable.

The paper patterns I made of the dressing table in the late eighties were showing their age, so I took the precautionary step of carefully transcribing them onto some hardboard. Once completed, I laid out the leg profiles onto some 2-3/4" square elm stock. While the legs were still square – and easily clamped to the bench – I chopped out the various mortices and dovetail sockets.

I cut out the caprine legs on the bandsaw and then set to with a drawknife and spokeshave until all four cabriole legs were roughed out.

Roughed-out legs.

The trifid foot is an agreeable departure from the more customary round pad foot seen on cabriole legs. The front of the foot consists of a large, central toe flanked by two smaller, supplementary toes.

The three toes.

The heel of the trifid foot remains quite angular, but more acute than the leg stock's right-angled corners. If the heel is left as a right-angle, the foot appears overly wide and clumsy when viewed approaching-, or from, the front. Making the angle more acute is a deceptive coup that enlivens the whole foot.

Trifid soles.

I planed up the rest of the stock for the carcase and formed the tennons on the ends of the apron before cutting the convoluted shape into its lower edge. Tennons were also formed on the back and side carcase panels and their lower edges were shaped too.

I dry-assembled the carcase and laid out the two central dovetailed drawer kickers and the other drawer guide locations. The tops of the legs will be left square in section until the carcase has been glued together so the clamps can get some purchase.

The complete carcase ready for gluing together.

SB

Originally Posted by Woodwould

The heel of the trifid foot remains quite angular, but more acute than the leg stock's right-angled corners. If the heel is left as a right-angle, the foot appears overly wide and clumsy when viewed approaching-, or from, the front. Making the angle more acute is a deceptive coup that enlivens the whole foot.

Sorry you have lost me a little here as I am not picturing it. Are you taking more off the foot?

Originally Posted by Christos

Sorry you have lost me a little here as I am not picturing it. Are you taking more off the foot?

No, that's them more or less done barr a bit of scraping. The angle of the heel is less than the 90° it started out as when it was a square stick.

Thank you for the clarification.

Originally Posted by Sawdust Maker

If anybody has Ray's wheelchair on their shoulders can they please give it back - he's got to nip out and get the anzacs

Nope the Victorians sold off the company read ya emails no longer an Aussie product.

"All eight big-ears present and correct," thought Noddy.

I rather enjoy the 'ready to assemble' photographs!

Originally Posted by Blue-deviled

"All eight big-ears present and correct," thought Noddy.

"GFY!" thought Big Ears.

Originally Posted by Woodwould

"GFY!" thought Big Ears.

No wonder Blyton's books were banned