Thread: A George II Mahogany Reader's Companion

Originally Posted by Blue-deviled

Gosh, this does call out for superior reading matter! I've never worked mahogany, but it does appear to oxidise quickly - is that the case? It's certainly looks to be darkening quicker than maple.

It does turn quickly; the drawers had all but turned the same colour as the table within twenty-four hours.

Originally Posted by Blue-deviled

In the absence of pulls, if you push one drawer, does the other drawer emerge?

It could be made to operate like that I suppose. At one of the boarding schools I attended, there were double cupboards between each pair of beds. The drawer stops were all missing (by intentionally repeatedly slamming the drawers shut) with the advantage one could shove the opposite drawer onto the head of the boy in the next bed if he was snoring.

Originally Posted by Woodwould

The drawer stops were all missing (by intentionally repeatedly slamming the drawers shut) with the advantage one could shove the opposite drawer onto the head of the boy in the next bed if he was snoring.

Did you ever snore?

Originally Posted by Christos

Did you ever snore?

I don't know; I was never in a position to determine if I snored or not, but I think everyone was 'drawered' for whatever reason at one time or another.

Another danger in the dormitory after 'lights out' was the flying boot. It was common for someone to steal a neighbour's boot or shoe and hurl it, indiscriminately, the length of the 50-bed dormitory in the general direction of a snorer.

The weather in Victoria of late has been some of the coldest in recent history. Finding a day – or even the odd half hour – of fine and moderately temperate weather in which to polish a piece of furniture in the open air has been challenging to say the least. With a vigilant eye on the forecasts, I ventured out the other day and began polishing the reader's companion, but twenty minutes later the sun dropped below the roofline, instantaneously transforming The Lemon Studio into a chasm of intolerable crepuscular and algific conditions. Within two minutes, the polish went from being relatively free flowing to something more akin to peanut butter.

Good things come to those dim-witted enough to heed old adages. The table is now polished.

The brass drawer knobs required a little caressing to bring them up to standard before being aged in the Bucket of Wrath. The knobs were attached to the drawers and the whole table was then given a good waxing.

The completed reader's companion.

Contra view.

Side panel and drawer.

Drawer and brass knob.

Rounded leg post.

Shaped side and back panels.

Back panel.

Cabriole leg.

So where's the one you made?

that one looks like the model you picked up from the antique shop to take measurements from

Originally Posted by Sawdust Maker

that one looks like the model you picked up from the antique shop to take measurements from

That would have been handy! I just worked from a picture in an auction catalogue.

Magnificent as always WW. $2000 would be a steal .
Maybe - one of these days - on your deathbed perhaps-you will reveal your process for staining and polishing.


Looking forward to your next project

Mrs Phil says that is impressive WW

Thanks chaps and chapess.

It's very nice WW

Originally Posted by Peter36

Magnificent as always WW. $2000 would be a steal .

Sorry . I forgot the GST.
Before polishing, have you gently taken to the companion with a small peening hammer to create an aged look >

Originally Posted by Peter36

Sorry . I forgot the GST.

Cash price for a similar table would be about $3,500 – GST-free!

Originally Posted by Peter36

Before polishing, have you gently taken to the companion with a small peening hammer to create an aged look >

If you repeatedly hit a piece of furniture with a hammer, all you do is leave obvious hammer imprints in the wood. Try it some time!

No hammers, chains, pointed screwdrivers, socks full of farthings, barbed wire, or 410 shotgun pellets were used on this companion – I simply lavished it with copious amounts of care and attention.

Beautiful work WW, as per usual. I am so glad you don't believe in the so called 'distressed' finish that so many dickheads think make a piece look old. It even ruins crap work.

The marks in photo 3 ,mostly on the drawer front , and in photo 5, on the rounded top of the leg looked like "distress"marks , led me to ask the question .