Thread: A William and Mary Walnut Chest of Drawers

Drawers are drawers, the only subtleties being the evolutionary construction details. At this point in time, they were constructed with coarse, through dovetails, hidden, on the fronts, by thick veneer. The top edges of the drawer sides at this date were square and fractionally lower in height than the fronts (to prevent conflict with any irregularities within the carcase) – a decade later, the top edges would be rounded over.

The drawer baseboards (with the grain still running front to back) were now raised clear of the carcase's dustboards; residing in a deeper rebate or separate groove in the drawer front. The baseboards were nailed to the underside of the side- and back-boards and narrow runners were glued up to the underside of the baseboards, supporting the weight of the drawer and its contents close to the carcase gables.

I prepared all the drawer stuff, cut the dovetails and assembled the drawers. The baseboards were rubbed together, but not fitted at this stage.

The baseboards set aside to dry.

I prepared the full width veneer panels and sized them as before. The slightly oversized panels were glued onto the drawer fronts and secured with veneer pins at each corner.

Veneered drawer awaiting trimming and banding.

A reader enquired about the method used to lay the veneers and I replied that I pinned down the veneers in the margins which are ultimately trimmed off. However, it’s not uncommon to see tell-tale pin holes in period veneered work. They are often visible either side of a split or joint, on corners, or anywhere the veneer lifted. Normally the pins were withdrawn (for reuse), but occasionally they snapped off, or were too short to grab hold of, and were hammered home. In the course of restoring veneered furniture of this date, one occasionally sees small black stains on the ground work which mark the site of the veneer pins.

To the untrained eye, the pin holes blend with the multitude of dark blemishes and general patina, but when you know what to look for, and in which areas, the small square or trapezoid holes (from using cut steel veneer pins) are obvious.

A nicely patinated George I Walnut chest of drawers, c.1720.

The same image showing the placement of veneer pins.

This is a far better game than 'Spot the Football'! Is there a scoring system?

So the central section veneer is placed as well as possible, pinned, hammered, and the banding widths cut in with a slitting gauge? I must say prefer this drawer to the last picture of one!

Originally Posted by Blue-deviled

This is a far better game than 'Spot the Football'! Is there a scoring system?

Yes, you award yourself a goodly swig of Bushmills each time you identify another pin hole.

Originally Posted by Blue-deviled

So the central section veneer is placed as well as possible, pinned, hammered, and the banding widths cut in with a slitting gauge?

Correct.

Thanks for the new info.

I'm glad LOML doesn't peruse the forum - I started on a smaller, less laborious COD in January, and still haven't got the carcase assembled! I've tried to explain that I need a week or so uninterrupted by yard chores or other distractions to get a clear go at it, but all I get is a wry look.

And here you go, slapping this infinitely more ambitious thing together like it was something from that store that sends you home with a flat-pack & a couple of allen keys......

At this rate, there'll be drawers in those drawers before the month is out.

Cheers

PS: WW - I imagine there is potential for a lot of movement in those drawer bottoms with the grain oriented that way. How do you allow/compensate for that in fitting them? Or am I jumping the gun, and should wait patiently for the next installment?

Originally Posted by IanW

I imagine there is potential for a lot of movement in those drawer bottoms with the grain oriented that way. How do you allow/compensate for that in fitting them?

The baseboards will indeed shrink and will suck the drawer sides in a little. That's eighteenth century ingenuity ensuring the drawers will glide freely for centuries to come!

More fscinating information Mr. Wood.

I spotted 6 pinholes all by myself!!!!

Originally Posted by artme

More fscinating information Mr. Wood.

I spotted 6 pinholes all by myself!!!!

I purposely left a few uncircled so people could go "Oh! Oh! Oh! There's another!"

Originally Posted by IanW

like it was something from that store that sends you home with a flat-pack & a couple of allen keys......

The one who's name is actually a four -letter word? (I've counted )

Originally Posted by IanW

And here you go, slapping this infinitely more ambitious thing together like it was something from that store that sends you home with a flat-pack & a couple of allen keys......

If Scandinavian flat-packed William & Mary suddenly appears, it's all due to you!

Originally Posted by Blue-deviled

If Scandinavian flat-packed William & Mary suddenly appears, it's all due to you!

'Wyllyåmke ännd Marii' wouldn't sell; it's too fugly... or so I'm told!

Originally Posted by Woodwould

'Wyllyåmke ännd Marii' wouldn't sell; it's too fugly... or so I'm told!

Not quite as catchy a name as KUNg or Smeeg, and there is the problem of making inflatable bun feet to overcome too!

Originally Posted by Woodwould

'Wyllyåmke ännd Marii' wouldn't sell; it's too fugly... or so I'm told!

Some weeks ago (sorry for the off-topic) our workshop had to do some repair in a house that was full of that Scandinavian ...errrm..furniture
"I know ", the guy said , "this is not the best furniture out there.Now , you should see what my father's got in his home! - old , OLD piece of oak furniture.....let me see...at least 24 ears old!"

Originally Posted by Blue-deviled

Not quite as catchy a name as KUNg or Smeeg, and there is the problem of making inflatable bun feet to overcome too!

They used to (maybe even still do) have a workbench design called "Fartfull" and a desk called "Jerker".

Enough of this hilarity, I'm off to the shed at the bottom of the garden to relieve the pressure of my fartfull vice.