The Rosewood Sofatable (fini)

Finished.

Its not often in your life that you are given the opportunity to apply your craft at this level or for such an extended period. A gratifying and memorable time for which I am grateful.

The Rosewood Sofatable (part 2)

Materials

Buxus sempervirens

Dalbergia cearensis

 The original table was a wonderful wood collection starting with Kingwood (Dalbergia cearensis) for the main panels, the top was cross banded with Tulipwood (Dalbergia frutescens). All of the leading edges were strung with a contrasting Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens) inlay.




As "luck would have it" over the years I had collected a small flitch of Rosewood, at least 60 years old and cut thicker than more modern materials, The knife cut tulipwood was easier to find in a matching thickness but even though boxwood for stringing is available commercially, I could not find any that fit the requirements. So it was purchased as timber and re-sawn to the needed dimensions.

Dalbergia frutescene

Swietenia macrophylla

All of these materials were "hammer veneered" to a solid mahogany groundwork in a traditional process using hide glue. (more on that later)

Later in the process

The Rosewood Sofa Table (part 1)

Start up

Some time back, I was contacted by a customer in possession of a late Georgian English Rosewood Sofa Table. The table, while in near perfect condition, presented a problem in that it would not support the weight of the clients equally valuable and important Remington Bronze Sculpture.

 The original intention of the client and his designer was to have the Sofa Table altered by shortening the original dovetailed drawers in order to make room for a support beam to be installed under the top in the center of the frame. While this would have solved the immediate dilemma it would have destroyed an almost perfect antique and severely affected it value.

Never being one who enjoys decimating cultural artifacts, I instead suggested that we take detailed measurements of the original and make an adapted reproduction that would retain the aesthetic quality of the original and sell the original to another collector thus preserving its integrity. Given the monetary value of Georgian Sofa Table, this was also the most economic solution.

Frame adaptation

In addition to shortening the original drawer length to allow for the addition of the support beam, the adaptation also added a stretcher between the legs, thus adding additional structural support.

While the original form did not include a stretcher it was still in keeping with the period style.

Without even cutting into any materials the process of measuring every part of the original  and creating a working set of drawings was a challenge in and of itself.

Overview

Top Details

Next up
material selection and fabrication....