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Thread: Maple Highboy

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Agusta, GA
    Posts
    397

    Maple Highboy

    So I dragged another project across the finish line the other day. This one's my take on a Queen Anne highboy made in the Boston area. The originals similar to this all seem to have pad feet. For mine, I prefer ball and claw, so that's what it has.

    It's built from mostly curly soft maple. The legs are hard maple because I couldn't find soft maple, figured or not, in anything thicker than 5/4 locally. Secondary wood is poplar.

    The finish is dye, oil, several coats of garnet shellac, two final coats of blonde shellac, a little antiquing, and wax.

    I'll give those who prefer instant gratification the finished photos are first, so as to spare any uninterested souls the effort of following a build thread in order to see the final results.

    As always, I struggle in taking a decent pictures. When viewed from the left side, the drawer faces reflect the light a little differently and appear a little uneven in color. When viewed from the right, they're much more homogeneous.
    Attached Images Attached Images

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Pleasanton, CA
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    142
    Absolutely stunning!

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Goleta / Santa Barbara
    Posts
    968
    Brett, very nicely done. Good job on the flame finials too.
    did you do the crown moulding with hollows and rounds or ????
    seeing this is a nice way to start my day. Patrick

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Agusta, GA
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    So if you're still with me, here's the start of the build process:

    First I start with the 12/4 stock for the legs and trace out the pattern. Next I rip the leg blank and lay out the location of the mortises.

    IMAG0065.jpgIMAG0063.jpg


    After cutting the mortises, saw the leg on the bandsaw staying proud of the pattern lines.

    IMAG0066.jpg

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Agusta, GA
    Posts
    397
    After a bunch of work with a spokeshave, rasp and card scraper, I begin shaping the foot. First is the layout and sawing the cuts to define the toes, followed by a bunch of chisel work. You just repeat the sawing and chiseling as you work each face.

    IMAG0067.jpgIMAG0068.jpg

    More or less finished set:

    IMAG0079.jpg

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Agusta, GA
    Posts
    397
    After shaping and a load of sanding/scraping, I trim the leg post to size using the table saw, backsaw and bandsaw.

    IMAG0074.jpgIMAG0078.jpgIMAG0076.jpg

    Next is the lower case sides. Nothing complicated here, just a glue up and a couple long tenons.

    IMAG0064.jpgIMAG0094.jpgIMAG0086.jpgIMAG0080.jpg
    Attached Images Attached Images

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Agusta, GA
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    Once done, dry fit the sides with the legs. Hopefully everything fits!

    IMAG0088.jpg

    Next is the lower stretcher. It's mortised into the legs and has a couple dovetailed drawer dividers set into it. After I cut the profile, I chamfer the inside with a chisel.

    IMAG0089.jpgIMAG0085.jpgIMAG0090.jpgIMAG0092.jpgIMAG0093.jpg

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Agusta, GA
    Posts
    397
    Next dovetail in the drawer dividers and the top stretcher. Somewhere around here I build the poplar back too.

    IMAG0097.jpg IMAG0098.jpg IMAG0099.jpg IMAG0100.jpg

    IMAG0102.jpg IMAG0106.jpg IMAG0105.jpg

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Agusta, GA
    Posts
    397
    Next I make the over-apron knee blocks. Just trace out your pattern, saw and sand. They're held on with a dot of glue and a screw from the rear.

    IMAG0107.jpg IMAG0108.jpg IMAG0109.jpg IMAG0111.jpg

    At this point, install the drawer runners and kickers too. I neglected to take any photos of this step.

    On to the upper case! It's just a big dovetailed box - poplar top and bottom and maple for the sides.

    IMAG0123.jpg IMAG0125.jpg IMAG0128.jpg

  10. #10
    That is a beauty for sure.
    Best Regards,

    Gordon

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Princeton, NJ
    Posts
    7,294
    Blog Entries
    7
    Inspiring work Brett, thank you for sharing your build along with the finished work.
    Bumbling forward into the unknown.

  12. #12
    Brett,you are really cranking stuff out! Show us pics of whole assembly line!... Another beautiful piece.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Jan 2015
    Location
    New Hampshire, USA
    Posts
    240
    Wow, beautiful work.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    In the foothills of the Sandia Mountains
    Posts
    16,641
    Beautiful museum quality work!
    Please help support the Creek.


    "It's paradoxical that the idea of living a long life appeals to everyone, but the idea of getting old doesn't appeal to anyone."
    Andy Rooney



  15. #15
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Agusta, GA
    Posts
    397
    Thanks guys! I'll finish posting the build photos this evening!

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