Queen Anne Side Table

[Mark Mazzo]

Hey all,

It's been a while since I've posted here at SMC. So, I thought I'd post about a project that I recently completed.

I blogged about it as it was built – you can look at my blog and search for Queen Anne Side Table to get the details.

The able was my first attempt at a reproduction piece and a first attempt at cabriole legs. I enjoyed the build and I think that there may be a few more reproduction pieces in my woodworking future.

The wood is cherry with soft maple as a secondary wood for the drawer box. The finish is boiled linseed oil, followed by garnet shellac and then a top coat of semi gloss Arm-R-Seal. Finally, I rubbed the finish out with 0000 steel wool and then applied some paste wax (with steel wool for added protection.

[Jim Becker]

That's really outstanding work, Mark!

[Don Bullock]

That's a beautiful table Mark. With results like that I can see why you feel that you'll be making more reproduction pieces.

[John Thompson]

Very attractive and well done, Mark. But.. you might want to bring it inside before it rains...

Congrats on your first cabriole legs as the first few sets are a challenge indeed.

Sarge..

[Jeffrey Makiel]

Nice work.

Cabriole legs have a timeless classy look. Well done.

-Jeff

[Walt Caza]

Wow Mark,
What a beauty!
Great job and you can be proud of that one for sure!

What are you aiming to build next?
take it easy,
Walt

[Calvin Hobbs]

Mark,

Really nice work, comparing it to the original you were copying I would say you really hit the mark.

The piece has a nice lightness to it especially in the legs that often turns out clunky or heavy, especially in first attempts. The wood and finish are really nice as well.

If I were to add a little constructive criticism, the feet seem a little thick for this type of table. But I saw how you were approximating the trifid feet of the prototype, so I see why you did them that way...

So hat's off to you and this project, keep the period pieces rolling. Cal

[John Timberlake]

Very nice work. Love the finish. Dovetails look good.

[J. Z. Guest]

Very nice Mark. If you aren't around much, we can forgive it if you showcase something like that each time.

[mreza Salav]

Very very nice indeed.

[Norman Pyles]

Beautiful work!!

[John Michaels]

Very nicely done. Such a beautiful table. The finish looks top notch.

[Mark Mazzo]

Thanks for the kind words everyone.

John: I thought that the lighting was much nicer outside for the pics than in the shop. Rest assured, it resides inside now!

Walt: Thanks. I'm Thinking of trying a Federal style piece next.

Calvin: Thanks for the insight. Actually, I agree with you. When I turned the feet I thought the distance from pad to toe was a bit too tall. However, I opted to not alter the dimensions at that time given that these were my first Cabriole legs. It looks OK as is but it could be a bit more refined with a slightly smaller foot. By the way - very nice work on the chest you (and family) are building!

[Mark Valsi]

mark !


One thing that drives me crazy about projects like this.

DOVETAILS that suck !!

They look like hand cut, but . . . and i mean BUT . . .

the spacing is like machine made, and with the high level of craftsmanship in the rest of the piece, to me the even spaced dovetails really detract from the project !

Your skill and craftsmanship is so overwhelmingly evident on the piece, that I am disappointed by the dovetails.

If I possesed your skill at woodworking, I would do something much better with the drawers. Heck, I recommend you do them over !!!!

The rest of the project merits an "A+", but the drawers are down to a "B+"

[Mark Mazzo]

Mark,

Thanks for the comments. I understand your thoughts on the dovetails (which were hand cut, by the way). I probably could have accentuated the variable spacing a bit more than I did (if you look closely you will see that the center tail is actually about 1/8" wider than the outer tails).

I was actually concentrating more on the method of doing the half blinds with the lip on the drawer front without making a mess of things - a bit of an exercise in patience.

I'll take your thoughts to heart on the next piece and make it painfully evident that the dovetails saw no machines during their development!