With some accidents and mistakes, I had to sanded down and started again applying shellac 10 times.
2. Tool Chest - 2012.03.04
Without any meaningful experience, I had been the last person who finished every tasks in the first semester. However, I managed to be the first person who finished a tool chest in the beginning of my second semester.
3. Demilune Table - 2012.04.28
My first turning, reeding, veering. The leg design was based on a Seymour card table. I like the color and proportions of this table a lot.
4. Lolling Chair - 2012.09.01
I took a two-week long chair making class by Philip Lowe during the summer, and made this lolling chair, a.k.a Martha Washington chair. I learned a lot from that class.
The original upholstery was done in Joseph Karagezian's upholstery class. I disliked my stitching and the original thin fabric. Later in 2013, I had time to change its fabric.
5. Candle Stand - 2012.10.12
The top sunburst pattern was based on a Seymour candle stand. The column and legs were based on Duncan Phyfe's pieces.
I made the base part before the summer, but disliked my sloppy reeding. I remade it in the summer.
I could not get any help from any instructor on inlay banding and sunburst veneering, but managed to make them very nicely. Because of the gnarly grain of the redwood veneer, French polishing on the top was the most challenging to me. I figured out some problems of my French polishing technique, and began to understand spiriting off in the final stage of French polishing.
This piece was sold so quickly, so I did not have time to take photos.
6. Bookcase - 2012.10.27
The design of this bookcase was based on the bookcase in the NBSS library which Lance and Alex made decades ago.
Making and fitting muntins were fun. However applying shellac on dentil and muntins by dry brushing was time-consuming and difficult. I found that hide glue might not be good in general joinery because it became tacky quickly.
7. Windsor Chair - 2013.02.07
All 40 students made this chair since the first week of year 2013. I missed the first week, had to try hard to catch up.
I intentionally left tool marks on this chair. I liked my carving on crust rail ears and arm rail handholds.
8. Foot Stool - 2013.02.15
About 15 students made this foot stool.
I liked my acanthus leaf carving. I tried chemical oxidation but it turned out badly because of carvings and end grains. A lesson was learned.
9. Chippendale Chair - 2013.05.29
About 20 students made this chair.
Since carving was not allowed, I made the design of crust rail and splat as simple as possible. Most people brushed shellac but I padded it like French polishing and it turned out nicely.
10. Seymour Tambour Desk - 2013.05.29
Making Seymour pieces was my dream before I came to the NBSS. Many people were surprised to know that I owned the Mussey's book, but I had to do that.
This desk was based on the Catalogue No. 3 of the Mussey's book. I also had opportunity to visit the Winterthur Museum and took a look at it closely.
Making inlay banding on top, bellflower inlaying on tambour door, scratch double beads of tambour slat, fitting tambour doors, making tambour door lock hardwares and installing them, making thin shade on simulated pilaster inlay, secrete drawer and its locking mechanism, string inlay on legs, simulated pilaster inlay on legs, waist moldings and brakets, etc. There were a lot of things to be studied, planned and solved.
I wanted to have the original porcelain like drawer pulls from the beginning because they were very important elements of the design of this desk along with vertical and horizontal inlay bandings and bellflower inlays. However I found that no company was making that kind of hardware any more. I asked Brock Jobe in Winterthur Museum to send me pictures of the original pulls. He kindly took pictures by himself and sent the images to me. I made the porcelain like paintings by Decoupage from the images. Joan Parcher in Providence made brass hardwares for me. It turned out great.
I could not finish this piece in the NBSS. I may need a week or two to finish it. However I have to setup a workshop first, so am not sure when it can be.
