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+-- Thread: Mahogany highboy (/showthread.php?tid=7267135)
Re: Mahogany highboy - Paul K. Murphy - 04-17-2016
daddo said:
Thanks for taking that time Paul!
I always stare at a piece and try to picture the person doing the work, the atmosphere, the communications, the tools, the sounds and smells and so on. It takes me hours to go through a museum. I try to be there.
Kind of weird I know.
I don't think it's weird.
I look at pieces in very great detail. In my mind a voice is saying, "How do I manufacture that?"
Re: Mahogany highboy - Halfathumb - 04-18-2016
Richard D. said:
It seems like so much attention was paid to the carving that they forgot about the drawer faces. It looks like a random choice of mediocre wood. I'd like to see it in person.
Quite a few of the drawer faces I make turn out like this. I prefer to say it's my own character built into the piece.
Re: Mahogany highboy - Dave Diaman - 04-18-2016
Paul, I just took a commission on a really nice Philadelphia Highboy. It is in the MFA in Boston. You have probably seen it before as it is in a few of the Sack books. It will probably be at least 10-12 months before I start on it but I am pretty excited about building it. Here is the one I'm building.
Re: Mahogany highboy - Paul K. Murphy - 04-18-2016
You should be excited. That's great!
I've never built a highboy. I built a Philadelphia lowboy when I was twenty one years old. I don't remember if it was an Affleck or a Savery. I don't remember how to spell those fellas names. I do remember I need to get off the computer and get back to my bench.
Re: Mahogany highboy - Mr Eddie - 04-19-2016
Dave,
I'm looking forward to a "build along" when you do that one! A question - Is the carving on the front face (top) usually carved separate and then applied or is it carved into the solid wood member? While I can see that a separate carving would appear to be much easier it would also have it's own set of problems. How about some background and tips about how you learned to carve?
Lonnie
Re: Mahogany highboy - Dave Diaman - 04-19-2016
Lonnie,
Most of the carving that you see on the apron and bonnet will be applied. While it does have its issues it is still the easiest method. As for how I learned to carve I just bought some tools and tried to make the piece of wood I was carving look like the one in the picture. I don’t have any formal training but I have managed fairly well so far.
