Stuff for my BA submission in August. AKA Welcome to The Dark Side.

[stuckinthemud]

Sad isnt it? One of my personal favourites in National Museum Wales Cardiff are the plaster carvings Burgess carved of the animals for the castle bridge, made for the masons to point from

 

[Adam W.]

There have been some famous carvers at the place I'm studying at. The college had very close links with The V&A and Natural History Museum and the carvers there did a lot of the work on the fronts of the museums when they were built.

When they excavated for the new carving studio a few summers ago they found loads of thrown away figurines which had just been dumped in a hole and covered over. Some of them were by famous stone carvers when they were students and the carvings now live in the flowerbed at the college.

 

[Adam W.]

Blimey !

I think I've got scrolling acanthus fever.

 

[Inspector]

I hope the fever doesn't break for a while. Superb.

Pete

 

[Wood&StuffLtd]

At least a 1st. I guess when and if you have time you can do the other three sides and the lid! Magnificant. Did I comment last time and refer you to view on- line The Wall in Tasmania? Keep up the good work.

 

[Adam W.]

Yes you did, The Wall is amazing.

Luckily for me the sides and lid are plain on this one.

 

[AJB Temple]

Outstanding. Great credit to you. I admire your skill.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Adam, I assume you've seen the work of Tilman Riemenschneider - Wikipedia (at least in pictures)? Incredible stuff - I touched a Riemenschneider tryptich when I was sixteen (it obviously wouldn't be allowed now) and I remember it 50+ years later.

 

[Adam W.]

I do know a bit about Riemenschneider. I'm a big admirer of the Münnerstadt altarpiece, particularly his rendition of Mary Magdalen. He seemed to have had a thing about hair.

Incredible work!

 

[clogs]

just seen this ......terrific.....
hope u have as much fun doing it as I have just looking.....in awe.......

 

[Phill05]

Blimey !

I think I've got scrolling acanthus fever.




View attachment 113161

Adam,
Can I please ask the design on the chest, is this from an old sample or have you laid out the design yourself?
Why I ask when I started many years ago I was given some old drawings and I used some parts of in my own work, some of your work has a close resemblance to it.
The papers were said to be from the early 1700 to 1800 by a Mr W T Whitehead London.

I also found a thesis by a P A Kirkham on London furniture makers and designers but runs into nearly 400 pages I have not found out anymore from that yet.

 

[Adam W.]

Very nice, they look like they're from a pattern book.

If you look at Chippendales' director and Sheratons' Cabinetmakers drawing book you'll see similar designs for panels and furniture.

Mine is copied from a chest which is part of the V&A collection, but held in Turton Tower. It was found in Cornwall, but the design doesn't seem to be English, so it may have come from one of the larger sea ports and have been carved by a craftsman from another country. It doesn't seem very provincial either, as the carving is far too elaborate.

I've carved it because I'm interested in Sir Paul Pindar who was Charles 1st. ambassador to the Venetian republic. The front of his house from Bishopsgate is in the V&A and I'm putting it together with the two Venetian picture frames I'm making in an attempt to illustrate the kind of furniture that he may have had in his London house during the 17th. century.

http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/s/sir-paul-pindars-house/

 

[Steliz]

I've just found this thread and I have found it interesting, well written and also fascinating. Thanks Adam. I do a bit of carving and I'd love to have a go at something as intricate as what you've done but the wood preparation I will leave to my trusty machinery.

 

[Adam W.]

Back to the box.

I've joined the chest together with riven oak pins and started on the frame of the lid. There's an inch clearance all the way round and this may get planed down once I've had the hinges made and joined it together for good.

This gives me the chance to get the fancy rosewood brace out for a spin and I'm using a shell bit ( I think that's what it's called) to bore the holes with. I use this particular bit as it's easy to steer and doesn't cause any tear out when it breaks through the other side.

As I'm going to be sitting on the chest I wanted a smooth finish to the lid, so I've used a 3/16 ovolo on the arris to make it a bit more arris friendly and cut down on the splinters.

I did a mock up to make sure it fit with the position of the trench for the panels before going ahead.

Once the muntins were moulded and the lid trenched to receive the panels I could begin to plane them down. It was tight with sizes and to eliminate all the defects on the visible side I planed raised panels, which I think looks quite tidy.

I'll finish this off tomorrow and that'll be it for the chest until I decide on any carving for the lid.

 

[Adam W.]

One more panel to go.....I get marked at 10:45, so plenty of time.

Not quite the exhibition gallery that I had envisioned, but there you go. It's period correct and the lighting is just right.

Mad furniture in the 16th. Century!

 

[Adam W.]

Welcome to Adam W's degree show private view.....

Thanks for watching.


FIN!


I'm off to fix the handbrake on the car.

 

[Jamesc]

Wow!

 

[Linus]

Superb. My flabber is gasted!

 

[CaptainBudget]

(shouldn't just respond with a GIF, but...)

 

[Garden Shed Projects]

I agree with CaptainBudget. Exceptional work