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Expanding Dining Room Table with Joseph Fitter Screw Expander Revisited...
The Completed TableIn 2009, I restored an expanding dining room table that was fitted with a mechanism called a screw expander. The mechanism consists of a long threaded screw that turns in a long tube...
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Mahogany Chest on Chest (ca.1790)
The Completed ChestThe chest on chest or double chest is, as the name states, a chest stacked on a second chest. Today the form is seen in one piece construction but originally it would have been...
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Georgian Mahogany Drop Leaf Table (ca. 1770)
The Completed TableA table we recently worked on in the shop was a mahogany drop leaf table made around 1770. I beileve that this table was made in England because of its form, which was a rather...
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Mahogany Linen Press (ca. 1800)
The Completed Linen Press The linen press, or cabinet on chest, is a furniture form primarily found in England that became popular in the early part of the 18th century and remained in use well into...
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Biggs Mahogany Pedestal Dining Table (ca. 1960)
The Completed Table A recent piece to come through the shop was a reproduction mahogany pedestal table with three leaves. The table was made by the Biggs Furniture Company of Richmond, Virginia. Biggs...
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Mahogany Dining Room Table with Tulip Wood Banding (Ca. 1920)
The Completed TableWith the holidays comes the inevitable restoration of a dining room table or two and this year has been no exception! One of thetables we restored before Thanksgiving was this...
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Queen Anne Style Setee (Ca. 1930)
The Completed SetteeIt has been a while since I have written about an upholstered piece so this post is devoted to the restoration of a Queen Anne style setee made sometime in the early part of the...
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Federal Bachelor's Chest (ca. 1810)
The Completed ChestRecently it has become harder to find the time to write, and as a result I have accumulated a surplus of pieces to write about. One of these pieces was a chest I worked on about a...
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Georgian Mahogany Grandfather clock (ca. 1750)
The Completed Clock A recent project was the restoration of an English grandfather or longcase clock made in London ca. 1750. The case shows Rococo influence which was popular in England during the...
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National Woodworking Month Woodworker Spotlight: Herbine Hardwoods
 I found out recently that April is National Woodworking Month and, while I must admit that I thought that at first this was a gimmick to try to sell stains and tools, I thought about it and decided it...
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National Woodworking Month Woodworker Spotlight: David Esterly
About a year ago I somehow became aware of a book written by a lime wood sculptor. I think I found a review of it online. After ordering the book I was amazed by the story as well as the talent of the...
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National Woodworking Month Woodworker Spotlight: Binh Pho
  About five years ago my cousin Tom Ronayne visited us from his home in Dublin, Ireland. Tom, an accomplished wood turner and shop teacher in Dublin, had flown over to see his family living in America...
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National Woodworking Month Woodworker Spotlight: John Warner
 Locally, There were laddderback side chairs, arm chairs, and rockers made in Loudoun County for much of the 19th century. These chairs are commonly known as "Waterford Chairs" because many were made...
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National Woodworking Month Woodworker Spotlight: Mark Sfirri
  Todays choice in my month long homage to woodworkers is Mark Sfirri. I first read an article on Mark Sfirri several years ago in a woodworking magazine and was captivated by his novel approach to...
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National Woodworking Month Woodworker Spotlight: Martin Fair
A few miles from my shop, off of Harpers Ferry Road in Loudoun County is a shop near the top of a mountain ridge that separates "Between the Hills" from the Loudoun Valley. The shop is owned and...
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Two Empire Chairs (ca.1800)
The Completed Chairs Recently I worked on two chairs made in France circa 1800. It is a little difficult to firmly put these chairs in one stylistic category, although I conservatively lean towards the...
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Making a Key for an English Lever Lock
Every Time I restore a chest of drawers or cabinet that has locks, I take the locks out of the piece, clean them, and, if no key is present, I cut a new key that works the lock. After I cut the new...
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Signed Edwardian Wardrobe (1902)
The Completed Wardrobe The period in furniture history known as Edwardian lasted form 1901 to 1910 and coincides with the reign of Edward VII, son of Queen Victoria. The style shows a clear movement...
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Locust and Bog Oak Urn (2014)
The Completed Urn I usually do not post things of a personal nature on this blog, but the purpose of this blog is to chronicle my journey as a woodworker and the various projects that I take on. This...
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