Custom Fine Furniture by Alan Young
WoodwardWoodworks
114 Woodward Ypsilanti, Michigan 48197
734 218-5803
alan@woodwardwoodworks.com

WoodwardWoodworks
114 Woodward Ypsilanti, Michigan 48197
734 218-5803
alan@woodwardwoodworks.com


The Case takes Shape
Mr. Darcy's Writing Desk page 3
Here is the beginning of the carcase coming together.  The front panels are loosely placed in their matching case work.
The legs are screwed into the threaded inserts, and the drawer casing is clamped between the curved panel assemblies.
The upper and lower plates that house the curved panels have end grain showing. They are joined by a 1.5" square strutt, and the drawer casing is to be glued to the entire double curved assembly.
There is a lot of joinery going on here.
I want the end look to minimize the joints.
The object is to make these joint lines imperceptable if not unseen.
So I'll be mounting a carved element over the area. Any lines not covered should at least fade into the background...
at least that's the goal ..
Several years ago my wife obtained an armoir that had fallen off the back end of truck as it was being moved. The owners never got around to fixing it and instead replced it. So we inherited the broken armoir. After all I am the 'furniture guy" and what's the big deal about fixing broken things? Well I hate fixing broken furniture. Besides why fix a broken piece when I can make a new one? That's way more fun!

Still- the broken armoir ended up in the back of my truck and was sort-of repaired by me...I'll not show the repairs as they were done half heartedly with the sneaky hope they would fail and I'd have to tell dear wife that " I gave it my best shot, I'guess we'll just have to put it out on the curb.....Oh well?!"  (ha ha)

Well the jokes on me. At least two years later the armoir is still standing in  our living room holding a TV and a bunch of DVD's etc....
In setting up the armoir it was agreed upon that the doors to the TV sectionwould be best left unmounted. Here's where the armoir meets the desk so to speak. The doors had some imitation brass plated hardware as part of the handles. I decided I like the look of these plates and they would look great in the "multi-plex desk joint"
I decided against mounting them directly to the desk and instead used them as a pattern for making my own lightly carved elements.  I then gilded these pieces with Mica Powders mixed with Seal Coat.
The face of the desk is thus to be flanked by gilded carved "leafy" elements. These will each be glued(probably epoxy) to another fabricated element in the general shape of a shield. The shields are 1/4" walnut and  they cover most of joinery lines.
The picture below shows the original metal element in the designated postion....
A gilded strip above the drawer case will "tie" the
shields together....
The sides and back of the case are veneered panels with inset moldings

WoodwardWoodworks
114 Woodward Ypsilanti, Michigan 48197
734 218-5803
alan@woodwardwoodworks.com

Woodward Woodworks
That's it so far....The drawer is next then the sculpted top