turning over a new leaf

Hi miniature friends!

First a warm welcome to my new followers. But ooh, i'm ashamed for being absent for so long. I'm sorry for not posting for a while, so...  let me try to make up for it.

Last post i ended with an antique Dutch pullout table i'd recently seen in the Rijks Museum in Amsterdam. My intention was to rebuild it in 1:12. So I took pictures and measurements & made a modern version to test the extending leaf mechanism. Also did lots of research, and that's when i decided to drop the initial choice and go for this refectory table:


It's also a draw-leaf or Dutch pullout table, but i found it's proportions and decor more appealing to make. With my understanding of the construction and mechanism under the belt and the pictures of the original i scaled out a plan. Some joints were unclear, but i could fall back on some period cabinet making books to figure them out. I decided for cherry as my choice of wood as it resembles the oak wood of which this 19th Century revival refectory table is made of best. 

Now that had i tested the construction with the mock up table, i also did a test piece on the carving. The cherry wood isn't as fine grained as pear, and, as i just purchased this new piece of stock, i wanted to get a feel for it before proceeding. Because even the same type of wood can behave different being from another plank or tree. The test helped with that, and also helped to figure out and finalize the design on the aprons. So then it was on to the build. 

First i had to cut up stock to the desired thickness. I'm so happy with some of my new tools. Recently i swapped my old bandsaw for an almost new Proxxon belt saw. That was a very good deal. But most chuffed I'm with the tools made by Jim Byrnes. His thickness sander can do a job in 5 minutes that used to take me over an hour (or more!) and mostly by hand. So no more elbow grease and so accurate too! Each time it's a real joy to work with!!



The base is formed by the aprons, with reinforced mitering and hand cut dove tails.



Carving them before assembly is easier.


The two melons shaped legs with their brackets.





Half way i put the pieces together so I could metaphorically stand back a bit and look at it that way. Not only do I find it fun to see it come together. But working up close on the individual parts can sometimes make me loose track, and this helps me to keep focus :)


I find dying the wood fun too, it makes all the carvings come to life. 


Past weekend i finished the base so now I can start work on the table top. Fortunately that won't take as much time as the carving, so i hope to get that done pretty soon. And then the only thing left is the sliding construction. That will be a fiddly job again, but i look forward to that. The satisfaction of pulling out the leaves and see it all work smooth will make it all worth while. 



So... that's what kept me busy. Ok, not done yet, but it's getting there :) Ooh, and i went to the annual dolls house fair here in Apeldoorn, Holland last weekend! Very nice to meet fellow miniaturists again, and to make new friends as well. There is some great talent out there! I mean, some offerings were exceptionally well done! All in all very inspirational.

Have a great day, and enjoy the small things in life,



35 comments:

  1. I love this table already. Such a wonderful piece. Your carving is fantastic. I look forward to seeing more posts about it.
    Did you buy anything at the show.? I would love to see what it was.

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    1. Thank you Catherine! Yes of course, you'll see more of it for sure :) As for the fair, my wallet is pretty tight so i didn't plash out although it was hard at times. So many gorgeous pieces! I did give in to some handy tool bits and the odd materials to build with. Especially a few marble slabs, from the same lady that i'd purchased some before (the pink one on top of the console table). Really nice material and she's now got them even thinner then before too. They will look great on a vanity cabinet for instance... or any other table. Not sure yet, i just fell for the pattern and colors they had.

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    2. I think supplies are just as much fun as finished miniatures. Oooh marble slabs! I have looked for those online and couldn't find any. Does she have a web site?

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    3. She does have a site, but I never bought them on line. As she mentions as well, the colors and patterns may vary so i prefer to pick 'm out myself. Here's the link:
      http://unicorna.com/marble.htm
      It's in Dutch but there's a button on the left to translate it in English. Good luck, hope it's what you're looking for?

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    4. Thank you so much Debora. I am happy to take my chances.

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  2. You out-do yourself, Debora, with each post. That table is fantastic.

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    1. Thank you John! That's very kind of you to say. I do notice the progress myself too. And i love it. It makes me feel proud but most of all i feel blessed it gives me the ability to venture into new & exciting territory.

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  3. Your work is amazing. Such craft(wo)manship. Really really beautiful. Best wishes, Carol :)

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  4. Another masterpiece in the making, I love watching your pieces come together!

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    1. Thank you Margaret! Glad you like to see it 'grow'.

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  5. Your table are beautiful, great work!

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  6. Its a terrific start on a great piece. I love your work on the Melon legs.
    Jim Byrne's thicknessing sander is one of my favorite power tools, a real joy to use.
    I like my Proxxon bandsaw as well. Very smooth cutting, it also did a fine job of trimming a clear plastic ruler to the zero mark at the start. I wanted to stand it upright on the table for showing the height of miniatures in photos.

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    1. Hmmm, good tools make a real difference indeed. Especially Byrnes's; they are definitely worth their value. Good tip about the ruler too. Pictures of miniatures can be mistaken size-wise sometimes, if there's not a reference included. And putting an apple next to it isn't always the right solution :))

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  7. As usual I love the progress photos. I can see why you chose to make this one instead of the one in the Rijks, I like this one better also. I can already imagine what it will look like with the final finish on it, beautiful!
    The Jim Byrne's thickness sander is on my wish list as well (along with several other tools)...Nice title! ;-)

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    1. Thank you Josje! Talking bout wish lists... Wouldn't it be cool if St. Nicolas skips giving you chocolate letters this year, and instead attributes to your wishes? I'm an addict of the brown gold like you as well, but tools last you longer :)))

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  8. Oh this is so exciting to watch! Your carving is so beautiful- staining does indeed make it come to life, not that it needed any help- it is wonderful! Can't wait to see more---

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    1. Thank you Linda! I just saw your gorgeous and delicate coffee table; That's pretty neat yourself! Sweeeeeeet! I love it's proportions, so different and elegant as opposed to this rather bold and chunky table.

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  9. Wat vreselijk knap gemaakt, zoals je meeste houtsnijwerken. In één woord een meesterstuk ondanks dat het nog niet af is.

    Groet,, Roelie

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  10. Hi Deborah,
    It's just magic everytime when you touch a piece of wood......you make it look like easy sculpting, like fimo!
    Again really impressed by your talent and creativity!

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    1. I laughed out loud because of your comparison :D Remember the class we shared with Hiroyuki? Making a plant out of 'fimo'. Now that was a real challenge to me! Clay under my nails, clay everywhere but where i wanted it to be?! Definitely not easy :)))) But thanks anyway! I catch your drift :D

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  11. Потрясающая работа! Я люблю все, что вы делаете!
    Татьяна

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  12. Debora, weggeweest? je hebt toch stiekem al hartstikke veel gedaan! Ik ben eigenlijk heel blij dat je deze tafel maakt, erg mooi, persoonlijk hou ik meer hiervan dan van strak en wat ben je al ver opgeschoten!
    Fijn he, goed materiaal is gewoon een feestje om mee te werken, wens je er nog heel veel plezier van!
    Hugs,
    Gee

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    1. Je hebt volkomen gelijk Gee, 'goed gereedschap is het halve werk'! Maar ik ben niet iemand die heel snel iets nieuws aanschaf. Met wat geduld kan ik met hand gereedschap ook heel 'ver' komen. Want het nadeel is dat accuraat (elektrisch-) gereedschap vaak prijzig is. Daarom moet het de investering ook écht waard zijn, wil ik de aanschaf overwegen. Maar gelukkig snapt mijn Sinterklaas dat ook :)

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  13. The table is gorgeous already; I love to watch you put pieces together.

    The jim byrnes sander is on my Christmas list. I've owned one of his table saws for years, it's proven worth every penny.

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  14. Thank you Susan! And I'll keep my fingers crossed for you this Christmas :)

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