Introduction from Florida

[SchuhbertnSon]

Hi,

I am Jeffrey. I live on a small island in Florida, very near to where Margaret Fleming’s house use to stand. I started out a bunch of years ago building 1/24-25 scale models but it’s been years since then.  In 2000 we returned to the states and I soon got involved in American Revolutionary War re-enactment (I am sure you have heard of the Hessians). After a few years I switched to being a civilian, a Cabinetmaker to be specific. Based on my research of late 18^th century Cabinetmakers, I started building ¼ scale furniture (and the tools to cut the joinery). When we walked away from Living History, I continued with full scale woodworking but really wanted to return to miniature woodworking. Thanks to some life changes, I now have the time to get small again.

No, I am not in business. The name Schuhbert & Son is kind of an inside (family) joke. My wife’s grandfather was a Master Cabinetmaker. Well, he didn’t have any sons. Years later, after my wife’s dad died, I ended up with a lot of his hand tools. Between the tools and the history, I got into woodworking and soon started making furniture for the historic events and for the house. One day my wife sent her aunt some pictures of what I had recently made. Her aunt replied by saying I was the son her dad never had.

 

I look forward to learning from you all. My interests are miniature room boxes, and furniture of the Chippendale and Shaker periods.

 

Jeffrey Moses

Fleming Island, Fl

[WeekendMiniaturist]

Welcome Jeffrey from Florida to the Fine Miniatures Forum, and thank you for introducing yourself!

Making miniature tools to make miniatures can become a rather fun activity by itself.   I haven't made a lot of lifesize projects;   I do want to make a Tool chest though, for my lathe tools, most likely Oak case, but drawers will be something easier for handcut joinery.

I  was reading the Christopher Schwarz from the American Peasant blog post recently, (published Lost Art Press Books) and he was poking at my favorite period of furniture (Chippendale)  calling it what I assume, as  Royal Excess Furniture, still the post made me smile....

I hope you will share your miniature projects on the Fine Miniatures Forum!

 

 

 

[WeekendMiniaturist]

P.S.  I am a huge fan of Chippendale inspired furniture, myself.  I have an overmantle in progress from Alison Ashby Guild Study Class, that is very, very close to finishing, but I ran out of steam and ran out of the clay.... and a table top that is seen frequently covered with needlework as seen at the Boston MFA.  If I ever make myself work on the table, I will make a topic.

 

 

 

[SchuhbertnSon]

I knew I would have to make some new tools but when I got to looking at my work area in the house, I found it wasn’t set up for this scale. At present I am in the process of making changes to it, starting with changing the drawers to smaller ones. Under the desktop I had made a drawer with a mini workbench, I am now building a larger bench so I can include smaller bench dog holes, a shooting board, a plain stop, and an end vice to allow me to use the Veritas mini hand tools.

If you want an idea for a tool chest for lathe tools, check out Tom Fidgen (The tale of the two tool chests) on Youtube. He made one for carving tools but it would be easy to modify for lathe tools. He does all his work with hand tools so it might be worth poking around his channel.

I see Chippendale as a high bar to hit as far as skill level, so I am planning for start with Shaker style first. I just got my first Shaker design book the other day. I do have a number of books for the Chippendale period I picked up years ago but most all have to do with shop information. I do have a few on Chippendale style design. The first is “The Dunlap Cabinetmakers” by Donald Dunlap, it has a lot about the operation of his family’s shop but also has a number of really detailed drawings of Chippendale pieces.  Just remember not all Chippendale furniture was made by Thomas Chippendale. After he started becoming successful, other London furniture makers started copying his style. A lot of this furniture was exported to America but once the American Revolution started, exports were limited to New York City (controlled by the British for the entire war), Charleston (after 1780), and Savannah (after 1778). The majority of pieces you can find today are most likely made by America artists. Of the American made Chippendale style, the details largely depend on where its from. Virginia will differ from New York or South Carolina. Even within a region it may differ, Williamsburg will differ from Norfolk. “Early American Furniture” by John Obbard covers these regional differences with some pretty decent line drawings.

[WeekendMiniaturist]

I do enjoy fussy historical pieces... and am fond of many American makers, please remember Philadelphia and Rhode Island historical genius - es...  I am using Chippendale as a general reference, but yes, I have a library of books but surprisingly, I do not own all of the books with the word furniture in the title.  

Thanks for the recommendation, I will check out Tom Fidgen.   The need for my tool chest is for my metal wood lathe accessories  - mainly my taig lathe, to have french fitted drawers for each accessory is the goal, with perfectly fitted drawer heights that will progressively smaller heights of the drawers from bottom to top.

I'm sure you recognize this pattern from Fussy historical furniture?

I have managed to collect many machinists tools for the purpose of continued miniature making projects for the Taig lathe as a result of participating in classes at the International Guild of Miniature Artisans.

I also own a Jet mini wood lathe and those lathe chisels are easily organized, and I don't feel the need for a tool chest, but it is amazing how many lathe chisels you can easily collect over a 10 year period.

I suspect the layout is where I am presently stumbling, and then the nagging issue of how to change the configuration...

Keep us posted... The Scale Cabinetmaker is a wonderful way to work on 1/12th scale miniatures...  They did have some smaller scales, but not too many overall.

https://thescalecabinetmaker.com/

Tamra

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SchuhbertnSon]

I can’t say I recognize the term Fussy historical furniture. If you could please define.

[WeekendMiniaturist]

 

<...with perfectly fitted drawer heights that will progressively smaller heights of the drawers from bottom to top.

I'm sure you recognize this pattern from Fussy historical furniture? >

The Highboy's drawers progressively decrease in height, or at least appear to visually decrease in height.  I have seen a few in Eastern US Museums, but they will never let me get closed enough to actually measure.... the "Thou Shall Not Touch Commandment" is pretty uniformly expressed in museums...yes, I have books, yes I can read, but it isn't the same thing as touching the real piece of furniture.

For me, Fussy  historical furniture is anything that beckons the maker (me) to create with exquisite precision...to accomplish the vision, but if the fussy part was too much, forgive my irreverence, but  17th and 18th century is my first love of fine scale miniature activities...

For me, It is a hobby a brief distraction from work and the daily stuff, I don't want to take myself too seriously, subsequently the term Fussy Historical Furniture.

Hope that helps....