Replies

1. 
   LeeGrindinger | Oct 12, 2005 12:58am | #1

   Try "bombe".

   Lee

2. 
   Floss | Oct 12, 2005 02:52am | #2

   johndidit,

   I have made a bombe chest and there are photos on my website. It has drawer sides curved to match the case as well as a serpentine front.

   It really is more or less a lot of shaping and fitting. The angled dovetails are a challenge, but really weren't too difficult.

   I had over 400 hours in designing and building the piece. Plus the challenge of finding a suitable piece of timber to use for all of the parts.

   Of course you could simplify the design and use straight drawer sides, which makes fitting the drawers much easier. And delete the serpentine front. But that takes all the fun out of it.

   Check out The Society of American Period Furniture Makers, There is an article on their site describing the process of building a Bombe.

   It would make one heck of a house warming gift.

   http://www.jpkfinefurniture.com
1. 
   johndidit | Oct 12, 2005 04:12am | #3

   ...400 hours...?

   I don't know if the friends are that close! 

   Great website, by the way.  Beautiful furniture pieces. 

   On the bombe, how did you shape the curves?  Jigs, bent lamination, or just grind/carve/sand away everything that wasn't a curve?

   ~Johndidit

1. 
   Floss | Oct 12, 2005 05:22pm | #6

   johndidit,The sides were shaped from 3" thick solid mahogany. I laid out the shape from a pattern I made from my drawings and cut a series of saw kerfs on the tablesaw about 1" apart and 1/8" from the pattern line. I then used a chisel as a wedge and hammered it into the kerfs an broke off the 1" chunks in order to rough the shape. I then used a series of hand planes spokeshaves and scrapers to bring it to it's final dimension. Amazingly enough the pieces did not move at all after removing all that material.The drawer fronts were sawn from the solid as well from the same 12/4 board that I used for the sides.I attached a photo of the pattern on a piece of mahogany for you to see just how much material has to be removed.J.P.http://www.jpkfinefurniture.com

   
1. 
   Woodbutcher9 | Oct 12, 2005 05:55pm | #8

   JP,

   Was this Bombe chest featured on the back cover of FWW?  It looks strikingly similar to one I remember seeing.  Beautiful work!  I would have gone bonkers trying to shape and smooth all those curves.  Glad to see someone else use potassium dichromate on mahogany.

   Steve in NM

1. 
   Floss | Oct 12, 2005 08:42pm | #10

   Steve,Not my bombe on the back cover. That one was done by Randall O'Donnell who is a cabinetmaker in Indiana. I made a jig that held the drawer fronts and dividers as they would sit in the case and finished shaping them as a unit.J.P.http://www.jpkfinefurniture.com

   Edited 10/12/2005 1:43 pm ET by JP

2. 
   AlanTurner | Oct 12, 2005 08:15pm | #9

   JP,
   Very nice work. But, what impressed me most was the fact that you did this in only 400 hours. That is fast work indeed. I have read the article on the SAPFM site, and for me it would seem that much more time would be required. A fun project, and I have a 12' piece of 22" wide by 12/4 50 yr. old mahogany set aside for such a piece, should such a commission ever knock on my door.Alan

   http://www.alanturnerfurnituremaker.com

1. 
   Floss | Oct 12, 2005 08:47pm | #11

   Alan,I need to look at my records but I think now that it was closer to 500 hours. It really was great project for one likes challenges and working with hand tools.Finding the lumber is the toughest part for projects like these. Sounds like your half way to a bombe!J.P.http://www.jpkfinefurniture.com

2. 
   BillLindau | Oct 12, 2005 05:11am | #4

   JP, nice website! I enjoyed looking at your wonderful craftsmanship. Bill Lindau

1. 
   Floss | Oct 12, 2005 05:23pm | #7

   Thank you, Bill.J.P.http://www.jpkfinefurniture.com

3. 
   CharlieP | Oct 12, 2005 08:26am | #5

   I saw one built on a TV program several years ago.  A stack of walnut planks were glued together to make a solid block, then it was built as if it were a set of bandsaw boxes... cut the front off in the serpentine manner, slice the drawers as separate layers, cut out the inside of the drawers, glue a layer back on as the bottom of each drawer, etc. etc.  It was before I had a bandsaw but it did add to the interest in getting one. 

   ________________________
   Charlie Plesums  Austin, Texas
   http://www.plesums.com/wood