Hi all,
I was in a local antique shop over the weekend and saw a piece of furniture that I’ve never seen before, a Butler’s Desk. It was a 4 drawer chest. However, the top drawer actually folded down to reveal a writing desk, complete with storage drawers. It was quite impressive, and while it is currently beyond my skill level, I’m hoping to get there someday. Has anyone ever seen this sort of thing? If so, can you point me towards a set of plans for an item like this? If I don’t hear back I intend to ask the shop owner for an hour or so to inspect the item and take some measurements.
Thanks
Replies
I have seen many butler's desks, and always thought they would be a nice addition to a guest room. But, I have never seen a measured drawing of one, not that I have looked. I started to sketch one the other day, just in a pre-planning sort of way.
I would think that for modern usage, you would want the bottom of the top drawer, which is the writing surface, to finish at about 29". Using the golden rectangle, this would make the width of the piece about 62", which is a pretty good sized piece, and drawers of this width will be challenging as well.
FWW #38, pg. 54, contains a measured drawing of a secretary/bookcase. I mention this because this piece has teh type of top drawer, drop front, deck with galley that would be appropriate for a Butler's desk. NOte that on such a "drawer" the drawer sides are vertical grained wood, and the sides are then dovetailed to the bottom, for strength. Making a gallery is fun, and means using primarily handtools. I just made such a drawer/gallery, and it was a fun piece of work.
I'll be interested to see if anyone responds with a source for such a drawing.
Alan
http://www.alanturnerfurnituremaker.com
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