Creating French provencial curved corner detail
I was inspired by the curved corner detail on the base of a french library cabinet I saw in an old magazine ad (see pdf attach) and created the set of sapele cabinets in the pictures a couple of years ago. I have a new project and would like to replicate the corner detail on the upper part of the french cabinet. There’s a picture below, but basically its a curve within the curve. The transition between the two appears to be a quarter round bead. This presents a lot of technique issues. 1) how to create the inner curve 2) how to bead the verticles transition 3) how to bead the transition on the curved horizontals 4) how to make the joint where the verticle meets the curved horizonal -assuming you make the corner as several pieces. And if you don’t make this up in several pieces, whats the sequence of cuts for doing a one piece corner. I’d welcome suggestions on how to create this detail. I have made a pile of poplar dust trying to figure out the technique used to create this beautiful detail.
Replies
siff,
Looks like a pretty typical quarter column as far as I can see. There have been several descriptions of how to make quarter columns in FWW over the years, most recently one by Jeff Headley an issue or two ago.
One treatment involves gluing up 4 full-length segments together with paper in the glue lines, and turning the whole thing as a unit, with capital at top and base at bottom. Fluting and/or reeding is carved (or routed, a la Rodriguez article in the most recent issue) while the unit is in the lathe, and the 1/4 columnar segments split apart (that's what the paper was for) and fixed in an appropriately sized recess in the cabinet corner.
Another technique, perhaps more frequently traditionally done, involves making the column proper as a quarter-round molding, which can be fluted or reeded, cut to length and fixed in place between separate turned-and-split capital and base segments.
Ray
Thanks but can you help a little more
Ray
Thanks. I hadn't thought of this as similar to the articles you mentioned since I don't own a lathe. Just to be sure we are seeing the picture the same way, I have sketched a cross-section, file below.
I was thinking of it in terms of using a router. Though I can borrow time on a lathe. As I understand your approach, you are saying the column is essentially a carving and the beading and the field are mostly hand work. I am a little uneasy about that as there are so many chances to mess up the work. Although I guess I could shape some scrapers to the right profiles. I will mull this idea over.
I do appreciate your response. Its given me a different way of thinking about the problem.
Alan
siff,
The two small beads can be worked (by router if you like) on the edges of two abutting or overlapping stiles. The large quarter round can be worked on the edge of a wide piece of stock, then ripped off and applied in the corner of the overlapping stiles. A small curved bead at top and bottom might be routed on the edge of a thin semicircle, then sawn into two quarter circles, mitering the joint between these and the stiles' beads.
More'n one way to skin a cat.
Ray
So make five pieces
Ok. I can see that. Five pieces and then glue up. I like that better cause if I screw up a component - it will happen - I don't have to trash the whole piece. The stile to rail miter might be a bit of a challenge since the angles won't be 45 deg to the piece but its a smaller issue than machining the whole column. So thanks. That gives me an idea about how to go about the construction.
Appreciate the help
Alan
You're welcome Alan.
Ray
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