I am attaching an 1/8″ bead moulding around my drawers as accent and shadow lines. My question is does the bead set flush with the drawer face or is it proud of the drawer? if so how much? I am thinking about 1/16?” proud? advise? Chris I’ve attached a picture of my drawer beads. they are 1/8″ and about 1/16″ proud. they look pretty good and will provide nice shadow lines on my table. Chris
Replies
I usually have the beads flush with the front frame. They are made the same thickness as the face frame.
I think beading is often "carved" out of the drawer front itself (like the Kreg system does) - it would need to be flush in that case. I've never seen it proud - it seems like that would dramatically increase chances that the beading gets damaged.
I like the look of the bead trim when it's a bit proud of the drawer surface - enough that the arc of the bead meets the surface. That gives a better shadow line, and looks more integrated to my eye.
Doing the bead directly on the drawer front also works, but doesn't give the same shadow line.
I've done both.On kitchen
I've done both.On kitchen cabinet face frames I hold the bead in 1/32, on furniture I like to leave it proud 1/16,but thats with a larger bead, 1/4 to 3/8, for a 1/8 bead if it were set back it would get lost in the details ,I think holding it proud 1/16 or 1/32 would show off the detail better. good luck mark.
I had a few drawers that an antique dealer gave me,very early with hand carved dovetails.The bead around the drawers was maybe 3/16" and was proud about an 1/8".The draw faces were 3/4" thick and the bead was 5/8"thick,rabbeted in nicely.Black walnut and very sharp looking,even after the years.Have fun with it.
Chris,
I think you're about
Chris,
I think you're about right. I'm working on a piece now and using cock beading on the drawer. It will be proud of the face by it's radius. So 1/16 seems right to me if you're using a 1/8 bead.
I don't know that there are firm rules, but i like the bead proud of the drawer face by the radius and the drawer set so that the bead is flush with the case.
I'd like to post a picture of my prototype, but I guess I can't from this screen???
Frank
Cock beading is generally set a little proud. The insized beading I think of as the quick substitute, easily done with a scratch stock, for cock beading.
Just to complicate matters. It is far from unheard of for the cock beading to be attach to the drawer surround, not to the drawer itself. That was certainly the practice of John Townsend (of Newport) in his small tables.
Unless you are makeing a strict reproduction it's an aesthetic choice with no "right" answer, except to say that generally attached cock beading is considered more "formal" than beading worked directly on the drawer face (or drawer surround.)
Steve,
I agree with your points. I'll add that the beading worked onto the case and drawer rails of Boston and Newport case pieces is frequently seen on shaped front cases, block fronts, and serpentine fronts, where it would be a chore to shape an applied bead to match the undulating curves of the drawer fronts. Simple straight front, and bow fronts often have cockbeads applied to the drawer fronts, esp if the fronts are veneered. I believe that was to both hide the secondary wood of the fronts, and protect the fragile corners of the veneers themselves. The shadow line cast by the projecting bead also serves to camouflage any slight variations of the drawer front from the frame's shaping. Also, I have seen solid beads, usually flush, sometimes projecting- with the background worked away- usually 3/16-1/4" dia, worked on the frame members of local (Shenandoah Valley) yellow pine cases; seems to me that the intent there is to avoid breakage of the relatively weak (compared to local hardwoods) pine, which a smaller, and applied, bead would be prone to.
Ray
I made a reproduction of a Townsend Pembroke table and it became clear why he located the cockbead where he did. The drawer on the end had it's front sawn from the rail as an internal cut. The inset drawer front itself is easy to get square and smooth. But the drawer surround walls, as long as they are basically straight and square don't have to have every last saw mark removed from the inside of the opening, where it would have to be done by careful paring with a chisel, most likely. (This is the one drawn, sort of, by Lester Margon, who changed the construction entirely.)
Steve,
Funny, huh, how often there's a practical reason for the decorative elements of those old pieces.
Ray
Absolutely, and those old guys didn't fool around, they needed to take advantage of "practical reasons". Michael Moses in Master Craftsmen of Newport shows a large mahogany desk and book case taking only 22 working days for a journeyman to make, based on the price schedule and journeyman's daily wages. With all our power tools, how many guys do you know who could match that.
Steve,
Aww, I could do it, only it mightn't look as nice as theirs, haha.
Have had a couple conversations in the past week, wondering just how long the careers were of these fellows who pushed hand tools all day in their six day 12 hrs a day weeks. How riddled can you be with arthritis and rotator cuff tears and still be a productive craftsman? "Hey, 'prentice-boy, got that stack of curly maple drawer fronts thicknessed yet? After that, you can take a break, and do the pine sides, backs and bottoms. I'll just take another dram or six of this rheumatiz medicine, sittin' here in the chimney corner, and I'll be ready to take up my carving chisels..."
Ray
It is my understanding that the purpose of the cock bead originally was to protect the edge of veneer on the drawer face as it was vulnerable to chipping from the activity drawers are subjected to. Therefore the bead would be slightly proud to the face of the drawer. The shadow line was just a coincidental benefit.
That would certainly make sense in certain periods, but in Queen Anne and Chippendale, little veneer was used, and cockbeading still appears. And, sometimes it appears where youi wouldn't expect it. There is a wonderful, if slightly squatty, Boston highboy (circa 1740-1760) notable for carved and gilded shells, that has veneer front drawers, but which has the cock beading on the drawer surrounds, not the drawers themselves. It's period does place it firmly in the Queen Anne period in the Colonies. Anywone would kill for the mahogany crotch veneer used on the drawer fronts. (Michael Moses, Master Craftsman of Newport, p. 29.) So who says that old varnish and oil should be allowed to continue to obscure such wonderful WOOD to preserve the value?
Some interesting information today on George Walker's blog "Design Matters" here http://georgewalkerdesign.wordpress.com/
He talks about keeping the bead 1/16 proud to allow the bead radius to cast a shadow.
Frank
I've attached a picture of my
I've attached a picture of my profile, it looks nice on the drawer. will also show some nice shadows also. Enjoy. Chris
updates from the week-end work... starting to look like a project now.
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