Woodworker: Peter Wallace

This triple-bow settee was built from a single piece of highly figured tiger maple — the best figure Wallace’s lumber dealer had seen in a decade. The settee features hand-turned spindles, stretchers, legs, and arm supports. Wallace also carved the knuckles on the tips of the armrests and saddled the seat like a Philadelphia low-back. Assembly was no easy task. The three sack-backs were particularly difficult. They interlock with pinned half-lap joints and are anchored to the back rail with shouldered tenons. To showcase the figure, Wallace finished the piece with oil-based polyurethane.

Photo: Peter Wallace