The Risk of Living as a Process of Life

On the Bench I Saw a Holdfast 

Next year I will be entering my 8th decade of walking on this earth.  I am happy and healthy and I have no immediate needs.  I cannot complain, but I do it anyway, just for sport.

A few years ago I was on a cruise ship and I made it a daily ritual to approach the front desk and complain about something trivial, like a pen that didn't work or something.  The patient young lady at the desk was named "Lovely" and she was, always smiling at this funky old man who stood in line to complain about nothing.  At the end of a magnificent cruise, just before I left the boat, I approached her one last time.

"Good morning, Mr. Edwards," she smiled pleasantly.  "How was  your cruise?"

I said, "I want to register a complaint!"

I paused just long enough for her to think to herself, "What is it now?"

Then I said, "There's nothing to complain about!"

In my mind that was funny, but I can understand how she must have been relieved that this was the last time she would have to talk to me.  She smiled nicely and said, "I look forward to seeing you again."  She was one of the most optimistic and happy people I have ever met.

Life is a process, getting through every day with as little pain as possible and as much pleasure as you can create.  If you are happy then the people you meet will be infected with happiness.  Life is also a great risk.  The only certainty of living is that we will eventually die at some point.  Knowing that I will be 70 puts a rather uncomfortable limit on the time left to do the things I need to do.

On the other hand, celebrating the past 50 years of living as a woodworker has been very satisfying and I hope that the rest of my time in this business will continue as much as possible with the same satisfaction.

People I meet often say that I don't look my age.  My hair is not grey, my face is not wrinkled, and I am still very physically active.  I usually tell them my secret rules for a good life:

Go to bed at 9 and get up at 5.  Eat healthy organic food.  No alcohol, drugs or tobacco.  As little social life as possible.  Most importantly, work every day at a job you love.  Live with passion.

This year I have been invited to return to Williamsburg as a speaker.  They are celebrating their 20th annual Working Wood in the 18th century conference, and the topic is "Workmanship of Risk: Exploring Period Tools and Shops."  I am honored to be included.  My good friends, Roy Underhill, Peter Follansbee and Don Williams will also be presenting, along with staff members of the Williamsburg cabinet shop and curatorial departments.

This is What Greets the Worker Every Day as He Opens His Tool Box

For the project we will be discussing an amazing marquetry tool box lid,  currently on loan to a museum in England and the property of Jane Rees, a tool historian who lives there.

Her website is: Jane Rees, Photographer and Tool Historian

Jane will be bringing the tool box lid to the conference and she will be discussing its history as well.  I look forward to meeting her and listening to her perspective on woodworking tools, many of which I use on a daily basis in my profession.  She has been kind enough to send me detailed photographs of the marquetry, and those which I post here are under her copyright protection.

When I "retired" from my career working in High Energy Particle Physics, back in 1973, I made a conscious decision to abandon technology and live, as much as possible, a pre industrial life.  Of course I own a car, but I walk to work every day.  Of course I own a clock but I never use the alarm.  Of course I have a computer but I killed my TV.  Of course I have a woodworking shop but I never use power tools.  My lumber is naturally air dried over many years.

Early on I was influenced by David Pye, who introduced me to the "Workmanship of Risk" and the "Workmanship of Certainty."  Recently I read his book again to prepare for this conference.  It still resonates with wisdom and insight.

I have struggled to reduce his philosophical perspective to simple concepts that are more easily transmitted to students who are curious about how I approach my work.  There are three elements to working wood: Worker, Material and Tool.  The difference between "risk" and "certainty" is in the relationship between these three elements.

In the "Workmanship of Risk" approach the Worker manipulates the Tool against the Work.  Using basic hand tools, like a chisel, plane or saw, the Worker learns to control the Tool and takes risks producing the final Work.  Learning from his failures the Worker gains a deep sense of pride when the Work is successful.

In the "Workmanship of Certainty" approach the Worker manipulates the Work (material) against the Tool.  If the Tool is properly adjusted then the result is certain.  Setting a fence on a table saw to 2" produces a 2" board every time.  The Worker basically is feeding the Machine.  If the Worker wants a better result he purchases a better Machine.  Thus consumerism was created by the Industrial Revolution.  Bigger, Better and Faster.  Also Cheaper!

The pride of ownership replaced the pride of workmanship.

The marquetry tool box lid, which is the centerpiece of this conference, is very interesting.  My initial analysis from photos is that it represents several different historic marquetry processes, and was probably made in England around 1800 or so.  It shows a worker at the bench, surrounded by his tools and work, drinking a beer.  This image is in the center of a sunburst ray of veneer with flowers on the corners and decorative banding around nicely figured crotch mahogany ovals.

I can identify "tarsia geometrica" and "tarsia a toppo" and "tarsia a incastro" and I am researching the images provided by Jane for evidence of "Classic Method" but so far the results are inconclusive.  There is also a great deal of tinting and additional decorative lines in both black and brown ink.

I will be producing copies of each of the decorative marquetry elements in this lid for the conference, and the Williamsburg cabinet shop is actually making a full tool box copy to complete the lid.

I can easily relate to the image of the woodworker as executed in the center of the design.

Working At the Bench

He is surrounded with the necessary hand tools of his trade: the glue pot and brush, mallet, hammer, planes, brace and bit, compass, try square, chisels, hand saws and the toothing plane (under the beer.)  On the end of the bench he quietly admires the result of his hard work and experience: a decorated tea caddy.  Tea caddies of this style were purchased by wealthy clients who could afford the elaborate marquetry decoration shown on this example.

Put Down the Hammer and Pick Up the Beer

This worker is dressed in fine clothes, representing a good income and his respected position in the professional trade. He would fit right in with the other workers at the shop in Williamsburg or in any shop in any large city at that time.

His face shows the faint glimmer of a smile.  His work is done for the day.  He is satisfied with the results.  His reward is a tall glass, with a nice head of foam.

Tomorrow he will deliver the tea caddy to the client, and get his well deserved paycheck along with sincere appreciation for a professional job well done.

Tomorrow is another day to live and work, take risks, learn from failure and take satisfaction in success.  Make someone happy and remember...there's nothing to complain about.

Tarsia Geometrica Part I

English Jeux de Fond Coffer

I remember clearly the first time I was in France and visiting an atelier where several ebenistes were working.  Looking at their work, I noticed some of the marquetry was very geometric.  In my efforts to impress them, I used the term "parquetry."  They looked at each other with obvious blank expressions, and then looked at me as if I had just fallen off the turnip truck.

"C'est du placage, pas du parquet. Nous ne sommes pas menuisiers, nous sommes ébénistes."

(Translation:  "That's veneer, not flooring.  We are not 'menuisiers', we are 'ebenistes'."  In point of fact the former works in solid wood, and the latter uses veneer.)  It turns out that it is common for English speaking woodworkers to confuse the term for geometric marquetry with the profession of laying solid wood flooring.

They were helping me to understand that using the English/British term "parquetry" is not correct when  discussing a form of marquetry generally known as "frisage" and in particular "tarsia geometrica."  Another term for a version of this type of decoration is "jeux de fond."  Pierre Ramond's book discusses these terms in great detail, but there is general confusion about what they mean exactly.

Simply put, the overall term for the process of making this work is "tarsia geometrica."  This term includes other specific terms for different patterns which all use repetitive patterns in wood to achieve a decorative surface.

"Frisage" is used to describe simple book matching of slip matching of larger veneer surfaces, usually to create a background.  Normally, frisage work involves using the same species of wood in a way that creates a pattern.

"Jeux de fond" is also referred to historically as mosaic work, as it involves much more complicated patterns of shaped elements, usually with different species of woods.  In many cases it creates a 3-D effect.  The most well known pattern is the cube, made up of three different pieces, each a different color density.  This pattern is also found in quilting and tile work.

Recently, I had the opportunity to restore several excellent examples of tarsia geometrica.  One was an Italian commode, made late in the 18th century.  The other was an English coffer, made early in the 19th century.  Each one needed extensive work in re gluing the marquetry and re polishing but in the end they looked magnificent.

I will discuss the commode in the next post, as it included a technique known as "tarsia a toppo" and I want to clarify why that is different, even though the final results are similar.

I want to start with the simple cube design:

Cube Design on Assembly Board

This is a rather common design and forms the basis for what follows in this discussion.  The cube is made of three elements, each one identical to the other in shape and size, but different in species.  By changing the wood species and grain direction of each piece, you can vary the effect.  I use a simple plywood cutting board, with a 60 degree slot for my back saw, which has little or no set to the teeth.

I will explain more about the cutting jig soon, but today I just want to discuss how this motif is used in a complicated jeux de fond pattern.  To illustrate further, consider if the cube elements were cut in one size and then also cut twice as long and combined.  This would be the result:

Large Cubes with Small Cube

Now if you take the same design and turn it 180 degrees it changes:

Large Cubes with missing Small Cube

This effect is an optical illusion that the brain automatically understands.  Since light naturally comes from above, the brain computes the top of some form as being lighter.  When the design is rotated 180 degrees the brain understands it as a completely different image.

I thought I would make a sample panel which incorporated both of these designs with a common joint in the center:

Compare Left side and Right side

Another experiment I tried was to make a three dimensional grid:

Experimental Grid design on Assembly board

There are lots of ways you can develop different designs with this idea.  The English coffer at the top of the post uses the cube in a very imaginative way.  There is a lighter grid floating in front of a darker grid, which in itself forms a cube space.  To add to that, there are three smaller cubes at the intersection.

It is a wonderful pattern:

How Many Cubes?

So, during restoration, I took the time to trace this pattern for future projects:

Tracing with Wood Species and Grain Direction

I began to wonder where this amazing pattern originated, so I picked up my copy of Roubo and started looking at the illustrations.  When in doubt, always start with the source reference material.  To my amazement, I found the direct source in Volume IV.  Here is the original Roubo design and after that my tracing of the pattern, showing it to be simply a repetition of the Roubo motif:

Roubo Volume IV

English Coffer derived directly from Roubl

Here is the top of the coffer with the nautical compass in the center:

Coopered oak top with jeux de fond marquetry

Next post will continue this analysis and compare with similar marquetry decoration.

Shop Tour!

Ring the Bell

The front door at my business used to have a stained glass transom window above it.  It was lovely, as it faced West and the setting sun would shine in through the glass.  My wife, Kristen made it, back in the "hippie" days and it really gave the front room class.

However, two things conspired to change that.  First of all, the transom was held in place with a chain, which allowed us to open it and let the air in.  One day that chain came loose and the window fell completely open, hitting me on the head.  Of course, I fixed it, but the bump left a mark.

The real reason was that KFC built a "restaurant" across the street, some 30 years ago, and connected their sewer line to the main line which runs directly in front of my shop.  Before KFC, my business was the first building on the end of the line, and there were no problems.  As soon as KFC began to operate, I found large quantities of "effluent" bubbling up out of my front toilet.  In fact the front room, which was full of antique furniture, had 6" of standing sewage when I arrived the next day.

Of course, KFC denied any involvement, and the city inspector accused me of putting "something" down the toilet, threatening to shut me down.  My damage claims were denied, and I had to clean up the mess.  The only good news was that KFC quietly relocated their drain to the larger commercial sewer directly in front of their store, instead of the smaller residential line in front of mine.

The city inspector determined that, since the sewer line had a very shallow slope, and that the front toilet was on a slab at ground level, it was easier for overflow to come out the toilet instead of lifting the manhole cover.  That was the news that signaled the end of the stained glass transom.

At that time there was news that a contractor in Los Angeles had laid a new basketball court improperly, and it had buckled severely and needed to be replaced.  This floor was made of 3/4" T/G hard maple, and finished with all the basketball lines and such.  The contractor had taken a saw and simply cut the floor into 12' x 8' chunks and piled them outside.  They were free for the taking.

Several of us guys (the ones with trucks) drove up there in a caravan and loaded up as much flooring as we could lift.  I remember my truck sitting on the axle, as I drove home with my headlights pointing to the sky.

Soon, I had a beautiful new hardwood floor in the front room, which raised the floor (and the toilet) over 6" (more than enough to solve the overflow problem).  The result was that I now hit my head on the transom window, which needed to be removed.  That meant I had to build a new front door, which ended up nearly 8 feet tall.

3815 Utah Street

That was over 35 years ago, and I still miss the light coming through the window.

The rest of the building has been changed and adapted to my uses over the years.  Thanks to Asa, at Fine Woodworking, I can invite you to take a tour.  This link will take you to a short presentation.

3815 Utah Street Shop Tour

I hope you enjoy it, and if you are ever in San Diego, please ring the bell and visit.

Best Of The Best

PHILIPPE GUERIN'S "TROIS MONDES"

One of the great things about living in other countries is learning how things are done differently than here in the United States.   I appreciate a great deal about the country of my birth, but it is certainly not perfect, and I am always first in line to express my thoughts about how to improve it.

While living in Paris I grew to rely on the superb public transportation system, from the buses to the metro to the trains, it is just not necessary to own a car or drive at all.  In fact a car is a liability, since there is really no place to park it and forget about the price of gas!  Since they use the metric system, the price of a liter is about the price of a gallon here, but it takes 4 liters to make a gallon, so you end up driving only if necessary.

Another feature of living in France is the way their health system works.  American is really in the dark ages when it comes to health care.  For example, if you have a simple problem, just go to the local corner pharmacy, and tell the person behind the counter what you need.  He then sells it to you without a prescription and at a very reasonable price.  For more serious problems, just walk into the hospital.

I had personal experience with the hospital, as my wife needed medical attention during one of our stays.  We were not French, and yet we were treated immediately and completely for our problem and walked out without paying anything.  It was amazing.

There is also something spectacular about the government.  I was watching TV one evening and the news reported that a protest by the fishermen in Brittany had gotten out of hand.  A historic 17th century library had caught fire and burned completely to the ground.  The next day everyone was upset and they showed a well dressed man standing in the rubble talking about how the government was going to pay to restore the building and all its contents.  He was the Minister of Culture.

It occurred to me that America doesn't actually have a Minister of Culture.  Then I wondered what exactly is our distinctively American "culture?"  Is it the movie industry?  Baseball?  Apple pie?  I thought, what if Paramount Studios burned to the ground.  Would the government rebuild it?  Not likely.  However, we were quick to bail out Wall Street, so perhaps that is our culture.

One of the duties of the Minister of Culture is to support the crafts, like cheese, wine, bread, and, of course, marquetry.  They do this by having regular competition, with knowledgeable judges, and a set of strict rules, open only to French citizens.  Winning one of these national competitions is exactly like an actor winning the oscar.  It is a universally recognized award, and sure to boost the reputation of the artist.

There are also regular shows, for marquetry for example, in different districts of the various cities around France during the years.  I went to dozens of shows during the few years I was there.  These shows were sponsored by private groups and supported by the government, both local and state.  I got to see a lot of marquetry and meet a lot of artists at these shows.

THIS IS MY COPY OF "THREE WORLDS"

In 1994, I was at a show and stopped at the booth of Philippe Guerin, who had been awarded the "Meilleur Ouvrier de France Marqueterie" for that year.  Translated, this award is for the "Best Worker in France in Marquetry."  That competition is held every three years.  A design is produced by the state and all the competitors are required to execute their version of the same design.  Philippe won first place.  That means he can post the sign "Meilleur Ouvrier de France" above the door to his workshop so that all his clients can appreciate his talents.

Philippe is a very talented individual but also very humble and shy.  When I entered his booth, he was standing quietly in the corner.  His work was amazing.  He said very little.  I noticed a wonderful piece called "Trois Mondes," or "Three Worlds" which was after a M.C.Escher drawing.  It had a fish swimming under a lake of animal horn tinted blue, and there were hundreds of leaves floating on the surface of the water.  You could see the complicated reflection of three large trees in the background.

He said it had taken him two years to make.  He had made two copies only at the same time.  He had kept one and the other was on the wall of his booth with a price tag of $3,000.  It was the most talked about marquetry panel at that show.

Several years later, I happened to see him again at another show, and asked if he had sold the work.  "No," he said, quietly.  I said that it was a shame, and I would find the money to buy it for myself.  After I returned home, I saved the money over time, and finally sent it to him at the end of that year.  

He called me when it arrived and said that he had just had a baby girl born the same day.  He was as happy as a person could be, and thanked me for buying his work.  I told him that I wished I could pay more, as I was the one getting the bargain.  

It hangs on my wall at the school, over my desk, and I look at it every day.  It has many layers of meaning for me, and I like to imagine the three worlds living together simultaneously in harmony.

I wish we had a Minister of Culture.

Art Institute of Chicago Project

Last year we here at the American School of French Marquetry were contacted by staff at the Art Institute of Chicago to see if we could provide assistance in a project they were developing.  It seems that, in our modern age, most visitors to museums expect some form of electronic interaction to enhance their experience.  As usual, I am showing my age.  Lately the most common term I have been using to describe myself is "dinosaur."  "Back in my day," I say to anyone who will listen to me, "we would just go to museums and actually look at the objects, instead of a video screen."

Anyway, I want to encourage any activity these days that will keep people interested in decorative objects, and increase their understanding of the process used to create these wonderful artifacts of the past.  So Patrice and I were enthusiastic about being asked to help.

The AIC flew me back to see the original objects we were being asked to interpret, a Boulle coffer made of tortoise shell and brass, and a secretary by Roentgen.  It was my first visit to the Art Institute, and my first return to Chicago since I was there about 40 years ago.  I was impressed with the way the downtown has changed, the look of Millennial Park, and the new skyline.  What a nice place.  I also want to compliment them on their public transportation system.  I stepped off the plane, crossed the airport terminal to the metro and was dropped off directly in front of my hotel.  Then I had to simply walk across the street to the Institute.  (In San Diego, there is a trolly system, but it doesn't go the one mile to the airport.  You need to get a car to go from the airport to the trolly system...)

Working with the staff of the European Decorative Arts department, it was decided to use one corner of the Boulle coffer design and one element of the marquetry on the drawer of the secretary as a demonstration.  I returned to work with photos and dimensions of each.

We decided to divide the project, according to our strengths.  Patrice has a talent for accuracy and was assigned the Roentgen design to create.  I selected the Boulle pattern, as most of my work has been using that process.

One thing I changed was the material for the Boulle.  Although I have actual tortoise shell which was purchased legally prior to the C.I.T.I.E.S. ban on endangered species, I did not want to use it.  Instead, I used common animal horn, with colored paper backing, to simulate the look of the shell.  Also, I decided not to use a chevalet to cut the design, as it is still not conclusive that this tool was used by Boulle.  Therefore, I used the foot powered frame saw, as that was a tool I believe was available at that time.

You may note in the video that I do not worry about following the design.  I worry about symmetry and clean curves, and since all the materials are cut simultaneously, it doesn't matter how close to the design the cutting is done.  Also, at one point it says that the toothing of the brass "keeps it from moving in the packet."  That is not correct.  We explained that the toothing of the brass was to remove the oxidation and increase the gluing surface, but that got confused when they created the subtext.

Patrice used a hand held fret saw and a bird's mouth support, cutting the internal elements with a perpendicular angle and the exterior of the design with a bevel angle.  That means that, by cutting the cavity in the background veneer with a similar angle, the elements will fit nicely.  It was interesting to do the research on Roentgen's method, as the Metropolitan Museum in New York was exhibiting works by Roentgen and the book they published, "Extravagant Inventions: The Princely Furniture of the Roentgens," is well written and informative.  As it turns out, on page 230 a very similar flower is shown being cut and inlaid, using the same methods as Patrice.  We got the book only after we had completed the video project, so seeing confirmation of our work was rewarding.

It is interesting that at the same time as we were creating this video for the AIC, our friend, Yannick Chastang was creating a similar video for the Victoria and Albert museum.  It is fun to compare these videos, as there are slight differences in the process, as I am sure there were slight variations in the methods used during the period.

Here are the videos:

Patrick does Boulle

Patrice does Roentgen

Yannick does Boulle

I want to thank the kind staff at the Art Institute of Chicago.  They made this project fun and rewarding.  As a special thanks to our patron who sponsored the project, Patrice and I used one of the Roentgen flowers and framed it with a Boulle design and purpleheart and ebony trim.  We sent it off to the AIC and they presented it to our generous sponsors, with our compliments.

A Small Token of our Gratitude

Of course, if you have any questions or comments on these videos, please ask.

Typical Marquetry Restoration

I really enjoy working on period marquetry surfaces, in particular those made with sawn veneers before 1800.  The quality of the materials, range of exotic materials used and, most importantly, the thickness of those materials make conservation and restoration of those surfaces more successful, when you know what you are doing.

Last week I started the restoration of a marquetry panel on the base of an English tall case clock, made around 1700.  This clock, like most of those clocks from that period, had lost its feet along with the lower 6" of the carcase, including the side panels.  When it was last restored, in the 1920's, in London, the worker removed the surviving marquetry from the lower part of the panel and replaced the pine board underneath.  Then he replaced the marquetry surface as best he could, saving most of the elements.  He also replaced both side panels of the base, and added a double molded base where the round feet were.

Inside the case, I found a lot of powder post beetle damage, so I had the clock fumigated by a professional in a chamber for 48 hours with methyl bromide gas.  Methyl bromide gas is the best way to guarantee full kill of the eggs, as most other fumigants kill only the adult and larvae, leaving the eggs to start the deadly process over once they hatch.

Here is the clock, with the sides removed.

Here is the face of the panel, showing the problems caused by substrate shrinkage.  The lower piece which was added in the 1920's has pulled away from the panel, and there is a lot of wood loss due to the bug damage.  Much of the marquetry surface is loose, as the glue has dried up, and the only thing holding these pieces together is the mastic and surface dirt and finish.

First I carefully removed the panel from the clock, so I could work on it.  Now you can see the condition of the marquetry and finish.

On the back you can see the loss of wood, as well as the newer lower board.  There were also two small pieces of wood applied by the repair man to old the cracks together.  They didn't work and were easily removed.

A close look at the restoration effort by the London worker in 1920 shows his technique for saving the marquetry surface.  He soaked off the elements with heat and moisture and saved them.  However, the background ebony was damaged and lost.  He replaced the background with a similar dark wood but was unable to properly cut in the cavities for the original inlay.  He used various chisels to carve out larger cavities for each of the elements and then filled in the surround with a dark mastic, which has now cracked.

I first worked on gluing the substrate boards back together.  This required cleaning old glue and dirt from the joints, using a toothing plane to prepare the edge, and gluing the three boards back together.  This also required a slight adjustment of some of the surface elements, as the substrate was no longer the original size, but had shrunk across the grain, as is normal.  Once the substrate was stable I turned it over and started working on the marquetry itself.

I was fortunate to be a participant in an international group of marquetry restorers in Paris during the early 1990's.  We called our group ADEN, which was a combination of the Musee des Arts Decoratifs de Paris and the Ecole Nationale Superieure Des Technologies et Industries du Bois, located in Nancy, France.  We did a lot of research on modifying protein glues, age testing, rehydrating old glues, and other specific problems related to conserving old marquetry.

One of the papers published in March 1997 specifically discussed this problem of the clock:  Amelioration des operations de recollage des placages et de redressement des panneaux-supports lors de la restoration de panneaux decoratifs.  Short translation: how to restore old marquetry panels.

Out of this research came the idea to make and modify protein glues, which I used to develop Old Brown Glue.  Although OBG is now sold nationally and used for a wide range of woodworking projects, I developed it originally to restore marquetry, which requires a long open time and deep penetration properties, as well as the ability to rehydrate and bond to old protein glue itself.

The first step is to place paper towels on the surface and add clean distilled water.  Watch and wait a few minutes or longer for the water to soak into the mastic and under the loose elements.  When you can see that the mastic has expanded and is raising up from the surface, you stop and remove the paper towels and surface moisture.  Then you flood the surface with Old Brown Glue and rub it into the marquetry.  Be careful to hold down all the loose elements while at the same time pushing the glue around, allowing it to suck under all the loose edges.

This method is usually done with the finish intact.  It is not necessary or desirable to remove the surface shellac or finish for this to work.  Note that the glue will penetrate only where the finish is damaged or lost, and only where the marquetry elements are loose or missing.  That is one of the neat features of this process.  You can conserve the original finish, if it exists and still reglue the marquetry in place.

Note I am holding down the floating loose elements with my left hand fingers while I am rubbing the glue over the surface with the right hand.

At the same time, I have heated an aluminum plate on top of a kerosene heater.  I place two layers of clean newspaper on the plate and the lay the marquetry panel glue side (face side) down on the paper.
The heated plate cannot be too hot.  If it burns your skin it will burn the glue.  150 degrees maximum.

Place the heated plate with the panel into the press as soon as possible.  I use gloves so I can hold the plate.

Place some boards on top and press.  Leave overnight.  Clean off the paper with cold water.

The next step is to create all the missing elements of the marquetry.  For this, it helps to have a French chevalet to accurately cut the elements, using sawn veneer that matches the original species.  There is a neat trick I use which works perfectly to capture the shape of a missing inlay piece.  I use thermal FAX paper, which is nearly extinct, since all modern fax machines are paperless.  I have a large supply of thermal fax paper on hand.  Place the fax paper over the missing area and burnish it with a hard smooth tool.  With experimentation you will find just the right tool.  Be sure to tape the fax paper tightly in place so it doesn't move.  After you capture the outline of the element, you use a light table to transfer that shape to a piece of tracing paper.  You cannot use the fax paper to cut the piece with the chevalet, as the heat of the blade will create a large dark shadow in the thermal paper.  Glue the tracing paper onto the proper veneer, which is held in a packet with a supporting board and some grease paper.

Place the elements in a tray, using the original fax paper as a guide so that you know where they go.

Place the new elements into the marquetry picture using Old Brown Glue to hold them.  Put again in the press with two layers of news paper and a heated plate.  Clean up the paper with cold water.

Note that there are still pieces of paper on the new elements.  This is also removed with cold water and gentle scraping.  Once the surface is clean you can begin the process of coloring the new elements to match the old.  Different chemicals, dyes and stains are normally used to balance the color and shellac is used to seal in the results.  Here is the panel during the coloring process.  It is not finished.  I will glue it onto the clock and finish all the other small repairs before I complete the polishing,  The original finish of the clock will be conserved with a French rubbing compound, called a "popote."  When the clock is done, next week, I will post a final picture.

I hope this illustrates clearly how you can approach such a project with a systematically proven process.  I am not the only person who uses this technique.  I can assure you that many workers in Europe, both in museums and private practice, are using these methods on a regular basis.  The goal is, of course, to conserve the great work of the masters for the future appreciation of collectors not yet born.

UPDATE:  Here is a photo of the clock put back together, cleaned and polished with a fresh coat of wax.

Daniel Lecount Project

I love clocks.  Not just all clocks, although I think they are amazing, but specifically tall case marquetry clocks. Imagine what kind of mental gymnastics it takes to figure out the drive train sequence, forces and speed necessary to transform a weight into a measurement of time passing.  The history of time keeping is full of creative methods for measuring time, from the sundial to dripping water.  To me, the Golden Age of time keeping was the last half of the 17th century.

It was Christiaan Huygens in 1656 who perfected the pendulum clock and transformed our estimation of time into a more precise system of measurement.  The pendulum is simple and effective.  Think about how accurate you can make it.  By adjusting the bob up and down as little as a millimeter, you can change the speed of the movement by several minutes a day.  It is so sensitive that moving a pendulum clock from the North to the South requires an adjustment to keep the time constant.

Clockmakers were a special breed, as I said.  The story of the first clock to be used successfully at sea, made by John Harrison in 1736, is a story that represents how interesting these people were.  John was self educated, and not an accepted member of the guild of clockmakers at that time.  He was a carpenter!  However, he solved a problem which had stumped all the other clock makers of his day.  His invention changed the world, but he had to wait years for recognition and awards.

My favorite period of clock design was during the last two decades of the 17th century (1680-1700).  This period was very creative and there was an emerging merchant class in England and Europe who appreciated the status and practicality of having a clock in the house.  The general design of the cases included square brass dials and elaborate marquetry cases, often with  exotic materials.  I have made several of these clocks and spent a lot of time on the internet looking at others and I never get tired of seeing them.

Some time ago a client brought in a tall case clock for analysis.  In general, most clocks I see are (unfortunately) marriages of works and cases, and this clock was no different.  It was a Georgian case which had had the lower section remade with very poor workmanship.  The brass works were earlier and some person had added a fake brass moon dial to the top to fit into the case.  Essentially, the only value was in the works, so I was able to purchase the works at a reasonable price and the case went away to its fate.

The works were made by Daniel Lecount, and signed London.  The most amazing thing is that they were completely original and unrestored.  It seems that the owner of this clock had owned it for some 50 years and never ran it.  He was missing the weights and never thought to replace them.  So it sat.

Daniel Lecount was a French man, who was a member of the Haberdasher's Company and relocated to London, where he was "made free of the Company 29 September 1676."  That is, he was accepted into the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers in 1676 and remained in that position until 1693.  He was most well known for his watches, but he made several tall case clocks as well.

At that time, the clock makers usually did not make the cases.  They would make the works and then hire some local cabinetmaker to make the cases.  That accounts for the wide range of quality and design  that you find on these cases, even for the same maker.  During this period the major influence on case design was the Dutch influence on the marquetry.  The general method used was Painting in Wood, and the veneers were sawn from a wide variety of imported exotic species, newly discovered in the far reaches of the world.  Oyster and sausage cut veneers were common as well as tinted bone and horn.

Here are some images of the works.  It is interesting that the dial is 11" square, and not the common 10" that is on almost all the clocks from this period.  All the parts are original and unrestored.

Here is a shot of the works, which still have the old catgut cables.  Note the fake brass moon dial attached to the top, which has been removed.

After looking at several documented clocks made by Lecount, I selected one which I like.  I have been working this week on the drawings for this case, and the drawings for the marquetry.  I have decided to use sawn olive for the primary groundwork, with yew oysters on the door background.  I really like the boldness of the spiral carved columns and the little touches of gold leaf on the capitols, bases and lenticle surround.

Here a close up of the bonnet.

I will post on this blog, from time to time, as work progresses on this project.  It will be a happy day when Mr. Lecount's masterful clockworks are housed in a case that is more appropriate and historically accurate.

By the way, I know that there are people out there who know more about clocks than I do.  If any of you have more information on Daniel Lecount and his work, I would appreciate knowing about it. As usual, time marches on.

ASFM Student Humor

I have a lot of fun in my business. I enjoy working with fine furniture and solving challenging problems. I take pride in the results, so there is a serious side to the job. However, when I teach students in the American School of French Marquetry, I try to bring humor into the discussion, and find it extremely interesting how the different personalities respond to my approach. Sometimes it works and sometimes it dies a slow death.

Over the years, I have resorted to a few "pat" jokes (pun intended) to spice up the lecture. I admit that these are not really the kind of jokes that will earn me a television series, but, in the context of the class, they provide a kind of break in the day.

The first "joke" usually comes at the lunch break on Monday. Since the historic business community, North Park, where my business is located, has become a major attraction for excellent and upscale places to eat, I always draw a map on the chalk board and discuss the options. The closest place to eat is directly across the street from the shop, KFC. It was also one of the first places to open some 30 years ago. I should point out that the KFC is West of me and we usually have a mild ocean breeze blowing from the West. After some 30 years of the "aroma" of KFC filling the shop, I have developed an aversion to their food. So, I start out with a variation of the joke as follows: "You can eat at KFC, but don't come back to school." Then I point out all the other great places nearby.

OK, not much of a joke. I warned you.

So, since all the class I students are required to make a Boulle picture of their face, I received a portrait of the Colonel executed by a student which I now use to illustrate the bad joke. The marquetry is better than the joke.

Another "joke" is used to generalize the typical motifs found in American marquetry. Perhaps I will be accused of being an elitist, but I am not trying to be mean. I just want American artisans to expand their horizons. Think outside the box. Explore your creativity.

What I mean is that, in looking at many, many examples of marquetry, I began to realize that a majority of them had 4 essential elements: Boat, lake, tree and mountain. Patrice and I became obsessed with looking at marquetry online, watching "how to do it" videos, and looking at marquetry newsletters, to find examples. We would score them, from 1 to 4, depending on how many elements of the "required" motifs were used. For example, we would say: "It has a nice tree, big mountain and a lake, but where's the boat? I give it a 3."

Not very nice, but it makes a "joke" that I use to illustrate to my students how they can use the French methods to add more sophisticated elements to their design.

So I just received a nice card from a recent student, who enclosed his project: "Marquetry in America, a study of the relationship between the lake, the mountain, the boat and the tree." He included a note that included this disclaimer: "Not submitted for adjudication. Just for fun."

Is it me or does the boat remind you of an Italian cruise ship? Anyway, we gave it a 4.

Take life seriously, but be sure to have fun while you're living it.

Treasure Box Déjà Vu (Again?)

Patrice has been sick for a few days. Sinus headache. Not a pleasant situation, so he stayed in bed. Today he showed up, but is still not running on all cylinders. While he was home, he had a chance to read my recent posts about the box photos.

Since we worked very closely together to make the box, he was anxious to fix the problem with the photos. So, this morning he crawled into the shop and sat down at his computer and, within 10 minutes, seemed to fix the problem.

Here are his versions of the photos. This is the closest to the real thing so far. I probably have spent way too much time on this digital photography thing, but I have discovered that a lot of woodworkers who read this blog are, in fact, very talented professional photographers. I have learned a lot from their emails and comments. Thank you all.

Treasure Box I (Encore)

I got a lot of comments on my questions about digital photography. I need to confess that, over the years, I have carried my Nikons and hundreds of rolls of film all over the museums of America and Europe, and that I am, in fact, an analog thinker. I mean, what kind of person has 18,000 slides of just furniture catalogued in conservation boxes? Each piece has a front view, 3/4 view and detail close up shot. The weird thing is that I can remember exactly where I was when I look at a shot. Talk about a strange talent...

In any event, my good friend Chuck, did some work on the photo I posted and sent this one back. Although it is still not exact, it is an improvement on the "professional" shot. Next week I will see what I can do to correct the original and post it.

Thank you to all the kind readers who sent me their opinion. I appreciate that others have found my work interesting.

Treasure Box Series I (Part D)

I am not sure about digital photography. Just not sure. I do not trust something that can be manipulated so easily. So, anyway, I paid a photographer, with a lot of expensive equipment, to take a picture of the box. I will post it here.

However, since it is made of exactly the same materials and has the same finish as the jewel box at the masthead of this post, why does it look different? Trust me, I will find out what is wrong with this picture and repost it as soon as I can get it right.

In the meantime, here is a shot of the outside and inside of the finished box. Enjoy.

Remember, I have three more just like it...