David Boeff Furniture Maker: Chapin High Chest of Drawers

After completing the two cases it is time to work on the fluted quarter columns in the corners of both the upper and lower case.

I have some good photos that I took of the quarter columns, base and capitals when I visited Yale to study the Chapin highchest. I also took measurements.

The first thing that I did was to glue up four pieces of 1 inch stock with craft paper in between the pieces so I could take it apart later.

Started to turn the stock by getting it round.

Marked out the various beads and cove. It looks big but the total length is only 1 1/2 inches in length.

Turning the beads and cove on the base.

The first one (base) that I did was a little too small by about 1/16 of an inch. It was good practise. I did it over again and then turned the capitals.

After two times I got it correct and here is how they will look. I left them a little long so that I can trim them to size later when I fit them with the full fluted quarter column.

Now I need to glue up four 1 inch pieces 36 inches long of cherry for the quarter columns. I put craft paper between each piece so I can get them apart later. Then clamp it and let it dry.

My turning is not that good to make a 36 inch cylinder 1 3/4 inches round consistent the entire length.
I roughed out the turning by knocking off the corners to begin to make it round.
Using the jig that I made for cutting the flutes I used a router with a 1/4 inch bit to finish the turning and make a consistent cylinder the entire length by running the lathe and the router at the same time.
It left the surface a little rough but I cleaned it up with a little sand paper.

Now for the flutes. I marked the cylinder with four flutes in each quarter and using a 3/16 inch router bit is cut the flutes in the lathe by positioning the stock for each cut in the center at the top and then locking it in place. The flutes are actually less then 1/8 of an inch deep.