Medieval and Renaissance Furniture

by Daniel Diehl

  Both the upper and lower back rails have troughs that are 1 inch wide and 1½ inches deep to receive the back slats. Cut these troughs with the aid of a table saw set to the proper depth. After the troughs have been hollowed in both rails, assemble the rails and back support posts. Now gouge corresponding troughs in the back support posts to receive the slats on the extreme right and left ends of the back. Section C shows that the trough in the back support post is only 5/8 inch wide, rather than the full 1-inch width of the troughs in the top and bottom rails. The trough in the left back support, shown in section C, is flush with the front edge of the troughs in the top and bottom rails; the trough in the right support should be flush with the rear edge of the troughs in the upper and lower rails. This allows the back slats to be held tightly in position when the entire back is assembled.

  Disassemble the back and cut notches in the lower rail to allow insertion of the seat supports. As shown in section C, the seat supports are spaced at approximately 12-inch intervals. The notches should be the width of the seat supports, 3 inches, and the same 1½ inches in depth as the trough for the back slats. A side view of the notches is found in section B.

  Lay the back on a level surface, ensuring that the structure is square. Drill and dowel the rails to one of the back support posts, following the instructions on doweling on page 1. Remove the opposite back support post. Slide the first back slat into position so that it fits snugly into the trough in the back support. Slide the second slat into position, allowing it to overlap the first slat by about 1 inch. You may have to rasp or plane the ends of the slats to get them to overlap properly. Then nail the first slat into position by drilling pilot holes in the top and bottom rails and through the slat. Secure the slat in position with large-headed forged nails.

  Slide the third slat into position, overlapping the second slat by about 1 inch, and nail the second slat into position. Locating this and all subsequent nails at the point where two slats overlap allows you to secure two slats with each nail. Proceed until all the slats are in location. If the final slat is slightly too long, simply remove it and trim the excess wood. It is impossible to predict whether the final slat will be a bit too long or too short, because the overlap of the slats varies on the original piece from ¾ to 1¼ inches. Attach the final support post to the back assembly and dowel it into place.

  Frame Assembly

  Temporarily insert the front and side seat support rails into the arms. With a carpenter’s square, locate the positions where the seat supports will intersect the front seat support rail. Pencil in these locations and then disassemble the front of the bench. Cut the seat support notches in the front rail 1 by 1½ by 3 inches, as shown in sections B and C.

  Seat and Seat Supports

  Reassemble the bench and cut the seat supports to fit snugly in the notches provided. The seat supports are tapered in the back but notched in the front. Then cut the seat itself. The current seat, as was undoubtedly true of the original, is made of a single oak board 195/8 inches in width. If your search for a similar board is not successful, glue and peg two or three boards together as described on page 2.

  Next, make a cardboard template of one end of the bench to fit around the arms and back supports. The seat rests firmly against the back slats and is flush with the exterior face of the side seat supports. The front edge, however, overhangs the front support rail by 11/8 inches. Cut the seat to conform to the lines of the template; it should fit snugly into place inside the arms. The bench must be disassembled to attach the seat. Remove the front of the bench and reassemble around the seat. Lift the seat to insert the seat supports. When everything fits comfortably, remove the seat and shape the front edge as shown in the end view and section B drawings. The edge can be formed with a molding plane or a router fitted with a ¾-inch quarter-round bit. In either case, allow for the 1/8-inch offset at the seat’s top edge. Lightly round the bottom edge with sandpaper or a fine rasp.

  The seat’s span is supported by ten heavy braces spaced at approximately 12-inch intervals (see the section B and C drawings). They are cut from lengths of 3-inch-square oak to fit into the notches in the front and back rails. Notch the front of each seat support as shown in section B. Then cut a 1½-by-5-inch arc out of the opposite end to lay in the notches in the lower back rail, also shown in section B.

  Final Assembly

  To permanently assemble the bench, first insert the side rails and armrests into the back assembly and place the seat between them. Laying the arm supports and front rail on a level surface, assemble the arms and seat support. Making certain that the arms and rail are square, drill and dowel the rail to the arms. Attach the front assembly to the side rails and the armrests. Ensure that the bench is on a level surface and is plumb and square, then drill and dowel the remaining joints. Lift the seat and clamp it to the armrests with cabinet clamps, or raise it as far as possible above the seat support with wooden blocks. Set the seat supports in place and nail them to the frame with handforged nails. Lower the seat into place and nail it to the frame. The original bench has six nails along the front and eight across the rear of the seat, and one nail on each side between the arm and the rear support post.

  Finish

  Lightly sand the entire bench. To match the original as closely as possible, coat it with an extremely dark stain such as Jacobean, which imbues a rich coffee color—the ideal. After the stain has dried, polish the entire bench with boiled linseed oil. If it is still not dark enough, apply several coats of Old English Scratch Cover polish over several months. This will darken it sufficiently and give it a lovely warm glow.

  PROJECT 8

  Settle

  Settle, Netherlandish, c. 1550. Oak, 54 x 74½ x 23 inches. The Cloisters Collection. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Photo by Jay Grayson.

  Throughout the Middle Ages and well into the eighteenth century, settles were the most common form of public seating. By definition, a settle is a long bench fitted with a back and arms. More elaborate than a simple bench, a settle—like the furniture found in the waiting rooms of modern banks and law firms—was intended to impress visitors with its owner’s power and status.

  This settle was constructed in the southern part of the Low Countries during the mid-sixteenth century, probably for the convent of San Benito, located near the town of Valladolid, Spain. As a fine piece of imported furniture, it may have been placed in a waiting room outside the abbess’s office as a convenient, but not too comfortable, place for visitors to sit while they contemplated God’s power and the impermanence of temporal life.

  As is typical of much medieval furniture, this piece is constructed of oak and decorated with linenfold paneling, but it has a few unusual features as well. Surmounting the support columns for the arms and back are carvings of dogs and lions, representations most frequently found on tomb effigies. The lions, at the highest points of the back, represent bravery and the power of the church and the king; the dogs, located on the lower level of the arms, represent obedience. On the inside face of each arm are two panels with curious circular holes. Since the spaces between these openings and the outside panel are not large enough to be used as storage compartments, we assume that they were simply handles to aid in moving the settle from one place to another. Finally, to make the best possible use of the space occupied by this large piece of furniture, the base does double duty as both seat and storage chest. The chest may have held important objects, such as books or vestments, because a small plate now covers the scar where a lockset once existed. Now a part of the collection of the Cloisters in New York City, this magnificent settle testifies to the grandeur that was once a routine part of medieval monastic life.

  Construction Notes

  Although this is a large unit of furniture, its general construction does not significantly differ from that of the Paneled Coffer found on page 210. Carving the fourteen linenfold panels on the settle’s front, back, and sides is time-consuming and the project’s biggest challenge.

 
Materials

  Made entirely of oak, this settle does not contain any massively oversized timbers as do many of the articles of furniture featured in this book, and the only metalwork is the two hinges on the storage compartment lid. Thus obtaining the materials should not require any special millwork or blacksmithing, but purchasing the lumber is likely to amass a hefty bill.

  Setting Up

  Since many of this settle’s components are repeated, the construction will go more quickly if you first prepare the framing members and linenfold paneling. Cut to size the five small front panels, the five long panels on the face of the back, and the four panels for the outside of the arms. All are ¾ inch thick. As noted on the materials list, the front panels measure 12½ by 13½ inches; the grain should run with the 12½-inch dimension. The back panels are 12½ by 24½ inches, and the arm panels are 8½ inches by 28½ inches. Also cut the panels for the settle’s rear, again all ¾ inch thick. The five upper panels are 12½ by 27½ inches; two lower panels are 15¾ by 21½ inches, and one is 15¾ by 23½ inches. Chalk the locations of the panels and lay them aside. If you wish, also cut the two panels for the interior of the arms, shown in the interior arm panel drawing, which are 11¼ inches wide, 18½ inches long, and ½ inch thick. You may also cut the circular holes in these panels and chamfer the edges with a rasp or router. With so many panels to keep track of, it is best to stack like panels together.

  Carving the Linenfold Panels

  Now lay out and carve the linenfold panels. Although the same design appears on all the panels, note that the four arm panels contain only the central section of the design; the extreme left and right folds have been eliminated to adapt the design to the panel’s narrow width. Transfer the design from the drawing labeled front view of the typical panel onto each panel’s face, with a 1-inch border around the design. Following the instructions on page 6, execute the linenfold pattern on all fourteen panels.

  Decorative Panel Molding

  Cut the decorative molding around the edges of all the panel frames at once to most efficiently use shop time. Whether you use a molding cutter, molding planes, or another method to cut the panel molding, cut the molding pattern along the entire length of each framing member. The intersections of rail and stiles need not interrupt the pattern. The majority of the framing members are 3½ by 2¼ inches, but there are exceptions, and all four sides of the panel frames are not molded with the same decorative pattern.

  The panel frames on the settle’s front and back each have a consistent molding pattern around the top and sides, but only a simple chamfer details the bottom. These moldings and their arrangement around the panels are shown in the detail A and B drawings. The vertical stiles separating the panels on the front and the back of the settle are all 3½ by 2¼ inches and have the same molding pattern cut along both front edges. The typical back stile drawings show top, front, and side views, which provide a clear pattern for cutting the molding. The top view of detail B can serve as a template for the molding.

  The top rail on the back and the support rail at the front of the seat both are 3½ by 2¼ inches and have the panel mold cut along only one edge. The top edge of the seat support rail is left square. The molding along the top edge of the top rail is shown in the cutaway view of the top rail. This last molding differs only slightly from the panel molding. The divider stiles that separate the panels on the ends of the settle are shown in the side view and arm section 2 drawings. These stiles are only 2½ by 2¾ inches but, like the larger stiles on the settle’s front, display the panel mold design along both front edges (across one of the 2½-inch-wide faces). Note in the side view drawing that there is no other decorative molding around the end panels.

  Cutting the Framing Members to Length

  If you have cut the panel molding on long lengths of stock, now cut the stock to the proper length for each individual framing member as indicated on the materials list. The lengths given allow enough stock to cut tenons as necessary. Again, since there are so many framing members, chalk the location of each piece as it is cut, and stack like pieces together for easy identification. While you are cutting framing members, cut the stiles that separate the lower panels on the rear of the settle, the central support rail running across the middle of the rear, and the front and back lower rails that support the bottom edge of the front and back panels. Also cut the rail at the back of the seat—the rail supporting the linenfold panels in the back. This rail is only ¾ inch thick. Do not cut the tenons on the ends of the rails or stiles at this time.

  Rabbeting the Panels

  With the framing members cut to length, next rabbet out the grooves into which the panels will be set. All these rabbets are cut ¾ inch deep, but the width varies from one location to another. Note on the typical back stile drawings and the cutaway view of the top rail that the rabbet in these members is 11/8 inches wide. The rails and stiles on the front of the settle, as well as the rail at the back of the seat and the stiles separating the end panels, are rabbeted to a width of only 3/8 inch. The rail at the back of the seat has an open rabbet (see the detail D drawing).

  The difference in the widths of the rabbets is caused by the addition of secondary panels on the rear of the settle. This second set of panels can be seen in section A; how they relate to the framing members is shown in the typical back stile drawings and cutaway view of the top rail. Keep the narrow, 3/8-inch rabbets toward the front edge of the rails and stiles to maintain a constant relationship of the panels to the rails and stiles throughout. The rabbets that hold the lower panels on the rear of the settle are cut ¾ inch wide. The rabbet in the top edge of the central support rail, shown in detail D, must be 1½ inches wide. Don’t worry that the rabbets in the long rails run across the future location of mortise and tenon joints; the mortises are designed to utilize the rabbets.

  Corner Posts, Armrests, and Feet

  Next, cut the four corner posts, which include two back support and two arm support posts. The lengths given for these posts on the materials list do not provide enough length for the carvings. To ease execution, the carvings will be made from separate pieces and pegged into place later. With a router or carving knives and files, mold the tops of the arm and back supports according to the diagrams beneath the drawings of the animals. Locate the center of the top of each of the four corner posts, and drill a 3/8-inch hole that is 1 inch deep. These holes will allow the carved figures to be doweled onto the posts.

  Also cut the armrests and feet, as shown in the exterior and bottom views of the arm construction and the side, top, and front views of the foot. After the feet have been cut to length, rough out the quarter-round shape of the front of each foot. As the side view of the foot indicates, the 2-inch quarter-round shape of the foot begins 1 inch ahead of the front end of the tenon.

  Tenons

  Next, cut the tenons on the stiles as shown in the various drawings. The drawing labeled back stile, bottom tenon provides an example. The only tenons that vary from this model are those on the stiles separating the arm panels. These tenons are the full 2½- inch width of the stile but only 5/8 inch thick, and they are set 1 inch behind the face of the stile. (See the bottom view of the arm construction.)

  There are no drawings of the tenons on the ends of the rails; however, the tenons on the top rail, seat support rail, and central support rail (the rail in the middle of the settle’s back) are all 2 inches wide, 1¼ inches long, and ¾ inch thick. The tenons on the lower front and lower back rails are the same thickness and length as those mentioned above but only 1½ inches wide. Keeping the front face of the tenons level with the front edge of the rabbeted panel grooves is essential for the proper alignment of the panel frames with the carved panels. The tenon on the rail at the back of the seat is 2 inches wide and 1¼ inches long, but because the rail is only ¾ inch thick, the tenon can be only ½ inch thick. This tenon lies flush with the back of the rail, recessed ¼ inch behind the front.

  Assembling the Front and Back of the Settle

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p; Now separate the framing members integral to the front of the settle: four stiles, the seat support rail, and the arm support posts. Arrange the pieces facedown on a level work surface, in their proper positions. Measure and mark the locations of the mortises that will connect the stiles to the rails. For proper spacing, refer to the front view drawing. Bear in mind that the front of the mortises should be on the same plane as the front of the rabbeted panel grooves. Chisel out the mortises to a depth of 1¼ inches. Insert the tenons as deep as possible into the proper mortises, ensuring that the fit is square and snug.

  Referring to detail A and the front view of the typical back stile, mark the panel molds at a 45-degree angle at the point where they intersect. Remove the excess wedge-shaped pieces of panel molding from each side of the stiles and the corresponding sections of molding from the rails. Trim the molding carefully; if too much is cut away, the joints will appear loose and sloppy even if the mortises fit snugly.

  After the entire front assembly has been joined together, insert the linenfold panels to check for fit. It may be necessary to sand or file the edges of the panels to allow them to fit easily into the panel frames. To ensure that the entire front assembly is plumb and square, again lay the assembled front facedown on a level work surface. Position and mark the mortises on one of the 2¼-inch-wide faces of the arm support posts. The bottom edge of the arm support should be level with the bottom edge of the lower front rail. The 2¼-inch gap beneath the lower front rail, shown in the front view drawing, is created when the feet are attached to the settle. After the mortises have been marked and opened, assemble the entire front of the settle to ensure it is plumb and square. Now cut the chamfers along the bottom edge of each panel frame as shown in the detail B drawing.