Medieval and Renaissance Furniture

by Daniel Diehl

  The slanted bookrest in front of the bottom shelf is nailed to the shelf support with small hand-forged nails, the heads being sunk flush with the top of the bookrest so that they will not snag the delicate leather book covers. The front corners of the shelf are rounded with a 1-inch-radius curve.

  Seat Construction

  Cut the two legs for the seat from 1½-inch stock. On the bottom of each leg, cut the tenon to the size shown in the end view and section B drawings. Again, we are not sure of the thickness of this tenon, but it is reasonable to assume it is about 1 inch thick, meaning you need to remove ¼ inch of wood from each side of the tenon. Insert the legs into the mortises in the rail, and drill and dowel them into place. Cut the board for the seat 1 inch shorter than the width of the bookcase. The decorative molding, detailed in section B, encircles all four sides of the seat. The easiest approach to cutting these moldings is with the aid of a molding cutter, but you can use molding planes or a router to achieve the same effect. If the molding is simply too complex for your tools, employ the services of a local cabinet shop or mill works.

  The seat overhangs the legs too far for the top to have been fitted into place with doweled mortise and tenon joints; it was simply nailed in place with two large-headed nails in each end. For stability, cut a shallow mortise and tenon joint, and then nail through the seat and into the top of the tenon. There is enough extra wood in the stock to allow for this. Situate the seat so that it rests ½ inch inside the outermost dimensions of the shelf unit’s sides, and nail it to the legs. Here, as with the bookrest, the nails were sunk flush with the seat’s surface, so that they would not snag the clothes of the library’s users.

  Pediment and Crown Molding

  Cut the two 3¾-inch-square columns to 14-inch lengths as shown in the drawings, and set them in place 3½ inches from the back wall of the bookcase in line with the end panels’ outermost edges. Mark their locations on the top of the bookcase and remove them. The footed balls that sit on top of the columns were turned on a footpowered lathe, probably a pole lathe. The marks left by a lathe that turned at a very low speed are still plainly evident on the turnings. In the photograph, it is obvious that the balls only vaguely approach a circular shape. The small feet on which the balls rest are also turned roughly circular. The two bands that encircle the balls are slightly under ¼ inch wide and of a similar depth; the bottom of the groove indicates that they were made with a round-ended lathe tool. Reproducing these balls must be done on a lathe. If you do not have one, visit a cabinet shop. Ask that the balls not be made perfectly round; a little irregularity in shape helps provide the period look of the piece. The molding around the top of the columns is shown in the molding detail C drawing. Again, if you cannot execute this yourself, visit a cabinet shop or mill works. This is this project’s simplest molding, however, and cutting it with a table saw or router should not be too difficult.

  The next step is to assemble the columns. The corners of the molding are mitered at 45 degrees to fit neatly around the columns and secured in place with small nails. The balls are simply tacked on top of the columns with four nails set near the edge of each ball’s foot. It is advisable to drill pilot holes in the foot before nailing it to the column top to avoid splitting the turning. Then cut the triangular pediment that sits between the columns. The exact length of the pediment is the distance between the two columns, whose locations you previously marked on the bookcase’s top. The backboard for the pediment is made from a single oak plank, 1 inch thick and 14 inches wide. If you do not have access to a board of these dimensions, dowel two boards together as described on page 2. Cut the board to a triangular shape 14 inches in height and the distance between the columns in length. The moldings that go around the pediment’s two upper edges are shown in molding detail B. Approach this molding with the same method you used for the previous moldings. Apply the finished molding to the pediment.

  Simply toenail the columns into place on the top and end panels of the bookcase. This may not be the most stable method of attachment, but it is the one that the original craftsmen used. You may elect to provide additional support by using small metal angle brackets or placing several screws into the column through the underside of the top. Then fit the pediment between the columns to see if it needs to be trimmed down.

  Run a line of six dowels along the center of the bottom edge of the pediment; two dowels should fall between each section of shelving. Space the dowels roughly 1 foot apart and allow them to stick out of the bottom of the pediment by 1½ inches. Stand the pediment between the columns so that its back is in line with the back of the columns. Mark the location of each dowel. Remove the pediment and drill pilot holes to receive the dowels in the top of the bookcase. Set the pediment back in place to ensure proper alignment of dowels and pilot holes. Lightly coat the bottom of the pediment and the dowels with glue, and tap the pediment into place against the top of the bookcase.

  The molding around the bookcase’s top edge is detailed in molding detail A. Approach this molding’s manufacture as you did the others. Producing molding with chamfered rear edges is a little tricky and is best handled by those set up for the job. When the molding has been completed, apply it to only the front and exposed side (the left side in the drawings) of the bookcase. Cutting chamfered edge molding to a perfect 90-degree angle takes a little practice, but once you have the knack, it can be done on a simple miter box. Experiment on a scrap before cutting into the best piece of molding. Nail the molding to the bookcase so that the bottom edge of the molding is flush with the bottom edge of the top panel.

  Cut the two small brackets shown in detail G from 13/8-inch-thick oak, and nail them to the face of each end panel as shown in the end view drawing. These brackets should be the same thickness as the left end panel. If the right end panel is the full thickness shown, align the bracket with the outside edge of the end panel so that it rests against the wall of the room. The original bracket from this end is missing, but the scar remains on the end panel.

  Finish

  A rich, dark oil finish will make this bookcase positively glow. Add a little wood stain to the first coat; a touch of red added to the brown will bring the reproduction close to the color of the original.

  Metalwork

  Rod and Support Brackets. The bookcase has only one rod running along the center shelf ’s front edge. The chains from both the upper and lower shelves attached to this one rod. The single remaining chain is clearly visible in the photograph. The rod is an 89- inch-long piece of ½-inch-diameter brass round stock. It is supported by four brackets as illustrated in the drawings of the bracket support and top and side views of the rod bracket. The bracket supports are cut from 3/32-inch-thick stock. The two center brackets, which will be located at the junctures of the center shelf and shelf dividers, have four arms of equal length. The other two brackets, which will be located on the end panels, have only three arms, the horizontal arm nearest the end panel having been eliminated.

  When the rough shape of the bracket supports has been cut, drill a ¼-inch hole in the center of each support through which the tangs or ears on the end of the bracket can pass. Drill holes to accept nails near each arm’s end as shown in the bracket support drawing. Slightly round all the edges of the bracket support. The rod brackets are shaped from 1/16-inch-thick flat stock. Begin with a piece that is 1 inch wide and 45/16 inches long. Allow 1 inch on either end for the small tangs that attach the bracket to the bracket support. Lay out the tangs so that they are centered on the bracket. Measuring ¼ inch wide at the base, the tangs nearly taper to a point. Remove excess metal from around the tangs.

  The two ribs that appear on each end of the rod bracket in the top view are cut into the surface of the metal with an engraver’s tool or round-ended metal gouge. If you do not have an engraver’s tool, the easiest way to reproduce these is probably with a Dremel tool. Next, bend the tangs 90 degrees toward the face of the bracket (the side with the engraved lines). Then heat the metal and shape
it around a 5/8-inch steel bar. Since the bracket is made from 1/16-inch-stock, it should not take much heat to make it malleable and it should work with relative ease. When the bracket is shaped, the tangs should lie back-to-back. File away any sharp edges. Now insert the tangs through the hole in the bracket support’s center, and bend them outward as shown in the side view of the rod bracket.

  Plug the bracket located nearest the wall (that is, the bookcase’s right end) to prevent the rod from passing completely through it. A small disk of metal seems to have been soldered across the outside end of the bracket on the original unit. Nail the brackets into place with small round-headed nails. Be sure the brackets are in alignment so that the rod will pass through them.

  Hasp and Lock Plate. The 24-inch-long hasp is situated on the bookcase so that the 17/8-inch ear (on the right side of the hasp arm drawing) covers the rod’s end, ensuring that none of the books are stolen. The hasp is cut from a piece of 1/8-inch-thick stock. Simply enlarge the diagram to create a pattern for the decorative shapes. Allow enough extra stock on top of the hasp to form the hinge’s spine. Cut the top end of the hinge from a piece of similar stock. Following the instructions on page 10, shape and assemble the spine of the hinge.

  Shape the hatched areas along the hasp’s edge with a file. Hold the file at a 45-degree angle to the surface of the metal, and work the designs as shown. The alternating half-round portions of the design can be made with a large, round rat-tail file. The other designs require a combination of a small rat-tail file and a triangular file. Some of these design elements will be a challenge; practice on a discarded piece of metal before working on the actual hasp.

  The small knob on the bottom of the hasp was originally cast. Turning it on a metal lathe will probably be easier. Leave a 1/8-inch-diameter pin, about ¼ inch long, on the knob’s bottom to attach it to the hasp. Drill a 1/8-inch hole through the hasp as shown in the drawing. Insert the pin through the hole and peen over its end on the hinge’s back. The latch on the back of the hasp is made from a 3/16-inch-wide piece of 1/16-inch-thick flat stock. Cut and bend it to the shape shown in the drawing, and weld it to the back of the hasp. Nail the hasp to the end panel of the case with five round-headed forged nails as shown in the hasp drawing. Be sure to locate the large ear on the hasp so that it covers the rod bracket.

  Cut the lock plate to the shape shown in the drawing from 1/16-inch-thick flat stock. The latch hole must be large enough to receive the latch on the hasp’s back. If you want to build a lock, refer to the instructions on page 11. Otherwise, rout or chisel away enough wood from the end panel so that the latch fits through and lies flush with the lock plate. Nail the lock plate into position with six small round-headed nails.

  Should you decide to chain your books to the case, the chain holding the one book in place has rectangular links that are 1½ inches long and ½ inch wide. We do not know whether this chain is original or a replacement, but it is certainly old. The chain is attached to the book by a small metal tab fitted with a ring that holds the last link of chain. This tab wraps around both sides of one cover of the book and is held in place with two small rivets. Because of the location of the tab, chained books have to be set on the shelves with the spines toward the rear, causing the titles and authors to be hidden from view.

  PROJECT 32

  Candle Stand

  Candle Stand, Europe, sixteenth century. Iron, 6 feet, 5 inches x 24 inches across at the base. The Cloisters Collection, The Metropolitan Museum of Art 1938 (38.168.5). Image ©The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Image source, Art Resource, New York.

  Heavy wrought-iron candlesticks and hanging chandeliers similar to this candle stand were used to bring brilliant, shimmering illumination to the dark, cavernous interiors of churches, manor houses, and castles throughout England and Europe during the Middle Ages and into the Renaissance. This candle stand is unusual in that the candles are not held in cups or stuck on spikes; rather, they sit inside freestanding rings between the drip tray and inner decorative ring. Though this candle stand does not hold as many candles as some others that survive, all the side candles would have been nearly 2 feet in length, and the central candle almost 3 inches across, an extravagant use of expensive wax.

  The entire piece is forged metal, mostly wrought iron, and has a rather bulky look. Standing over 6½ feet high, it is a most impressive piece of work. The original probably dates from the sixteenth century, but its place of origin is unknown. It now stands outside the Fuentiduena Chapel in the Metropolitan Museum’s Cloisters.

  Construction Notes

  This room-size candle stand is constructed entirely of hand-forged iron. Reconstructing it in a home shop will require a few adaptations and a little time, but the results will be impressive. To shape and bend the various parts of this candle stand, use the methods described on page 8. The joints and seams that were originally heat forged can be welded or brazed together.

  Materials

  All the basic pieces of the candle stand are constructed from standard-dimension sheet metal and steel bar stock, available from machine shops or ironmongers. Three kinds of metal, referred to as stock, are used for this piece. The legs, decorative ornamentation, and support pieces in the crown are made of flat stock; the main shaft is made of ¾-by-¾-inch square stock; and the drip pan and decorative ring in the crown are made of sheet metal.

  Legs

  The first step in forging the legs is to make the feet. Place one end of a piece of leg stock into your vise to a depth of 1½ inches and bend it to a 90-degree angle. Repeat for the other two legs. Then reheat the ends of the feet and flatten and splay them with a forging hammer. Now bend each leg to a 90-degree arc, a quarter circle 10 inches in height and width. To ensure that all three legs are bent to the same arc, first cut a wooden pattern against which they can be fitted. Do not try to forge the hot metal against this pattern; simply use it as a gauge of your progress in shaping the stock.

  When all three legs are bent, the next step is to join them together. The legs on the original piece were heatforged onto a flat iron disk the same thickness as the legs, at the center of which was a 5/8-inch hole. For reproduction purposes, you can weld the legs to a large, flat metal washer. You may, however, have to manufacture a washer to the necessary specifications. Arrange the ends of the legs onto the surface of the washer, spaced so that the three legs form an equilateral triangle at their juncture. The outer ends of the legs should be equally spaced. Clamp the legs into position on the washer using a C-clamp, and weld the legs onto the washer. The completed leg unit should stand 10 inches off the floor and scribe a circle 24 inches across at the tips of the feet.

  Main Shaft

  The main shaft of the candle stand is formed from a length of square stock. The bottom of the shaft must be forged to fit through the hole at the juncture of the legs. Heat 1 inch at the end of the shaft and forge it to as near round as possible. When the forged portion of the shaft can be fitted into the washer on the leg unit, weld it to the top and bottom surfaces of the washer, first ensuring that the legs are resting on a level surface and the shaft is standing as vertical as possible.

  The top of the shaft head holds the drip tray and crown. To provide a stable seat for the frame of the drip tray, this end of the shaft must be larger than the bottom end. To simulate the heavy forged head on the original shaft, weld a piece of 1¾-inch round stock to the top of the shaft, with the head in a parallel line with the body of the shaft so that the crown will sit straight on the completed piece.

  Now turn the entire unit upside down, so that the head is on the ground and the legs are in the air. To create the cone-shape taper between the shaft and shaft head shown in the drawings, build up a 1-inch-high pyramid of weld around the shaft. When it has cooled, work the sides of the pyramid smooth with a grinder and files to simulate the sloped shoulders beneath the head.

  At the center of the shaft head, drill a hole 1/8 inch in diameter and ½ inch deep. Into this hole, insert a 1-inch
-long piece of 1/8-inch steel rod. If you heat the area around the hole in the shaft head until it begins to glow slightly, the rod should tap into place easily, and once cooled, it will never come out. This rod will eventually hold the drip tray and crown in place.

  Drip Tray Frame

  The four-armed frame of the drip tray is made in much the same manner as the leg unit. The frame can easily be made in three pieces: one main arm that runs the entire width of the tray, and two shorter arms welded to either side of the main arm to form a cross. First bend 1¾-inch tabs on both ends of the main arm of the drip tray frame. Bend similar tabs on one end of each of the short arms. Flatten and splay the ends of these arms in the same manner as the feet. In each of the four tabs, drill a hole large enough to receive a rivet, as shown in the drawings.

  Lay the three arms onto a welding surface so that the short arms rest against the main arm at its center point. The arms should touch each other but not overlap. The pieces now form a cross like the one shown in the drawing of the bottom of the drip tray. When the pieces are in position, weld the short arms onto the long arm unit, and then file the weld joint flat. When finished, you should have a four-armed frame with an inner diameter of about 16 inches. At the point where the four arms cross, drill a 3/16-inch hole so that the drip tray frame will fit over the pin on the shaft head.