by Daniel Diehl
Now create the bottom sections of the hinges, as shown in the hinge lower half top view and side view drawings. This portion of the hinge is composed of three parts: a ¾-by-¾-inch square spike that is 3½ inches in length, a forged right-angle section 1 inch in diameter, and a hinge pin ½ inch in diameter and 2 inches in length. It is impossible to tell whether the original part was forged or cast, so you have the option of making them either way. Casting is probably a more viable option, as forging them will require the skills of an accomplished blacksmith to make all three pieces similar enough that the door will swing without binding.
The spike and angled portions can be cast as one piece, making overall construction easier. When the piece has been cast, drill a ½-inch hole in the exact center of the top of the angled section to a depth of ¾ inch. Next, cut a 2½-inch length of ½-inch round stock for the hinge pin. The easiest way to attach a pin to the base is to “sweat” it into place. Place the hinge pins in a freezer overnight. Exposure to the cold will cause the metal to contract slightly, so remove each pin from the freezer just a few minutes before it is to be attached to the base, wrap it in plastic wrap, and lay it on a bed of ice to keep it cold. Then use an oxyacetylene torch to heat the base of the hinge, which will cause the cast metal to expand. Dry the pin thoroughly and tap it into the hole. When the temperatures of the two pieces equalize, the pin will be impossible to remove.
Latch Set
Because we were (understandably) not allowed to disassemble the latch mechanism of the door, we do not know exactly how this particular latch works. You may adapt the instructions for constructing a medieval lock on page 11, replacing the key with a metal bar approximately 3/8 inch square, or alternatively, you may wish to substitute an old mortise lock from a late-nineteenth-century or early-twentieth-century door. This latter alternative gives you a functional lock already encased in an outer metal box and provides you with a shaft onto which the doorknobs will be attached.
In either case, mark the area into which the lock box will be inserted on the edge of the door. Lay a back board on top of the paneled door assembly so that the lock box falls in the center of the full 23/8-inch thickness of the door. Using a sharp chisel, cut away the appropriate amount of wood from the front assembly and back board until the two sections of the door fit snugly around the lock box. Mark the position where the shaft that connects the doorknobs will pass through the front and back faces of the door, and drill holes just slightly larger than the shaft.
Doorknobs
The door has two identical knobs, one attached to each side. The knob assembly consists of three pieces: a large ring, a handle, and a back plate, also known as an escutcheon, against which the handle rests. The complete door handle is shown in the drawing of the door handle assembly. Following the instructions for using a mandrel on page 9, form a 4½-inchdiameter ring from a 14¼-inch-long piece of 3/8-by-3/8-inch square stock. The ring is formed with the square stock set at a 45-degree angle (see cross section D), so that it appears to have a diamond-shaped profile.
The door handle shown in the door handle assembly and profile drawings is T-shaped, with both sections of the T being round. This complex shape will need to be cast if it is to conform to the original decorative shape. The hole through which the 4½-inch ring passes can be cast into the handle, but the hole into which the shaft of the latch mechanism will be inserted has to be drilled.
The diameter of the hole for the shaft will depend on the size of the shaft of the particular latch mechanism you elect to use. Most nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century latch sets used a ¼-inch-square shaft. If the metal caster is very good at his craft, he may be able to cast a square hole to accept the shaft; if not, you will have to drill the hole later. There is virtually no way to make a square hole in the arm of the handle, so we recommend drilling a hole just slightly smaller in diameter than the shaft and rounding the corners of the shaft so that it will fit into the hole. The shaft could be sweated into place on the handle, but this would mean that the knobs could not be removed if the latch set ever needed to be repaired. Although they are not medieval, we recommend using the original set screws that held the knobs onto the shaft. This will require drilling a hole through the cast door handle so that the set screws can be threaded into the shaft.
The ring can be inserted through the hole in the handle by bending the ends slightly to the sides, sliding one end through the hole, and bending the ring back into shape. The ends of the ring may then be welded together to prevent the ring from inadvertently being pulled loose.
The escutcheon plate is a flat, circular piece of metal 1/8 inch thick and 2½ inches in diameter. We have shown the hole through the center of the escutcheon as ½ inch in diameter, but you may wish to make it slightly smaller. The hole need only be large enough for the shaft to pass through, and it should be small enough that the rear edge of the door handle rubs against the escutcheon rather than passing through the escutcheon and rubbing against the wood of the door. The two small holes that hold the escutcheon in place on the door need only be large enough for a forged nail to pass through. The escutcheon on the original door is situated so that the nails fall at a 45-degree angle across the face of the escutcheon, roughly at the 10 o’clock and 4 o’clock positions.
Back Boards
The 7/8-inch-thick boards on the back of the door are shown in the drawing of the interior face of the door. These boards are completely random in width, and their width and the order in which they are attached have no bearing on the structure of the door. They are attached to the front door assembly with hand-forged nails. The nails going into the outer frame of the door likely are longer than those going into the panels, because the carved panels would tend to split if the nails driven into them were as long as the ones used on the more solid frame. We assume that the nails going into the frame are 1¾ to 2 inches long, while those going into the panels are 1¼to 13/8 inches long. The heads on the nails are roughly ½ inch square and relatively flat on top. We also assume that like most hand-cut nails, these have square shafts. You may elect to have an ironmonger or blacksmith make the nails for you or use commercially available forged nails (see the Sources section at the back of this book), but the latter will not have heads as large as those used on the original door.
Before attaching the back board that abuts the hinges, you need to cut small notches in the rear edge to fit around the hinges. Also check that the lock box can be slid into place when the front and back of the door are nailed together. When you are ready to attach the boards to the back of the door, lay the door on a level floor with a piece of cardboard under it to protect the face of the door from being scarred when you nail the back boards into place. Run a few beads of glue across the first back board and carefully set it into place, making sure it is square with the frame of the door. Drill pilot holes for the four nails in the locations shown in the drawing of the interior of the door, and nail the board into place. Repeat the process for the remaining back boards.
Next, insert the lock box into place. If the striker plate on the lock box was drilled for screws, use small forged nails to secure the lock in position. Then attach the doorknobs and nail the escutcheon plates into place.
Finish
The original door has weathered to a deep shade of brown that is nearly black. You may stain the door as desired, following the instructions on page 7. If you plan on using your door on the exterior, where it will be subjected to the weather, we recommend giving the exterior surface two coats of matte finish varnish. Remove the door handles prior to staining and varnishing.
Bolt
The bolt is made from a 12-inch length of ¾-inch-diameter round stock. Using a mandrel and following the instructions on page 9, heat and bend the metal as shown in the bolt assembly drawing. The 1-by-1½-inch oval knob on the short end of the bolt can be shaped in either one of two ways. If you have access to a forge, you may elect to shape the knob directly from the end of a 24-inch length of ¾-inch hot rolled or iron ro
und stock, and then use the remainder of the rod to form the bolt. Alternatively, the knob can be shaped on a metal lathe and welded to the end of the bolt.
When the bolt has been shaped and cut to length, cut a metal flange as shown in bolt detail A. This flange should be cut from 1-inch-wide-by-3/16-inch-thick flat stock. We recommend drilling the ½-inch-diameter hole shown in the drawing before cutting the flange to length, as it is far safer to handle a longer piece of metal than one that is only 2 inches in length. Next, grind a slight ¾-inch-diameter hollow so that the flange fits around the bolt. Then locate the proper position of the flange, as shown in the bolt assembly drawing, and weld the flange to the bolt, holding it at a 90-degree angle to the bolt while welding it into place.
The two sleeves that hold the bolt to the door, and through which the bolt passes, are bent from 1/16-inchthick- by-1-inch-wide flat stock. For ease of shaping, we suggest beginning with 12-inch lengths of flat stock and bending them to shape with the use of a mandrel and a vise prior to cutting them to length. Note that the rear bolt sleeve is ½ inch longer on one end than the front bolt sleeve. This provides an area of adequate size to attach the pierced metal ear through which a padlock can pass to lock the door. When the sleeves have been shaped, mark out and drill holes for the nails that will hold the sleeves to the door. The holes should be just large enough to accommodate your forged nails. Note in the bolt assembly drawing that the lower pair of nail holes runs vertically, rather than horizontally, to allow for the metal flange through which the arm of a padlock passes.
The padlock flange intended to be welded to the bolt sleeve is similar in size, shape, and thickness to the one welded to the bolt, and we recommend making them at the same time to ensure that they will align neatly. Weld the completed padlock flange to the side of the rear bolt sleeve as shown in the bolt assembly and rear bolt sleeve drawings, making sure it is aligned with the flange on the bolt. When the three component parts of the bolt assembly have been made, attach the assembly to the door.
Hanging the Door
When the door fits easily into your existing door frame, you need to make certain that the bottom sections of the hinges are positioned so that when the door is hung in place, it will open and close without binding on the top or bottom of the frame. Set the door into place in the frame, and place a 1/16-inch shim under the bottom of the door to make certain that it does not bind against the door sill. Mark a line on the door frame under the bottom of each of the three hinge sections attached to the door; this will be the location of the top edge of the bottom section of each hinge. Also mark a vertical line on the door frame to indicate the line of the hinge pins; this line can mark the interior, exterior, or centerline of the pins, but it must run consistently through all three hinge pins. We recommend using a carpenter’s adjustable square to justify the positions of all three pins.
Drill a 2¾-inch-deep, 5/8-inch-diameter pilot hole into the door frame at the position to receive the spike on the bottom section of each hinge. Drive the hinge spike into place. With careful measuring and a little luck, you should be able to hang, open, and close your door without undue problems. If there is slight binding, you may need to plane away any high spots with a carpenter’s plane. When the door swings and closes freely, cut a mortise into the door jamb to receive the latch.
SOURCES
Nails
Online searches for “cut nails,” “square cut nails,” and “hand cut nails” will turn up a number of companies that supply or manufacture nails appropriate for use in building reproduction medieval furniture. Here are a few of these companies.
Tremont Nail
PO Box 111
Wareham, MA 02571
(508) 295-0038
www.tremontnail.com
Makes and supplies a variety of historically accurate hand-forged nails.
Jamestown Distributors
12 Narragansett Ave.
PO Box 348
Jamestown, RI 02835
(401) 423-2520 or (800) 423-0030
www.jamestowndistributors.com
Supplies traditional stainless steel boat-building nails that look like hand-forged ones. Available in 50-pound lots only in sizes from 2 to 5 inches in length.
Period House Shops
141 Corve St
Ludlow
Shropshire SY8 2PG, UK
01584-877-276
www.periodhouseshops.com
Blacksmithing, Hinges, and Hardware
For those of you who want to try your hand at the blacksmith’s craft and forge your own hinges and hardware in the traditional manner, an online search for “blacksmith tools” and “blacksmith equipment” will provide a number of companies that supply the tools of the smith’s trade. If you would prefer to hire a professional smith to make the hardware for your reproduction medieval furniture, rest assured that there are more good blacksmiths around than you might imagine. An online search for “custom blacksmith” and “custom blacksmithing” will probably lead you to one who is not too far from you. Following are two blacksmiths we have worked with and who are willing to make the pieces of hardware shown in this book.
T. W. Moran
Livonia Smithery
3913 Clay St
Livonia, NY 14487
(716) 376-2130
www.livoniasmithery.com
Does top-notch blacksmith work and is willing to provide quotes on any hardware illustrated in this book. Also supplies medieval-style lanterns and chandeliers.
Chris Blythman
The Flat
Brook House Farm
Middleton, Ludlow
Shropshire SY8 2DZ, UK
01584-878-591
www.freewebs.com/chris-blythman http://chris-blythman.webs.com
Produces some of the best-looking medieval metalwork available anywhere in the British Isles and is willing to undertake commissions for any of the hardware shown in this book.
Woods Used in Medieval Carpentry
Gary R. Halstead, Woods in Use in the Middle Ages & Renaissance, 2001,
www.medievalwoodworking.org/ articles/wood.htm.
Source providing a list of woods used in medieval carpentry, along with brief descriptions.
FURNITURE LOCATIONS
Bolton Castle
Near Leyburn, North Yorkshire
DL8 4ET, UK
http://boltoncastle.co.uk
Sixteenth-Century Ambry Cupboard, Writing Slope
Carlisle Castle
Bridge Street, Carlisle, Cumbria
CA3 8UR, UK
www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/ carlisle-castle
Half-Tester Bed replica
The Cloisters, Metropolitan Museum of Art
1000 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10028
www.metmuseum.org/visit/visit-thecloisters
Barrel Chair, Candle Stand, Fifteenth-Century Bench, Fifteenth-Century Stool, Mirrored Wall Sconce, Settle, Worktable, Fifteenth-Century Exterior Door
George and Pilgrim Hotel
1 High Street, Glastonbury
BA6 9DP, UK
Glastonbury Chair replica
Haddon Hall
Bakewell, Derbyshire DE45 1LA, UK
www.haddonhall.co.uk
High Table, Fifteenth-Century Ambry Cupboard, Paneled Coffer, Tax Box, Vestment Chest
Hereford Cathedral
5 College Cloisters, Cathedral Close, Hereford HR1 2NG, UK
www.herefordcathedral.org
Hewn Timber Chest
Medieval Merchant’s House
58 French Street, Southampton, Hampshire SO1 0AT, UK
www.englishheritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/medieval-merchants-house
Gothic Cradle replica, Wine Cabinet replica
Mount Grace Priory
Staddle Bridge, Northallerton, North Yorkshire DL6 3JG, UK
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-mountgracepriory
Fifteenth-Century Interior Door replica, Monastic Canopy Bed replica
Philadel
phia Museum of Art
26th Street and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA 19130
www.philamuseum.org
Italian Folding Chair, Italian Table, Fourteenth-Century Reading Desk, Spanish Armchair
Victoria and Albert Museum
Cromwell Road, London
SW7 2RL, UK
www.vam.ac.uk
Fifteenth-Century Window Frame
Winchester Cathedral
9 The Close, Winchester, Hampshire
SO23 9LS, UK
www.winchester-cathedral.org.uk
Church Pew
York Minster
Deangate, York YO1 7HH, UK
www.yorkminster.org
Cathedral Cabon
METRIC CONVERSION CHART
INDEX
Bed, half-tester
bed frame assembly, 228, 230
bed hangings, 232
bed slats, 230
ceiling panels, 230
cornice molding, 230
curtain rod, 232