On Mon, 28 Feb 2005 19:21:14 -0500, the inscrutable Tom Watson
spake:
No, Instant Patina is not a breakfast cereal. It is the replication
of a worn surface on newly made furniture.
I like the look of well cared for antique furniture, that shows wear
marks and finish color variations that are the result of use and
cleaning, over time.
I don't think that the coloring of wood through staining or fuming
amounts to instant patination, but it is close enough for me to
include it here.
Oh?
I'm in the midst of designing a tall chest that I want to build and,
as I believe in "building backwards" when thinking about design, the
issues of wood coloration and distressing are much on my mind.
I suppose I should talk briefly about the concept of "building
backwards".
--lotsa good BS snipped--
It's easy to have items that need to be at eye level, like stereo
components, that get shoved into a space that can only be accessed by
crouching down or standing on a foot stool.
You've all seen this. You know it sucks.
Ooh, ooh, you've just forced me to conceptually redesign the new
entertainment center I need to build to replace that lovely pair of
MDF and woodgrain-plastic-covered carts the stereo is now whiningly
crouched upon.
Thank you, Tawm, from the bottom of my heart.
The stereo and CD racks will go up top, middled by the center speaker,
braced up by the TV (perhaps to one side, and bottomed by the small,
VHS movie collection drawer.
Excellent. Tanks again. I had visualized half a dozen different
shapes and styles but hadn't settled on any one or mix of them.
I was thinking inside the damned box. Mercy buckets for outtin' me.
It seems like a basic and simple consideration but I've seen pieces,
that were immaculately conceived (or as close as we mortals can come
to such conception), as pieces unto themselves - one in particular
that is a tall chest, worthy of Lonnie Bird - but the damned thing was
made from prints of an eighteenth century piece that was intended to
go into a room with twelve foot ceilings.
Ain't he wunna them oddly white bassetball players?
The Chinese Menu School Of Design allows the person who does not want
to make a faithful copy of a period piece, nor even to stay slavishly
within a style, to take those elements that please him and fit within
the constraints implied by the existing furniture, and create a work
that feels at home in its space.
Perchance, did you just read Rashmi's Blog?
The two night tables are cherry and have pad feet. I won't build a
walnut piece with ball and claw feet. I think that the room would
lack harmony.
And taste.
The existing chest has quarter columns and a reverse ogee top. I'll
try to bring those elements into the design of the tall chest.
I'm sold on the idea of a broken pediment, and it doesn't violate
anything else that is going on in the room, so I'm going for it.
A broken pediment is much more attractive than a speech 'pediment.
As to the concept of Instant Patina:
Two of the pieces in the room are factory made furniture but have been
kicked around enough to have mellowed out a good bit. The other two
are probably a hundred to a hundred and fifty years old - and look it.
I'm thinking of staining the cherry of the new piece, both to unify
The phrase "filthy heathen bastid" instantly pops to mind.
the colors of the various pieces of wood, and to bring the color range
into that of the existing furniture. I'm also thinking of wiping the
stain along the top edges of the drawer fronts and the outside edges
of the carcase, to give that almost whitened quality to it, that shows
in older furniture.
"Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!" popped up that time.
I am as mindful as anyone about the beauty of naturally aged cherry,
but I am also fifty four years old and don't have time to wait for it
to happen on its own.
Thimk! Can you say "Tanning Salon"? I knew you could.
My thoughts are to use a blond shellac for the surface finish and to
apply this with a brush, rather than use my usual spray technique,
although I may have to introduce some stain as a toner, to get the
color, and I would spray that prior to the clear coats.
cringe
I don't think that I will beat it with chains but I also don't think
that I will sand it to six hundred grit. In fact, I was hoping to
scraper finish the drawer fronts and hand mold the edge treatments and
moldings, without using abrasives.
cringe2
I am hoping that this will provide a finished look that will allow
the new piece to fit in with the old, without looking too much like
the dude with new clothes.
sigh
It does seem like an awful lot to think about for a simple chest,
doesn't it?
Damned tootin', sir.
--
Remember: Every silver lining has a cloud.
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