Building On History
This past weekend I taught the second Shaker candle stand class this year at The Woodwright's School in Pittsboro, NC (forgot my camera on the first one!). I have done this class at other schools over the years but with electric lathes. At Roy's we use a treadle lathe in keeping with the hand tool... Continue Reading →
Issac Youngs interest in clocks started as a young boy in the shop of his uncle Benjamin Youngs, a clock maker by trade. "When I was a child, I lived with my uncle, who was a clock maker. I used to be with him in his shop & watch his motions, learned the parts of... Continue Reading →
For me to get the best feel for a time, person or event in history does not usually come from a book written on the specific subject. An author cannot go into every little detail or his work would likely go on forever. Also an author can choose what details to add or leave out... Continue Reading →
In my opinion, there are few Shaker objects that are as special as the Issac Newton Youngs wall clocks. My reason for thinking this it not just the clocks themselves but the man that made them, he is a pretty good story too. If you have any interest at all in Shaker furniture it is... Continue Reading →
I had a question from a reader about an article on Popular Woodworking's blog that I had written. The piece was a folding Shaker stepladder that I measured at Hancock Shaker Village featured in the April 2019 issue, I did not know until today that it was on the blog! The full article is available... Continue Reading →
There are two very good online resources for Shaker furniture that most folks do not seem to be aware of. Hancock Shaker Village has their entire collection cataloged in a searchable database with photos, overall dimensions and what time frame the pieces date to. You can check it out here. Shaker Museum Mount Lebanon also... Continue Reading →
If you have an interest in Shaker history, the Shaker Museum at Mount Lebanon maintains an excellent blog you may want to check out. I am not sure who authors the posts and picks the subjects but they do a great job of keeping it interesting. The topic of the latest post is about a... Continue Reading →
I've been working on a near copy of a bed from the collection at Hancock Shaker Village the past couple of weeks. They have many beds in the collection, this one is my favorite. This example originated at Hancock, made sometime in the early 19th century and is still sporting it's original green paint. When... Continue Reading →
I was contacted by Russ Hammond, a reader in Brisbane, Australia. He took my quick sketch of the hanging cabinet and made a much more presentable drawing. The measurements are metric which will make about 90% of the world very happy. I especially like the reverse engineered pediment, my hat is off! Special thanks to... Continue Reading →
On my last visit to Hancock Shaker Village I took some quick photos and measured this little hanging cabinet from their collection. This cabinet is probably familiar to you, it is in many books on Shaker furniture and is one of HSV's more famous pieces. It is simply made in white pine, all nailed... Continue Reading →
Eclectic Mechanicals 