Showing off my latest period project

[A.J. Hamler]

I'm always lurking around the forum but haven't had anything worth posting in a while.  However, I recently finished a project you guys might appreciate.

This is a 19th-century drop-front desk, typically called a "field desk" due to their popularity with officers during the Civil War.  While some where made to order by officers for field use and some even were field-made, most were household desks appropriated when officers went off to war.  This is of the latter type.




It's all solid cherry except cherry plywood in the front panels, desk back and drawer bottoms (not period-correct, but none of the plywood edges are visible, so no one would know).  The desk measures 27" wide, a bit over 21" high, and 10-3/4" front-to-back.  The black writing surface is leather. The tall dividers on the left and the short dividers at the top/center are fixed, but the shelves on the right slide out to create larger openings on that side (if, say, you wanted to put something taller on one of those shelves).

Although you can't tell by looking at it, those drawers aren't full-length.  They're only 8-3/4" long, leaving a space of 1-1/4" behind them.  Just the right amount of room for one of these secret tills to fit in that space behind each one.  I made the front/back of the tills from walnut as I wanted them as dark as possible.  With a drawer removed, they're very hard to see down inside the drawer openings.



The finish is four applications of rubbed-out linseed oil, followed by paste wax.

Hope you like it.

A.J.

[Kent Shootwell]

Now that's some craftsmanship! Well done indeed.

[Will Ketchum]

Very nice! I envy your craftsmanship.

Will Ketchum

[Tsalagidave]

Well done. Outstanding workmanship! I can see some future cash for you in both making these as well as other period wood items.

-Dave

[Good Troy]

Wow! Awesome craftmanship!!

[Oregon Bill]

What is it like to go through life with real talent?