boxes and chests chairs low tables benches
Cleft box (or diminutive chest) made from local oak and measuring approx 35cm wide and 37cm long.
I've made the equivalent of about one a year, usually in pairs. They are inert and robust enough to outlast most things, but the creaking lid might not suit everyone! Made in a very direct and simple looking way, the components are not flattened by machine or sanded. Subtle tool-marks from a spoke-shave are the finish with only wax added. Assembly is with oak pegs and an oak pin-hinge.
I've made the equivalent of about one a year, usually in pairs. They are inert and robust enough to outlast most things, but the creaking lid might not suit everyone! Made in a very direct and simple looking way, the components are not flattened by machine or sanded. Subtle tool-marks from a spoke-shave are the finish with only wax added. Assembly is with oak pegs and an oak pin-hinge.
Large Cleft Chest 2017. Marchmont House collection
Probably the largest cleft chest I will make using 5-board construction. The timber has unusual qualities of undulating form without the more common spiral growth. Sympathetically hinged and pegged using techniques that link older traditions with contemporary minimalism. No finish is applied...the wood has a raw simplicity, beauty and strength.
Held together with oak pegs, my boxes and chests retain the structural elements and craft finesse practiced over centuries. I still use only one tree for peg material, sourced 40 years ago and having exceptional wood grain. Able to withstand the weight of a club hammer, the pegs must also be able to move a small amount necessary for humidity adjustments.