In December, 2009, I discovered a 47 year old daughter that I was never aware of. Many of you know the story, if you don't and are interested, here is a link.
http://www.bobletterman.com/wordpress/?cat=163
Her birthday is on December 8th and the following year I built her a miniature mansion for her 48th birthday and my first one as her father. I posted the build as an SBS on this site.
https://www.modelersalliance.com/forum/bob-letterman/25388-simpatico-finished-a-delivered-122310
For 2011, I refurbished an antique china cabinet I lucked onto for her and also posted it here as well.
https://www.modelersalliance.com/forum/modelers-lounge/84947-what-ive-been-up-to
Well, another year has rolled around and it seems some are interested in another 1:1 birthday present build for Gail, my daughter. Back in May, Gail and I took a father/daughter vacation to Kansas City. On our last day, we went to a very unique place that carried antiques, home furnishings and had an upscale restaurant on the top floor. While there, we walked into one of the many rooms and saw a corner curio cabinet that was striking and she fell in love with it. On close inspection, it was poorly crafted and even the finish, which made it unique, wasn't done well. Here are a couple of photos.
The price on this was outrageous, especially considering the poor workmanship. So, I told her I would make one for her birthday that would be much better in quality for far less money and still retain the dynamic that caught her eye, the bronze patina. Hell, I have been putting patinas on statues, roofs and gutters on my cityscape dioramas since the 60s. When I refurbished the antique china cabinet last year, I realized that working on furniture was definitely a lot like modeling and I could use many of the techniques I have learned or developed over all those decades in another field. This dio was began in the 70s. Note the roof and statue.
You can see that the builder was trying to capture the Federalist style, but didn't bother to use a finial, and the oval wasn't cut evenly. It is higher on one side than the other. When I do cut the vault and opening on the top of the cabinet, I will cut one side first and then use it ,(reversed), as a pattern for the other side which in theory will result in a perfect opening. The finial will be between the two sides so there won't be a seam. I am finding that all that math and algebra I learned so many years ago is coming in handy! The arch that terminates the shelf opening will be made with a large drafting compass that I just happened to have from my days in college when I attended a Technical Institute. Gail wasn't even born yet. Here is a photo of a finial and a base that I will use.
[
As in the photos below, it will be placed dead center between the two sides.
With the Federalist style, the vault or pediment, (arch), at the top can be curved or straight. IMO, the straight, (As on the Kansas City curio), has a more proper federalist appearance as the curved ones seem to include a touch of Louis the 14th style. (Only natural as at the time the Federalist style came into existence the Louis the 14th style was dominant in Europe and undoubtedly influenced the Federalist style). See, I have already been doing some homework! Le Roy Soleil, the French sun king, had his own furniture designed and it is still being manufactured today. The Federalist style was elegant, but without the frilly stuff of a Louis the 14th piece. See example below.
One of the things I intend to include in her curio are tufted, padded interior walls. I have bought an earth brown suede-like material that will line the interior walls. I have never seen this done before, but I think it will soften the exterior patina for a less gaudy appearance. Note the color blend of the cloth with the patina on the exterior.
I have ordered the tufting buttons in the photo below.
Here is some flexible molding I bought to go on the inside of the oval or circle I will cut into the top configuration as well as the arch that terminates the shelf section. The colors won't matter on the exterior as it will all be painted with the patina, and, hopefully, a lot nicer job than the Kansas City curio cabinet.
I want it to be personalized as much as possible, so, I am sculpting a profile of her and her husband, facing each other on the upper portion of the cabinet. I plan to use these two photographs in the ghilberti style, similar to flats you see at figure shows. An example of the ghilberti style.
As I reread this, I am starting to sound like an interior decorator. So, just for the record, I'm a devout heterosexual! OK!
This will be a first for me, but I feel confident I can pull it off, especially after the china cabinet of last year. I have to order some foam rubber for padding off the Internet as well as some nail buttons for the tufting. I plan on starting it as soon as this damned heat lightens up. I'll be building it in my garage. I'll be posting SBS here as it goes along. It's amazing what a daughter will bring out in you, isn't it?
Bob
http://www.bobletterman.com/wordpress/?cat=163
Her birthday is on December 8th and the following year I built her a miniature mansion for her 48th birthday and my first one as her father. I posted the build as an SBS on this site.
https://www.modelersalliance.com/forum/bob-letterman/25388-simpatico-finished-a-delivered-122310
For 2011, I refurbished an antique china cabinet I lucked onto for her and also posted it here as well.
https://www.modelersalliance.com/forum/modelers-lounge/84947-what-ive-been-up-to
Well, another year has rolled around and it seems some are interested in another 1:1 birthday present build for Gail, my daughter. Back in May, Gail and I took a father/daughter vacation to Kansas City. On our last day, we went to a very unique place that carried antiques, home furnishings and had an upscale restaurant on the top floor. While there, we walked into one of the many rooms and saw a corner curio cabinet that was striking and she fell in love with it. On close inspection, it was poorly crafted and even the finish, which made it unique, wasn't done well. Here are a couple of photos.
The price on this was outrageous, especially considering the poor workmanship. So, I told her I would make one for her birthday that would be much better in quality for far less money and still retain the dynamic that caught her eye, the bronze patina. Hell, I have been putting patinas on statues, roofs and gutters on my cityscape dioramas since the 60s. When I refurbished the antique china cabinet last year, I realized that working on furniture was definitely a lot like modeling and I could use many of the techniques I have learned or developed over all those decades in another field. This dio was began in the 70s. Note the roof and statue.
You can see that the builder was trying to capture the Federalist style, but didn't bother to use a finial, and the oval wasn't cut evenly. It is higher on one side than the other. When I do cut the vault and opening on the top of the cabinet, I will cut one side first and then use it ,(reversed), as a pattern for the other side which in theory will result in a perfect opening. The finial will be between the two sides so there won't be a seam. I am finding that all that math and algebra I learned so many years ago is coming in handy! The arch that terminates the shelf opening will be made with a large drafting compass that I just happened to have from my days in college when I attended a Technical Institute. Gail wasn't even born yet. Here is a photo of a finial and a base that I will use.
[
As in the photos below, it will be placed dead center between the two sides.
With the Federalist style, the vault or pediment, (arch), at the top can be curved or straight. IMO, the straight, (As on the Kansas City curio), has a more proper federalist appearance as the curved ones seem to include a touch of Louis the 14th style. (Only natural as at the time the Federalist style came into existence the Louis the 14th style was dominant in Europe and undoubtedly influenced the Federalist style). See, I have already been doing some homework! Le Roy Soleil, the French sun king, had his own furniture designed and it is still being manufactured today. The Federalist style was elegant, but without the frilly stuff of a Louis the 14th piece. See example below.
One of the things I intend to include in her curio are tufted, padded interior walls. I have bought an earth brown suede-like material that will line the interior walls. I have never seen this done before, but I think it will soften the exterior patina for a less gaudy appearance. Note the color blend of the cloth with the patina on the exterior.
I have ordered the tufting buttons in the photo below.
Here is some flexible molding I bought to go on the inside of the oval or circle I will cut into the top configuration as well as the arch that terminates the shelf section. The colors won't matter on the exterior as it will all be painted with the patina, and, hopefully, a lot nicer job than the Kansas City curio cabinet.
I want it to be personalized as much as possible, so, I am sculpting a profile of her and her husband, facing each other on the upper portion of the cabinet. I plan to use these two photographs in the ghilberti style, similar to flats you see at figure shows. An example of the ghilberti style.
As I reread this, I am starting to sound like an interior decorator. So, just for the record, I'm a devout heterosexual! OK!
This will be a first for me, but I feel confident I can pull it off, especially after the china cabinet of last year. I have to order some foam rubber for padding off the Internet as well as some nail buttons for the tufting. I plan on starting it as soon as this damned heat lightens up. I'll be building it in my garage. I'll be posting SBS here as it goes along. It's amazing what a daughter will bring out in you, isn't it?
Bob
