LumberJocks Woodworking Forum banner

Project Information

This is my own design of a Greene and Greene-style standing desk. It's my first project in G&G's idiom. It has the typical G&G features: floating keys for the breadboard ends, pegs, multiplanar design, cloud lifts, and pillowed finger joints. But I added some things myself.

The biggest feature is that the cloud lifts support the desk top and the drawer box, making them look like they're floating. That gives the whole piece a lighter look than one might expect.

I also decided to use cherry rather than mahogany, just because I like cherry!

Finally, rather than using ebony (which is crazy expensive) for the plugs, I experimented with maple, stained in Japanese calligraphy ink, sealed with shellac, then polished on a buffing wheel. Looks pretty good, total cost around $15.

To accommodate wood movement in the top, it's attached only by hinges on the back rail. It just sits loose on the front rail.

The whole thing weighs only about 30 pounds, so it's easy to slide from room to room on felt pads glued to the feet. (A requirement from the commissioning client, my wife!).

Gallery

Comments

· Registered
Joined
·
44 Posts
That doesn't look like your first piece of G&G, great job! You are right, it feels very light and airy. Also, great idea on the ebony substitute, they look great.
 

· Registered
Joined
·
193 Posts
Exceptional, very unique. I love seeing styles like G&G applied to newer types of pieces. Also great creativity on the 'neo ebony'.
 

· Registered
Joined
·
1,217 Posts
Very stylish. Well done.
 

· Registered
Joined
·
6,114 Posts
Beautiful work and design.
Best thoughts,
Mads
 

· Registered
Joined
·
5,244 Posts
Handsome desk. A work to be truly proud of.
 

· Registered
Joined
·
70 Posts
Thanks for all the kind words!

I like the term "neo ebony"! Since a couple of people have commented, here's the procedure I came up with:

1. Cut and shape the pieces. I used soft maple, but I suppose any close-grained, neutral-colored wood would work.
2. Prepare a mixture of about 2:1 amber shellac in a 1 lb cut and Japanese calligraphy ink, available in art supply stores. (I also thought about India ink, but it's considerably more expensive.) The alcohol (in the shellac) and the water (in the ink) mix together just as well as they do in a bottle of beer
3. Get a container (I used a pickle jar) big enough to hold all the pieces and soak them in the mixture overnight.
4. Pull them out and lay them to dry on an edge that will be unexposed.
5. If the coverage isn't as good as you like, add more shellac to the mixture and paint on another coat. At this point, the mixture might appear a little grainy - I think from the particles clumping together. I didn't do this, but I wish I had strained it through a filter first, just to get rid of the biggest clumps.
6. After all has dried, give it a light buff on a buffing wheel. Careful of the corners - the ink sinks in a little bit into the wood, but it's still possible to grind off a corner and let the white maple show through.
7. If you're going to finish your project in shellac as well, give the parts a quick spray of clear lacquer from a spray can. Otherwise you have the chance of pulling the ebonizing off the parts.
8. Apply paste wax and buff again. (Be careful to keep wax off of any gluing surfaces. A little masking tape helps.)
9. Install.

That's it. If I were to do it again, I might experiment with scorching the maple with a blow torch, then go through the shellac/lacquer/wax buffing process.
 

· Registered
Joined
·
2,984 Posts
That's a beautiful drawing desk! I love G&G, and you've certainly done the style justice!

Interesting to learn your ebonizing procedure. I've heard of ebonizing walnut, because it's already relatively dark colored, but never maple!
 
Top