Digital Métiers

The Chair Making Process from Beginning to End in 18th Century France

Shaping the Pieces – A Façonner les Pièces

Once the joinery is complete, the chair’s form must be created.

Photo: Avi Schwarzchild

The desired outline is traced onto the wood’s surface in pencil. Note that the tenon is marked to avoid cutting into it.

Photo: Avi Schwarzchild

The two pieces are separated. The bow saw is used to roughly cut along the pencil line.

Photo: Avi Schwarzchild

A large rasp is used to smooth and refine the outline and to remove the saw marks.

Photo: Avi Schwarzchild

The pieces are reassembled, and a smaller round rasp is used to blend the sections together.

Left Photo: Avi Schwarzchild. Right Photo: Detail of Upper-Left Corner of the Fauteuil à la reine. Photo: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (66.60.2).

The finished piece is ready for gesso, carving, and gilding (left). A close up of the reproduced section of the armchair (right).

 

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