cockbeaded case construction

W

wallysandcrab

Well-known member
I'm doing my oxbow case, which is cockbeaded, cockbeading applied to the case.  My question is about thickness of case side and cockbead moulding.

Given data, 3/16 thick cockbead, 13/16 thick case side.  How deep would the rabbet for the cockbead be?

Should it be flush with the inside?

Thanks
JD
 
I make mine flush with the inside and 1/2 to 3/4" deep. The depth does not really matter.

Dennis Bork
 
I know now is a bad time to say this but with most New England chests with cock beading on the case, the cock beading was not applied to the rails and stiles they were actually cut from the rails and stiles and the rails (blades) were set in the thickness of the bead to take care of the difference. There always seems to be a period exception though. We are building an eastern shore of Virginia corner cupboard at Marc Adams ( with some spaces still available) which the beading was part of the case but we are applying the bead during the class to help with ease of construction. I thought I would post this just to cause trouble.
 
Jeff, are you saying that the cock beading is cut from the rails and stiles and then glued back on?  If that is true, why not just form the cock beading on the rails and stiles instead of cutting it off? 

Jim Vojcek
 
Jeff,

You just refreshed my memory.  Some cock beading I did as stated above.  Some I cut from the solid rails and sides of the chest, e.g., a block front bureau.  Some I cut from stock then glued them onto the sides and rails.  I believe it was done this way to hide the beautiful dovetails you just cut joining the rails to the sides.

Dennis Bork
 
I might be confused about the question asked. Beading around the drawer but not part of the drawer but part the rails ( blades) and stiles(case sides) are usually part of the rail(blade) and not added but shaped out of the stile(case side) and rail ( blade ) on most period pieces, including most New England pieces. I am saying that the bead was not added originally but scraped out of the rail and side and then the rail was mitered to fit the bead of the stile. If my posting is different than the question asked then nevermind. Again my family always called it cogbeading although it is the same thing. Please don't confuse this posting with scratch or screw beading seen on many country or western (above the fall line) pieces.
 
Yet another variation that I've often seen is cockbeading cut from the solid in the rails (drawer blades), and applied cockbeading on the inside of the case side that matches.  One advantage of this method is that it's quite easy to cut cockbeading in a drawer blade before its installed in the chest, and it's a lot easier to miter the corners of the short pieces of cockbeading that will be applied on the inside of the case sides than it is to carve it into the case sides and get every intersection perfect.
 
Yeah, DK, that's how I'm doing this chest.  Applied bead on stiles, beads cut into blades.  I've never done cockbeading before, and have been using some pics on Al Breed's website of Sam Breed doing this on a blockfront to guide me.   
Let me approach my question this way:
How thick would case sides typically be for this type furniture (cockbeaded four drawer chest)?
How wide would cockbeading typically be?
How much would cockbead project?

Thanks

JD
 
Each period technique adds to what we build today. There are so many to choose from. Use what you like and feel comfortable with. That is the fun part about period construction today. I think we all do that.
I would figure between a heavy 1/8" to a shy 3/16" and to project the same for the beading. I don't mean to be a prude.
 
I use a scratch stock to cut my bead.  I find it best to cut only one bead at a time on drawer blades.  If your cutter cuts both beads and your drawer blade is not perfectly even in thickness you will have an odd looking bead. The one bead cutter can be use for both drawer blades and case sides. 

Dennis Bork
Antiquity Period Designs, Ltd.
 
"How thick would case sides typically be for this type furniture (cockbeaded four drawer chest)?
How wide would cockbeading typically be?
How much would cockbead project?"

JD -

Hmm - I suspect you'd find existing pieces that are all over the map within a fairly narrowly defined range for those questions.  For example, the case side thickness would vary between an absolute minimum of 1/2" to perhaps an absolute maximum of 1", with all sizes in between.  The thickness would, of course, be somewhat dependent on the size of the piece.  Most often, I see case sides on "normal sized" furniture in the 5/8" to 7/8" range.

As to the size of cockbeading, again, it varies with the size of the piece and the original cabinetmaker's training and preferences.  I've seen cockbeading on originals that was a very diminutive 3/32nds, to as much as 5/16", so I would size it based on what looks right to you.  I'd start with 1/8" to 3/16" and go from there (as Jeff suggests).  Generally speaking, the cockbeading projects about the same as the overall width, so a 3/16" cockbead might project about 3/16" above the surface.
 
JD

I measured what is supposed to be a fairly careful reproduction of a Newport Block-and- Shell Secretary of mine , and the cockbead is almost exaclty half way between the 1/8 and 3/16 width range suggested by others. However, it does not project that full amount, it is about midway between being a half round , and a full round in depth.

Karl
 
If I make my beading 1/8" diameter/wide, then I make the depth half or 1/16".  To me this looks better.  If the depth is more you will have a half circle and then a flat.

Dennis Bork
 
Agreed, the cockbeading should project 1/2 the amount of the width.  This avoids the flat, like Dennis said.

Cal
 
Cockbeading is actually designed to protect a veneered edge from chipping as the drawer is pulled in and out. New England took there own take on the method. Another benefit of beading is it also takes care of slight variances in the fitting of the drawer. So before planning on a serpentine drawer front to fit another serpentine surface perfectly your projection of your bead should be considered to take care of slight difference.  Especially if your drawer front is veneered. Some day I hope to get a serpentine drawer to fit perfectly. I hope this makes sense. I am typing from experience!
 
Dennis & Cal,

I too expected the reproductioncockbead to be half rounds as you two have suggested, and was somewhat surprised by my result and that is why I mentioned that it was not "1 D" deep as suggested by someone, but also not "1 r".

In thinking about how to make the cockbeads with hand tools, the presence of a small flat ( and that is all that it is)  seems it could lend itself to how the shape would have been cut; particularly a nice clean sharp inside corner that would be harder to achieve if it were an intersection between a half-round and a flat. I can imagine that the craftsman would cut the standing ridge square perhaps with a rabbet plane  to get a nice clean straignt intersection between the cockbead and the base material,  and them proceed to break the corners and round it. That would result in a clean straight appearance. This is pure speculation based on making things over the years to look right.

I am not disputing what the correct shape would be, only trying to envision why a small flat might be present in terms of the tools and construction sequence when the parts were handmade.

Obviously with a router, molder, or shaper bit, it becomes moot.

BTW, the neatest trick I ever learned with cockbeads was Jeff's post about a year ago related his three part chests where he disclosed that he cut the cockbead rabbets in the drawer edges AFTER fitting the drawers by marking from the case back onto the drawer front. What a really neat trick to make things look right.

Karl
 
Thanks for all the help so far.  Let's pursue the hand made approach for making the double cockbead on the blades.  Would you normally do this with one scraper held in a scratch stock?  Or is the central rabbet made separately?

Thanks again

JD
 
JD,

I made my cutter so it cuts one bead and a little more than half of the rabbet.  Then simple flip the drawer blade over and cut the other side (bead and rabbet).  If there is a little step in the middle of the rabbit a narrow scraper will remove it.

Dennis Bork
 
JD- I always make the cockbeads by hand.
If the bead is on the case it's integral with the blades. I scrape the beads from each side and then clean out the middle with a chisel and/or scraper. The disadvantage of doing it with a singe scraper with both beads ground into it is hat your blade is probably hand planed and varies slightly in thickness, resulting in partial beads if the variation is significant,
As far as the beads on the case sides are concerned, there are three ways I can think of that these were done:
Newport ones tend to be set in a rabbet so that you can put them i one at a time and not worry too much if you mess one up. The dado for the blades to slide into in the case side will be the same depth as the bead rabbet.
Boston ones ( these attributions are not cast in stone, I've seen exceptions to them all) tend to have a cover strip applied to the case sides. This strip is about 1/8 thick and has a bead scratched into the inside edge. The strip is then marked from the blades and all the mitres are cut and the strip is glued to the case side, covering the dovetails.
The most difficult one is the bombe chest, where the bead is scratched onto the case sides and each blade-side joint has to be perfect. I've seen one bombe where the edge of the case was done with a cover strip. I suspect he scratched the bead into the case, cut it off, did the dovetailed blades and then re-attached the cover strip.
Glad Sam's post helped you-Al
 
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