Construction method for a shell/dome top cupboard

K

klkirkman

Well-known member
Does anyone know of a book or article that specifically covers the construction methods for the scalloped shell/dome often seen in corner cupboards ?

I know of one that was built by bread and butter build up of the dome in white pine lifts, followed by much carving of each scallop, but I was hoping for a better way.


Karl
 
Karl, I believe Gottshall has an article in one of his books on this.  I will check and get back to you.  However I think it may be the way you're trying to get away from.  When you say you were hoping "for a better way"; I read this as hoping for "an easier way!"  Good luck.
John McAlister
 
John,

You caught me.

I was trained as a patternmaker, and spent a lot of years carving large 25-foot towing-tank ship models made of 8/4 solid white pine lifts, and so yes, I meant a method that might use something more than lots of hand carving for which the thrill is gone; especially because I am thinking of making a pair.

I apologize for the use of the term "better", though, because as you suggest  I  meant a method that uses some power tools or possibly some sort of clever lamination process for individual staves which is not better.


Karl
 
Karl,

The following reference may be helpful.  Ohio River Valley meeting I believe from the fall of 2006.

http://www.sapfm.org/forum/index.php?topic=87.0

Carl
 
Karl,

Russ Tipton did that presentation and it was based on a Fine Woodworking article.

http://www.finewoodworking.com/SkillsAndTechniques/SkillsAndTechniquesPDF.aspx?id=2252

The router jig was pretty neat.

Cheers,
David
 
Thanks to John and David, and particularly to Russ Tipton who provided me with a copy of the PowerPoint presentation detailing the setup, and some related references.

I am now out of excuses not to proceed.


Karl
 
Karl, Sorry to be so long getting back to you. It was in Gottshall's Reproducing Antique Furniture; pg 146.  I remembered looking at it several years ago; it scared me off then and I've never been back!  John McAlister
 
Karl- I figured out once that if you use a router with a round base, the distance the bit protrudes will create various size spheres, so you can rough out the shell and finish the inside with the router. It leaves a perfect surface to carve in. I always built up the blanks with 8/4 pine and bandsawed out the angles before glue-up.-Al
 
Al,

How incredibly clever - seems too good to be true.

So much so, that at first I must confess that I thought the idea was flawed, but I realized that if you work from a final finished semi-circle curve on both edges, and you get the cutter depth bang on cut to exactly match the curve of those edges,  it seems it should work perfectly for the inner spherical surface.

Karl
 
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