Phil Fallin

Completed in October, 2025. This is a case of “…if you know, you know.” Although it is a small case, there is a LOT going on here: carved convex/concave shells, over 250 hand-cut dovetails (including >
140 half-blind), 9 drawers, a hand-carved base moulding and turned bun feet.

With each new project, I take on a new element for the first time—with this chest, it was my first shot at carving the concave and convex shells. I do think the smaller shells are tougher than the conventional larger shells because of the fragility of the smaller rays—it’s very easy to damage them in the small spaces that have to be worked.

I used plans purchased from both Al Breed and Tim Killen. I also relied on the excellent Metropolitan Museum of Art book, “John Townsend, Newport Cabinet Maker” by Morrison Heckscher, pp. 105-106.

All hardware: Londonderry Hardware.
For the finish, I used Lockwood’s English Brown aniline dye and several coats of amber and garnet shellac.

This John Townsend Document Chest of the Chippendale Period (1760), is made of Mahogany and Poplar secondary. It measures 27 1/2" H x 23 7/8" W x 11 3/4" D. Made in Goldsboro, Georgia.

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