Lowboy Dressing Table (building process)
This Queen Anne Lowboy dressing table is based on different variations of antique lowboys from New England, dating around 1740 to 1760. This lowboy is handmade of solid mahogany .
First, the cabriole legs are rough shaped out of 3” thick mahogany. Then they are hand shaped with spoke shaves, files, chisels etc.
Next, the case parts are milled and the joinery is cut on both the legs and corresponding case piece. Mortise and tenon, and dovetail joinery are both used on the case construction.
Once all the case joinery is hand fit the drawer dividers and slides go in along with the knee blocks for the legs. Knee blocks transition the legs into the case. They are hand shaped once glued into place.
Next the drawers are milled and all the dovetails are hand cut. The top is also rough milled out of a thick 2 1/2 thick piece of mahogany. The book matched top comes when a solid board is cut down the middle then opened like a book.
Next up the front drawer is laid out and carved using a few different carving hand tools.
After the carving is finished the top is shaped and carved, and the drop finials are turned on the lathe. Now it is time to prepare the lowboy for stain and a finish (shellac). Hand planes, scrapers and sandpaper are used. The reproduction hardware is also fit prior to the finish being applied.
Next, the water based stain and grain filler are applied to fill the pours of the mahogany and give this dressing table its rich color. After each individual step has dried shellac is applied.
After a good finish of shellac is built up, the rub down process begins for the French Polish. This traditional finish is when you hand rub the surface with successively finer stone to produce a glass like finish.
After the top and case are rubbed down the top is attached and the Lowboy is complete
This Queen Anne lowboy is now on our Portfolio Page
