Hobbies...

Videogames as well.

I didnt like WOW, I am waiting for AGE OF CONAN, I think thats going to blow WOW away.

I also like cats (big ones, and little ones) but espicially the furry hairball that's chewing on my ankle as I write this (he thinks its cat-playtime).
 
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I get outside with my rifle whenever possible. I don't know what it is, but I can sit there and go through boxes of ammo. The unfortunate part is that ammo and gas to get to the range costs money, and I'm a poor teen.:shock:as Though...the neighbors dog has gone on a barking binge and hasn't stopped...and I've got a few left-over turkey loads.... :firedevi:
 
Missileer said:
I can't really lump all pieces from one period as a favorite.
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I can understand why Shaker furniture would appeal to a maker.

Fine antique furniture is my game, or has been for nearly 50 years, now my hobby. Not as a maker, you understand. but as a searcher, a discoverer, a turner- up , a researcher, of the best. i have been involved with a lot of restoration , but usually i had staff. We did all our own. I used to have shops in Camden Passage and Kings Road, London, as well as in my home town. Only antique, of course, the periods you mention.

In the Louvre, The Musee D'orsay, Paris is a the most wonderful 19th century library table I have seen. It is Paris, with fabulous signed marquetry by the greatest 19th century marqueteur, Joseph Cremer. It is often on display, and is represented as the best of marquetry in the best reference books. I discovered the table, unrecognised until then, and no expert authority knew who Cremer was at the time. Difficult research required, and in doing so I realised that this table established the fact that Cremer made the finest of marquetry panels etc for the great New York furniture makers to incorporate into their pieces.

Some years later I did it again with an overlooked and rejected rare cabinet which to my eye was fabulous. Although the cabinet was New York, I recognised the marquetry decoration as Cremer, and it ended up in the Houston museum, to the best of my knowledge. This also is represented in reference books as the best of its genre.

Marquetry, Italian furniture, & the great American and English makers were part of my speciality, and only last week i was at the museums on advanced and detailed research into an item by George Bullock , the most innovative British cabinet-maker and designer of the 19th century . Quality second to none, he was given the job by Britain of producing the complete furnishings of the new home for the exiled Napoleon on St Helena. This involves, of course, the Regency period, maple with brilliant ebony marquetry , and superb cabinet-making. Duncan Phyffe (spelling?)is another of my favourites, as well as the great American 18thc. makers of Boston, Charleston, Newport etc.etc. I also loved the QA periods, English and American, including the 19th c. revivals in fantastic burr-walnut veneers. Sets of 8 and 10, fabulous elbow and open armchairs, wing-back armchairs ; oh Yes! Double-dome top Bookcases! I have seen the museums of Washington and Charleston, and scanned through the plantations to familiarise myself. Love it. And few people would know where one of the best collections of 18th c. furniture in America is held. I do not think I am at liberty to say, but TI may well know.

England used to be an absolute treasure chest of great things, because in the 19th century we were great finders and importers of antigues from all over.

Keep up the good work, so brilliant to be a maker.:cheers:
 
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I dunno if it qualifies as a "hobby", perhaps more a pastime, but for the last two years I have been kept busy cannibalising and refurbishing old cast off computers to be donated to the needy. My customers range from 7 years old to 93 with the latter being quite a prolific writer of local history books. I also do internet setups and basic lessons for the elderly, there's few things more rewarding than enabling a pair of great grandparents to see their latest family addition in real time, who was born 2000 miles away.

The local recycling service drops off one to three units a week, I give them a quick test and reformat the drives then load the basics, with further loading once the users needs are known. The units not suitable for re use are cannibalised for handy bits 'n' pieces and returned to the recycler. He also has two of my units in his office.

I've also built several cheap but efficient file servers out of excess hard drives for the local history group. And next time you drop and lose that weeny little screw out of your DVD burner, give me a call, I've got squillions of them.
 
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Del Boy said:
I can understand why Shaker furniture would appeal to a maker.

Fine antique furniture is my game, or has been for nearly 50 years, now my hobby. Not as a maker, you understand. but as a searcher, a discoverer, a turner- up , a researcher, of the best. i have been involved with a lot of restoration , but usually i had staff. We did all our own. I used to have shops in Camden Passage and Kings Road, London, as well as in my home town. Only antique, of course, the periods you mention.

In the Louvre, The Musee D'orsay, Paris is a the most wonderful 19th century library table I have seen. It is Paris, with fabulous signed marquetry by the greatest 19th century marqueteur, Joseph Cremer. It is often on display, and is represented as the best of marquetry in the best reference books. I discovered the table, unrecognised until then, and no expert authority knew who Cremer was at the time. Difficult research required, and in doing so I realised that this table established the fact that Cremer made the finest of marquetry panels etc for the great New York furniture makers to incorporate into their pieces.

Some years later I did it again with an overlooked and rejected rare cabinet which to my eye was fabulous. Although the cabinet was New York, I recognised the marquetry decoration as Cremer, and it ended up in the Houston museum, to the best of my knowledge. This also is represented in reference books as the best of its genre.

Marquetry, Italian furniture, & the great American and English makers were part of my speciality, and only last week i was at the museums on advanced and detailed research into an item by George Bullock , the most innovative British cabinet-maker and designer of the 19th century . Quality second to none, he was given the job by Britain of producing the complete furnishings of the new home for the exiled Napoleon on St Helena. This involves, of course, the Regency period, maple with brilliant ebony marquetry , and superb cabinet-making. Duncan Phyffe (spelling?)is another of my favourites, as well as the great American 18thc. makers of Boston, Charleston, Newport etc.etc. I also loved the QA periods, English and American, including the 19th c. revivals in fantastic burr-walnut veneers. Sets of 8 and 10, fabulous elbow and open armchairs, wing-back armchairs ; oh Yes! Double-dome top Bookcases! I have seen the museums of Washington and Charleston, and scanned through the plantations to familiarise myself. Love it. And few people would know where one of the best collections of 18th c. furniture in America is held. I do not think I am at liberty to say, but TI may well know.

England used to be an absolute treasure chest of great things, because in the 19th century we were great finders and importers of antigues from all over.

Keep up the good work, so brilliant to be a maker.:cheers:
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Wow! You really know your stuff it seems. :)
 
Thank you Sevens. It is a just a question of having been so long at it. I guess it has been my life. That and my family. It enabled me to afford to bring up my five children, who were tots when i started and times were hard. These days it would be almost impossible to go the same route. Two of my sons have followed in my footsteps, but have carefully avoided my fields of interest and specialise in their own areas of interest, one in antique ceramics and one in ancient Islamic design, 19th c. Arts and Crafts etc. In their expertise I would be an amateur, having not been able to keep up over the years; hard to teach an old dog new tricks. And funnily enough, in reality antiques is very much a young man's game, a lot of mental and physical strength and energy required to make a satisfactory living with integrity and high reputation.

Among my grandsons are 5 young brothers, and 3 of them have a great hard rock band, but also are developing their interest in antiques, with the benefit of their father's great fund of expertise.

I have become an old dinosaur now, both in antiques and in rock! But at least I:rockin: know I led the way!
 
My hobby? Uhh.....collect the World War 2 era's small arm weapons, read a book, and learn the foreign languages....heh..
 
Del Boy said:
Thank you Sevens. It is a just a question of having been so long at it. I guess it has been my life. That and my family. It enabled me to afford to bring up my five children, who were tots when i started and times were hard. These days it would be almost impossible to go the same route. Two of my sons have followed in my footsteps, but have carefully avoided my fields of interest and specialise in their own areas of interest, one in antique ceramics and one in ancient Islamic design, 19th c. Arts and Crafts etc. In their expertise I would be an amateur, having not been able to keep up over the years; hard to teach an old dog new tricks. And funnily enough, in reality antiques is very much a young man's game, a lot of mental and physical strength and energy required to make a satisfactory living with integrity and high reputation.

Among my grandsons are 5 young brothers, and 3 of them have a great hard rock band, but also are developing their interest in antiques, with the benefit of their father's great fund of expertise.

I have become an old dinosaur now, both in antiques and in rock! But at least I:rockin: know I led the way!
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Very awesome!! Sounds like you have a really cool family. Definitely a very intelligent one. :)
 
Sevens - you are very kind. My family ? I reckon it's just full on rock and roll; music is good for the soul. Actually they all take after my wife, great mum; that's the secret. The wife makes the family. Last week I went to see my granddaughter playing Serena in the musical Fame - five solo songs! And her brother is also a great guitar player, and plays soccer and cricket for his town, he is 12. We've got 2 little girls in Limerick, Ireland who sing and dance and ride horses, and we have 3 year old twins, boy and girl, so Eve and I will be partying with those two tomorrow. Plenty music. Thanks again.
 
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Del Boy said:
I can understand why Shaker furniture would appeal to a maker.

Fine antique furniture is my game, or has been for nearly 50 years, now my hobby. Not as a maker, you understand. but as a searcher, a discoverer, a turner- up , a researcher, of the best. i have been involved with a lot of restoration , but usually i had staff. We did all our own. I used to have shops in Camden Passage and Kings Road, London, as well as in my home town. Only antique, of course, the periods you mention.

In the Louvre, The Musee D'orsay, Paris is a the most wonderful 19th century library table I have seen. It is Paris, with fabulous signed marquetry by the greatest 19th century marqueteur, Joseph Cremer. It is often on display, and is represented as the best of marquetry in the best reference books. I discovered the table, unrecognised until then, and no expert authority knew who Cremer was at the time. Difficult research required, and in doing so I realised that this table established the fact that Cremer made the finest of marquetry panels etc for the great New York furniture makers to incorporate into their pieces.

Some years later I did it again with an overlooked and rejected rare cabinet which to my eye was fabulous. Although the cabinet was New York, I recognised the marquetry decoration as Cremer, and it ended up in the Houston museum, to the best of my knowledge. This also is represented in reference books as the best of its genre.

Marquetry, Italian furniture, & the great American and English makers were part of my speciality, and only last week i was at the museums on advanced and detailed research into an item by George Bullock , the most innovative British cabinet-maker and designer of the 19th century . Quality second to none, he was given the job by Britain of producing the complete furnishings of the new home for the exiled Napoleon on St Helena. This involves, of course, the Regency period, maple with brilliant ebony marquetry , and superb cabinet-making. Duncan Phyffe (spelling?)is another of my favourites, as well as the great American 18thc. makers of Boston, Charleston, Newport etc.etc. I also loved the QA periods, English and American, including the 19th c. revivals in fantastic burr-walnut veneers. Sets of 8 and 10, fabulous elbow and open armchairs, wing-back armchairs ; oh Yes! Double-dome top Bookcases! I have seen the museums of Washington and Charleston, and scanned through the plantations to familiarise myself. Love it. And few people would know where one of the best collections of 18th c. furniture in America is held. I do not think I am at liberty to say, but TI may well know.

England used to be an absolute treasure chest of great things, because in the 19th century we were great finders and importers of antigues from all over.

Keep up the good work, so brilliant to be a maker.:cheers:
Click to expand...

You're right about English antique pine. It was once everywere. Most of my shaping planes and chisels came from England. Japanese and Chinese joinery is most interesting and would take a lifetime to master. Did anyone know that Ringo Starr was trained to be a joiner?
 
What's a joiner? I know I should know this, but I'm drawing a blank. :) I'm finding this whole antique furniture thing very interesting. Gonna have to do some research.
 
Missileer said:
You're right about English antique pine. It was once everywere. Most of my shaping planes and chisels came from England. Japanese and Chinese joinery is most interesting and would take a lifetime to master. Did anyone know that Ringo Starr was trained to be a joiner?
Click to expand...

Pine- of course a lot it was Welsh, and a lot was imported and stripped. Really it was made to be painted. But we had massive amounts of glorious fantastic stuff, walnut and marquetry, oriental, islamic etc. Much of the finest went to italy, fantastic trade buyers. The best walnut, credenzas etc, are there. In the last decade English dealers have bought well in America regularly. Being the odd man out as always, when i visited I left behind a 1958 Gbson Les Paul guitar in St Augustine, where I had gone for church! i really should have bought it!
Oriental ceramics and furniture and bronzes and blades were included in my interests. Of course, my furniture interest is in the inspiration; how a wonderful piece of furniture sits, does it take your breath away. For example, Italian and Flemish early pieces, as seen in early paintings; a marquetry bombe bureau that is the only piece in an otherwise empty room, marble black and white chess- board floor, perhaps a small rug!

Will the piece of furniture I have found stand up to that test? How does it sit there demanding your attention? Would you get up in the middle of the night and creep downstairs to just sit and look at it. So in my case the cabinetmaking was the supporting feature.

I have a number of old cabinet making tools tucked away somewhere in boxes, unused for lifetimes. Is there anything you have wanted but been unable to obtain? If so, I will try to check my boxes. If I have it - you would be very welcome to it, my restoration dept. is long gone.

No - I did not know that about Ringo. I did work with one Sunday morning (On the Magical Mystery Tour making
) - but he didn't tell me that! !?! As it happens, Liverpool was a great centre for cabinet-making. Ronnie Wood of the Stones is a great painter, and the rest of 'em are art school guys! One of Led Zep is a great antiques expert; I won't say which.

Sevens - joinery is a type of wood-work, and goes back to early days and up to now.
 
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Del Boy said:
I have a number of old cabinet making tools tucked away somewhere in boxes, unused for lifetimes. Is there anything you have wanted but been unable to obtain? If so, I will try to check my boxes. If I have it - you would be very welcome to it, my restoration dept. is long gone.


Sevens - joinery is a type of wood-work, and goes back to early days and up to now.
Click to expand...

I appreciate your generous offer of the tools but if I bring one more draw knife or froe home, my Wife will kill me.
Here are some pictures I thought you might like Del Boy.

studley_tool_box_1.jpg


masonic_toolbox2.jpg


masonic_tool_chest_1.gif



If the workmanship in a tool chest is any indication of the maker's talent, then the craftsmanship of Master carpenter and stonemason H. O. Studley must have been awe-inspiring. Brother Henry O. Studley (1838-1925) built this magnificent wall-hung chest while employed by the Poole Piano Company of Quincy, Massachusetts.
In an oak clamshell box adorned with rosewood, ebony, pearl and ivory, Studley kept both tools he made and a collection of the finest hand tools made prior to 1900, including a complete set of woodworking tools as well as machinist and stonemasonry tools. To pack the 300-plus tools into a case only 19 1/2 inches wide, 39 inches long and 9 1/2 inches deep, Studley devised a jigsaw puzzle arrangement of flip-up trays, fold-out layers and hidden compartments.
 
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