General Woodworking

[Detail Dave]

Hey guys/gals, need some advice.  I'm a moderate skill level woodworker, preparing to make a blanket chest.  Found a plan in a magazine.  It's an Arts & Crafts style, and they made it in cherry.  My bedroom has red oak furniture, so my wife wants me to make it in oak.  I wasn't sure if that would ruin the design...I have no idea if it's "ok" to make Arts & Crafts items in oak.

Advice?

Thanks, Dave

[mathisonr1]

Everything I've looked at is QS white oak, but would have to see the plans to try and imagine  how it would look

Rick

[Jon439]

Dave: The traditional Arts & Crafts furniture is made from Quarter Sawn White Oak, and to get the color correct, it was fumed with ammonia fumes, then finished with some type of varnish or shellac.

[Detail Dave · Accepted solution]

Thanks, more opinions please.

Here is a pic of the article.

[Detail Dave]

Photo did not work....try this.

[amateur60]

That would work very well in oak.  White oak, and especially QuarterSawn White Oak is nicer to work with than red oak, and is very much THE traditional wood with Arts and Crafts.  There are period pieces in cherry, walnut, and even mahogany, but they are much less prevalent than the QSWO. 

I like that design, because it is very much of the true style, with the subtle curve of the bow front.  Arts and Crafts is often stereotyped as just having plain straight lines, but the good stuff often had such subtleties of design. 

[JohnModi]

Dave,

While QSWO is the traditional wood for Arts and Crafts furniture, if your furniture is made of Red Oak, it should be fine to build the chest out of Red Oak.

However if you use RO, be sure to be picky with the boards to get the best possible grain match.

[Detail Dave]

Thanks again everyone for your input.  Just FYI, the front is not curved, that's an optical illusion based on the fact that the magazine page is curved how I have it layed out.

Dave

[Sawdustr]

Good Morning Dave,

First off Welcome to the best woodworking forums on the internet as you will find there is a lot to learn from each and everyone of them as well as experienced fellows who are ready and willing to help you in any way they can.

Arts and Crafts Furniture can be made out of most any high quality wood such a walnut, red or white oak, mahogany or if you wish to spend a buck or two and buy the most commonly used one such as quarter sawn white oak, you will be in the A&C style. As mentioned you may also use quarter sawn red oak that would be more in line to the furniture you already have.

[amateur60]

Well shucks.  A subtly curved front would be nice, in my opinion, but it sure would make the construction more complicated.  It's still  nice, even if flat chested.