Comments on: Building a Chinese Chippendale Balustrade http://www.thisiscarpentry.com/2010/05/28/building-chinese-chippendale-balustrade/ A new eMagazine BY carpenters, FOR carpenters. Sat, 04 Feb 2012 12:04:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Carter /2010/05/28/building-chinese-chippendale-balustrade/#comment-23618 Carter Fri, 08 Jul 2011 18:03:26 +0000 http://www.thisiscarpentry.com/?p=1406#comment-23618 RJ - Awesome work, and a very well written and detailed post. Sadly, my wife found it and now my fate is sealed. I think that you have covered everything very well, but I am having trouble reconciling a couple of the pictures with the dimensions. You state that the fretwork is 1 5/8" wide on the face, and 1 1/2" thick. This makes sense, and picture TIC2-Chip-5_1.jpg above would seem to verify it. However, when I look at TIC2-Chip-7_1.jpg, the stock looks much less square and more rectangular in cross section. Can you clarify? Thanks so much for all your work here!!! RJ – Awesome work, and a very well written and detailed post. Sadly, my wife found it and now my fate is sealed. I think that you have covered everything very well, but I am having trouble reconciling a couple of the pictures with the dimensions. You state that the fretwork is 1 5/8″ wide on the face, and 1 1/2″ thick. This makes sense, and picture TIC2-Chip-5_1.jpg above would seem to verify it. However, when I look at TIC2-Chip-7_1.jpg, the stock looks much less square and more rectangular in cross section. Can you clarify? Thanks so much for all your work here!!!

]]> By: Allison Cosmos /2010/05/28/building-chinese-chippendale-balustrade/#comment-19536 Allison Cosmos Tue, 19 Apr 2011 15:48:51 +0000 http://www.thisiscarpentry.com/?p=1406#comment-19536 What an excellent overview of not only the history and technical elements of the Chippendale fretwork but a truly helpful beginning to end project guide! A wonderful way to appreciate the hard work and patience that goes into one of my most favorite designs. What an excellent overview of not only the history and technical elements of the Chippendale fretwork but a truly helpful beginning to end project guide! A wonderful way to appreciate the hard work and patience that goes into one of my most favorite designs.

]]> By: craig k /2010/05/28/building-chinese-chippendale-balustrade/#comment-18484 craig k Mon, 21 Mar 2011 10:01:39 +0000 http://www.thisiscarpentry.com/?p=1406#comment-18484 Nothing short of brilliant - from beginning to end; the well articulated words encompassing the extremely necessary precision in planning, steady craftsmanship, zings of humor, and most of all, the absolute usefulness in detail that will enable me to (hopefully)echo your directions in my own endeavour. Though not near so grand an estate, my century old home in Seattle just got bumped up a notch in it's renovation due to you. If walls could talk, it would say some mighty grand words of thanks about you. Nothing short of brilliant – from beginning to end; the well articulated words encompassing the extremely necessary precision in planning, steady craftsmanship, zings of humor, and most of all, the absolute usefulness in detail that will enable me to (hopefully)echo your directions in my own endeavour. Though not near so grand an estate, my century old home in Seattle just got bumped up a notch in it’s renovation due to you. If walls could talk, it would say some mighty grand words of thanks about you.

]]> By: Tim /2010/05/28/building-chinese-chippendale-balustrade/#comment-7589 Tim Sat, 21 Aug 2010 17:15:34 +0000 http://www.thisiscarpentry.com/?p=1406#comment-7589 Love it. Should be able to do in an afternoon ;-) Did you use the vinyl sleeves for the posts or did you create your own out of cypress? If vinyl, how does it look and can it be painted? Love it. Should be able to do in an afternoon ;-)

Did you use the vinyl sleeves for the posts or did you create your own out of cypress? If vinyl, how does it look and can it be painted?

]]> By: Hartley Edmonds /2010/05/28/building-chinese-chippendale-balustrade/#comment-2931 Hartley Edmonds Sat, 05 Jun 2010 11:12:31 +0000 http://www.thisiscarpentry.com/?p=1406#comment-2931 Nicely done, overall. There are two points I would have addressed, though. Flat surfaces lead to rot. I'd like to see at least 6 degrees of fall where the diamond pieces join the bottom rail. In central VA, the commercially available cypress is second growth, with a large percentage of sapwood. A few years ago, I repaired a cypress pergola that was only ten years old. The only reason it was still standing is the 4" or so of heartwood in the 8" by 8" beams. I raked the sap wood off with my hands. Recovered old growth cypree is available, but you have to look for it. Nicely done, overall. There are two points I would have addressed, though. Flat surfaces lead to rot. I’d like to see at least 6 degrees of fall where the diamond pieces join the bottom rail. In central VA, the commercially available cypress is second growth, with a large percentage of sapwood. A few years ago, I repaired a cypress pergola that was only ten years old. The only reason it was still standing is the 4″ or so of heartwood in the 8″ by 8″ beams. I raked the sap wood off with my hands. Recovered old growth cypree is available, but you have to look for it.

]]> By: Travis R /2010/05/28/building-chinese-chippendale-balustrade/#comment-2578 Travis R Sun, 30 May 2010 18:20:51 +0000 http://www.thisiscarpentry.com/?p=1406#comment-2578 This was a very well presented article and an equally impressive completed project! NICE RJ!!! Thank you for sharing this with us! Travis This was a very well presented article and an equally impressive completed project! NICE RJ!!! Thank you for sharing this with us!

Travis

]]> By: KeithM /2010/05/28/building-chinese-chippendale-balustrade/#comment-2498 KeithM Sat, 29 May 2010 18:05:07 +0000 http://www.thisiscarpentry.com/?p=1406#comment-2498 Nice work. I've always admired the balustrades at Monticello. Making something like them has been on my bucket list for years. Now I have some insights. Nice work. I’ve always admired the balustrades at Monticello. Making something like them has been on my bucket list for years. Now I have some insights.

]]> By: Troy /2010/05/28/building-chinese-chippendale-balustrade/#comment-2497 Troy Sat, 29 May 2010 17:59:04 +0000 http://www.thisiscarpentry.com/?p=1406#comment-2497 I am no less than thoroughly impressed with this project and presentation RJ. I'll be rereading this particular post in the future. Thanks for sharing! I am no less than thoroughly impressed with this project and presentation RJ. I’ll be rereading this particular post in the future. Thanks for sharing!

]]> By: Matt Follett /2010/05/28/building-chinese-chippendale-balustrade/#comment-2496 Matt Follett Sat, 29 May 2010 17:57:53 +0000 http://www.thisiscarpentry.com/?p=1406#comment-2496 Great article. I remember thumbing through when it was first published & thinking, 'this is an aweful long piece considering he only built ~50' of railing.' After a thorough second time through, I can see the length & content of the article reflects the quality & the craftsmanship of the project. As a finish carpenter for the last 16 years I still consider myself just coming out of my rookie year when I see what is still being produced by artisans such as yourself. Thanx for sharing your experience Matt Follett Great article. I remember thumbing through when it was first published & thinking, ‘this is an aweful long piece considering he only built ~50′ of railing.’ After a thorough second time through, I can see the length & content of the article reflects the quality & the craftsmanship of the project. As a finish carpenter for the last 16 years I still consider myself just coming out of my rookie year when I see what is still being produced by artisans such as yourself.

Thanx for sharing your experience
Matt Follett

]]> By: Don Kerkhan /2010/05/28/building-chinese-chippendale-balustrade/#comment-2491 Don Kerkhan Sat, 29 May 2010 16:14:55 +0000 http://www.thisiscarpentry.com/?p=1406#comment-2491 RJ, my compliments to you. This article held my interest from beginning to end. I checked the links you included. The OMGA miter saws are off the scale. I'd never heard of them. Festool I'm familiar with. The various tools you either had, or had the privledge of using, are my idea of real tools. I drewl over the shop space you were in although it seemed to be void of woodworking machines. I could go on and on about how similar you and I are,anyone that knows me would most likely agree. What an honor it would be to meet and work with a man like yourself. They don't come along all that often, as you probably know by now. You take care young fella, Don dkerkhan@verizon.net RJ, my compliments to you. This article held my interest from beginning to end. I checked the links you included. The OMGA miter saws are off the scale. I’d never heard of them. Festool I’m familiar with. The various tools you either had, or had the privledge of using, are my idea of real tools. I drewl over the shop space you were in although it seemed to be void of woodworking machines. I could go on and on about how similar you and I are,anyone that knows me would most likely agree. What an honor it would be to meet and work with a man like yourself. They don’t come along all that often, as you probably know by now.

You take care young fella,
Don
dkerkhan@verizon.net

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