Tommy MacDonald's 207 Woodworking Community • View topic - Jean-Francois Aubin 18th century French mechanical table

Ritz · **Posted:** Sat Jun 25, 11 5:42 pm

Boy would I love some dimensions for this table as illustrated in FW. Anyone know where I might turn to on the internet to do some search for something like this?

Hope everyone is well and having a Great weekend.

aussiejoe · **Posted:** Sun Jun 26, 11 2:30 am

sorry.. cant help you there..

but i thought i might post this link to those that don't know what you are refering to.. there is a really cool little video which illustrates how it worked.
http://www.finewoodworking.com/item/38856/stupefying-engineering-in-an-18th-century-table

Cheers

Joe

Ronaldo · **Posted:** Sun Jun 26, 11 4:16 am

http://www.amazon.com/Jean-Fran%C3%A7oi ... t_ep_dpt_1

FWW could not even find the proper spelling pfff :roll:

Jean-François Oeben, this should help you googling.

viewtopic.php?f=17&t=631

PM me if you are interested in some more details on one of his tables.
(here is a teaser

)

Attachment:

oeben1.png [ 176.44 KiB | Viewed 761 times ]

you'll need to find some instructions on how to design
the legs, they have a "twist" that sets Louis-XV legs from
"cabriole" legs and you cannot correctly draw one without knowing it.
The only instructions I am aware of are in French, you can find the info here:
http://passion.bois.free.fr/ebenisterie/louis_vx.htm

Ritz · **Posted:** Sun Jun 26, 11 6:46 am

Thanks Ronaldo, This should make for a great Read and of course Study.

I think it is quite an exciting piece, givin all that goes into it. The twist itself would be a challenge.

new york new york · **Posted:** Sun Jun 26, 11 9:20 am

It might require some schmoozing on your part but this gentleman reproduces several of Oeben's pieces. Simple e-mail and maybe he might share the wealth.

http://www.markgooch.co.uk/page15.html

Ronaldo · **Posted:** Sun Jun 26, 11 10:33 am

Ritz wrote:

The twist itself would be a challenge.

actually it is not complicated, you just have to respect the
fact that the leg, when look in line with the diagonal,
should taper, but you have to know that in order to draw
the templates. It is fully explained in the text, but I
think google translate may not get all the technical words.

veneering with cross grain and diagonally is quite a good challenge
and having the curve to be gracious is another thing that demands
time and sensibility to "get it right". Studying and observing
the great pieces is a way to go.

Ronaldo · **Posted:** Sun Jun 26, 11 10:42 am

new york new york wrote:

It might require some schmoozing on your part but this gentleman reproduces several of Oeben's pieces. Simple e-mail and maybe he might share the wealth.

http://www.markgooch.co.uk/page15.html

"Height 60 mm width 70 mm depth 44 mm £ 4800. sold"
it seems a bit small :shock:

(ok, I read the site, those are 1/12 repro)

the curve of the legs is not that well reproduced (but I think the good
folks at Met are not willing to let one take measurements.)
As the measurements are in "mm", it is hard to have great looking
brass and marquetry.

new york new york · **Posted:** Sun Jun 26, 11 10:45 am

miniatures reproduced from full scale drawings.....

Ronaldo · **Posted:** Sun Jun 26, 11 10:46 am

new york new york wrote:

miniatures reproduced from full scale drawings.....

LMAO

full-scale drawings are the way to go!!!

new york new york · **Posted:** Sun Jun 26, 11 1:04 pm

There was a company who offered full scale plans that included Obenen as well as Rene Dubois and the Herter brothers. It also offered the ormalu mounts (bronze castings). Advertised regularly in FWW about 12 years ago Lionel Hastings Company. I still have the catalog.

The company is no longer in business , the prices were unobtainable by most. least expensive plans started at 3000.00 for a Charles Cressent table with minimal bronze castings.

if anyone purchased theses plans may be trying to sell them on Ebay. I have to say the pieces were quite impressive and the plans and techniques very advanced. Mostly french pieces.

Ronaldo · **Posted:** Sun Jun 26, 11 3:35 pm

new york new york wrote:

There was a company who offered full scale plans that included Obenen as well as Rene Dubois and the Herter brothers. It also offered the ormalu mounts (bronze castings). Advertised regularly in FWW about 12 years ago Lionel Hastings Company. I still have the catalog.

The company is no longer in business , the prices were unobtainable by most. least expensive plans started at 3000.00 for a Charles Cressent table with minimal bronze castings.

if anyone purchased theses plans may be trying to sell them on Ebay. I have to say the pieces were quite impressive and the plans and techniques very advanced. Mostly french pieces.

all plans have to be full-scale because they serve to the bronze castings
as well; btw the most expensive part used to be the bronze, as
it was chiseled for the details and other stuff.

XVIIIth century french furniture was very sophisticated as France used to be
"center" of the western world. It can be understandable
that the plans demand quite a large number of hours to be prepared,
specially if they included the details of the veneers, thus expensive.
But I would be quite interested in taking a look at one of those!

new york new york · **Posted:** Sun Jun 26, 11 6:17 pm

Some scans of the Lionel Hasting catalog and the price list and catalog back cover. Had to reduce the photo size the original were to big. Very high quality catalog, on the lines of a Sotherby's auction catalog.

nbuk · **Posted:** Sun Jun 26, 11 7:43 pm

Ronaldo · **Posted:** Mon Jun 27, 11 2:43 am

new york new york wrote:

Some scans of the Lionel Hasting catalog and the price list and catalog back cover. Had to reduce the photo size the original were to big. Very high quality catalog, on the lines of a Sotherby's auction catalog.

thanks NYNY!!
That is a pretty catalog :shock:

Those are XIXth century pieces (Napoléon III style)
so they are too "visually charged"; really impressive
that they even give estimated times (timings seem to be for average-high skilled)
Are you sure the price does not include the bronze castings as well?

new york new york · **Posted:** Mon Jun 27, 11 7:49 am

Ronaldo wrote:

new york new york wrote:

Some scans of the Lionel Hasting catalog and the price list and catalog back cover. Had to reduce the photo size the original were to big. Very high quality catalog, on the lines of a Sotherby's auction catalog.

thanks NYNY!!
That is a pretty catalog :shock:

Those are XIXth century pieces (Napoléon III style)
so they are too "visually charged"; really impressive
that they even give estimated times (timings seem to be for average-high skilled)
Are you sure the price does not include the bronze castings as well?

No sir... sorry If i created some confusion. The prices do include all castings.

Still... A bit steep for the average wood worker. but then again it was 2000. Technology being more advanced now a days, the price may be less expensive if his product were given a second life. The guy is still in business in Vegas and has a bronze foundry

Some of the photos shown were slated for a second round catalog, but apparently sales were not as expected and the whole line never materialized.

All in all a nice representation and product idea. He should of concentrated solely on bronze mounts, which are practically impossible to find here. Quality ones off the shelf anyway.

Note: i should of give credit to the man who built most of the pieces and appears in the catalog, his name is Malcolm Wilkinson from New Zealand who is also an accomplished scale model period boat builder.

http://www.duckworksmagazine.com/11/col ... /index.htm

Ronaldo · **Posted:** Mon Jun 27, 11 10:23 am

in France it is hard to find decent quality bronzes,
even if there should be many more people here that are
trained in bronze working.

the market is just too small; who wants furniture with bronze these days?
restorers only need a bronze once in a while so most is custom-made,
impossible to create a line of products based on period bronze castings
and keep it alive, or sell to a niche market of other types of bronze
(casinos in Las Vegas, for instance

)

kudos for Mr. Malcolm Wilkinson!! some pieces are really demanding
in skill and knowledge (for example, veneering parts that are curve
in both plane and elevation, aka bombé by you guys across the pond.)

new york new york · **Posted:** Tue Jun 28, 11 5:07 pm

Some final scans of the catalog before I retire it back to the shelf to collect dust for another 10 years.

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