[Masterofnone]

I am a HUGE fan of Charles Neil and have learned more about woodworking by watching that man's videos than anything else. Charles makes several bombe and high boy chests with very beautiful, distinctive curves. My question is... how? Does anyone know?

Notice the flow of the top... how does someone pull this off. It's something I want to try in small scale before I go too big...

 

[Steve Neul]

The ones shown are pretty simple. What information are you looking for? The legs could just be cut out with a bandsaw and sanded to their finish shape. The curved top you could build a form and bend 1/4" plywood into that shape or you could use bendable plywood and veneer over it with the finish veneer. The one I made at the time I didn't have access to bendable plywood so I just cut pine strips in that shape and laminated them together. Then I shaped the panel with a belt sander and applied walnut veneer over it. The molding at the top because of the danger running it I would recommend that you get a local cabinet shop to shape it on a shaper. You could perhaps cut the wood blank and they could use a raised panel knife to shape the molding for you.

 

[Masterofnone]

Thanks steve!

Yes I'm clear on the legs... It was the top that got me. Like I said the idea is to incorperate the design into a small clock or something little before I try my hand at something very big.

 

[Steve Neul]

Thanks steve!

Yes I'm clear on the legs... It was the top that got me. Like I said the idea is to incorperate the design into a small clock or something little before I try my hand at something very big.

The bendable plywood that I am most familiar with comes in 3/8" thickness. It's almost as pliable as rubber and if you make some kind of form you can laminate two of these pieces of plywood together and once dry they hold the shape pretty good.