Woodworking Project - Saher's Reliquary

Final Update: 2/25/02

Well, it's done.  70 hours, three years, and over 60 joints, but it's done.  I'll deliver it tomorrow.  I hope he likes it.

Here are the pictures of the completed project.

Introduction:

My Laurel has commissioned me to build a feast box for him.  As I have yet to complete a task he has set for me, this item will be first on my list of priorities, although I currently plan to have several items on the list at one.  This piece is called Saher's Reliquary because of all his activities, the one that Saher has the most reverence for is quite likely that of eating.  Thus, the items to be stored in this box will be like unto holy relics.  Second, and more seriously, the only boxes of appropriate size for me to base this on will likely be reliquaries, although that might change.

1/14/2001

Required Features:

• Saher has requested a box that is custom-fitted to his feast gear.  
• As he travels often with me, and my Household is not known for traveling light, it should not be any larger than absolutely necessary.  
• As I often end up carrying in, being his apprentice, I have a vested interest in it being as light as I can make it.
• Master Saher's persona story places him as a Conquest-era Norman who stayed home.  So if I can find something appropriate to 11th Century Normandy, it would be ideal.  
• It will sit on the ground often, either in a tent or outside a feast hall, so feet to keep it out of ground moisture would be a good idea.  
• Handles to easy carrying it would be nice.

Stage One: Design Research.  1/14/2001

I have a number of books in my collections with chests, boxes, and reliquaries in them.  This afternoon I plan to go through them and select an artifact to base my box on.

So far I have run through all of my books that contain measured drawings of chests and boxes, and have been somewhat disappointed.  All of the drawings I have are for full-sized trunks and drawings, and all date from well past Saher's period.  To complicated matters, my resources here in my library focus on late-period England, my preferred area of study.

Proposals:

• The Miser's Chest
• The Oxford Chest
• The Vestment Chest
• The Hewn-Timber Chest
• The Clamp Front Chest
• Boarded Chalice Box
• Small Boarded Box

1/15/2001

After consultation with Magestra Rosemounde of Mercia and Lady Solvieg Ericsdotter, I am leaning toward the last option on the above list. The logic was pretty clear:  round and peaked tops are not practical for SCA use.  Chests, coffers, and boxes in the SCA need to be able to have stuff stacked on top of them in cars and trailers, as well as be used as seats or places to stack stuff in tents.  According to Roz, the gothic tracery on the SBB can be documented back to the 10th century, so although this particular example is not appropriate to Master Saher's period.  I will attempt to visit the library tomorrow and do a little more research and see if I can nail down that documentation.

1/24/01

Whups.  After an utter strike-out at the library, attempting to document small boxes for 10th-11th century Normans, I went to visit The Laurel Himself.  With a kind and gentle cuff to my ear he told me that he was not 1000's, he was 1300's.  "Well," says I, rubbing an ear thoughtfully, "that's much easier to document.  Shoot, I've already documented a couple of chests from the 1300's in my prototype list!"  Then asked me for a panel chest.

Apparently he wants to paint scenes inside the panels.

Okay.  I can do that.  I'll be working from Daniel Diehl and Mark Donnelly's book Medieval Furniture, by Stackpole Books.  Dan provides us with a line drawing on pp 111 - 119.  There's also a nifty color plate of it in the color plate section.  Since unlike many of the other authors I quote here, Dan and Mark are both a) still alive, and b) still in print, I'm going to forgo my usual reproduction of the source material here.

Stage Two - Drawing and Planning

2/17/01

Well, for the two of you who have actually drilled down this far, a little progress has been made.  I've gotten behind in documenting my progress, so let's back up a bit.  As I mentioned back in January, Himself as requested a panel chest, so I will be adapting a design from 16th Century England.

I've learned that it is faster, cheaper, more comfortable, and less messy to use computer assisted design (CAD) in my medieval woodworking.  I suspect I am my Laurel's despair, but I don't have a lifetime to learn this, and I don't have a master carpenter watching over my shoulder going "don't do that."  I highly recommend finding a drawing package you are comfortable with, and make your mistakes on the drawing board, rather than in the shop.

Last week I just about completed my drawing when I realized that the coffer I was designing was just too big.  I've reduced it.  I'll be posting a measured drawing later, but at this time, It's roughly 20 inches long, a foot wide, and a foot deep.  It has three panels on the front and back, and one on each side, with a framework of stiles and rails.  I may return to the design and go to two panels for the front and back.  The panels look kind of skinny.

I've purchased a thickness planer which will allow me to plane down thick wood into thinner wood.  This means that I can get a precise control over the size of wood I want to use rather than limit myself to pre-milled timber from the yards.  In the middle ages a joiner would have used an apprentice and a hand-plane to thickness boards.  I am substituting horsepower for 5 apprentices willing to work for bread and soup.  Today and tonight I will uncrate and tune my power planer and finish my line drawing.  I will also make a preliminary materials purchase.

I've decided to make the lid out of three pieces using tongue-and-groove edge joints and bread-board ends. 

Stage Three - Construction

5/31/01

Well, my original design was too thick.  I went with styles and rails that were 1 & 1/2" thick, and the subsequent assembly was very heavy.  As I am the green-belted pack mule that will likely be toting this thing, it needs to be lights.  I'm going to try to lighten this up.

1/17/02

My, my, my, how time flies when you're getting nothing done.  Time to back up again.  Long about 6/01 I discarded the 1 & 1/2" frame I had built as too heavy.  I dropped 1/2" off of the next version and discovered that, made out of pine, 1" thick wood is just too. . . flimsy once you are done cutting all those tenons a dados in it.  *sigh*  Back to the drawing board, and the original idea.

As of tonight, I successfully dry-fitted the front and back assemblies.  And believe it or not, they worked.  28 joints, and they all fit (close enough) and they were all perfectly square (enough).

I took pictures with which I hope to satisfy the skeptical.  Work actually IS happening.

2/21/02

Spoke too soon.  Work wasn't happening fast enough.  But some did happen.  I have painted and glued-up the gross construction of the box.  All that remains now is to install the spacers and a retaining strap to keep the lid from hyper extending.

Here are some pictures.