Writing Slope Dilema

[Runnin_Ute]

I found a Maria Hatherall that was born around 1824 in Berkshire, England on the 1861 Census and she was still living in Berkshire at the time the census was taken. (ancestry.com, via google search)

 

This seems to be perhaps a generation earlier though. (just a guess however)

[Shangas]

Photos like I promised...

 

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a215/Fruffles/Writing%20Box/IMG_1561_zps001c986d.jpg

 

Bottom leaf is all done. Top leaf still to be done.

 

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a215/Fruffles/Writing%20Box/IMG_1563_zps17740e5e.jpg

 

No hinges; everything is held on purely by fabric and glue.

 

Old writing-boxes sometimes had elastic webbing nailed/tacked/riveted onto the undersides of the writing-leaves, to provide a storage-place for letters and envelopes. I took this photograph of intact webbing on an antique writing box at a local antiques shop:

 

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a215/Fruffles/IMG_1515_zps456a0426.jpg

 

I'm thinking of buying some elastic, cutting it to length, and then nailing and tacking it onto the undersides of the leaves, using a staple-gun and brass push-pins. Mostly for decoration, but I might use it to hold stationery as well.

Edited September 3, 2013 by Shangas

[my63]

The Fuchsia box the instructions were to keep it simple which I can do.

 

Pen trays were made from mahogany and given a wax finish the inserts were made in the following manner.

I cut a piece of card to fit inside the tray, As you can see I had a piece of plywood with the divisions marked out.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7362/9672576904_9753a17f27_z.jpg
IMG_4792 by my0771, on Flickr

 

With the card in place I applied lines of glue to hold the dowels after putting the dowels in place I left it to dry then repeat until all seven trays were complete.

 

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3780/9669355339_ef444b501e_z.jpg
IMG_4796_1 by my0771, on Flickr

 

As you can see in the last picture I have also cut a piece of wood to make a divider which I then wrapped in suede.

 

The next step was to dampen another piece of card to mount the suede on.

Once the card had taken on the shape of the dowels I applied glue then applied the suede.

 

Then it looks like this

 

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3802/9672584472_fc423855d1_z.jpg
IMG_4799_1 by my0771, on Flickr

 

This is the empty box waiting for its lid

 

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7413/9672588064_5f777dd56a_z.jpg
IMG_4802_1 by my0771, on Flickr

 

This is the first pair of trays

 

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5526/9672589346_7e3e68d61f_z.jpg
IMG_4803_1 by my0771, on Flickr

 

The second pair

 

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5487/9672593326_09e596d076_z.jpg
IMG_4806_1 by my0771, on Flickr

 

Finished box with out the lid

 

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3717/9672595976_9cc4f8fc69_z.jpg
IMG_4808_1 by my0771, on Flickr

 

The finished box

 

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3812/9669372623_84be0370a9_z.jpg
IMG_4811 by my0771, on Flickr

 

 

Thanks for looking

 

Michael

[mhguda]

beautiful as always.

[Shangas]

Finished gluing down the top half of the writing-box. Photos will come soon.

[Shangas]

Took long enough, but here it is:

 

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a215/Fruffles/Writing%20Box/IMG_1033_zpsc2529a28.jpg

 

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a215/Fruffles/Writing%20Box/IMG_1577_zps3cebd4a8.jpg

 

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a215/Fruffles/Writing%20Box/IMG_1579_zpsfea91da2.jpg

 

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a215/Fruffles/Writing%20Box/IMG_1580_zps7177a339.jpg

 

 

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a215/Fruffles/Writing%20Box/IMG_1576_zpsaa3e71dd.jpg

 

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a215/Fruffles/Writing%20Box/IMG_1585_zps99d4b7d8.jpg

 

 

The leaves and the coverings are done and they open and shut smoothly. I've repositioned the lock so that it works properly, now. It no longer springs open unexpectedly.

 

The next step is to FIND INKWELLS!

Edited September 10, 2013 by Shangas

[scrivelry]

The next step is to FIND INKWELLS!

 

That is gorgeous!

 

I have a little inkwell cheat...

 

Windsor and Newton drawing inks - NOT for use in Fountain pens, but of course perfectly fine for dip pens - come in more than one size, and the .47USFL.oz bottles of the four sided pyramid shape fit very easily in one of my slopes and just about make it in the other. There is space around them, but I am thinking that a nice layer of dark cardboard, maybe quarter-half inch thick, with a hole cut out for the bottom, could keep it from shifting sideways, and a little cover, padded if necessary, could keep it from bouncing around.

 

Of course there are ebay sellers with really pretty ones, but with postage I would have been spending more than one of my boxes cost me for a pair. I can live with these bottles for the moment. If I want to carry FP ink in them I figure I can just pour the drawing ink in another container, or, if I am in a flagrantly expensive mood, just pour them down the sink - I went and bought a whole set of 8 with a coupon at the art supply store, so it came to a very small outlay per bottle - I think less than three dollars.

 

This is not to say your restored slope does not deserve the best! It's just a little dodge I thought someone besides myself might find handy, and now it's here where people can find it.

 

T

[Shangas]

The lock on the box was still causing me a few issues. I found out what the problem was, and have since rectified it. It's now functioning perfectly.

 

I've thought about Scrivelry's "inkwell cheat", and might be convinced to give it a go. But I'd need a bit of help from the community here.

 

The inkwells for this box MUST fit within the following space:

 

1-7/8ths x 1-7/8ths inches (width and depth) by 1-5/8ths inches (height).

 

Are there any nice, glass ink-bottles manufactured today which fit that profile? I know it's extremely small, so my feeling is - NO.

 

I was thinking along the lines of Diamine & Conway Stewart ink bottles, but they're too big. The smallest ink-bottles I can think of were manufactured by Swan (cap.: 1.5 fl.oz.), but even THOSE are too big! They stick out the top too much.

Edited September 14, 2013 by Shangas

[my63]

Hi Shangas

Nice work so far by the way.

This company have nice ink wells they are reproductions but look good

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pair-Victorian-style-Ink-Bottles-ink-pots-inkwells-for-writing-slope-lapdesk-/390607218767?pt=UK_Antiques_Woodenware_RL&hash=item5af201284f

 

I don't know if they would post to you from the UK but I would be happy to help you with that.

 

Michael

[scrivelry]

The inkwells for this box MUST fit within the following space:

 

1-7/8ths x 1-7/8ths inches (width and depth) by 1-5/8ths inches (height).

 

Are there any nice, glass ink-bottles manufactured today which fit that profile? I know it's extremely small, so my feeling is - NO.

 

 

I have my bottle of Windsor and Newton here, and rounding up so that there is no question, I am getting 1and 7/16ths square bottom, slo less than 1 1/2 inch square there, and 1 and 5/8ths high. If anything that is a little small, but Windsor and Newton, while you would probably get it in an art supply store rather than a pen shop, is a pretty big brand and might be available.

 

The only thorn is that if you want them for fountain pen ink you need to pour what's in them out, clean thoroughly, and then you're set. I also use dip pens so I may be able to avoid that, but if I can't, I'll just decant into little plastic bottles also from the art store, so that 15 years from now when they have petrified I can throw them away without guilt.

 

It does pay to think ahead on these things...

 

T

[Shangas]

I will be using dip-pens with this box. So the type of ink is of no consequence. The size of the bottle is.

 

I know a few art-supply shops in town. I'll check them out.

[scrivelry]

I will be using dip-pens with this box. So the type of ink is of no consequence. The size of the bottle is.

 

I know a few art-supply shops in town. I'll check them out.

 

I hope they work for you! I used mine today to write a letter with dip pens and W7N Nut brown...

 

 

On a more general note to all thread readers at large, I found a demo of gluing down fabric to wood in an unexpected place - a video of cabinetmaking done at Colonial Williamsburg, VA. I doubt anyone wants to spend twenty dollars on a video for the 20 seconds or so this part took, but the cabinetmaker brushed hide glue over a portion of the area to be covered and then smoothed the fabric across it. He said that you could use an iron with a damp cloth to generate steam and stick down any parts that didn't stick because the glue had already dried. You do a part at a time, with an oversized piece of cloth, and then trim the edge to fit.

 

Since I am planning to use some nice green wool that I already have to cover the writing surface in the first box I am working on, I lapped this up.

 

I also found this site with instructions on using hide glue.

 

I am not sure anyone but me cares to try this, but I will report back, when I finally get to it, how it went...

 

T

[Shangas]

Apparently, my local arts and crafts shop sells Winsor & Newton ink in the really small bottles.

 

Once the flash-flooding and the torrential rain stops, I'll get into my lifeboat and row over there to see if they have any in stock.

[scrivelry]

Apparently, my local arts and crafts shop sells Winsor & Newton ink in the really small bottles.

 

Once the flash-flooding and the torrential rain stops, I'll get into my lifeboat and row over there to see if they have any in stock.

 

Is this seasonal flooding that you expect every year, or is it end-of-the-world, where did this come from, the Government is choppering the Army in to help with the disaster flooding? We're still dealing with last year's "Oh, so is this Armageddon?" storm here... I hope it's just the normal for you.

 

T

[Shangas]

The city where I live was wisely constructed in the midst of a major flood-basin. So any really heavy rain (and yesterday it literally rained nonstop for 24 hours) causes traffic chaos. Last night I went out to buy something from the supermarket. I was gone 15 minutes. I came back looking like I was swept out to sea.

 

Even though I took an umbrella.

[my63]

Those of you who have followed this topic will know that I have not been buying boxes for a little while as I was trying to reduce my collection,

I relented two weeks ago and bought a fantastic box because I thought there was something unusual about it.

Well here is another one I have been watching for a while now it is at the end of at least its second listing.

It has no brass work I can see the handles look odd and there seems to be something under the felt.

Anyway it is mine now and will be on its way soon

 

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7334/9786166664_a46c978996.jpg
box12 by my0771, on Flickr

 

Thanks for looking

Michael

[scrivelry]

Michael, we're all waiting to see what you do with this latest one!

 

T

[my63]

Thanks T

There is something about this box, I cant quite put my finger on it the baize/felt is a later addition obviously I have the same feeling I had about the last one so I just went with it.

If I am wrong then there is no dog biscuits for a couple of weeks so fingers crossed here is the picture of the outside

 

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7439/9787709326_b1fc5ef148.jpg
box12a by my0771, on Flickr

[my63]

Ok so box number ( well all I am admitting to is it is in double figures) arrived this morning.

 

I have to admit I was hoping for more secret compartments containing documents.

 

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2833/9838856643_55b7927531_z.jpg
IMG_4937 by my0771, on Flickr

 

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2842/9838727535_bdd7c86c62_z.jpg
IMG_4922_1 by my0771, on Flickr

 

The line that had peeked my interest was just a joint in the baize

 

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3746/9838731295_aa774a7b28_z.jpg
IMG_4923_1 by my0771, on Flickr

 

Ok I know get on with the secret compartments

 

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7367/9838827803_aaf2d260e5_z.jpg
IMG_4927 by my0771, on Flickr

 

I know there are none there honest

 

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3727/9838830893_cae11b1637_z.jpg
IMG_4928 by my0771, on Flickr

 

Empty space where the secret compartments should have been

 

Normally when these boxes are made there is a small compartment under the pen tray but there was not even one of those.

 

When I was feeling underneath the pen and inkwell compartment I noticed that this piece of wood moved like this

 

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3780/9838723294_708c7c73ee_z.jpg
IMG_4929 by my0771, on Flickr

 

And look what appeared secret compartments I don't know how to build suspense but if I did this is where it would be.

 

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5448/9838777076_1793b1304c_z.jpg
IMG_4932 by my0771, on Flickr

 

 

Two fantastic little drawers unfortunately empty but very well made

 

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7441/9838765135_71d3c3651b_z.jpg
IMG_4935 by my0771, on Flickr

 

An interesting lock attachment This box appears to be solid mahogany there are no brass corners nor any evidence that there ever was any.

 

thanks

 

Michael

 

Edited September 20, 2013 by my63

[scrivelry]

Way cool!

 

I have been thinking of how to add secret compartments to boxes I have which seem never to have had them, this seems brilliant.

 

Although I should really just get them working first. I am currently puzzling over what one does with shrinkage cracks...

 

T