I started my woodwork in a school program when I was 11 years old, making traditional things like an egg rack for mother, a pencil box, a small stool and a table. (The table top was a single piece of 3/4in thick, 24in. square English Chestnut - amazing the wood we were given for school projects). After leaving school I became an indentured apprentice in a large engineering company where I moved away from wood and spent the first year in their training school where I was taught to file round metal square and square metal round etc. After this I spent most of the next 40+ years in the world of high technology semiconductors. My woodworking was limited to restoring old houses in England where I had fun making sash windows frames, along with endless sets of very basic kitchen cabinets. I re-started my fine woodworking about 10 years ago and now make custom pieces of furniture. Most of my work is one-of-a-kind pieces. I do Chinese and Japanese designs along with more traditional English work. I am fascinated by Chinese joinery and enjoy working on projects that push my capabilities. Much of my work involves curves and angles that are always challenging to create.
Frank Ramsay frankramsay8@aol.com
Projects
Sideboard
Padauk, Maple, Cherry and Ebony.
It was my first project using Padauk. I had seen the wood in the store and naively decided it was the color and figuring I wanted to work with. Not knowing that when working Padauk you do not get sawdust -- only dust! Fine red dust that gets everywhere and stays for ever. It is also a very brittle wood so chips very easily when trying to fit tight joints together. But a fun project.
Size: 73 in. wide, 20 in. deep and 52 in. high
Side Table
Padauk, Maple and Ebony.
It was designed to complement the sideboard above. I changed the handle from the sideboard design to a more solid design.
Tallboy
Walnut, Mahogany, and 2 types of Curly Maple.
The main design problem was constructing a frame that was strong enough to support the 3 cupboards full of books. I initially tried to make the unit work without any center legs but even though the base is a very substancial structure it tended to dip a little when all the cupboard draws were filled with heavy books so I added two extra support legs to the back underside beam.
Window Table
Cheery, Birds Eye Maple and Tai Rosewood
The Tai Rosewood insert in the top is a " bonus design feature" that came about as I could not find a wide enough panel of Birds Eye Maple to slice in half for the top.
Size: 42 in. wide, 18 in. deep and 34 in. high
Chinese Stands
Stained Honduras Mahogany with painted inlays.
Design aim was to make the fretwork around the top square sided rather than rounded in the traditional designs. A much more difficult problem than I realized.
Size: 35 in. high with 7.5 in. across top edges.
Chinese Cabinet
Honduras Mahogany with some of the members stained.
This was my first attempt to make a Chinese style cabinet with the sides sloping in at 2 degrees.
Size: 28.5 in. wide x 17 in. deep x 31 in. high
Inlaid Occasional Table
Honduras Mahogany with center inlay of Tai Rosewood and edge inlay of Maple and Walnut.
Shape and overall construction of the table is based on a early 1900s Scottish antique table that has been in our family since the early part of the last century.
Size: 23" wide x 18" deep x 30" high
Rosewood Occasional Table
Tai Rosewood with an Indian Rosewood insert in the bottom shelf
Another version of the early 1900s Scottish antique table
Size: 23" wide x 18" deep x 30" high
Room Divider
Honduras Mahogany frame with American Beach bars backed by Japanese Mulberry paper
Size of each panel is 18 in. by 72 in.
