Reply To: Options for backs of Shaker style dressers etc
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I’d like to make a distinction to the definition of “shaker style”. Something I read in an article somewhere, and I tend to agree. When I hear “shaker style”, I think of a piece, as it would have been built by the shakers, in appearance and in method. When you have a piece that appears to be shaker, but is actually built using modern methods and materials (ply, particle board, fasteners, vs. real wood and proper joints), I consider that to be more “shaker inspired”.
I admit, most of the work I’ve done so far is 90% shaker style, 10% inspired. I use screws only where needed, such as to attach a dresser top, and a back may be a stable substrate, such as ply or wainscot.
[quote quote=625071]It depends on how close you wish to stay to the original designs.
Both options work. The secret is not to fix anything with glue or nails so that it can move with seasonal changes. The original ‘Shakers’ did not have the modern standard and uniform plywood at their disposal, so they used what they had and was tried and tested for generations – T&G boards.
However, from what I’ve read about them, they were great innovators and simplifiers – it seems that they weren’t rigidly stuck to a single form in their work; so if plywood was available in those days and it suited their purposes, there’s a strong possibility that they would have used it.
Would they? Who knows.[/quote]
Yeah, I imagine they probably would. I wonder how much work it would have been to create a piece of ply, vs. just using tongue and groove.
Glued boards aren’t evil like modern electricity. I like your explanation.