Mirror in mahogany with carved pediment

Here is a project to make a mirror with carved details to be hung over a fireplace. I designed this one adapting a victorian look to an arched pediment with carved swansneck and a hibiscus center detail.
I start with full size templates and make the 5/4 bottom part of the frame out of 5 pieces and try to keep the grain running generally with the outsides.
The top of the frame is made from 12/4 mahogany but could be layered and glued up out of 5/4 lumber

Shaping the pediment and frame is where templates can come in handy because I can route each layer to the template.
After completing the frame that is adjacent to the mirror I begin carving the swansnecks.

This is the really fun part.
Closeup of top detail
Finish is french polish
I had a beveled mirror made for the frame
.Sadly this poor quality photo in the shop is the only final photo I have.


Let me know if you're interested in patterns and of course I am always ready to take on unique designs

A day in the life of a woodworker

This is one of the Freeman Woodworking projects and is a good example of the hand tools in use. The bowsaw shown here was made in my studio and was the copy of an antique.
I made two of these tables from 16/4 bird'seye maple.
These tables are very simple in design using only
three pieces of rock maple 2 1/2 inches thick.
Although simple in design they were anything but
easy to execute because you only get one chance to fit dovetails and of course a filler was unacceptable in the craftsman's eye.