Acorn Woodworks

The New Website

Acorn Bot — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 12:14:14 +0000

Acorn Woodworks is working on the new website – and learning how to keep it current and relevant. We will be adding more pictures and information about our work over the next few days – and next few years. So be sure to check back.

There is plenty of space to roam around and discover things. Your comments are invited and welcome on both the site and the content.

History & Philosophy

Acorn Bot — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 11:30:08 +0000

Acorn Woodworks started in 1990 ago as a reaction to the loss of craft and pride evident in our chosen industry. “Architecturally correct” had become merely a marketing buzzword, rarely a reality. Acorn resolved to add design and form to the function of our work, keeping an eye on both proportion and historical precedent, with happy results. We evolved to be the premier shop for high quality work that blends the best of time tested methods with new techniques and machinery to provide the finest product at the highest value.

Combined with our customer service, we offer a unique product. We will cooperate with designers, owners, contractors and tradesmen to complete the whole picture, while doing our level best to keep all involved informed and part of the success we fully expect to deliver.

Narrow Stile Paired Doors

David Sochar — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 01:08:31 +0000

Narrow Stile Paired Doors in Mahogany

Narrow Stile Paired Doors with beveled glass divided lights

Serpentine Staircase

Acorn Bot — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 16:01:45 +0000

Serpentine Staircase

A serpentine Walnut staircase is finished off on site. This stair features two diminishing curves, in opposite directions. Each curve is a segment of an ellipse in plan.

Curved staircases are complex, therefore built in the shop, under controlled conditions. When complete, we dismantle the staircase for transport & installation.

This Paneled Wall section will match the historic panels from 1914. Some of the curves are compound curves - curving in plan and elevation

Serpentine Staircase in the shop, prior to application of curved wall panels

Serpentine Staircase in process

French Paired Interior Doors

David Sochar — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 03:10:24 +0000

Alder Paired Dors in a Frame

Paired Country French Style doors in a frame used as a closet face. The large cabinet hinges and scrolled foot are descended from furniture of similar design.

Paired Doors and Transom

David Sochar — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:45:54 +0000

Paired Doors and Transom with Frame and Ironwork

Mahogany custom doors and transom. This work was designed and drawn, with Acorn specifying the limestone and wood frame openings. This coordinated all the work and shortened the on site time lapse normally encountered with several trades involved. Everything came together without delay.

Painted Mantle Project

Acorn Bot — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 07:44:47 +0000

Painted Mantle and Wall Paneling

Maple Sofa Table

Acorn Bot — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 10:49:15 +0000

Maple Sofa Table

This table is almost fouteen feet long, and was commissioned to to fit behind a large upholstered piece. Maple solids and veneers unify the finish and clean look. The photo angle shortens the perspective. The legs and aprons do taper to the inside, a play on the Hepplewhite standard where the outside tapered to half its mass at the floor.

Historic Paired Doors

Acorn Bot — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 09:30:12 +0000

Hisoric Paired Doors

This pair of Mahogay doors re-used the original Art Glass panels after restoration. The addition of insulated safety glass also provided energy-efficiency unobtrusively.

Methods – Joinery

Acorn Bot — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 06:44:49 +0000

The mortise and tenon joint has been used for over 6,000 years to join wood at right angles. In the 21st Century, there is still no better way to join wood, although the means of cutting the two parts has evolved. Our version today is accurately machined with tooling designed by Acorn for precise fit and finish so we can offer all the technical benefits of the historic craft while the selection of different profiles and looks remain. Often a full cope and stick mortise system is called for to give even more glue surface and integrate various handsome profiles with the joint’s function.

Frame and panel doors evolved in the 1600’s in Central Europe, descended from the heavier plank doors commonly used. The frame isolated the seasonal movement of wood, and allowed the panels to float. Almost immediately, this design was adorned, and the panels became design elements that permitted carving and embellishment as not seen in previous work.

Today, the frame and panel door remains as the design standard of traditional architectural elements. It is important to remember that the friendly familiar look of a panel door is the result of technical evolution and not decoration. Therefore, frame and panel doors all have the common the common ancestry of the accepted and familiar design.