Nakashima
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Saw this bookcase tonight on the 1stdibs.com web site. It was made by the illustrious George Nakashima in 1969. Or so said the web site. The bookcase seems way too simple to have been made by someone as skilled as Nakashima. But a close look at the joinery says this is no ordinary piece of furniture. The top is dovetailed to the sides, and the ends of the joints are mitered. The bottom shelf is held in place with screws or dowels; at any rate, there are plugs (or dowel ends) showing on the sides. And I'll wager that the center divider is held in place with a stopped dado. The wood is highly figured cherry. In any event, it was fun to model.
Best,
dh -
Very nice David... Love the stain color.
One critique, the wood grain on the shelves is vertical instead of horizontal.
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Nice piece, David. It kind of looks like it was done during one of Nakashima's lazy periods. It doesn't have the same flavor as most of his pieces.
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If you modeled those fine details, you should show us a close-up...
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Here's a view of the dovetails.
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Interesting orientation of the dovetails: they will keep the top from lifting off, but not the sides from separating.
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You're right about the dovetails, slbaumgartner. Maybe, as Dave Richards said, Nakashima did this in his lazy period. Or maybe he used a really strong glue.
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Or maybe he used pocket screws.
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Well, traditional dovetails will only ever resist movement in one direction. So Mr. Nakashima should have used those crazy skewed dovetails.
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I'd replace the metal shelf strips with a few holes... Maybe back in those days that was new and interesting. All you need is a few holes to move that center shelf up and down a couple inches not a strip from top to bottom (or a fixed shelf). Must be some good woodworking going on--I wouldn't try that without a back panel to keep it from racking.
Nice model and render. Thanks for sharing.
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We still have designers and architects specifying the metal strips today and we have to make the cabinets with them. Very infuriating. I agree no back makes it a much more difficult piece. Was it used as a two sided bookcase?
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Sorry, but I have no idea whether this piece was used as a two-sided bookcase. The absence of a back is a concern because the piece is liable to rack with some good stiffener. But I just model 'em.
Thanks for all the good comments.
Best,
dh
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