I don't know why it is but we always have problems with the glass. It seems that since CNC glass cutters have been adopted by the industry a piece of glass can't be cut anywhere in this county to a tolerance of less than plus or minus 2 mm and even then it won't come back plus or minus 2 mm square. I think now we have tried just about everything, we have tried using a local firm for personal attention. They can handle simple stuff but once we want bevel edges and curved tops they have to send it away to the CNC machine somewhere in Birmingham. We have tried going to a prestigious and expensive London firm who gave very similar results. We have tried, as in this case, making exact plywood templates, sending those away and saying plus or minus half a milimetre. We have tried shouting at people, we have tried being nice and we have tried standing over them while they do it and it still comes back looking like dogs breakfast. Whatever happened to the skilful glass cutter with a diamond headed stylus who could if he was given a ply template cut to exactly that shape. Perhaps I am being a pernickety old woman perhaps plus or minus a milimetre is too much to ask. All I know is it didn't use to be. If anybody out there knows of a good glass cutter, somebody who can do us fancy tops and bevel edge mirrors and tricky shapes and do it accurately I would be very pleased to hear from them.

The wardrobe shown here illustrates the problem. Here the bevelling to the round topped mirrors varied in width between two and three millimetres over the entire job. However, I think Dammo got around it very cleverly by cheating the curves of the top here and there and careful fitting of the glass on a silicon bead.

The entire construction of this piece was based around very thin and light members and we wondered for a while whether we would get away with it as until it all came together it wobbled rather alarmingly. But as each of the components was fitted in, the interior Cedar panelling, the cornice and the base unit, all contributed considerably to the structural stability of the piece. I love it when finished pieces are strong and stable without being heavy and clumsy.The other thing that was rather exciting about this job was the completion.

My client had expressed a wish to have the furniture delivered before his imminent trip to Japan. This gave us a very real and quite pressing deadline. For those of you who seek to leave a high pressure job and take up the gentle pastime of bespoke furniture making, believe me there is always a deadline.

This particular job saw almost all the workshop staff putting in several long evenings and one all night session. It is reputed that at four o' clock in the morning on the eve of delivery day everybody was just about on their knees when Neil piped up, "just think David will be at home in bed now dreaming about all the money he is making". Come the morning of D day everything was there or thereabouts and my makers, bless their hearts, looked grey and exhausted. It is a really great feeling knowing that here is a team of people who are prepared to put themselves out, who are prepared to care a bit more and give a bit more than is generally expected. Gentlemen, one and all, you have my admiration and my gratitude.

Mind you it did go right down to the wire. On the morning of D day the plan was to get the delivery van and to convert the showroom into a photographic studio. As each piece was completed it would be taken down to the photographic studio, recorded then loaded into the van ready for the van to depart at midday. Dammo's wardrobe was nearly finished at eight thirty in the morning, nearly finished at ten thirty in the morning, nearly finished at eleven thirty in the morning just about done by twelve o' clock, coming in five minutes at twelve fifteen and finally done at twelve thirty but in the end we got the shot we wanted, loaded it into the van and waved the van a fond farewell at about two o' clock. I have learned that promising a client a new dining table in time for Christmas dinner invariably invites disaster. Perhaps I should learn also that giving any client a firm delivery date is asking for the same sort of trouble.It is all a tremendous worry and fuss then I look at the pieces made and I know that it was worthwhile and time well spent. It is very rare to have the opportunity to make a group of pieces of finest furniture that are linked together with a strong visual theme whilst each piece has a visual integrity of its own. I feel quite proud of "Nightmare on Elm Street".

by David Savage

first published in Woodworker Magazine

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