Campaign-style Bookshelf
When I started this thesis, I knew I wanted to build something myself. I knew I wanted to build something substantial and complex so I could explore a number of different techniques. I needed something that allowed me to really dive into materials, tools, and process. A project came to mind from a book I purchased by Tom Fidgen called The Unplugged Woodshop (Fidgen, 2013). In his book, he recreated a card catalogue that was reminiscent of a furniture piece from his childhood; it was a complex project that I never felt I would have an opportunity to build. Being a hobbyist woodworker, I often focus on projects that fit into my home or other areas of my life (work, family members’ homes, friends’ homes, etc.) and those bucket list projects need to meet that criteria or they may never be built.
As I looked at building the card catalogue, I did not want to exactly reproduce something another woodworker had already done. I needed to put my own mark on it and build it for myself. I had become enthralled with a genre of furniture known as the campaign style. This style is based on furniture used primarily by the British military over the past 200 years while executing their various campaigns (Schwarz, 2014, p. vii). Sometimes referred to camp furniture, barracks furniture, or patent furniture, it is known for its simple elegance and ease of transportability (Schwarz, 2014). I began to explore campaign furniture by constructing a small stool that really started me down the path of incorporating leather into my work. This simple stool allowed me to trying something new in a different genre and push my woodturning skills to a new level. As well, the simple elegance of the stool made a great addition to my living room. After dipping my toe into the style, I rebuilt an army cot using wood that would have been appropriate to the style.
Army cot recreation
Interestingly, the army cot design (which is still used today) is based on designs from the early 18th century campaign furniture designs and has changed very little over the years. My latest venture into the genre was my Roorkhee chair. This project was absolutely a “bucket list” project that I had wanted to do since I learned of the style. It combined woodturning once again with leather work but added a level of complexity that I had never undertaken. Incidentally, the chair is named after the town in India where it was first built—Roorkhee, India (Schwarz, 2014, p. 33). As I explore this genre in my woodworking, I decided to incorporate some of the campaign elements into this project.
Based on Fidgen’s piece a card catalogue, I have decided to build a campaign inspired version using materials from that genre, and to push my tool use toward a more hand tool approach. There will be new techniques that I will try and some skills that I will improve. This piece will hold the handmade objects my research participants will make, allowing both their objects and mine to be data and results (Leavy, 2015).
Roorkhee Chair
As I explored what to build, I asked myself if I should design something completely from scratch or use a readily available plan. I have limited experience in designing furniture but have built several projects to plans purchased online or from magazines, often modifying them to fit my purpose. I decided to land somewhere in the middle. There was enough information from Fidgen to give me a strong understanding of the process, but also enough leeway for me to explore new techniques and make changes. The project is perfect piece of furniture to house all the handmade objects my research participants will create and be a great addition to my home. It checks all the boxes and be a great challenge to build.
References
Fidgen, T. (2013). The unplugged woodshop. Tauton Press.
Leavy, P. (2015). Method meets art: Arts-based research practice (Second). New York, NY: The Guilford Press.
Schwarz, C. (2014). Campaign furniture. Fort Mitchell, KY: Lost Art Press.