Front Doors of Florence Italy

June 23, 2011 By Bob Simmons 1 Comment

“A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” …Christopher Reeves (1952-2004) Actor, director, and producer.

Front Doors of Florence Italy

The Front doors of Florence Italy simply caught the attention of the woodworker and carpenter in me. Fortunately, my camera captured these images to share with you.

Front doors can say a lot about a residence and the resident as well. The first photograph reveals a section of a massive front door that could quite possibly date back to the 14th or 15th century. What catches your eye in this image? Is it the number of metal studs that creates a unique design on the stiles, rails, and panels? Could it be the the mitered mortise and tenon joints where the rails meets the stiles? There is a lot for a woodworker to discover in this photo. Notice how the left stile varies from the right side stile. There a vertical line on the left stile underneath the latch meaning a wood strip was added to the exterior door at some point in time.

When looking at the right side rail, notice how it is made with two pieces of wood to give the rail its full width. The lower strip of the rail is cut at a width to coincide with the long point of the mitered joint. We can readily see that the left wood door rail is made from one piece of timber.

The Front doors have wrought iron hardware. Look how the door bolt fits thru five metal rings to secure the entry doors. The door bolt handle is flat so that the bolt can be turned and slid thru the rings. Here we can see how a carpenter used chisels or gouges on the door stiles and mouldings to allow clearance for the door bolt to pass thru the metal rings. There is also a wrought iron door pull to open this massive door. If we look closely it appears that there is a star shaped metal escutcheon between the door pull and the doors panel. Plus, we can also see where the keyhole is along with another smaller hole. Just imagine what the hardware would be on the interior side of the front doors.

The moulding of the front doors was obviously crafted by hand and has mitered joints at the corners. Can you imagine creating a door like this back in the 14th or 15th century. Imagine the tools that woodworkers and carpenters were using. What type of measuring devices did they use? (I don’t think they had tape measures back then.) What type of saws were used back then to cut these timbers? What type of hand planes and moulding planes were used? What type of drill was used to create all the holes for the metal studs? Needless to say, the men who built these front doors way back when were great mechanics and highly talented craftsmen. I would have loved to see them hanging and fitting these front doors as the doors are still functional after all these years.

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The front doors of Florence Italy in this photo appear much newer than the previous image. However, we can see similarities in the usage of the metal studs which pierce and decorate the doors. There are many panels in this door which also adds to the overall design. Take a look at the location of the key entry. This is about 32-36 inches above the ground and this clue will give us an idea of the overall height and width of the front doors. Also, we can see the four heavy duty hinges on each side of the doors. Needless to say, these hinges are supporting a lot of weight when we take into consideration the amount of wood and the number of metal studs being held.

There is something incredibly unique about these front doors pictured. Can you see it? These are actually bi-fold doors. There are four vertical sections. There are hinges on the backside of the doors that allow for the doors to fold. If we look at the bottoms of the doors, we will notice four individual pieces of wood that allow for the folding of the the four vertical sections of the doors. Again, this is another wonderful example of fine woodworking skills and advanced carpentry craftsmanship.

Feel free to share your thoughts, insights, and questions.

Custom Inlay Designs for Arts and Crafts Woodworking

Woodworking Ideas & Patterns from Santa Maria del Fiore Duomo

Decorative Woodworking Patterns of Architectural Millwork & Custom Moulding

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Filed Under: Architecture, Category #1, Featured Tagged With: Doors, finish carpentry

Custom Inlay Designs for Arts and Crafts Woodworking

June 13, 2011 By Bob Simmons 2 Comments

“Some old things are lovely, warm still with life … of the forgotten men who made them.”
D.H. Lawrence…(1885-1930) English novelist, poet, essayist.

Custom Inlay Designs

Custom inlay designs are found throughout the facade of the Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral (Duomo) in Florence, Italy. As a woodworker who enjoys creating various forms of wood inlay, I felt the urgency to capture the custom inlay designs that this spectacular church offers. The photograph clearly reveals a well thought out and beautifully balanced marble inlay pattern. The contrasting marble colors and varying geometric shapes invite one eye’s to pan across the design to understand the simple complexities of this elegant inlay border. As a trained woodworker, I find myself also listening to the thoughts of the skilled craftsmen who created these custom inlay designs back in the 1870′s. Perhaps these artisans were somehow inspired by other men such as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo who had lived in Florence centuries ago.

Custom inlay designs such as this example reveal years of training and experience. As much as I enjoy the finished product, I would have loved to have witnessed seeing the various colors of marble as they were pulled from their quarries. Moreover, it would have been a joy to see how the apprentices worked alongside the journeyman while learning the craft. One can only imagine how the individual pieces of inlay were cut and fit. As we can see in the photo, all inlays were cut precisely for perfectly tight fitting joints.

Arts and Crafts Woodworking

Arts and crafts woodworking draws from countless ideas and influences from the past. For example, we can see how a woodworker named Gustav Stickley was influenced by the British arts and crafts movement while he visited England. It was this exposure to the English crafts movement that fired Stickley’s imagination. Obviously, we as woodworkers draw inspirations and influences from woodworking magazines, woodworking forums, and numerous books on the craft. However, if we keep our eyes and ears open as Gustav Stickley did, we can find woodworking ideas and inspirations where we least expect it.

Custom inlay designs on the facade of the Santa Maria del Fiore send a convincing message of pride in craftsmanship. Decorative inlays such as this example take plenty of time and patience. Yet it requires more than that to do a job like this well. It takes love of the craft. It is more than likely that the best marble inlay craftsmen in Florence were working on this project. Keep in mind that this is the face of the Cathedral and at eye level where every detail can be viewed and appreciated well beyond the lifetime of the craftsman.

Arts and Crafts woodworking in my shop takes on a new meaning after visiting Italy. My thoughts and ideas for wood inlay have shed their old limitations. I now look forward with enthusiasm to creating new hardwood inlays based upon the custom inlay designs from the Santa Maria del Fiore Duomo. Without a doubt, I’ll be listening for inlay advice from the men who worked the craft from years gone by.

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Filed Under: Arts and Crafts, Category #1, Featured, Inlay, Inspiration Tagged With: Design, wood inlay

Fine Woodworking Patterns for the Skilled Woodworker

May 23, 2011 By Bob Simmons 1 Comment

“Beauty is truth, truth beauty, that is all ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.”
John Keats…English lyric poet (1795-1821)

Fine woodworking patterns for the skilled woodworker can easily be be found on the facade of the Santa Maria del Fiore Duomo (Cathedral) in Florence, Italy. What we are studying in this posting is merely a sampling of the pure genius of the overall architectural design. There is just so much detail and layout. Then of course there are the skilled craftsman who created these ornamental elements and then fit them together.

Fine woodworking patterns like these can definitely be a appreciated by the skilled woodworker especially when we consider that the facade of the church is marble. Keep in mind the overall design and the amount of layout for the section shown. To simplify things we will break the components into smaller details.

Notice how the mitered moulding creates a frame and adds depth to the sculpted leaves and the carved youthful face. This ornamental square is one of three squares. Each square is centered under a gothic arch of carrera and prato marble. Imagine the time, patience, and dedication it takes for a skilled woodworker to create a woodworking pattern such as this carving.

Fine woodworking patterns can be derived from the above picture that reveals three gothic arches. Notice how the frontal arch plays off of the white and green arch in the background. The front arches also form curved triangular patterns that create borders for the sculpted flowers.

Fine woodworking patterns are shown in the mosaic inlay. The mosaic inlay is part of a base that supports a marble statue. Take a look and see how the inlay is comprised of various triangles and squares of contrasting colors. This repetitive design is a wonderful choice for an eye-catching custom woodworking pattern. It surely would make for a striking wood inlay banding for the skilled woodworker.

We have only touched upon a few of the architectural design elements that can be implemented for fine woodworking patterns by the skilled woodworker. Yet, all of the woodworking skills required are based upon woodworking basics.

1.)What other patterns catch your eye and imagination?
2.)What woodworking skills would be required to create the design elements?
3.) What woodworking projects could you create using these woodworking patterns?

Listen to the bells of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, Italy.

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Filed Under: Architecture, Category #1, Featured, Inspiration Tagged With: Design

Decorative Woodworking Patterns of Architectural Millwork & Custom Moulding

May 8, 2011 By Bob Simmons 2 Comments

“You cannot teach a man anything. You can only help him to find it within himself.”
Galileo Galilei…Physicist, mathematician, astronomer, philosopher. (1564-1642)

In the article woodworkers can discover decorative woodworking patterns from the architectural millwork and custom moulding of the beautiful Santa Maria del Fiore Duomo in Florence, Italy. Upon seeing this cathedral, I instantly knew this was without question, the most breathtaking piece of architecture I have ever witnessed. Now, keep in mind that these stunning details from the church’s facade are of marble, however the same design layouts can be used in the woodworking shop to create similar millwork. The architectural design and the level of craftsmanship is simply awe-inspiring. It is for this reason I’d like to share it with my fellow woodworkers and finish carpenters.

Work on the facade started in 1871 and was finished in 1887. Take a minute to think about the amount of planning and effort that went into designing the facade. What means and equipment was used to gather the marble from the quarry? How did men shape the marble for the architectural millwork and what tools did they use to create the custom moulding? What type of scaffolding and hoisting apparatus was implemented to aid the craftsman as they worked on the church’s facade? While it is astonishing to witness the finished product, it is equally intriguing to imagine the Santa del Fiore when it was a construction site in the middle of Florence.

It stands to reason that men were quite busy excavating the white marble in Carrara, Italy at this time. The marble would then need to be shaped by skilled craftsmen in their shops to the architect’s specifications and then transported into Florence. Once at the Cathedral, imagine the necessary care taken as the heavy marble was hoisted up the scaffolding with rope and wooden pulleys. What source of power was used to raise the marble millwork upwards? Was the material raised by oxen, horses, or did men use winches to pull up the marble? One’s imagination automatically takes over once in the presence of the Santa Maria del Fiore as it is overwhelmingly beautiful.

The architectural components are simply elegant and yet they are anything but simple. Check out the following: The dentil moulding is actually coved instead of being cut square. The spiraled marble columns are embellished with a repetitive design of cross shaped, green marble inlays. The finely sculpted floral millwork on the left adds a wonderfully tasteful element to the entire composition. The angel in the centerpiece is framed within an elongated hexagon. Notice how this feature adds a three dimensional element to the facade by creating negative space as does the framed box with carvings and mouldings below.

As a woodworker studies the architectural millwork and custom moulding of the Santa Maria del Fiore, he or she will naturally wonders how this work could be duplicated in the woodworking shop. The decorative woodworking patterns of the columns could be turned on a wood lathe, carved to the spiral design, and then the cross shaped wood inlay could then be inserted into place. The coved dentils seem easy enough to create and apply as does the framework of the moulding. Next it is simply a matter of sculpting the floral millwork and then the angel. Simple enough! (yeah…right!)

Keep in mind that this is just a sampling of the facade of the Santa Maria del Fiore and yet there is plenty of detail and craftsmanship in these examples. Understanding that this work was done by hand gives a woodworker a great appreciation for the skills and the dedication of the men who worked on this project. The magnificent Duomo is a work of art and a testament to the skills of these men. The Santa Maria del Fiore along with the genius of these craftsmen will be visited often and appreciated for many years to come.

Recommended article: Decorative Inlay Patterns for Custom Hardwood Inlays

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Filed Under: Architecture, Category #1, Featured, Inspiration Tagged With: finish carpentry, millwork

Decorative Inlay Patterns for Custom Hardwood Inlays

April 30, 2011 By Bob Simmons 3 Comments

“Every beauty which is seen here by persons of perception resembles more than anything else that celestial source from which we all come.”
Michelangelo…Italian Sculptor, painter, architect, engineer, and poet (1475-1564)

Inlay Design from the Duomo in Florence Italy

Inlay Pattern from Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, Italy

If you have been following this woodworking blog for anytime you know that there is quite a bit of attention devoted to creating wood inlay in the workshop. As woodworkers who love our work, we are constantly on the lookout for new ideas and fresh inspirations. Sometimes, we are able to capture insights from woodworking magazines, DVDs, or books on working with wood. However, on a recent trip I came across something very stimulating that I’d like to share with you, my viewers. These decorative inlay patterns for custom hardwood inlays are actually inlay designs from the facade of the Santa Maria del Foire Cathedral in Florence, Italy.

When you first see the this church it can be quite overwhelming as it truly magnificent and is just loaded with such a vast amount of finely crafted detail. What is even more amazing is the fact that entire facade of this Cathedral is wrapped in polychromatic veneers of marble. For the purpose of this posting on decorative inlay patterns for custom hardwood inlays, I find it best to begin with an extremely simple and yet elegant marble inlay design. The white marble is from Carrara. The green is from Prato and the red marble is from Sienna. (Carrara, Prato, and Sienna are all towns in Italy from which the marble is quarried.) Notice how the marble color combinations play off of one another. Also, take a look at how the interior mouldings of the rectangle and the square are mitered. As a woodworker, if you want to learn how to inlay wood, this design in marble is a great place to start.

Starting from the small square at the very center of the inlay pattern, notice how this white square is turned on its point and sets the stage for the direction of the overall inlay design. The rounded red cross follows this same direction as does the larger square. Here, the larger square with its mouldings and shadow lines adds a perception of depth as does the surrounding rectangle with its mouldings.

The overall inlay pattern may seem difficult at first. However, this is where we woodworkers take our time and enjoy the woodworking process. As you can clearly see, the inlay design is not hard once we break it down into its smaller components. However, my first thought is that it would be best to lay this custom inlay pattern out on paper and then take our measurements from there. By making duplicate copies of the overall pattern we can make templates available for each component’s pattern. From there it is just a matter of fitting the components together.

When creating wood inlay patterns we are able to utilize our veneers from an assortment of hardwoods. Here, we can experiment with different wood colors to see how they contrast or compliment one another. We can also pay special attention to the wood grain patterns as this may provide a positive influence to our custom woodworking inlay.

Keep in mind that once we have the overall decorative inlay patterns and individual component templates made, we can then create any number of custom hardwood inlays. From here it is simply a matter of production work and if we choose, we can repeat the inlay pattern throughout our wood project. As you can imagine, the craftsman of the Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral used this custom inlay and other inlay designs continually on the marble facade to create an astonishing work of art. What type of an affect could inlays like this have on our furniture pieces, fireplace mantels, and other wood projects?

Note: The installation on the front facade of the Santa Maria del Fiore began in 1876 and was completed in 1887.

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Filed Under: Architecture, Category #1, Featured, Inlay, Marquetry Tagged With: wood inlay