BUILDING CEDAR CASES - THE LONGCASE, Clive Pickering

"Toona Australis" (aka Red Gold) is perhaps Australia's most popular timber. It is classified as a hardwood, although actually quite soft. It is a light but hardy timber, easy to work. Grain depends on growth speed & age. Red Cedar has excellent flame & fiddle back features. It is resistant to most infestation & damp, and has excellent longevity against the elements.

90% of early colonial furniture was built from cedar, but Australian Red Cedar was seen in the UK as a poor mans mahogany, and was shipped as ballast as a "Secondary timber"

Western red cedar is Thuja plicata and is a member of the Cypress family, Red Cedar is Toona Australis - they are not the same thing. Red cedar is prized for it's figure & depth of luminescence, it has been used for fine furniture since colonial times. Western Red Cedar has only been used for furniture (particularly outdoor furniture) in the past few decades in Australia. Previously it was used as a structural timber, and does not have the "character" of Red Cedar.

To contact Clive, please use the Chapter 72 contact form - email addresses and phone numbers are not provided here to maintain privacy.

Early Settlement Cedar was highly fancied by our early cabinet makers. Used well seasoned (darker) timber. Timber of choice for early buildings. Became a lucrative income source First Oz clock cases were in cedar. Huon pine, black wood, musk, casuarena were used as secondary timbers.	Methods Available For Case Making ... Use solid cedar timber Thick cedar veneers on cedar (for good quality work) Mixture of timbers Secondary timber with thin applied veneers (most popular with cabinet makers as there is a better run of veneer and it is a far cheaper option)	Methods (Continued) Cedar on cedar Straight veneering Bookmatching Cross / edge banding Stringing Straight run moulding Cross grain moulding Inlaying	Golden Rule The case should not overpower the movement, nor should the movement overpower the case. They should be as one 'In Complete Harmony'	Need To Know ... Dial size Dial shape Depth of movement Distance hands protrude from face Pendulum length Arc of swing Drop of weights Bells / gongs
Designing The New Case Proportioning / Aesthetic Appeal Rule Of Thumb ... Width & shape of dial determines ... Size & shape of hood Width of trunk Size & shape of base & plinth. May determine trunk door shape Old glass for hood door / sides	Case Style Swan neck pediment Breakarch top Reeded side columns Split turnings Barley twist columns Inlay to door or base Panel sides Glazed sections to hood sides	The following photos are examples of Clive's work, and are not in any specific order. Various styles described are shown, along with various pieces in the early stages.	The shape of the door may need to be adapted to match the dial.	Bookmatching (note the "face in the door"), stringing and an original glass "bulls eye" pendulum window.
Bookmatching, stringing and custom mouldings make this base rather spectacular.	Decorations should be added to match the style of the clock, without detracting from the dial or being too plain.	As always, any part of a clock case looks rather plain in the early stages. Bringing out the grain makes a huge difference.	This hood combines many different styles to make the whole.	Here, the trunk and base are joined with another custom moulding.
The case takes its final shape. The proportions are designed to match the movement and dial.	A rather nice single weight Vienna Regulator case.	John Sale, Leeds, Circa 1690 - 11 inch dial (left) Ben Fieldhouse, Leominster, Circa 1720 - 12 inch dial (right) Cases constructed from hand cut red cedar veneers.	John Sale with crest added.	Panelled side , with crossbanding.
Fabulous figure of the door, with early bulls eye lenticle & brass surround.