The solution of potassium dichromate oxides the mahogany, turns it a
rusty orange color and gives it an aged patina. After this treatment, a
green stain made of artist’s oils and Danish oil is applied.After wiping off the excess, the mahogany is left a rich, reddish brown
c olor. T his is t h e s am e t e c h niqu e u s e d in or igin al Gr e e n e an d Gr e e n e f u r ni -
ture. After the stain dries, three additional coats of oil are applied.through the mortise-and-tenon joints in the central plugs of the
outside legs. I inserted 1^1 ⁄ 4 "-long dowels in each of these holes,
driving the ends flush with the bottom of the square holes.
I dipped the plugs in my ebonizing solution and applied it to
the visible parts of the splines with a brush. After these small
parts were dry, I put a small amount of glue on the end of each
plug and drove them into place, as shown at right. The splines
were driven into their slots after I applied glue to the slots in the
top only.
I screwed^7 ⁄ 8 "-square cleats to the inside of the two end rails,
and to the two long front and back rails so that I could attach the
top to the base with screws. With 107 parts now in their proper
places, I gave the entire table three additional coats of Danish oil.
Greene and Greene hold an important place in the history of
American design, melding the influences of the Arts & Crafts
movement with Japanese design elements in a unique way.
Making this piece provided an opportunity to practice authentic
detailed work. Had I been working for the Hall brothers in 1907,
with a houseful of trim and many more furniture pieces to go, I
would have been just warming up.
Once the coloring of the wood is complete, the table base is assembled in
stages. Here I’m gluing the center rails between each subassembly.A small, fl at riffl e r is u s e d t o
clean up the edges of the square
holes. A slight chamfer on the
back of the oversized square
plugs gets them started in the
holes before they are driven
home with a dead-blow mallet.9 98-109_Greene&GreeneSideboard.indd 108 8 - 109 _Greene&GreeneSideboard.indd 108 3 3/25/13 9:57 AM/ 25 / 13 9 : 57 AM