WANTED: Corner Blocks
I need five corner blocks like this. The blocks are 5-1/2-inches square. The blocks have a rare and distinctive flower in the center. At least I think that is a flower. For three years I have had an eBay SAVED SEARCH for corner blocks but have never seen THESE corner blocks. Sigh.
I also need four of these corner plinths. These are 5-1/2-inches wide by 10-1/2-inches high.
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Can these not be made by someone skilled in the wood working realm? Or possibly made up by a 3D type printer?
3D printer??? They should be wood with the rest of the house. And it is likely expensive or hard to find someone who could. Though I’m sure some machines could cut it…
Ross, I know a guy in Saint Louis that can make those. He’s made many parts and pieces for my many restorations. He’s dirt cheap too, in my opinion.
I’m gonna ask my woodworking maven about this. He is dropping off my restored 1895-1900 mahogany dining room table top (marred by movers last summer) & top of hand wrought cedar chest lid circa 1900 (marred by the same movers)— both restored. He also is going to make two leaves for the dining room table since original leaves long gone (great grandmother’s table & in the same home for over 75 years). Tony has a point— Jim (my guy) may know of where these corners & plinths could be had. I am going to make him a delicious dinner (my Bolognese, eggplant Parmesan, lasagna & Swiss chard ala Lidia Bastaniach) if he can find these pieces! He may be my next & new husband to bring to the Friday Thanksgiving fete 2018 if he can pull this off— my leaves & your wood pieces!!
Both Tony & Brian have a point as well as me! Maybe my Jim could find 1890’s pieces from an old home that was not saved or Architectural Salvage in KC comes to mind as well.
If you wax up one of the blocks with paste wax, make a casting of it out of epoxy putty, wax that up once it’s cured, make a casting of it, and send it to me, I will make five blocks from old wood for you. This could be the contribution that I could make to the Cross House for which I have been looking. You have my e-mail if you want me to do it. I will give you my mailing address that way.
Ditto with the four plinths.
Wow Stewart that is awesome!!
What Sandra said!
It will be my contribution to the Cross House in exchange for the hours of pleasure and the kindness I have received through the reading of and interactions I have made through this blog. I am sure that every regular reader of this blog, if they had the knowledge, tools and skills to make the blocks, would make the same offer if they could. Wouldn’t you?
Bravo, Stewart! Such wonderful gifts!
Yes! Although I’m sure yours will be much better looking than mine would be. Woodworking is NOT my best skill.
Barb, My point is that, although you may not have woodworking skills, I know that you would be happy to bring the skills that you have to put a part of yourself in this restoration. There are likely to be other projects over the next eight to ten years for which your existing skills would be more useful than mine.
I have approximately 8 (may be a couple more) long boards like the ones around your doors in the last photo if you’re interested in them. We used to own an 1896 Victorian home and the gentleman that restored the house had a Home Depot of parts in the 3-car garage rafters! I live in the Kansas City area, just let me know.
Brava, Jeanette! Very kind of you! Ross you are so blessed.
I think Ross should take all 8 in case a need arises when restoring an area where those type of plinths are needed— bravo Jeanette!
Wow, Jeanette! Cool!
I will be in KC next week. Can I stop by?
Of course! I replied back to your email!
Could the flower be a glue-on, like the leaves you added to the the picture rail? Does Decorators Supply Co. have anything that matches?
Grandmere Louise, I had the same thought earlier because the grain of the pine is clearly visible everywhere on the block except in the central flower medallion. That small detailing will be more difficult to carve in pine than in many other woods.
You can see in the first image a gap around the circle which is around the flower, this makes me think so. The flower looks to be on a piece of wood that’s separate from the rest of the piece. I’m sure they’re still very rare if not the only ones out there like that.
I just wanted to add another suggestion, not so much for you, Ross, but for others who may be following this blog as they renovate their own house. It sounds like you have a solution, but for others, they could follow the design of my house. The corner blocks and plinths have different designs in various areas of the house. Most of my house has a triangle above the plinth. The bullseyes are different too. In the halls, the triangle on top has a leaf motif, the dining and kitchen and laundry rooms have a rising sun in the triangle. The parlors have no triangle, but have a simple daisy design inside the bullseye, similar to yours but simple. The childrens’ room (only one for the three girls who lived here when the house was built) has no triangle and a simple bullseye, and the master bedroom has a crown shape above the bullseye. So if someone’s house was missing some, they could put all the originals in the front part of the house, and have the kitchen/dining/laundry rooms different.
I’ve been re-reading some old posts and happened to spot some “fancy trim” that was in the servants’ stairs. It might not be the missing bits, but if nothing else you could send that partial block to Stewart for him to recreate.