A while back I made a “birdhouse” as a birthday gift for a friend of mine from some select cuts of maple and walnut. It wasn’t a real birdhouse; it had furniture and a stove, with a front that opened so you could see inside. As I was building that project, the Princess remarked that she wouldn’t be opposed to having her own version. Not being quite as stupid as I look, I knew this was some kind of a hint. Of course, I took that as an invitation to jump off the deep end…eyes closed, feet first, and pockets full of heavy rocks.
After making some rough sketches with my crayons and estimating the dimensions, I started with the roof. I have long admired copper clad roofs, especially when they have a lot of patina on them. “How hard could it be?” I asked. I was about to find out. It turned out to be slightly difficult due to the sizes I needed. Getting the width in a single stamped copper sheet was not possible which meant I needed a one-off solution. Scouring Etsy, I lucked upon “Quail Run Findings” who makes copper jewelry findings. Paula and Samantha were very patient and helped me figure out how many “tear drops” I needed per square inch to cover the roof panels. It involves math and math hates me so, I relied upon their vast expertise to transfer immense quantities of copper reserves to my shop for further abuse. Their measurements were so good that we were only over by eight pieces! To speed up my patina, I soaked the pieces in a sulfur mix and then let them air dry while I butchered the wood.
To guard against earthquakes, hurricanes, and other such mischief, I decided to make the walls a laminate of two pieces of 1/4 inch stock. The outer walls are made with flame cherry and the inside walls are curly maple. This allowed some amazing figure on the outside without making the inside into a black hole. The front doors meet in the center and are mirrored grain-matched cuts of mahogany on the outside with a walnut frame. The roof gable is yet more curly maple cut on a diagonal with a turned walnut center column. The floors are rosewood and the ceiling beams are walnut. Everything was finished with gloss instrument lacquer before putting the roof on.
The copper shingles are secured to the roof panels with staples and epoxy and the back side was trimmed with a saw so the house will sit flat against the wall. After securing the roof, I buffed some of the oxidation off to reveal a bit of the copper coloring. You can’t really see it in this picture but the roof has an iridescent look to it; blues and greens on the copper base. Everything is sealed with two coats of semi gloss lacquer. The peak-cap is a single piece of claro walnut with gloss lacquer.
The interior is furnished with a variety of hand crafted wood pieces: the stove is ebony with a copper smoke stack; the sink cabinet is maple, the table and chair is spalted maple and walnut, the upstairs sofa is walnut, and the bed is spalted maple with walnut posts. To get the picture frames for our two parasitic dogs, I turned some rosewood on the lathe and then cut slices off to the thickness I wanted. The downstairs window shows Yosemite valley where the Princess salvaged your humble craftsman from a life of wretched solitude and the wall clock with a rosewood frame is set to 6:10…if you know, you know. The copper heart in the top-center hides a magnet that meets a concealed magnet in the door. This keeps the doors shut when required. I will admit, to my undying shame, to using some pre-made pots and dishes to finish the interior. Don’t tell anyone.
It wasn’t long before a squatter took up residence. Made from spalted maple, it sits on a turned cherry perch outside of a birdseye maple hole. The hole is made from a single piece and the lip also serves as a catch for the opposite door.
Finally, it was time to put down some roots. The house was planted on a mahogany base and a cherry dowel rod with brass finials (because I can) for hanging quilt squares. It is installed in the Princess’s Sewing Chamber of Secrets as a constant reminder that I live to serve. (If I don’t say that she’ll beat me.)
