5. Enlarge the hole incrementally.
6. Measure the hole as you get close to the correct size.
7. Remove the debris.
Cutting the Holes for the Ebony Plugs
It is easier to make ebony plug holes while the fingers still have their square reference. All holes are centered on the width of the individual fingers, but not on their lengths. Lengthwise, the holes are centered on the width of the mating base member. Start by laying out the centerlines as seen in the Base Fingers drawing.
For the ¼ x 7⁄16" hole, also pencil in the furthest extents of the rectangular shape. Make the square holes, as described in Chapter 4. For the rectangular holes, first make a normal square hole in the center of the layout. Working out from the center, using both a square, or square saddle, and the existing hole to correctly register the punch. Enlarge the hole incrementally until the extended pencil lines are reached. Be sure to creep up on the pencil lines slowly and start measuring the hole as you get close. Use a dental pick or similar tool to remove the debris left from enlarging the hole. Alternatively, if a quantity of the same size rectangular hole is needed, you may opt to make the punch guide described in Chapter 4.
8. The radiuses for all the edges.
9. Extend the 1⁄8" radius into the inside corners.
10. Mark a centerline down the face of the finger.
Adding Shape to the Fingers
Refer to the Base Fingers drawing (above) and Photo 8 to apply the appropriate radiuses to all the edges. With a seesaw motion, use a folded piece of 150-grit sandpaper to extend the 1⁄8" radius into the inside corners where the router bit was unable to reach. Mark a pencil line down the center of the end-grain face of each finger. With a folded piece of 80-grit sandpaper, and again using a seesaw motion, blend the flat face of the finger with the radiused edge. Keep sanding until the pencil line is removed. Continuing with the 80-grit, blend all the edges around the perimeter of the face using a sort of flapping motion backed up with your thumb. Viewing the fingers from various angles in strong light should identify any facets or lines that need to be blended in. The end result should be a seamless transition from the flat sides to the pillowed face. Once the desired shape is achieved, follow through with the sanding up to 320-grit.
Assembling the Joint
Working first on the two opposing joints along a single side of the base, apply a small amount of glue on the mating surfaces and use a corner clamp or similar squaring device to hold the joint square. Run a single trim head screw (#7 x 15⁄8") into the cavity of the center rectangular plug hole. Do not run screws through the smaller two fingers—they tend to split easily. If you do choose to screw the smaller fingers, be sure to pre-drill and be careful not to sink the screw in too deep.
11. Using a seesaw motion, blend the flat face of the finger with the radiused edge.
12. Using a flapping motion, blend all the edges around the perimeter.
13. Use a single trim head screw.
14. The finished base finger joint.
Finish off the base by making and inserting the ebony plugs (see Chapter 4).
Any detail of a design should be used in context. The bold base fingers covered in this chapter are meant to be used specifically with a relatively large piece of furniture. Keep in mind the size and context of your project when choosing to use Greene & Greene style finger joints.
Do not feel the preceding is the final word on the subject. Use what has been laid out as a starting point. If you choose to replicate the fingers exactly as given, that is perfectly fine. If, on the other hand, you have a vision for something a bit different, that is perfectly fine as well. In any event, enjoy the process and let it take you where it will.
Chapter 3
The Block & Dowel Pull
The block and dowel pull is not an original Greene & Greene detail. It is something I unwittingly borrowed from James Krenov’s work and added to my design vocabulary. Krenov has been a large secondary influence on my work and his pull is not the only one of his details that I have incorporated into my own designs.
There is good reason to include this non-Greene & Greene detail here. For good or bad, the block and dowel pull has become a part of the woodworking world’s G & G vocabulary. It shows up regularly in projects done “in the style of Greene & Greene,” and I am often asked about its construction.
In both this book and my previous one, I have encouraged my readers to “branch out on their own.” That is, to take from Greene & Greene what you will, and augment to that whatever inspires you. But “mixing and matching” must be done with forethought, lest you end up with Franken-furniture. Merging the block and dowel pull with Greene & Greene is a good exercise in “mixing and matching.” I like to think of furniture design in terms of DNA. In this scenario, the building blocks of design are all infused with a common construction thread. When a new element is introduced it can only be synthesized with the material and tools on hand. Every detail appears to have come from the same source. So the question becomes, if it were Greene & Greene DNA building the Krenov pull, how would it be done and what would it look like?
The block and dowel pull was originally a James Krenov detail.
Krenov, like the Greenes, made most if not all of his pulls in the shop. The block-and-dowel pulls’ exposed joinery and practical nature is something the DNA of Greene & Greene and Krenov have in common. But there is a key difference as well. The building blocks for a Greene & Greene creation call for the rounding over and softening of all exposed corners and surfaces, much more so than that of Krenov. So, by way of a little “genetic engineering,” all the sharp edges of the pull get a healthy softening and round over prior to the Greene & Greene adaptation. Added to this I relied upon my intuition and made the block a bit longer and more rectangular in shape, than the mostly square, original, Krenov pull.