Ever since acquiring my 1886 Golding Official (a tabletop 8 x 12!), I've wanted a second chase. They seem even more rare than Pearl chases by the same maker. So I asked Robert to saw me a chase-size piece of plywood.
A chase needs shaping before it can seat in the bed of a press: there are lugs which hold it in place which require corresponding notches in the chase. There is also a spring-loaded clamp to hold the chase securely. The chase edge must be the correct shape for the clamp.
We accomplished shaping a few days ago. I began by trying to match the original chase's lug bevel on all four corners, with rounded-over edge in the center. But the crude tools we were using (belt sander & rasp) weren't up to detail. We ended up with one whole edge beveled and the other one rounded. That's all it really needs-- roundness to match the chase clamp, and a bevel to fit snugly into the lugs. Below is the result:
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| Right side bevelled to correspond with the lug bevel; left side rounded for clamp. |
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| Bevel matches lug bevel, but it's not an exact science. |
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| Chase fits exactly, with no side play. Rounded top fits clamp. Success! |
Next month I will have a chance to put this chase to the test! Needless to say, it will not carry work which I have to lock up too tightly. I'm thinking it will be the perfect thing to hold cuts or second-color infills for jobs locked up in the original chase. Done- is beautiful!
2 comments:
And the chase actually worked quite well. I have not yet tried 2-color work, but just having an extra chase is a very good thing.
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