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Deep in the heart of Tennessee,
just north of the Great Smoky
Mountains National Park, Al Hudson
has been quietly building exquisite
reproductions of classic American
furniture for over 70 years. At age 88,
he’s just finished his masterpiece: a
double oxbow secretary, based on a
number of 18th century beauties
from Salem, Massachusetts. Building
the secretary took a completely
unexpected turn when Al uncovered
a secret stockpile of amazing
mahogany.
Wood is in Al’s blood. He’s a third
generation woodworker–his grandfather
was the master cabinetmaker
in a large architectural woodwork
mill, and his father rose to become
superintendent of the same mill. In
the hot summer months of the
1930’s, Al worked at the mill during
high school and college. “I apprenticed
under the watchful eye of my grandfather,” Al said. “I learned to
use all manner of hand tools, and
dearly loved the work.” Al wasn’t
destined to follow in his family’s footsteps,
however. “The top pay for a
master cabinetmaker in 1937 was 75
cents per hour. There was little future
for me at that mill, so I decided to
pursue engineering.”
Al’s career prepared the groundwork
for faithfully rendering period
furniture. After college and service in
the Marine Corps during WWII, Al
went to work for the Tennessee Valley
Authority (TVA) in Knoxville,
Tennessee, where he still lives. He
became a Head Mechanical Engineer
and supervised the drafting of plans
for 11 large coal-fired steam electric
power plants. After retiring in 1980, Al
returned to his first love, woodworking.
In 1996, when he saw a photograph
of a stunning secretary, Al was
awestruck. He made a vow to build it– no matter what– as the highest
achievement of his career. Twelve
years later, at age 88, Al finally had
the time to undertake what would be
an enormous effort. Drawing on his
masterly drafting skills, Al produced
the complete plans, sections, and
details of the piece before cutting a
single piece of wood (see "Al
Hudson’s Plans," below).
Al began building with enthusiasm,
but after cutting most of the
parts, he really wasn’t satisfied with
the mahogany he’d bought. “It just
didn’t have any character,” Al said, so
he put the work aside.
Several weeks later, he struck
gold. “I found the prettiest wood I
had ever seen–its grain glistened
and danced in the light.” This treasure
trove was four huge quartersawn
pieces of beeswing and mottled
mahogany. They were former backing boards (the pieces left over after
veneer is sliced from a log) which
had sat unused for over 40 years
after a local veneer mill went out of business Each board was a full 1-in.
thick, 15 in. wide, and 16 ft. long.
“When I bought this unbelievable
lumber, I started over.”
Al also found the perfect crotch
mahogany veneer for the tombstone
doors by contacting Certainly Wood,
a company specializing in high-end
veneer (see Source, below). “I sent
them the original photo of the secretary,
and explained that I was looking
for veneer that was equally spectacular.
They understood exactly
what I needed, and the veneer they
sent couldn’t have been better!”
Seven hundred hours and nine
months later, Al completed the secretary
just before Christmas, 2007. But
it wasn’t quite finished. “I wanted a
French polish to show the wood’s
glory,” Al said, “but, never having
done this myself, I figured that my
secretary was not the project to
learn on.” Al applied a mixture of
aniline dyes to the mahogany and
passed it on to a local professional
finisher, David Reeves. The amazing
results speak for themselves.
Al Hudson's plans
The plans that Al Hudson drew for his Salem secretary are works of art in their
own right. Rendered entirely by hand by a master draftsman, with beautiful script,
they meticulously detail every aspect of this timeless masterpiece. The complete
set is now available at awbookstore.com in a CD format for $15 plus S&H.
The original blueprints are a generous 17" wide by 24" long; you may have them
printed this size by your local copy center, or have them reduced to 11" x 17".
Source
Certainly Wood, certainlywood.com, 716-655-0206.
This story originally appeared in American Woodworker October/November 2008, issue #138.
October/November 2008, issue #138
Purchase this back issue.
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Click any image to view a larger version.
If beautiful wood and sophisticated
design get you excited,
just open the doors and lower
the writing lid of Al Hudson’s
secretary. Most of the piece is
built from mottled bee’s wing
mahogany from boards that
had languished undiscovered
for 40 years.
A top like this really
commands attention.
Three carved flame
finials set off a curved
broken pediment.
The centerpiece of the gallery is a
prospect door made with
crotch cherry veneer. The beautifully
appointed storage spaces in this secretary
contain 13 secret compartments.
More work by Al Hudson
Al Hudson has been building furniture for family and friends
from his home in Knoxville, Tennessee, for over 25 years.
Here’s a sampling:
Pembroke Table:
26” H x 19” D x 27” L
Curly cherry; holly, ebony, and hedge
apple (osage-orange) inlay
Tall Case Clock, Newport Style:
23” W x 11” D x 93” H
Fiddleback and crotch claro walnut
William and Mary Spice Cabinet:
15” W x 12” D x 18” H
Curly claro walnut; holly and padauk line
and berry inlay; ebony and lemonwood
inlay borders
Lady's Writing Desk:
37” H x 28” D x 48” W
Curly cherry, ebony drawer pulls
Hepplewhite Sideboard:
41” H x 24” D x 66” L
Sapele, pommele sapele, and
crotch mahogany veneer; holly,
ebony, lemonwood, padauk and
satinwood inlay
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