Roentgens' Desks, 18th Century Transformers

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By Gareth Branwyn
Posted 2012/12/11 @ 1:52 pm
Category Furniture

If this video of a desk from 18th German cabinet makers the Roentgens (pronounced “RUNT-ghen”) doesn’t blow your neck bolts, nothing will. This and other furniture from the father and son team of Abraham and David are part of “Extravagant Inventions: The Princely Furniture of the Roentgens,” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art until Jan 27th. [Thanks to Alberto Gáitan and Stephen Ellcock!]

BY Gareth Branwyn

Gareth Branwyn is a freelancer writer and the former Editorial Director of Maker Media. He is the author or editor of a dozen books on technology, DIY, and geek culture, including the first book about the web (Mosaic Quick Tour) and the Absolute Beginner's Guide to Building Robots. He is currently working on a best-of collection of his writing, called Borg Like Me.

In the Maker Shed

14 Responses to Roentgens’ Desks, 18th Century Transformers

Jarret Clark on December 11th, 2012 at 2:24 pm said:

OMG I need the plans! This is phenomenal!

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David Gaipa on December 11th, 2012 at 2:27 pm said:

I wish I had enough time and talent to make that. I wonder how much it would cost to buy something like that now…

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- Alan S. Blue on December 11th, 2012 at 5:03 pm said:
  
  Considering the prices of competent hardwood cabinets (http://www.gerstnerusa.com/CARTgallery1.htm) -without- the fancy inlay work, the secret compartments, -or- any internal mechanisms…. I’m going to go with “priceless”.
  
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M Lange (@errorad) on December 11th, 2012 at 2:39 pm said:

Woooooooooooooooow.

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Ben on December 11th, 2012 at 2:48 pm said:

….not able to close my mouth….

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miroslava von schlochbaum on December 11th, 2012 at 4:01 pm said:

that really is amazing. i suppose we must suppose that to re-set all those falling weights it’s only a matter of shoving whatever popped-out back in?…i suppose?

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chuck on December 11th, 2012 at 4:41 pm said:

Wait a sec… I know I have a pen in here somewhere.

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- Dirk Lucas on December 12th, 2012 at 2:35 am said:
  
  Actually, someone would need to draw me a map if I had to use one of those.
  And where does the liquor go?
  
  Absolutely amazing.
  
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Drillbert G Pressington on December 11th, 2012 at 9:28 pm said:

I didn’t even -know- I had neck bolts. But, indeed, they are in fact blown.

I’m sure mcmaster-carr has a neck bolt section here somewhere…

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Gregory Hayes on December 11th, 2012 at 9:42 pm said:

Eat your heart out, James Bond.

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Draken on December 12th, 2012 at 1:25 am said:

I’d mount a blade server with a NAS in it.

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Jerry Carter on December 12th, 2012 at 5:52 am said:

Wow. Master craftsmanship. The inlays alone take an abundance of time and patience to design, craft and assemble. On today’s market, materials and labor, built new, this would probably rival the price of low end super car. Probably not less that $100,000 for the time a master artisan would have in this. Probably a lot more.

Incidentally, there’s a great free book on Google Play that covers some of the techniques and skills for making such complex inlays with repeating patterns.

https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Egbert_Pomeroy_Watson_A_Manual_of_the_Hand_Lathe_C?id=SfYJAAAAIAAJ#?t=W251bGwsMSwyLDUwMSwiYm9vay1TZllKQUFBQUlBQUoiXQ..

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