Church Furniture

[dzj]

I've been asked to make some sacristy cabinets.
I have spoken with the priest, but I'm still wondering if there are any design idiosyncrasies to consider?
If anyone has any experience in this regard, any information would be much appreciated.
Thanks.

 

[deanol]

Hello. I'm a first-time poster here and am only just starting out as a hobbyist woodworker, but I am involved in matters churchy!

I guess a little more information will be needed, the main one for me being what Church is it? If it is Church of England, the Parochial Church Council (or PCC) - the management body of that specific church combining priests and lay people - will have to raise what is known as a faculy if the work they want you to do will change the fabric of the building. A faculty is basically the paperwork they must submit to the Bishops committee that considers such changes. Think of it as a planning committee from hell! I'm not kidding. You might get away with hanging a picture frame from a hook but if you want to drill to put in a wallplug then forget it. They scrutinise everything. They are reasonable and will allow things that are necessary or fit in with the character of the church but will look at everything on its own merits.

Other church denominations may differ of course. But if they do fall into having to submit faculties or whahave you the priest may want free-standing rather than fitted furniture. That will help with the design.

Also this may end up as a political thing in that the priest may give you guidance on what HE wants, but the PCC treasurer has to write the cheques and the PCC may have to vote on it. Best to ask the priest if the PCC will look with favour on more radical ideas. If he says yes then you are good to go, but it's best to have it confirmed.

All of these committees will want printed plans of the work, unless very minor, especially if faculties are required. They will want an idea of the effect on the church so expect to have to produce a diagram showing the sacristy with the oiece installed.

Good luck.

PS Our sacristy is a classy place with cheap melamine cupboards from Wickes and some floor-to-ceiling stained plywood sliding doors on one wall for us to hang the vestments - a churchy name for clobber for the choir, servers etc.

 

[dzj]

Hi, thanks for the response.
The church is Catholic and I've done work for them before. I'm not sure how their decision making process is structured,
but so far it's been pretty straight forward, not much different than dealing with any other client.
The piece will be a free standing thing, something like this :

Basically a large hutch with deep drawers (80-100cm).
I have spoken to the priest regarding the functional side of it, but as this is a first for me, I was wondering whether there are any
design peculiarities I should watch out for.

 

[Eric The Viking]

How are you going to make the tiny cannon and vats of boiling oil to go round the top?

Not my preferred aesthetic (he said as a low-chuchman), but then Wickes' s kitchen cupboards aren't either

 

[Beau]

Done a couple of small pieces but nothing on that scale. A bible box and a trolly with with a mirror in it (don't ask). Used a few quatrefoils on the bible box and a gothic arch on the trolley. Used oak in both cases with the trolley being lightly fumed to darken the oak.

 

[bugbear]

(check the OP's location guys, it has a bearing on this)

BugBear

 

[Shultzy]

I would incorporate some of the designs/embellishments that exist in the church your will be in. I made a Remembrance Cabinet and table and sent them 9 designs and made the one they picked.

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/rememberance-cabinet-construction-t87274-15.html

 

[dzj]

How are you going to make the tiny cannon and vats of boiling oil to go round the top?

Not my preferred aesthetic (he said as a low-chuchman), but then Wickes' s kitchen cupboards aren't either

No doubt I'll have to leave out the artillery and moats

As Shultzy suggests, incorporating some existing details from the building itself would be sensible and also expected of me.
(Neoclassical, late 19th century).
In the meantime, I've been shown a sacristy cabinet at another church.
They all seem to have in common a large uninterrupted (by posts and such) surface for laying out vestments.
In my case, a 2m span, above which is a row of cabinets, drawers...often loaded with heavy articles.
So sagging will be an issue to address.
A hefty beam supporting the upper cabinets would solve this issue, but I'm not sure I'd like the look of it.
Or perhaps a beam hidden behind the crown moulding, supporting things from above...
Anyway, those are my dilemmas at the moment.

 

[Jacob]

How are you going to make the tiny cannon and vats of boiling oil to go round the top?

Not my preferred aesthetic (he said as a low-chuchman), but then Wickes' s kitchen cupboards aren't either

No doubt I'll have to leave out the artillery and moats

As Shultzy suggests, incorporating some existing details from the building itself would be sensible and also expected of me.
(Neoclassical, late 19th century).
In the meantime, I've been shown a sacristy cabinet at another church.
They all seem to have in common a large uninterrupted (by posts and such) surface for laying out vestments.
In my case, a 2m span, above which is a row of cabinets, drawers...often loaded with heavy articles.
So sagging will be an issue to address.
A hefty beam supporting the upper cabinets would solve this issue, but I'm not sure I'd like the look of it.
Or perhaps a beam hidden behind the crown moulding, supporting things from above...
Anyway, those are my dilemmas at the moment.

You are already there but I was going to say - could be a good idea to go and look at a few and talk to the people who use them. This helps with many design problems!

 

[dzj]

A couple months later and I've finished it.
A frame and panel, beech-wood piece.

 

[Eric The Viking]

That all looks very nice indeed!

 

[AJB Temple]

Goood work. A nice job done there.

 

[bugbear]

Superb use of stain on a plain (but very robust) timber.

BugBear

 

[dzj]

Thanks for the kind words, guys.
Beech can be ornery sometimes. Blotching and all that...
Luckily, this time, I was spared from any major difficulties.