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| Kurt's Question: How do you use the Crafstman Style door/window
head on a radius opening? |
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| Here's an example of the style in a segmented arch. Obviously
something about it isn't quite right. |
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| Classical heads are difficult above a full-circle or circle-top
arch, but not impossible because there's an easy point of 'square'
termination. In the photo left, the head terminates 'flat' onto the
columns. In the photo right, keystones are misused as rossettes. A
keystone, like a voussoir, owes it's definition to its use: supported
by two equal and flanking forces. |
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| Here's a closer look. I've never seen a horizontal keystone. That's
another reason these ornaments defy the definition. |
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| Here is an example that's somewhat like Brent's solution to the
radius head problem when using the Craftsman Style. I think this solution
works very well. It has to be the best one, in my opinion, because
classical rules and proportions are maintained. |
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| In fact, I kind of like the simple yet elegant way this carpenter
has interpreted classically inspired designs. These openings were
designed and built by Paul Allen, one of the contributors to the JLC
Finish Carp. Forum (Paul also supplied the pics for the two photos
above and the one below). I like the use of the keystone as a tablet,
and the way the crown breaks forward around it. I think the segmented
arch enhances this opening, rather than diminishes it, and only because
the trim is correct. |
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| Whereas, in this exaggerated use of keystones, it's even easier
to see that a segmented radius arch can pose real problems. Here the
keystones are vertical, but because they're not positioned between
flanking and equal forces, they make no more sense to the eye then
the previous ones which were horizontal. |
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| The problem doesn't occur with Palladian arches, ones that have
horizontal flanking head jambs, because the casing can be mitered
around the arch-to-horizontal-head transition. |
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| But on segmented radius heads, installing rosette poses a real
problem. On a normal horizontal door head, the rossette is positioned
with the bottom edge slightly above (1/4 in. reveal) the inside of
the head jamb. Whereas, on a circle top window, the rossete must be
posistioned with the top edge at the spring line of the radius (similar
to the columns above and the circle-top window below). But on a segmented
arch, there's no good choice. In the example above, the rossettes
are places above the spring line, to match nearby flat-topped doors,
which necessitated custom elongated rossettes. |
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| In this example, the rosset is placed with the top beneath the
spring line (as it would be on a circle top head), and a transition
miter is made in the casing, another 'detail' that wouldn't occur
in classical architecture. |
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| It would seem to me that the best solution to a segmented arch,
is to incorporate it beneath the horizontal door head (Brent's and
Paul's solution), or use a three or four-centered arch or ellipse,
as in the photo left, and the ones below.And THAT'S why carpenter's need to learn easier ways of using and
building ellipital openings and trim. |
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