Mold, Basket Weaving

Description

A breakdown basket mold of white pine consisting of three pieces: two not quite halves between centers turned with dovetail dadoes cut down their centers, and a thin center section with dovetail ways screwed to each face. This section extends about 2 3/4" below the actual bottom of the mold to serve as a support for the mold. A 5/8" diameter hole is drilled blind into the bottom of this support. The mold itself is square at the top merging to round about 1 7/8" below top and then decreasing in diameter to the mold bottom. Hence the necessity for a breakdown mold.

Notes

According to Martha Wetherbee's Handbook of New Shaker Baskets, "Most basket molds are made from a solid block of wood. This...mold however, breaks down into three separate pieces with a dovetail spaine joint at its center connecting the two sides. Notice that the cat-heads diameter is considerably smaller at the top than at its middle-- a style that can only be made by using the breakdown mold, allowing easy removal of the sides" (p. 14).