by Lew Larason
Setting the record straight about his clocks, Leonard Marschark said, “We don’t make reproductions—we make re-creations.” His wife Eve smiled, acknowledging the difference. She knew that he had come a long way since he made his first case clock 20 years ago, inspiried by the John Wanamaker clock. “I didn’t know a lot about period clocks at that time,” John admitted.
John is now is a master who recreates several several different styles, including a dwarf tall clock first made by Rubin Tower around 1820, which stands 48 inches high. He also crafts a simple Shaker style timepiece created by Erastus Rude in 1810. Although the original Shaker example was made using pine, Leonard usually crafts his copies in a hardwood like curly cherry or tiger maple.
One of John’s favorite local clockmakers is Christian Bixler III who worked in Easton, Pennsylvania around 1804. Leonard carefully recreates Bixler’s timepiece in a tiger maple. Since the Marschark’s woodworking shop is in Bedminster,
he also is very taken with the clocks made by the Soliday family. They built their clocks in Bedminster for three generations. Leonard copies an example made about 200 years ago. Another very famous clockmaker was Simon Willard (1753-1848). Willard and his family produced some very prestigious tall clocks. They worked in the Boston area. Leonard carefully makes clocks in the Willard Roxbury style, including the intricate fretwork on the bonnet. The original was crafted in 1790.
With few exceptions, the period clockmakers were woodworkers. They made the cases and had others build the movements and paint the dials. The same is true with Leonard. He is a talented woodworker and searches out other skilled craftsmen to supply the movements and painted dials. He can provide plain faces or moon phase dials. The latter can be personalized. The second clock he built was for Eve. At the time, she was breeding and training Border Collies. The moon movements depict her dogs. Leonard said, “We do a lot with custom dials. They add so much to a clock. People like their children’s names, their home or some special place on the dial.” He works with several professional clock dial painters, including his wife who paints the dials on the Shaker style tall clocks.
He obtains the clock movements from David Lindow who copies 18th-century tall clock works. All of the parts are machine made to the closest tolerances. David then hand-assembles and sets up the works. “These movements are better and will last longer than the ones in period examples,” he explained.
His woodworking shop includes two thickness planers, a joiner, a shaper, a jigsaw, a band saw, a radial arm saw, sanders, many small power tools and a good collection of hand tools such as Japanese hand saws. About the saws, he said, “These are great tools,” adding that they cut on the pull and therefore are easy to control. Along with all of the other power tools, he has a lathe. He showed a well-used wood mallet and pointed out it was the first thing he made when he got his lathe. “And I still use it,” he said. His dust collecting system keeps his shop relatively clean.
There are a lot of subtle details in Leonard’s clock making that might be missed by a casual observer. For example, the quality of the wood he uses is the best he can find. He gets most of his wood from Louis Irion in upstate Pennsylvania. This man is especially careful how he has logs cut. All of the boards from the same log are marked, numbered and kept together. This way, they can be used to bring out the best character and grain of the lumber.
Leonard likes to use boards from the same log in the same clock. When possible, he bookmatches the grain. Also he uses the same piece of wood to cut the design of the moldings on the case. He also matches the grain so it continues from side to front to side. This way, the grain matches as it goes around the clock case. It takes a little extra time and effort. But that’s why his cases stand out. He uses as much figured wood as possible. “Figured cherry or maple add a special interest to a clock case,” he explained.
After all of his attentive woodwork, he is very careful to be as conscientious with his finishes. When it comes to tiger maple, he first uses two coats of aniline dye, which he applies after he has sanded the surfaces. The dye brings out the character of the wood, causing it to move when viewed. He prefers not to stain cherry or mahogany, the other two woods he uses the most, although he pointed out that a diluted coat of aniline dye helps bring out some of the grain in those woods.
As part of his final finish, he usually applies a couple of coats of Danish oil. This adds life to the wood and brings out the natural colors. It is followed by his main coating—a classic shellac application. He buys shellac flakes and mixes his own, dissolving the flakes in a solvent similar to denatured alcohol but slower to dry. This gives him more working time. The first coat is a one-pound cut used as a sealer. The term “one pound cut” means he adds one pound of flakes to one gallon of solvent. After rubbing this coat, he adds four or five more using a two-pound cut. After each coat dries, he hand rubs it and dusts before adding the next one. When he’s pleased with the build up, he applies two thin coats of paste wax.
Leonard and Eve also recreate a Daniel Rose Chamber clock, circa 1790. This is an unusually interesting piece because of its small size, inlay, scroll pediments, cabriole legs and ball and claw feet. Eve wanted one of these gems, but Leonard didn’t have the time to do all of the carving required on this timepiece. So Eve learned how to carve. She met a Russian master carver and studied with him until she was comfortable with her carving prowess. She then bought a good set of carving chisels and began work. While showing off these tools, she pointed out a different one that had belonged to her father. “My father was a hobbyist woodworker and very talented. He would be so happy to see what I’m doing.” Leonard agreed, adding that he had learned some things from his father-in-law.
Since learning the craft, Eve now carves florets, ball and claw feet and any other carving required in the design of a clock case. She uses an end of one of the shop benches, saying they work well together.
Leonard’s woodworking is classic and traditional. His recreations are so good it’s difficult to tell his clocks from period examples. His have no signs of wear, but otherwise are very close. Dovetailed joints are cut by hand. “It takes nearly as long to set up jigs and use a router than it does to cut dovetails by hand,” he said. “And they look so much neater.”
One of the few alterations Leonard makes to his clocks can be found in the feet. “One of the weakest points in the early clocks was their feet. They looked great but were weak and easily broken.” He takes the time to add extra blocks and screws to the underside of the clock and insides of the feet. These changes can’t be seen unless the clock is turned over, but they help keep the small bracket feet from snapping off.
A few years ago, Eve discovered American schoolgirl art. It was popular from about 1790 to 1830, and was something proper young ladies learned as part of their formal education. They decorated furniture, boxes and other practical items found in the home. The family would contract a cabinetmaker to build a fine sewing table or sewing box. Then, the daughter would work on it as part of her training. Using quill, ink and paint, she would create artistic scenes from items she was familiar with. These could be home scenes, nature vistas or any number of things often found in illustrated old books.
Eve began doing this on small pieces of furniture. She now adds that touch to some of Leonard’s clocks. She has her own studio for the work, kept clean from the wood shop. She uses traditional quills and ink plus paint. She also adds verse, which she refers to as endearment.
“Although we sell some clocks at shows, most of our jobs are on commission,” Leonard said. After he and the buyer have agreed on everything, he gives the job/clock a number. He signs and dates each. To date, he has crafted 175 tall clocks.
He and Eve display their clocks at about four or five shows each year. In 2013, some of the shows they’ll be participating in include the Philadelphia Furniture Show in April, Byers’ Choice Mother’s Day Weekend Show and the Traditional Artisans Show in September, held in Bedminster.
“Although making a tall clock is a lot of work and requires a great deal of time and patience, I love it. I’m glad I quit my day job and gave this up as a hobby years ago,” he said
For more information about Leonard Marschark’s clocks, call him at 215-795-0375. To learn more about the shows they do or about his and Eve’s work, check out their website at www.18thcenturyclocks.com.
Lew Larason is a freelance writer who specializes in antiques and furniture.