Cupped slab for Nakashima style bench

[Jim Matthews]

@ Kees -

Is there a convention on orienting the slab, so that the "outside" from the tree faces
a particular direction? I know that in placing solid cabinet tops, I orient the growth rings
to resemble a "smile" or trough. That way when cupping occurs naturally,
it is toward the carcass and no gaps result.

This much movement could lift a leg right off the floor.

Is there any standard to the Medieval tables and benches?
I would be surprised to find any outside of museum collections.

[george wilson]

Boards warp concave on the "outside side" of the tree that were sawn from. They always do.

If the table was a dog table,I'd be careful of it lifting 1 leg off the floor!!!! Why did I type that?

[Brian Holcombe]

Even boards fit for use on pieces made for Nelson Rockefeller move in the same way all of the others do. My impression of Nakashima's work is that his process is borne out of practicality, the wood he chose for each piece shows this in my opinion.

Often times it seems like the peices he chooses for a bench, which will remain basically unsupported are much different than those which he choses for projects with more possibilities for interlocking joinery.

[Kees Heiden]

Good question about the orientation. I didn't have much choice. One board has the pith in the middle (an absolute no-no, but sometimes you get away with it). The other board is with the inside facing up. They are each others mirrors. The other sides of the boards look awfull.

BTW, this is European wallnut which is a stable kind of wood.

[Dan Hulbert]

I built a slab bench last year and had a similar issue with cupping. My solution was to smooth both sides and ignore the cup. My slab was triangular so I used three legs with a hay-rake stretcher. It was really tricky getting everything to align properly, but in the end the wife is happy with the result. It even won me a blue ribbon at the Colorado State Fair.

[Dan Hulbert]

Found a picture of my blue ribbon slab bench.

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

I might not have picked contrasting wood, but that's really nice, Dan! The hayrake stretcher on a slab bench is a neat detail I can't remember seeing before. The slab looks really great in that space, too. Nice job!

[Dan Hulbert]

The slab is horse chestnut, the legs are cherry, the butterfly and tenon wedges are jarrah. I filled the cracks with clear epoxy and semi-precious stone cut-offs (turquoise, malachite, lapis).

I saw the hay rake on the Barnsley Table. I think I spent an entire weekend on that alone.

[Tony Shea]

Nakashima has been dead for 23 years, so I seriously doubt you sold him wood while he was alive and certainly not during his heyday(1950's-1960's) when most of his work was done for the Rockefellers. The wood his daughter buys might have a different criteria and of course. really premium, old growth slabs are very hard(and expensive) to come by.

Really? Was pretty clear in this post that he was talking about Mira. I also am not sure why that premium old growth stuff isn't at the same risk of cupping as the junk Mira is picking up these days. Might be due to the fact this junk wood Mira picking up is not intended to be sold to the Rockefellers.

[Jim Matthews]

If the table was a dog table,I'd be careful of it lifting 1 leg off the floor!!!! Why did I type that?

Ewww.
Funny -
but ewww.

[Robert Johnson]

Thanks for all the great advice! I started by planing both sides of an off cut that will become one of the legs. Here's a photo. I'm considering orienting the concave side up and leaving some of the rough wood in the center (as in the photo). I need to put a butterfly or three in that crack though before I can continue. I'm probably going to use some cherry that I have in the shop.

[Prashun Patel]

That's pretty. I like the idea of that rough river running through the center.

Think long and hard about butterflying. Aesthetics are to each his own, but my 2cents is that they become the focal point; I think it would be at odds with the gouge marks. Instead, consider just epoxy filling and/or keying it from the bottom.

[Sean Hughto]

I like butterflys. They don't have to be a focal point - you can use the same wood rather than a contrasting one, for example. I like to play with the shapes too, and in doing so, you can even make the grain blend some - and curved lines stand out less than straight ones on a natural surface.


On this particular tabletop, the ambrosia marks and grain were so lively, that even the multiple contrasting butterflies don't become the focal point - at least o my eye.

[Sean Hughto]

Here's another - this time a benck top in box elder - and with a cherry butterfly (top). Again, owing to the striking box elder grain and the inlays around the leg tenons, I don't think the butterfly is a focal point or destracting.



I guess this is all to say in reaction to Prashun's comment, that I think it all depends - like so much in woodworking (and life).

[Brian Holcombe]

I don't use butterfly's, that being said I think they look great when done tone on tone with a rustic piece.

I feel the same way in regard to all exposed joinery; use it when required and keep it subtle. Not always tone on tone, but I'm not into high contrast.