custom walnut table

[Andrew J. Coholic]

Was working on a table this week for a customer of mine. Abnormal for me was the request of 12/4 thick material (2 3/4" finished thickness). Luckily I had no issue sourcing some decent walnut in that thickness from my usual supplier.

The design was to be a fairly plain table, just a slab top with trestle base. I was given some freedom with the design and proposed to them to use some burl walnut veneer I had in stock, and set in panels on each face of the trestles.

Here is what it looks like as of the end of the day today... top was laminated earlier this week. I spent several hours hand sanding enough to get a coat of oil on it before I left.

The base pieces were laminated as a slab, pocketed out on the CNC router, and then mating panels were cut from panels I pressed up yesterday (1/4" thick). Once glued into the pockets, the face of the burl is 1/4" lower than the face of the trestle.

Next week we will finish the base, and finish with post catalyzed lacquer. WIll post some pics when done.

I love walnut, and love working with it. Always a treat to do a job where I can work with some good stock.







Burl panels..


cutting out the panels..


pocketing the trestles..


my setup for jointing large planks solo.. I have a 16" Cantek jointer, with a 96" bed. I use two shop made rollers set dead level with the jointer tables to run heavy material without help from one of my guys. To do the edges, I use a Kanefusa ripping blade on my panel saw, and clamp the material to the carriage and run past the blade for a ready to glue edge.

[Jebediah Eckert]

Looking forward to seeing the final piece. That's quite a shop!

[Andrew Hughes]

Too bad you couldn't get your12/4 blanked before you bought it.
Im not really liking the grain patterns.Very chaotic.
I do like your shop it's looks like a great place to work.

Aj

[Andrew J. Coholic]

...
Im not really liking the grain patterns.Very chaotic....


Aj

No worries, as its not going into your home, lol. Actually I was hoping for even more sapwood and curly grain around knots, etc. The customer wanted a very "un-uniform" look.

I do what people want me to, since my business is 100% custom. Its difficult with expensive wood like this, and where I am located. I my wholesaler is a days drive away from me. I get everything trucked in, and rely on my salespeople to try and pick what I need if possible. I also generally order 35% more than I need, joint it and pick the suitable stock.

If it was for a "more traditional" table I would be selecting for even grain, colour etc. And of course would have to go through more wood.

There is over 200 BF in this table. It also happens to be the 2nd most of what I have paid for walnut in my 20+ year career. Walnut is going crazy in cost over the past few years. Pretty soon it will be too much for most people to want to pay... if not already there.

[Andrew Hughes]

I had feeling you didn't pick the boards.I agree ya do what ya gotta do.
My last table was painted top and bottom by my customer but I still arranged the grain for harmony.
It's my madness hope you weren't too offended.
Now it's time for a smoke and a pancake

Aj

[Andrew J. Coholic]

I had feeling you didn't pick the boards.I agree ya do what ya gotta do.
My last table was painted top and bottom by my customer but I still arranged the grain for harmony.
It's my madness hope you weren't too offended.
...

Aj

Not at all.. I appreciate all sorts of wood, all sorts of styles and methods too. We use hand tools, machinery and new and old school techniques. My father started our business in the early 70's and I grew up watching him (and later working with) do all sorts of stuff from fine work like a traditional dining set or single pieces of furniture, to some pretty far out designs that people brought to us to build.

I continue to do similar work, sometimes my own designs, often a mix of mine and the customers and sometimes building what I am asked to with little input from my side at all.

I enjoy it all and I like to think I appreciate it all as well. I see a lot of woodwork I wouldnt build for myself (either in terms of style or finish, etc) but I can still say I appreciate what goes into each piece anyone makes.

In the end - when it comes to being in the custom woodworking business in this day and age - I am most appreciative that I can continue to run a shop that employs myself and a few others, and make a few bucks and keep things going on so to speak. If that makes sense... just working with wood every day and making something, makes me happy.

I have some OCD traits I have been fighting for most of my life, so I can relate to your grain orientation comment..

[Jim Becker]

I'm loving this project! There's something very nice about a "stout" table like that...

[Marty Schlosser]

Hey, Aj,

I have to agree with your comment that it's madness when you go to the extend to arranging "grain for harmony" with a piece that's going to be painted by the customer! Mind you, who am I to talk when I have the luxury of no longer running a business and spending far too much time fretting over "getting the grain just right".

I had feeling you didn't pick the boards.I agree ya do what ya gotta do.
My last table was painted top and bottom by my customer but I still arranged the grain for harmony.
It's my madness hope you weren't too offended.
Now it's time for a smoke and a pancake

Aj

[Prashun Patel]

Looks great. Where will you place the trestle?

[Martin Shupe]

Andrew,

I am trying to joint some 87 inch long boards to build a Roubo bench. I have been having some trouble with the length.

In your pic of your jointer, your shop made roller looks like what I need to build.

I like the wide legs for support, and the adjustability of the height.

I can't tell from the pic, how do you set the height adjustment?

Also, what is the roller made from? How easily does it roll?

Thanks!

[jack duren]

Turned out nice.....

I personally like walnut raw, but hate it after its finished. The executive table was 12/4 all cut from one tree for the customer with a fabric center. The other was a metal frame with just random walnut.

IMG_0250.jpg4bd2241a30d8f6c50adfd65c5f41ff2d.jpg

[Brian W Evans]

I actually like the grain in the top - makes it look like the natural material it is. I especially think it works for a piece like this that is massive and not necessarily intended to look like delicate "fine" furniture. Sometimes wood is made to look too uniform, which then might as well be made out of something else.

On an unrelated note: can I live in a corner of your shop? I won't take up much room.

[Jim Becker]

I agree with Brian E...while I'm personally very anal about grain and color for most projects and most often try to get multiple boards to look like one wide one, in this particular case, the "massiveness" of the timbers on that top is enhanced by the more random nature of the planks. This is an awesome table!

[Andrew J. Coholic]

Looks great. Where will you place the trestle?

In this case is isnt really a "trestle" since there will be no stetchers or angular supports. Ill still call the two base panels trestles just to simplify things..

I will be placing the panels approx 16" to 18" in from each end. That way you can get two people seated comfortably at either end of the table, and the first person on the side will have their leg on the other side of the base. Also allows the chair(s) to be tucked in when not in use.

[Andrew J. Coholic]

Andrew,

I am trying to joint some 87 inch long boards to build a Roubo bench. I have been having some trouble with the length.

In your pic of your jointer, your shop made roller looks like what I need to build.

I like the wide legs for support, and the adjustability of the height.

I can't tell from the pic, how do you set the height adjustment?

Also, what is the roller made from? How easily does it roll?

Thanks!

The rollers are surplus tubular steel/ball bearing rollers from some sort of conveyor. They have a 1/2" axcel stud which just presses into the 3/4" maple plywood. The adjustment is by a threaded rod/knob and a T nut - the roller can be raised and lowered and also angled. My shop floor is far from level so I put a 4' level on the beds and where ever the feet are set, level them off with the beds. The 3/4" all maple ply (similar to baltic birch) is heavy and stiff. These things dont move around.

I sometimes joint up to 16' lumber - but even 10, 12 or 14'ers are easier to do with some support.