Design to Development

Off the beaten path sits a landscape among tall pine trees casting shadows full circle. Ground weaving in and out and around these tall pines all being encompassed by a small forest of other trees and vegetation on one side and a walking path along a creek and watershed on the other. Venture from the Village at Hendrix into the natural landscape of the shading pines seeking solace within a circle of creative imagination among a wooden playscape. A playground within a landscape, beckoning for adventure!

 

Finish Photos of Mom & Pop’s Dining Table

Here are the first of the final photos of this table. This one has some reflection in it and lots of light in the room, but I wanted to show that this table IS finished and has been since Thanksgiving. I have a friend working on the other photos he took and is cleaning them up to his liking. Enjoy.

Close-up of Base

Base Connection

After much glueing, doweling, clamping…. BOOM:  Table Base!

Pedestal shaped & tung oiled

Pics of the pedestals shaped, sanded, &  with one coat of tung oil.

After making several passes in both directions using a forstner bit on my drill press, I shaped with a grinder (rather, my Dad shaped), then I sanded w/ an orbital sander, then finally hand sanded the pedestals and eased the edges.

Shaping these pedestals was a pain in the ars! Which is why I refuse to make this style of pedestal ever again… unless of course I receive an offer I can’t refuse!

Given the time spent making this table plus the time needed to complete it; i’ve estimated the number of hours it will take to build this table is 125 man hours, but with the “Rule of Reality” times 2 = 250 hours total. So, to give you an idea of how much this table would cost you to have me build it, take 250 x $30/hr = $7,500 (JUST FOR LABOR) plus material cost $800 = $8,300. However, if you’re family I might…MIGHT 😉 give you a deal on the labor costs…

Finish on the Tabletop

Here is the top of the dining table with 3 coats of MinWax Tung Oil on the top & bottom, & the first of 3 coats of Polyurethane on the top.

Pedestal shaping

Here are the two pedestals my Dad and I have glued up and have started to shape.

After drawing out the contours of the pedestal shapes we wanted, I used the drill press to get the initial shape on one side of the pedestals.

Then we started grinding out & sanding the walnut to get the desired shape on one side, and now it’s time to get started on the other side view…

Final Clamping of Top

Here I’ve glued and clamped a chunk of walnut on both ends of the table to make the table 10′-6″ long. Some may call these chunks, “bread boards” that make up the ends of the table top oriented cross-grain from the long pieces of the table.

In order to clamp the full length of the table, my Dad and I had to take the ends off of four of my furniture clamps and attach them together with flat aluminum pieces with bolts as shown in the photos below. Worked out perfectly!

Walnut Coffee Table Step 1

In addition to the Nabholz’s Walnut & Concrete dining table, John & Tracy have given me the opportunity to design and build them a Walnut coffee table to compliment it and the surrounding space. The walnut used for this coffee table is from the same tree that the dining table was made. This table, however, will not consist of concrete this time. Though it will still be substantially heavy given that it consists of a 2″+ thick walnut slab top that’s 40″x60″, and a base with the same thickness of walnut.

A special thanks to my furniture-making business partner, John Bruhl, for all his help and design input!  – [JBLS] Design Constructiv.

And so it begins…

Book-matched Walnut Top

On to the next Project

After working with the group on the two Wee Lassies for the 100th Annual St. Joseph School Bazaar, it was time to get back to one of my money making projects…. My Parents’ Dining Table!

Their dining table will consist of two Walnut Pedestal bases w/ a 2 1/2″ thick Walnut & Ash top 10ft long & 3′-8″ wide. The Ash in the top is a 6″ wide piece down the center of the table top.

If they’re lucky, I’ll have it finished by Thanksgiving dinner!…(This year!)

Preliminary Deisgn sketch of the Dining Table

More finish photos

Here are more photos of the Wee Lassie thanks to Joanna & Brenda Nabholz and their keen eyes & high quality cameras.

From left to right: Aaron Nabholz, Jeremy N., Jake N., John N., Matt N., Mason N., Tim N., Sam Strack, Lucas S., Caleb N., David N., Reed Howse., Nathan H., Marty S., Jonathon S., Jackson S., (& not shown, Kenny Strack).