One Table

Large Table
Dimensions: 25"W x 51"L x 17"H
Completed: 1992
Composition:
northern maple
teak (Thailand)
ebony (Gabon, Africa)
padauk (Africa)

Comments: This table certainly presented its difficulties in building. The finish is tung oil. The table consists of solid members meaning there are no inlays of thin veneer pieces. The legs (exclusive of the feet(padauk) were each crafted from a single piece of 10/4 maple stock. Not being cylindrical precluded the use of a lathe. Machining created the general shape but the finished detail required lengthy time using chisels and sanding devices. Also, a special sanding block shape was created to achieve the concave curve in the lower portion. Cross section uniformity was achieved by placing the legs side by side (jig). An uncommon feature is that it is finished underneath.


Contact: tuxxie2@aol.com

Commentary

Woodworking became an interest of mine in the years following my architectural education which is now over two decades ago. Like many endeavors and pastimes it had its pattern of evolution from simple ideas to efforts of greater complexity and expense. Small plant stands of cedar in the beginning gave way to small benches and tables using commonly known hardwoods. Eventually, a fascination for woods from around the world would become part of a theme that I have followed since.

Along with these so-called exotic woods, each piece would wed two or more them in its composition. Of course, the latter of these two ideas was hardly new, it just appeared novel to my thinking at that time. A final aspect is perhaps not at all common among woodworkers. For every piece that I made, it would be the only one of its kind. Thus, by inference never would there be a duplication of that precise design.

Lamp Table
Dimensions: 17"square x 19 1/2"H
Completed: early 1990's
Composition:
red oak
padauk (Africa)
palisander (Brazil)

Comments: This table embodies in its legs, the cross, whose historical roots extend back more than 2000 years. The top is padauk crafted into squares and gathered in a checkerboard pattern with the end grain up. The sawdust of this wood is blood red when first cut and gradually changes to a dark reddish brown without the presence of finishes that preserve the reddish tones. The dark surround is palisander. The design paradigm lends itself to variations in dimension and composition while retaining the cross element and the theme of each being unique ( one of a kind ).

End Table
Dimensions: 29 3/4"L x 19"W x 20 3/4"H
Completed: late 1980's
Composition:
maple
palisander
padauk
ebony

Comments: Maple provides the framing structure. The top is palisander (Brazilian rosewood) which is additionally defined as standing seam given the manner it was milled. As such, close seam lines running the length indicate the contrast to flat sawn milling where wavy lines prevail. On the perimeter are squares of padauk. The insets on the legs are padauk which is also used for the crossing elements placed in the framing below for the legs. The feet are blocks of ebony. With the exception of ebony which is always the exception when it comes to cost, palisander was the most expensive wood I had used up to that time. Again, the table underneath is finished.