Most recent Piece

[Dave Anderson NH]

I am very partial to Amboyna burl and that piece shows it off really well. Is there a particular reason you used two different ebonies? The subtle curve on the front of the top really makes the piece. Thanks for posting it.

[Steve Wargo]

Here's the piece I just finished on Saturday. It is a solid Mahogany Serpentine front table. The top is Amboyna Burl with a q-sawn Macassar ebony edgebanding. The feet are solid Gaboon Ebony. It is 31" tall. The front apron is a bent lamination that follows the subtle curvature of the top. The tenon shoulders are angled to match the taper of the legs. This was my first bent lamination and certainly not my last. This ones for sale and headed to a gallery so if anyone's interested :D. Thanks for looking.


http://madhunkyworkshop.com/SepentTable1.jpg

http://madhunkyworkshop.com/SerpentTableTop.jpg

http://madhunkyworkshop.com/SerpentTablecorner.jpg

[Steve Wargo]

Dave,

There's a reason... I hate macasser ebony feet. That's all. I like the feet to look black and when you add the brown striping in the macasser I think it makes them look dirty. BTW the amboyna came from my that huge veneer gloat I had a while back.

I am very partial to Amboyna burl and that piece shows it off really well. Is there a particular reason you used two different ebonies? The subtle curve on the front of the top really makes the piece. Thanks for posting it.

[Tyler Howell]

Bravo! Bravo!:cool:

[Greg Tatum]

That is a beautiful piece.....what is the taper on the legs? I really like them thin like that.

Also, this is strange...Dave's post is #1 and Steve's is #2...my computer shows Dave's response was posted 2min. before Steve's initial post :confused:

Is it just me?

[Mark Kelly]

Dave has a sixth sense....

nice piece, Steve! What type of mahogony did you use? And with what did you finish it?

[Steve Wargo]

1 1/4" square at the top and the feet are only 1/2" square at the base of the ebony. Suprisingly the table is quite stabel, but I wouldn't want a big dog slamming into it too often.


That is a beautiful piece.....what is the taper on the legs? I really like them thin like that.

Also, this is strange...Dave's post is #1 and Steve's is #2...my computer shows Dave's response was posted 2min. before Steve's initial post :confused:

Is it just me?

[Steve Wargo]

Whatever I purchased from WoodCraft (something from South America). The apron and legs have about 6 coats of orange shellac and the top has about 20 coats of Orange Shelac french polished. I just spirited the top before I took the pictures.


Dave has a sixth sense....

nice piece, Steve! What type of mahogony did you use? And with what did you finish it?

[Alan Turner]

Steve,
Nice piece of work indeed. A couple of questions if I could. Since the feet are solid, how are they attached. I have never done feet of that sort, but my impression was that they were generally handled with a veneer, thick enougyh to withstand the taper. In other words, the feet woule be veneered before the tapering. Second, how did you achieve the tight joint between the front curve and the veneered top, with accuracy. It is another thing I have not yet attempted.
Good luck on the sale of this fine work. Maybe the client will want a cople of matching side pieces as well.
Alan

[Steve Wargo]

The feet are actually mortised into the ebony feet. As I reflect on the piece I realize that I would have been better off just veneering skins on but thought I'd give it a try. I was actually quite affraid of the joint failing, but after being banged aroung my shope for a few weeks it held up fine and there is not much wobble. I'll certainly nevery do it that way again. Asfor the joint at the top. I'm assuming that you're talking about the edgebanding that follows the curve around. I actually hammer veneered this whole piece. after I veneered the Amboyna Burl I used a cutting gauge to score my arch and sides then I removed the waste with a chisel. (That's the only way I know how). and plus I don't have to worry about the veneer shifting at all during the squeezing process. Then I applied the edge banding in about 2" pieces all the way around fitting each piece. The sides and back were all glued up in long strips, but the front was somewhat time consuming. After The piece was completed I wasn't totally thrilled, so I elected to place a piece of 1/8" black stringing all the way around to conceal the joint. That worked great. I am pleased with the finished piece, and plan on doing a larger one soon. Hope I answered everything Alan.

Steve,
Nice piece of work indeed. A couple of questions if I could. Since the feet are solid, how are they attached. I have never done feet of that sort, but my impression was that they were generally handled with a veneer, thick enougyh to withstand the taper. In other words, the feet woule be veneered before the tapering. Second, how did you achieve the tight joint between the front curve and the veneered top, with accuracy. It is another thing I have not yet attempted.
Good luck on the sale of this fine work. Maybe the client will want a cople of matching side pieces as well.
Alan

[Marc Hills]

Steve,

That table certainly is exquisite! Angling the tenon shoulders to match the leg taper is a nice element of fine craftsmanship. The buyer for that piece will be the person who can appreciate that kind of detail.

I guess when you get to that level of skill, you need to "design in" challenges like that to keep things interesting. Sigh. Maybe I should post some pictures of my dovetailed box to stake out the other side of the skill-level spectrum. Let's just say that what I had pictured in my mind and what came out were, um, somewhat different. It's now relegated to storing some old bench chisels.

[Alan Turner]

Assumptions are always my downfall. I assumed that you veneered over a substrate, like MDF or some such thing. But now I think not, and that you veneered over solid stock, prob. mahogany. If my second asumption is correct, then is there a trick to cross banding the edge so that wood movement is not a problem? As I look at the pix more closely, it seems that the edge banding is also just a veneer, although I at first thought it was a solid ebony edge. Maybe I am now making yet another incorrect assumtpion.

Better question: please explain the construction of the top. I may be asked to quote a table, 42" round, veneered (I will cut my own), with edge detail, and I assumed that I would be making a solid edging, and was trying to figure a good way to get the joint between the 42" round substrate and edge dead nuts on. I will probably recommend East Indian Rosewood for the edging, at 8/4, sharply curved for comfort. This prospective commission is for a small, private office, conference table. Curly ash.

Thx.
Alan

[Dick Parr]

Very nice Steve!

[Jim Becker]

That's lovely, Steve. Really attractive...I bet it sells well. Mighty fine work.

[Louis Bois]

Lovely finish, great choice of woods, etc....

I'm amazed that it works! For all intents and purposes, the size of the legs should make this piece seem a little top-heavy...but it doesn't in the least.

Nice clean work of art Steve...it shouldn't have much dust settling on it at the gallery.