And now for something rather different...

[William Lai]

How about furniture that has no joinery?!<p>



I am someone who don't usually mind plywood or even MDF for alot of day to day furniture pieces. So maybe that's why I think a peice of wood left in such a raw state is so wonderful in contrast. These stools are about 12" x 12" by 18" tall. As you can see, the checks are all left untouched, which I think is true to the nature of the piece.<p>



I'm interested in building something like it. How would you source the material for something like this? I don't even know where to go, or what to ask for? A large turning blank? A 18" long section of a trunk that's as big enough in diameter?<p>



And what tool would you use to work something like this? Rough shape it using a chainsaw, or a bandsaw? Finish off using hand tools?





http://www.brentcomber.com/images/bud.jpg http://www.brentcomber.com/images/cloven.jpg

[Jim Becker]

The Weston hotel in Westminster CO has a bunch of tables made identical to the one on the left (Doug fir), although they have multiple pieces in many of the tables just for sheer scale...the common areas are big and tall!

Working it would be relatively benign with hand tools and sanding...after you section with a band saw or chain saw.

[Richard Wolf]

You would need some recycled timbers to get started making someting like that.

[Mark Singer]

William,

I like that primative modern look. It is like Pucci and some of the Eames tables. My son , ryan has an interest in this syuff too.

[Jamie Buxton]

William --
For sourcing blocks of wood that big, you might start with tree surgeons, and grab a chunk of tree. Rough it with a chain saw. Do finer shaping with a 7" body grinder and 36-grit sanding discs. The body grinder can make huge piles of sawdust in very short order, especially in green wood. A downside to this approach is that the wood is green, and it won't immediately be able to take that fine gloss finish your pictured examples have. On the other hand, the material is readily available. In contrast, finding recycled (dry) timber this large may be darn difficult.

You might be able to find smaller recycled dry timber in smaller sizes, and laminate them together, but I suspect that wouldn't look right to you; the piece should be just one big hunk of wood, right?

Jamie

[John Shuk]

Very nice. I too have an interest in such work. Such simple classic lines.

[William Lai]

Mark: Yeah, I think it's a great look, combining the organic material contained in a minimalist form. Thanks for the Pucci referal, I will definitely check it out.

Both you and your son have excellent design sense, I really enjoy both of your work.


William,

I like that primative modern look. It is like Pucci and some of the Eames tables. My son , ryan has an interest in this syuff too.

[William Lai]

Jamie: great suggestion on tree surgeon. In my cul-de-sac there happens to be a downed tree a few months ago, root ball got lifted out of ground and all. They cut away most of the trunk and hauled it away, but left the root ball + a good size of above ground stump around. It's huge. If I can figure a way to haul it back w/o renting a tractor...

I agree that you would want to use a whole piece and not use glue up, otherwise the integrity of the piece will not be the same.

Finding a piece of recycled wood of that size isn't just darn difficult, it's "barn" difficult. :D Sorry, can't help myself, it's getting late.

But I wonder if a custom sawyer can help, if I ask them to cut a big enough piece and dry it for me. I also wonder if people already have checked pieces of wood like this lying around from their sawing jobs, that I can pick up for cheap.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

William there's a good chance that a local sawyer can help you out. Last year when I removed an English Walnut tree to build my new shop, an SMCer Robert Ducharme from Loveland Colorado drove up for the wood. As they were removing the tree, the sawyer mentioned he had an interesting piece of wood at his "yard". They visited the yard and came back with a huge english walnut/black walnut grafted stump. It filled the bed of Bob's 1 ton Ford and was about 36" in diameter. The sawyer had an unbelieveable amount of logs at his yard. Check with a local tree removal business. I'm sure they'd be glad to "rough" it to size for you.