Joe Arcimboldo
12-08-2011, 3:12 PM
This post is the first in what I hope will be several that chart the course of my work over the past year or so.
A little over a year ago I set up my bench and hand tools over at a friend's shop. Before that, my woodworking experience was limited to a few flourishes I put on my work as a re-modeling contractor and as a helper to my dad (who taught industrial arts for 30 years).
This cherry dining table was the first fine work that I did; I finished it about this time last year.
I wanted a style that had honest joinery, straightforward construction (no doors or drawers), and a clean, versatile design. Coupled with that, I had a friend/client (did I just coin that?) who needed a table in the worst way. He was a bachelor at that time and usually ate by himself, but occasionally had company. So with all this is mind, I settled on this drop-leaf design in a Shaker style. And cherry was a no-brainer.
One thing I discovered about the curly cherry is that while the figure really is gorgeous, matching curls to swirls can be a challenge. The first day I had it in the shop, my old man helped me lay out some boards for the leaves and main part of the top. He put them together in a way that he liked, called me over and said, "Now this is just a suggestion." I promptly took them apart and spent another hour doing it my way--flipping them over and turning them around, puzzling and stewing. He just laughed and said, "I knew you were gonna do that."
I'll save any other discussion about methods or whatever for those who have questions or want procedural clarifications. Here are a few main facts to clarify the main stuff.
Dimensions: 62" x 32" top 31" tall tapered legs are about 2 1/4 at the top (if I remember)
Finish: Sanded to 320, put it in the sun for a couple afternoons, 2 coats BLO, 6 coats of hot rod varnish, wiped on (SW fast-dry, naphtha, BLO)
Time: 40 hours construction, almost another 40 hours on the finish (I've posted about this disaster elsewhere--I lik'da killed myself)
If I had a do-over: I'd conserve more wood in the way I tapered the legs
What I'm proudest of: that rule joint is tight as Dick's hatband
Questions and kudos are welcomed, but critique is even better.
215139215140215141215142215143
A little over a year ago I set up my bench and hand tools over at a friend's shop. Before that, my woodworking experience was limited to a few flourishes I put on my work as a re-modeling contractor and as a helper to my dad (who taught industrial arts for 30 years).
This cherry dining table was the first fine work that I did; I finished it about this time last year.
I wanted a style that had honest joinery, straightforward construction (no doors or drawers), and a clean, versatile design. Coupled with that, I had a friend/client (did I just coin that?) who needed a table in the worst way. He was a bachelor at that time and usually ate by himself, but occasionally had company. So with all this is mind, I settled on this drop-leaf design in a Shaker style. And cherry was a no-brainer.
One thing I discovered about the curly cherry is that while the figure really is gorgeous, matching curls to swirls can be a challenge. The first day I had it in the shop, my old man helped me lay out some boards for the leaves and main part of the top. He put them together in a way that he liked, called me over and said, "Now this is just a suggestion." I promptly took them apart and spent another hour doing it my way--flipping them over and turning them around, puzzling and stewing. He just laughed and said, "I knew you were gonna do that."
I'll save any other discussion about methods or whatever for those who have questions or want procedural clarifications. Here are a few main facts to clarify the main stuff.
Dimensions: 62" x 32" top 31" tall tapered legs are about 2 1/4 at the top (if I remember)
Finish: Sanded to 320, put it in the sun for a couple afternoons, 2 coats BLO, 6 coats of hot rod varnish, wiped on (SW fast-dry, naphtha, BLO)
Time: 40 hours construction, almost another 40 hours on the finish (I've posted about this disaster elsewhere--I lik'da killed myself)
If I had a do-over: I'd conserve more wood in the way I tapered the legs
What I'm proudest of: that rule joint is tight as Dick's hatband
Questions and kudos are welcomed, but critique is even better.
215139215140215141215142215143