First Nakashima Style Table

[Barry Block]

Well I have been trolling and building for a while now so I thought it was time to post something. I have gotten a lot of interest locally from my Nakashima style Black Walnut book matched dining table so I thought I would share. This is my first time uploasing files hopefully they are the right size.

[Bruce Volden]

Well now, what's wrong with that? Beautiful and well beyond my expertise. Bravo!

Bruce

[Brett Robson]

That's beautiful! I love the bookmatched top! What monster band saw did you use to resaw that top??

[Barry Block]

jeasus, I don't think that is something I would look forward to. While I actually could resaw something that large if necessary, thankfully I bought two sequential slabs from the same flitch. We have a 24 inch capacity Zimmerman, it is by far the best bandsaw I have ever used. Thanks for the comments. I can tell you buying two expensive rough milled slabs praying for a good match and an asthetically pleasing look is a bit nerve racking. I'll have to see if I have the pics of what I started with.

[Gene Davis]

Very nice. What is used in the joinery of the base, and how is the top fastened to the base crossmembers so as to deal with wood movement?

[Barry Block]

The cross members just have extra large pilot holes to allow for movement. There are 4 lag screws coutersunk up through the bottom into the top. In order to keep the top as thick as possible and cut down on work the bottom of the top is not planned/milled flat so I routered out a shallow flat recess for the crossmembers to fit up into.

The base is comprissed of saddle joints and bridle joints for the most part. Its probably alot more strait forward then you would think, the hard part is navigating the angles which isn't as difficult as yout think its just creating the right jig and making careful cuts. There is a mortise and tenon between the leg posts and top crossmember. It's a 3/4 inch by 2.5 inch tenon.

[Sam Murdoch]

Very nice. How long and wide is that top? The overall proportions look great and the clip in the top adds a nice comment - "I do my own thing" :). I really like it.

I wonder about your "shallow flat recess for the crossmembers to fit up into." - I hope it is shallow - or a bit longer and/or that you clipped the outside edges of the cross supports so that they don't become and impediment to the top movement that you accommodated with the elongated bolt holes. Just askin'.

[John TenEyck]

That is beautiful. I especially like the base and the booked matched top where they meet. Live edge tables always look a little strange to me on their ends, like the builder couldn't quite decide how to deal it. I like yours a lot, particularly the left end. The right end not so much, but I don't know quite what I would have done differently. Maybe that's why I've never built a live edge table.

Once again, beautiful work.

John

[Brian Holcombe]

Nice work! Finding matching slabs from a lumberyard is not always easy.

[Eduard Nemirovsky]

Very nice, how big this monster table? Look very heavy and big size.
Ed.

[Marty Gulseth]

I think that somewhere, some day, someone may be making "Block-style" tables. Well done!

REgards, Marty

[Barry Block]

I think that somewhere, some day, someone may be making "Block-style" tables. Well done!

REgards, Marty


Thank you!

[Barry Block]

Very nice. How long and wide is that top? The overall proportions look great and the clip in the top adds a nice comment - "I do my own thing" :). I really like it.

I wonder about your "shallow flat recess for the crossmembers to fit up into." - I hope it is shallow - or a bit longer and/or that you clipped the outside edges of the cross supports so that they don't become and impediment to the top movement that you accommodated with the elongated bolt holes. Just askin'.

Thanks for compliments, a lot of time went into designing the table and on this type of project that doesn't really happen on paper. So its cut big and take away until it looks right. I built multiple aspects of the base out of plywood or poplar before cutting any walnut. The top measures 1 7/8 inch thick, 42 inches wide and 88 long.

The shallow recess is not a tight fit at all. I left plenty of room for expansion.

[Barry Block]

Thanks for all the great comments guys. This table was a real labor of love and its very rewarding when others share the same view on the end result.

[James White]

jeasus, I don't think that is something I would look forward to. While I actually could resaw something that large if necessary, thankfully I bought two sequential slabs from the same flitch. We have a 24 inch capacity Zimmerman, it is by far the best bandsaw I have ever used. Thanks for the comments. I can tell you buying two expensive rough milled slabs praying for a good match and an asthetically pleasing look is a bit nerve racking. I'll have to see if I have the pics of what I started with.

Barry,

Could you share with us how much you paid for the book matched slabs. Also what state are you in? I have several book matched slabs of Walnut of similar size and quality and I am try to determine what would be a fair selling price. It seems that with Walnut slabs the sky is the limit. Or at least there is a huge price variability.

Regards,
James

[Barry Block]

Barry,

Could you share with us how much you paid for the book matched slabs. Also what state are you in? I have several book matched slabs of Walnut of similar size and quality and I am try to determine what would be a fair selling price. It seems that with Walnut slabs the sky is the limit. Or at least there is a huge price variability.

Regards,
James


You are correct about a big price variation. I live in Pa so we have some great lumber/lumber yards. At Hearne hardwoods these slabs together which measured 10ft by about 30 inches would have cost me atleast 2k maybe even close to 2500. I purchased these at Groff and Groff which is pretty much the only place I buy from these days. Great selection and very good pricing. I payed 1300. A bargain for what the table has been valued at.

[Jim Becker]

Awesome job!!!

[James White]

You are correct about a big price variation. I live in Pa so we have some great lumber/lumber yards. At Hearne hardwoods these slabs together which measured 10ft by about 30 inches would have cost me atleast 2k maybe even close to 2500. I purchased these at Groff and Groff which is pretty much the only place I buy from these days. Great selection and very good pricing. I payed 1300. A bargain for what the table has been valued at.

Thank you for sharing. I was thinking around $1100 for a pair. So I guess I was rite in the ballpark.

You did a fine job on this.

James

[Tim Brosnan]

Hi Barry - Your table is a work of art. Well done! I wish I was closer to Groff & Groff but it's not out of the question for a road trip! For those of you in central NJ, I've been going to U.S. Mahogany in Aberdeeen. A decent, although hit or miss, selection and very helpful and knowledgeable (but not annoying) staff.
Regards,
Tim

[Scott T Smith]

You are correct about a big price variation. I live in Pa so we have some great lumber/lumber yards. At Hearne hardwoods these slabs together which measured 10ft by about 30 inches would have cost me atleast 2k maybe even close to 2500. I purchased these at Groff and Groff which is pretty much the only place I buy from these days. Great selection and very good pricing. I payed 1300. A bargain for what the table has been valued at.

Barry, that's a great looking table!

Assuming that the slabs started off at 2.5" thick I'm calculating around 62 board feet per slab / 124 board feet total. That works out to be $10.65 per board foot from Groff and Groff, which is a spectacular bargain these days.

Hearne's price would have been around $16.50 - $20.50 per board foot, depending on if you would have paid 2K versus 2.5K for them, which is a little close to the market price on 30" wide BW slabs right now. I've seen wider / longer ones selling for $30.00 bd ft.

I like your base design - very clean. How did you surface them?

[Barry Block]

Thanks and your numbers all look about right. Groff and groff is great. I've searched hearne a number of times for slabs and not only are their prices high I didn't find any really spectacular.

A lot of The base was cut on the band saw and then planed by hand and finish sanded to 220. It has three coats of lacquer on it over a coat of sander sealer over transtint. All jointery was cut before shaping.




Barry, that's a great looking table!

Assuming that the slabs started off at 2.5" thick I'm calculating around 62 board feet per slab / 124 board feet total. That works out to be $10.65 per board foot from Groff and Groff, which is a spectacular bargain these days.

Hearne's price would have been around $16.50 - $20.50 per board foot, depending on if you would have paid 2K versus 2.5K for them, which is a little close to the market price on 30" wide BW slabs right now. I've seen wider / longer ones selling for $30.00 bd ft.

I like your base design - very clean. How did you surface them?