Live Edge Mystery Wood Kitchen Island

[Julie Moriarty]

It's definitely some pretty wood but I still don't know what it is.
http://julimorcreations.com/Images/LiveEdgeIsland/LEI_001.jpg

Anyway, we decided to use it in a kitchen island. The next step was designing the cabinet that would hold the three slabs.

I set up the outside shop in the lanai. Working on the driveway out front probably adds 10 or more degrees to the working conditions. I'm learning how to escape the heat!

Once I moved all the furniture and covered it, the next step was to set up the sawhorses. These sawhorses were built for anything and I laid down (1) 3/4 MDF, (3) 1/2" sandply and (3) 3/4" pine plywood on them.

Time to start ripping!
http://julimorcreations.com/2220/Kit/Island/Island_005.jpg

We decided to put (2) slabs at 42" and make that an eating/socializing area and the third slab would be at 36". In between, I'm thinking river glass. So the first thing was to establish the two heights.
http://julimorcreations.com/2220/Kit/Island/Island_006.jpg

This is somewhat of what I'm trying to accomplish...
http://julimorcreations.com/2220/Kit/Island/Island_010.jpg

[Jim Becker]

I like the idea of what you're working on.

It's also very kewel that you are able to "work things out" (quite literally) in the space where something is actually going to go. :)

[Julie Moriarty]

I like the idea of what you're working on.

It's also very kewel that you are able to "work things out" (quite literally) in the space where something is actually going to go. :)

My SO is in Chicago for a couple of weeks so I have run of the place. :cool:

I got the glue up done and added the face frame.

http://julimorcreations.com/2220/Kit/Island/Island_022.jpg

Then I temped in some extensions for under the hang over on the stool side.
http://julimorcreations.com/2220/Kit/Island/Island_023.jpg

That cherry billet will fill in the gap between the maple overhand bracing.

I'm still working on how I will finish the plywood area. I don't want the whole thing to be wood because that will take away from the live edge planks. Right now I'm leaning on frame and panel with the frame being pewter-dyed maple and the panel being something in white. I took a maple cutoff and whitewash stained it. It was almost identical to the horizontal paneling I did on the walls, except more finished. Maybe I can find some 1/4" rift or quarter sawn maple plywood to use for the panels. Hmmmmm......

[Yonak Hawkins]

Looks great so far, Julie. With those beautiful, heavy-looking cherry slabs, it may overwhelm the rest of the cabinet and make it look top heavy. I don't know what you have in mind for doors but you may consider something with lots of overlays or inlay combining cherry and some other woods and different surface heights. It's going to be a very beautiful eye-catching piece.

[Julie Moriarty]

Thanks, Yonak. The doors will be 1-1/4" overlay which leaves 1/2" spacing between them and 1/4" to the edges. Yesterday I picked up some "whitewood" (my guess is it's from Asia or China and they don't know what it is) from Lowes that's reversible, smooth on one side and beaded on the other.

I've been going back and forth on the frame and panels about which to dye white and which to dye pewter. It might look interesting whitewashing the maple frames and dying the panels pewter. I'll have to see how the "whitewood" takes the pewter dye. I bought enough to do the door panels but I'd have to glue them up to some 1/4" plywood if I go that route. I'll consider using the whitewood if I use the beaded side. Maybe I need a mind camera to speed the decision making along. :rolleyes:

[Jerrimy Snook]

I like the contrasting colors and the pattern of the cabinet doors under the net. Looks like you put a lot of care into every design and the results are amazing. Just one question... where is the kitchen sink?

[Bill McNiel]

Julie- admit it, you are just showing off that incredibly beautiful "mystery wood" again to make us all even more jealous.:D

[Julie Moriarty]

I like the contrasting colors and the pattern of the cabinet doors under the net. Looks like you put a lot of care into every design and the results are amazing. Just one question... where is the kitchen sink?
What kitchen sink? ;)

Jerrimy, this is 1964 Florida with some crazy boat house design idea running the show. The sink is far enough away you will actually burn up some calories. And I'm not saying that's a good thing. :rolleyes:


Julie- admit it, you are just showing off that incredibly beautiful "mystery wood" again to make us all even more jealous.:D
Um... uh... What are you talking about, Bill? But if you want to see how crazy this gets...
http://julimorcreations.com/2220/Kit/Island/Island_024.jpg

This is the cherry sandwiched between the maple. So I had this crazy idea I'd make the extensions look like the bow of a sailboat. And I took the glue up to the bandsaw...
http://julimorcreations.com/2220/Kit/Island/Island_025.jpg
No serious damage so far...

Then I marked some lines that approximated what a sailboat deck would look like and went back to the bandsaw. And used rasps and spokeshaves and seriously crossed my fingers...
http://julimorcreations.com/2220/Kit/Island/Island_026.jpg
On the left is the container ship. ;)

What I found is if you want something to look like a sailboat hull, the entire thing has to look like a sailboat hull.

After a lot of work, hoping to save the patient, this is where my day ended
http://julimorcreations.com/2220/Kit/Island/Island_027.jpg

Who knows? This could be a trend! NOT!

[Julie Moriarty]

I'm making the drawers out of 1/2" plywood. The plywood is from Home Depot and who knows where they bought it. All I know is the thickness varies so I set the dado to nominal 1/2" plywood thickness and trim it during dry fitting.
http://julimorcreations.com/2220/Kit/Island/Island_028.jpg
Those 98 & 99 rabbet trimmers come in very handy during this phase of assembly. :)

I made 5 drawers according to Blum Tandem instructions, but for the 6th one, I had to modify it. It will be a pullout for trash and recyclables.
http://julimorcreations.com/2220/Kit/Island/Island_029.jpg
The cans just fit the 23-1/4" cabinet depth. The drawer depth for the slides has to be 21". That won't work for the cans.

I made the overall drawer depth 23" and notched the back to 21" where the rear pin will go. I also had to allow for access to the side-to-side adjusters.
http://julimorcreations.com/2220/Kit/Island/Island_030.jpg
Hope it works!

[Julie Moriarty]

The mystery wood is no longer a mystery. Peltophorum pterocarpum, dubium is what the supplier says it is. According to the information they supplied, the tree is indigenous to Southeast Asia and Australia. But I discovered it is also found in Florida - https://www.south-florida-plant-guide.com/peltophorum.html

[Julie Moriarty]

The slabs have been flattened. The router sled worked pretty well. About a week ago I applied BLO to the tops of the slabs and I'm waiting for it to gas out before putting a sealer and finish on them.
http://julimorcreations.com/2220/Kit/Island/Island_036.jpg

http://julimorcreations.com/2220/Kit/Island/Island_037.jpg

I'm working on a new cabinet for the miter saw right now. The setup I have at the moment can't make repeatable cuts accurately, which I need to make the doors and drawer fronts.

[Jim Becker]

Those are some really beautiful hunks of nature's finest!

What's the plan for the area between the two slabs on the raised eating side?

[Julie Moriarty]

Those are some really beautiful hunks of nature's finest!

What's the plan for the area between the two slabs on the raised eating side?

Jim, one of the things that has prevailed with practically everything we've done since moving to Florida is kind of like finding your way out of the middle of the woods. "Let's walk that way..." Then you begin to doubt yourself and turn in another direction. We were at a neighbor's house the other day and I said it's like opening a curtain only to see another curtain only a few feet in front of you. This is totally new to me. I've always been very decisive. Maybe it's changes in latitude. :rolleyes:

But I have been working on the island, though very slowly. I cut the high section down by 1-3/4". It does make a noticeable difference. We bought some adjustable height bar stools that got tippy with the 42" bar height but now that I've cut it down, the stools work.

My neighbor across the street had a project he was doing for a friend with a boat. He came over and asked if I had anything to create a roundover on a piece of teak he had. We decided on the roundover dimension and I shaped the teak to his satisfaction.

A few days later, as I was contemplating what to do with the maple trim on the island and I thought of how we were going for a boat-kind-of-theme for our remodel. Then I remembered that the router table was set up for just that kind of thing. So I took the maple trim and went to town.
http://julimorcreations.com/2220/Kit/Island/Island_040.jpg

After I made the doors and drawer fronts, I wondered if I should do a serious roundover on them too.
http://julimorcreations.com/2220/Kit/Island/Island_038.jpg
Okay, not so serious but it seems to work.

Still not sure if the back side of the drawers and doors will get the same roundover. But at least we're moving along.

[Jim Becker]

Yea...but curious minds (or at least my mind) want(s) to know how you're going to keep your spilled soup (or margaritas :) ) from spilling through that gap between the beautiful natural edge boards shown in Post #11. :) :D

[Julie Moriarty]

Yea...but curious minds (or at least my mind) want(s) to know how you're going to keep your spilled soup (or margaritas :) ) from spilling through that gap between the beautiful natural edge boards shown in Post #11. :) :D
Oh, that one's easy. River glass. Problem is many businesses here are run like vacation mode is the norm. I made a template for how I want the glass to be made and gave it to them over three weeks ago. Two weeks ago they said they sent it to their supplier. I've been trying for a week to get an answer as to the status but they may have closed between Christmas and New Years.

Anyway, it will be something along this line, with the glass very much the same color.
https://i.pinimg.com/736x/88/fe/54/88fe547b2f4f8dd67f66f113f0b9b42d--round-dining-room-tables-glass-tables.jpg

[jack duren]

Too bad your not here. We could have fixed you up pretty quick...'http://www.customglassworkskc.com/

[Jim Becker]

AH...and that's a very kewel design element!

[Julie Moriarty]

Too bad your not here. We could have fixed you up pretty quick...'http://www.customglassworkskc.com/
I'm often missing the customer service I knew back north. But like I said, I think everyone here is thinking about beach, water and Margaritas. Great when on vacation. Not so great if you're trying to run a business.

I think I'm working on too many projects at once because they all seem to be taking forever. Anyway, the drawer fronts and doors are installed, along with the handles.

http://julimorcreations.com/2220/Kit/Island/Island_041.jpg

http://julimorcreations.com/2220/Kit/Island/Island_042.jpg

It looks like we settled on the rails and stiles to be dyed grey. The panels are cherry with a whitewash and 3 coats of poly on them. Once the final OK is given, I'll take them off and finish them. But some cool weather has moved in and that means I can finish the attic work. I have about 10 more can lights to install, some electrical circuits to add and TV coax to install. I'll be lucky if I get back to the island this week.

[Chris Padilla]

Nice project, Julie! Updates!!

[Bill McNiel]

Julie - we want to see the progress on the "sailboat hull" extensions!

[Julie Moriarty]

Nice project, Julie! Updates!!
Thanks, Chris. All the T&G paneling that is going over the plywood has been weathered and coats of poly applied. That will go on after the maple is whitewashed and finished.

The only other update since the last posting is we finally heard from the glass company. HOORAY!!! They couldn't temper the glass but they can shape it. So I told them to go ahead. That was about 4-5 days ago. Florida is always on island time so I have no idea how long it will take them to finish.

Today my SO is going to tackle the maple whitewash job while I finish up some electrical work in the attic, my favorite place to hang out. :rolleyes:


Julie - we want to see the progress on the "sailboat hull" extensions!
Here you go, Bill...
http://julimorcreations.com/2220/Kit/Island/Island_043.jpg

http://julimorcreations.com/2220/Kit/Island/Island_044.jpg
The dados in the extensions are for buttons that will hold the live edge boards down while allowing for seasonal movement. I'm hoping that will keep the glass from being stressed.

[Bill McNiel]

Julie,
The "hulls" are lovely.

To minimize seasonal movement impact on the glass I would pin (fix) the inside edges and allow for movement to the outside (away from the glass). Just MHO - Bill

[Julie Moriarty]

That's what I was thinking, Bill. Now if the glass company would just get off island time and get to work!

Today my SO dyed the maple on the doors and drawers and whitewashed the maple on the cabinet while I sipped on an umbrella drink and soaked in the sun. :rolleyes:

[Bill McNiel]

That's what I was thinking, Bill. Now if the glass company would just get off island time and get to work!

Today my SO dyed the maple on the doors and drawers and whitewashed the maple on the cabinet while I sipped on an umbrella drink and soaked in the sun. :rolleyes:

Julie- you are supposed to be in the attic being really productive, not catching rays and drinking! Who do you think you are, a retiree?

[Julie Moriarty]

Julie- you are supposed to be in the attic being really productive, not catching rays and drinking! Who do you think you are, a retiree?
Oh no, you have it all wrong, Bill. When you retire you have no time to sit and sip umbrella drinks. You're too busy trying to catch up on all the things you put off before retiring. ;)

[Julie Moriarty]

I've got my end of this project complete, at least until the glass arrives. They still are working on it.

Jumping into this weathered white/grey thing, well, I'm not quite into it yet. I wanted at least the maple to show its grain but my SO wanted weathered.
http://julimorcreations.com/2220/Kit/Island/Island_046.jpg

The colors are off on the door/drawer side of the cabinet. The frames are more black/dark grey. I think the picture picked up the amber light opposite the island.
http://julimorcreations.com/2220/Kit/Island/Island_045.jpg

I'm not nearly as happy with this as I thought I'd be. Whitewash and black dye on maple and cherry seem like sins to me. Oh well...

[Jim Becker]

I gotta tell you...all subjective thoughts about colors and finishing aside, because it is what it is...that finished project is OUTSTANDING!!! I look forward to seeing how the glass insert works out.

[Bill McNiel]

Julie,
As you know I've followed this "build" since you started posting it. The design and execution are very solid, very appealing, the inclusion of the "mystery wood" counters and sailboat hulls are done artfully. But....the multiple colors have created a distracting cacophony that diminishes the piece. It has become too cute? The cap rails, drawer and door profile create enough texture, the stains are distracting and take away from the overall form.

This, of course, in just my opinion and a probably a poor attempt to express what I believe turned a great piece into something average. You had a solid eye and obviously do great work!

Regards - Bill

[Julie Moriarty]

Bill, this may be the only piece I have ever done where the finishing just ruined it. But of the friends and neighbors who have seen the island, everyone loves it. I don't get it. I hate how the maple turned out. I don't really care for the two tone doors and drawer fronts. But when I have expressed that to friends and neighbors, they completely disagree with me. One guy is a retired art school teacher and he has done some amazing things with his house. He really has an eye for what works. He was over last night and said, "You nailed it!" He may have seen the confusion in my face because he immediately pointed out how everything works. But I still didn't get it.

When we moved down here a couple of years ago, we immediately realized there was a very different attitude toward natural wood tones, especially anything dark. And that may explain the differences in what is aesthetically appealing to one's eye.

I have already sanded down the maple to bare wood once, after the first failed attempt at whitewashing. I wanted to duplicate the sample piece I did but the product we used dries so quickly it's impossible to do on a large scale what you can do on a short board.

For now, I'm putting it aside. If I can find a decent white dye or whitewash, I may strip the maple again and give it one more try. As for the doors and drawer fronts, I think that ship has sailed.

[Julie Moriarty]

The glass company finally called and said the river glass was done. We had a little house-walk party scheduled on Friday and the call for the glass came Monday. So we dropped everything and went to pick up the glass. They didn't match the template perfectly so I knew I'd have to do some freehand routing. Tuesday morning I was out on the driveway, both planks set up on saw horses, setting up the template for routing the recess to accept the glass.

The night before I had scored, with both pencil and scratch awl, the outline of the river glass. That proved invaluable in setting up the 1/8" thick MDF template.

I started with a 1/8" deep mortising bit and took the wood down to the point where the bearing was up against the wood and the template was no longer needed. I routed the rest of the 1" wide recess with a deeper bit. Then I freehand routed with the 1/8" deep bit to the scribed lines. A few times it almost got away from me but I was cognizant of making sure when it did I was pushing away from the scribed line.

Next was to remove the temporary sealant on the planks, back to bare wood. I opted for a floor rated, oil-based poly to finish the planks. It brought out the chatoyance beautifully! But would it be ready by Friday? Three coats and at least 18 hours cure time before it can be "walked on", according to the directions.

I worked furiously Friday to get the planks and glass ready, including installing the table buttons and vinyl discs under the glass. Then I did something I probably shouldn't have - I waxed the planks. The chatoyance faded and I was very upset for not allowing the poly to fully cure. Oh well. Too late.

On Friday the party started at 5:30 sharp at the 80 year-old party boy's house. Yes, he's 80 and not about to sit still! After a while he announced it was time to walk to our house, about 4 houses away. I knew everyone would see the cloudy, waxy finish and be totally unimpressed. I tried to be Zen. And they walked in...
http://julimorcreations.com/2220/Kit/Island/Island_047.jpg

http://julimorcreations.com/2220/Kit/Island/Island_048.jpg

Immediately everyone circled the island and raved. There was about ten people surrounding it and asking questions. No one said anything about the cloudy, waxy finish.

Maybe it's time to just get on with the cabinet doors and drawers and stop beating myself up. :rolleyes:

[Jim Becker]

THAT...looks gorgeous!

[Mel Fulks]

Julie , The "cloudy waxy" finish is just right for bacon! Great artistic work ,I suggest a decorative storage piece that looks like an egg.

[Christian Hawkshaw]

The bar top turned out fantastic.

[David Utterback]

The glass really helps the coherence of the scheme for the entire cabinet. Congratulations on an excellent work of art.

[Yonak Hawkins]

Julie , The "cloudy waxy" finish is just right for bacon! Great artistic work ,I suggest a decorative storage piece that looks like an egg.

:) I like it. Excellent conclusion, Julie, and wonderful work.

[Bill McNiel]

Julie,
The counter top is truly beautiful. We can't see the "cloudy" aspect that you are referring to, its one of those things that one can only judge having experienced the look before waxing. It is a piece to be proud of both the design and execution. Despite your claims in another thread, you are both an artist and a woodworker, own it.
Kudos-Bill

[Julie Moriarty]

Thank you for all the nice things said. I guess I was being hyper-critical of my work. (I tend to do that!)

The cloudy-waxy appearance doesn't show up in the photos but it's pretty obvious when the light rakes off it from different angles. I have two thoughts: 1. Use a hair dryer to soften the wax and re-buff it; 2. Remove the wax with alcohol, smooth the poly finish and spray coat. In #1, I'm worried if I soften the wax and it won't buff out, then it will make #2 more difficult. No idea what to do here.