Project: English Brown Oak Hall Table

[Jim Becker]

I completed work on this English Brown Oak hall table...which I really enjoy working with. This is the second piece where it got the nod...the original was also a hall table, but slightly larger. This one measures approximately 15" deep by 36" wide and is ~30" tall. The natural edge aprons were made from material resawn off the sides of the 8/4 material used for the legs and the ~5/16" thick material is laminated to "other oak" to achieve the desired thickness. Joinery is 8mm Dominos and glue. Finish is BLO, shellac and several coats of Target EM6000

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[glenn bradley]

What a great little table Jim. That material is extremely cool. If it isn't local there must be a story to go along with it ;-)

[Mark Rainey]

Very nice Jim! A nice blend of artistic and natural elements while still refined.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Very nice Jim! That oak "color" in this, is that normal for this type of oak? I really like the "tone" of the wood. Well done Sir!

[Jim Becker]

Very nice Jim! That oak "color" in this, is that normal for this type of oak? I really like the "tone" of the wood. Well done Sir!

Material picked up from Hearne Hardwoods when I and Fred Voorhees went to the fall open house. It's not the first time I've bought this species...I like it a lot...but this material was more rustic than the previous. I selected from what was there in the odds and ends display for the table top and grabbed the leg material from the shorts rack. They had a lot more available, but it was in another building and with the event going, it wasn't practical to go look for more options.


What a great little table Jim. That material is extremely cool. If it isn't local there must be a story to go along with it ;-)

My understanding is that a fungus makes this oak turn to a rich brown color, similar to "fumed" white oak, IMHO. Here's the description from Hearne's site:



English brown oak is actually English white oak that has been killed by mushrooms growing on it. The mushroom produces an acid that colors the heartwood brown but in the process breaks down the cell structure and kills the tree. This is the color that Stickley tried to achieve by fuming American white oak but real brown oak cannot be counterfeited.
*Rich colors from milk chocolate to dark brown
*One of the finest architectural millwork timbers
*Often quarter sawn to show off its beautiful flake
*Surface checking is common especially in the darker colors


The sapwood is generally quite yellow-white. This piece also had a bit of insect features and a little spalting. I honestly like this rustic look and may try to do a little marketing thusly.

[Jim Tobias]

Very nice! Wood is gorgeous and your design and execution displayed it fully on the table. I'm also a big fan of English Brown Oak , although I've only used it in veneer form. The English Brown Oak Burl veneer is beautiful, unique looking also.

Jim

[Ron Citerone]

Nice Jim! Very good use of the wood........would look great in a Early American farm house!

[Don Bullock]

Wow Jim. That table is beautiful. I really love the wood. While I’m not a big fan of live edges those aprons look great. Nice design and execution.

[Bill Carey]

Very stately little table Jim. And the wood is beautiful - I may have to try some brown oak. The spalted (?) leading edge gives it an aged look - like it has seen a thing or two. Nicely done. Like it a lot.

[Steve Jenkins]

Really good looking table Jim. Hearne Hardwoods is one of the places I’d love to visit

[Von Bickley]

Great looking table and great craftsmanship.

[Dan Friedrichs]

Wow, very nice! The proportions of the legs are very complimentary to the live edge on the apron.

[Jim Becker]

Thanks for the kind comments, folks.

Dan, the legs are nominally 1.25" square, but taper to about .875 from a point an inch or two below the apron. This seems to work well for tables of this approximate size. The aprons are approximately 1" thick which is thicker than many folks would make them with, but that made using the Domino a snap because it created the exact reveal I wanted with the back of the apron flush with the back of the legs.

[Scott T Smith]

Very nice build Jim. I like how you presented the character areas.

[Phil Mueller]

Well done, Jim. I have a fondness for a touch of rustic and the live edge aprons are a nice feature. Given the current interest in “refined rustic” these days, I would think you could get some decent demand for that style table.

[Brian Behrens]

Outstanding design and execution. The live edge mixed in really gives it a very artistic look

[Jim Becker]

I truly appreciate all the kind comments. I like making this kind of stuff and hope I can "encourage" a few paying customers to take me up on that idea. :) :D

[Bill McNiel]

Jim,
A most interesting and engaging piece. It appears you have taken a proven form and replaced the usual decorative elements with the natural details of the material you selected. A bold move to honor the material vs the craftsman's personal skill set.

Congratulations and kudos!

[Jim Becker]

Bill, I like how you stated that and think it is spot on...why not honor the material when it's so unique and beautiful instead of creating artificial embellishments?! :) Thank you for your kind comments.