Table top glue-up: Grain matches, color is off...Help

[Alex Shanku]

Hi everyone,

Working on a last minute project and need some advice.

I am making a hallway table with the top being eliptical in shape and the back being straight, meant to be pushed against a wall. Think the capital letter "D" for the shape.

Anyway, I am using lacewood and glued four roughly 4" boards to make the top which will be 13"x36"

Question is this: All the grain and figuring matches up quite well, execpt for one of the outside boards which is a little lighter than the other 3.

Would you use the lighter one as the back board, and cut away from the matching piece, or, would you leave as much of the 3 good pieces alone and end up with a small (2"x8") piece that is lighter in color at the front of the table.

Thanks,

Alex

Crude sketch to follow
http://www.hunt101.com/img/458997.bmp

[Don Bullock]

1) I don't know about others, but it might help if you showed pictures of the boards you are talking about. It would help me, at least, to see how big a difference we are talking about.

2) Is there a stain that could be applied to the lighter board to help match the color? This might work, especially if the grain looks like the other boards.

I'm sure that others around here will have better ideas. They are fantastic.

[Alex Shanku]

Don,

Thanks for the suggestions. I dont have my camera available to use today...I only have a camera phone and I doubt the subtle difference in the color would show through.

I was also thinking of a stain of some sort.

Matching the grain up on this lacewood is a pain, it just varies so much, even in the same piece of wood.....

Thanks,

Alex

[Doug Shepard]

If I'm figuring this correctly you've got a 16" wide glue up and will end up with a 13" deep partial ellipse and will end up having to trim off 3" at either the front or back? So I'm a bit unclear how the top diagram would result in a 2"x8" piece instead of 1"x?". Maybe that's where the "four roughly 4" boards" comes into play? At any rate, if this was mine I think I'd want to take off about the same amount at both the front and back so that the joint lines are centered on the shape and I'd put the off color piece towards the back where it would be less noticeable. You also might be able to take the offcut from the front edge, slice a 1/16" piece of veneer from it, then inlay it into the back piece to get the same color, although that might mean your grain matching along those back 2 boards doesn't end up working.

[Doug Shepard]

... You also might be able to take the offcut from the front edge, slice a 1/16" piece of veneer from it, then inlay it into the back piece to get the same color, although that might mean your grain matching along those back 2 boards doesn't end up working.

Alex - pay no attention to that man behind the curtain (Wizard of Oz). I was having a mental lapse on the veneer idea. If you cut the same amount from front and back, the front offcut wouldn't be wide enough to cover the back board (2.5" vs 1.5") and then you've got to deal with the issue of the veneer joint being visible at the ends or on top depending on how you inlaid it. I'd still trim the same amount off both edges though. I think anything else gives you the look of an afterthought strip added on to make the table depth up.

[Jim Becker]

Alex, the best solution is going to be another board. I know this from experience when I built my first real furniture project. The "darker" board in that case really stands out, even though it's in the back...at least when Dr. SMWBO cleans off her desk. ;) If that isn't in the cards, it's a really tough choice. The one idea I had when mulling this over is perhaps inserting narrow strips of the darker board between the others and making the contrast a feature...

[Doug Shepard]

... The one idea I had when mulling this over is perhaps inserting narrow strips of the darker board between the others and making the contrast a feature...

That was my original thought but then I noticed it looks like this is already glued up.

...
Anyway, I am using lacewood and glued four roughly 4" boards to make the top which will be 13"x36"
...

[Jim Becker]

Ah...sounds like a careful dye job may be in order...

[Tom Hamilton]

Hi Alex: As usual Professor Becker gives good counsel. It's the lemonaide from lemons idea.

If you wanted a perfectly even look you could get a plastic laminate from Target or (fill in the blank). Your table will have a character mark of real wood and craftsmanship, including design, to go with it!
Enjoy, Tom

[Jim Becker]

Sorry, Tom...you can call Dr. SWMBO "Professor" (really), but I'm just a regular Joe...err...Jim... :D
-----

Now, given that the piece apparently is already glued up...simlar solution that I proposed, but it involves ripping down the existing glue lines and either using strips of the lighter material as stated (if there will be enough after saw kerfs, or using an alternate material/species. Something black /dark brown would look nice, IMHO, and not stand out too much.

[Don Bullock]

Sorry, Tom...you can call Dr. SWMBO "Professor" (really), but I'm just a regular Joe...err...Jim... :D
-----

Now, given that the piece apparently is already glued up...simlar solution that I proposed, but it involves ripping down the existing glue lines and either using strips of the lighter material as stated (if there will be enough after saw kerfs, or using an alternate material/species. Something black /dark brown would look nice, IMHO, and not stand out too much.

See, I told you that someone with more knowledge than I have would come up with an answer.;) :D

[Alex Shanku]

Thank you all for your advice.

I have one project left before I get back to that table top, but when I do, I will post pics and show you guys how it turned out!!!

[Jerry Strojny]

Alex,

Is there enough "cutoff" from the darker pieces to replace the light 2"x8" piece? If all the boards were 36" inches long, I assume there would be a piece big enough. Cut the light wood off and glue on the cutoff. No more issue of light and dark. Chances are you already would have done this if it were possibe...sorry, but I think it is a tricky dye job.