Wenge Dining table and Walnut chairs

[Mark Singer]

Here is my dining table and chairs. I made it about 3 years ago and we enjoy it! 10 Chairs and a 11ft long solid Wenge table. Walnut is a great wood for chairs! Oil finish...

[Don Abele]

Mark that table is beautiful. I love the grain on the top. And those chairs are amazing, and as I said before on your previous posts, I love the way you make the wood flow. Looks like it was it's natural form. You do some amazing work and I keep hearing "I'm not worthy" in my head as I look at them. Thanks again for the posting.

Be well,

Doc

[Keith Starosta]

WOW!!! That is awesome!! Looking at the picture, it appears that the table might be two separate pieces, split down the middle. Am I looking at that correctly?

You're just showing off now, Mark! :-)

[Chris Padilla]

Wow. My wife was eyeballing some Wenge for a fireplace mantel we are designing and I convinced her to use Walnut because it was cheaper and more plentiful. It is interesting to see them together like this as I thought to mix them as well..."chunk" o Wenge for the fireplace and the rest in Walnut.

Fantastic work...if I can ever make a chair, I will feel I have really accomplished something in woodworking.

I agree with Doc...the lines you chose for your designs really flow so elegantly...they almost speak (softly) to me.

Could we get a shot of the construction under the table? I hear Wenge is pretty stable.

Chris

[Tyler Howell]

Mark,
It usually takes longer for members to totally demoralize me. You have done it in 2 days.
Beautiful work.
Tyler

[Mark Singer]

Thanks guys!
The table is actually easy to make and the chairs are a little tougher. I learned a lot from the Tage Frid books.They are excellent and will cover just about every topic. Spend your money on those instead of a device to raise your router...the books are a lot cheaper too. In his "furniture making" he explains the sandwich tempate pattern jig...I do it slightly different. If you make a chair always make a protype first from scrap...sit in it think about have your wife sit in it and then modify the final design.. that way you won't end up with 10 uncomfortable chairs. I will take a photo of the protype and also the table base.
It all comes with time and experience and I still learn from every project.
Thanks for the support!
Mark

[Mark Singer]

As requested . hope it makes sense?

[Mark Singer]

Its rough but I learned what to change!

[Chris Padilla]

That table looks to be solid wenge? I'm talking the whole thing...kinda looks like it!

Thanks for the extra photos. :)

Chris

[Mark Singer]

It is all solid Wenge...$$$$ Worth it though!
Mark

[John Scarpa]

WOW! Glad you joined the SMC. You are an inspiration.

:) It looks like you invest all the time you need in the design phase of your work. Or do you already have your vision and only have to spend the time to get it on "paper"?

[Rob Overton]

Your table is very nice but, Your chairs are beautiful. The joinery is fabulous. I wish........ well back to barn door building :D

[John Miliunas]

What more can be added to what's already been said?! Simply outstanding! Hey, Rob...Need some help with them barn doors?

[Alan Turner]

Mark,
Great work. I am thoroughly impressed, both with these and with the other pieces you have posted. The lines of chiar are quite attractive, and look like they are actually doable. Would you mind commenting on the joinery, and how you might have jigged it since you were doing nearly a dozen? Also, it is sometimes customary that there be two armchairs, for the head and foot of the table, with the rest being side chairs. Did you make any armchairs, or give thought to it? I am not sure how the stump would attch to the side rail given the cushion design, but just curious.
Alan

[Mark Singer]

John,
I spend a lot of time on design. I make a lot of rough hand sketches working out connections . I also design around what I can make and the equipment I have. I consider wood movement especially in tables and large surfaces. Then when I have a pretty good sense of the design I draw it on CAD to scale and this is very helpfull. Sometimes I will detail a joint to full scale, sometimes I just go for it. If I am unsure of a connnection I will make a sample joint to make sure of the look and if I can do it. That also helps for machine set up if I am not working with hand tools. Designing your own pieces forces you to think out each piece and for me is much more rewarding then executing a " canned " design from a magazine or plan. I won't copy someone else instead I draw inspiration from others work that pushes me further with my own.
My Krenov books are a bit tattered from admiration, yet I never tried to duplicte one of his pieces. Sometimes someone will ask me to make them a piece I made for my home....I can't do it I must change it to venture into unchartered waters....Its more exciting...what is the point of repeating yourself when there are an infinite number of new designs to create and more to learn. A custom home is designed for its specific owner as opposed to a tract home which attempts to suit the masses. Furniture designs should also be unique and be designed for the use and person they are for...maybe they can be ART as well.
Sorry, I got a little long in responding to design...I did because I think it is something we should all spend more time on...
Mark

[Mark Singer]

Mark,
Great work. I am thoroughly impressed, both with these and with the other pieces you have posted. The lines of chiar are quite attractive, and look like they are actually doable. Would you mind commenting on the joinery, and how you might have jigged it since you were doing nearly a dozen? Also, it is sometimes customary that there be two armchairs, for the head and foot of the table, with the rest being side chairs. Did you make any armchairs, or give thought to it? I am not sure how the stump would attch to the side rail given the cushion design, but just curious.
Alan

Alan,
I never considered arm chairs for the head and foot of the table. The chairs are arranged in 2 parralel rows opposing each other. This eliminates the pretense and idea that 2 seats are "more important " the the rest...and then of course who should sit in special chairs?

The joinery is not that difficult. I make the legs by making a leg tempate from a fullsize drawing . I took the pattern and traced it on a piece of 8/4 walnut , trying to fit as many as possible ona board. Same with the front legs. Then I bandsaw them an 1/8" over the line or make the template "fat" and cut the line. Then they go into a "sandwich" template two legs at once. I router the front face of one leg and the back of the other ...then open the sandwich and reverse the legs and do it again.. Tage Frid explains it well in "furniture making". I completly burned up my Porter cable 690 bearings the exposed bit is a good 3" Amana I think. I got a Bosch router to replace it..After the router phase is hand shaping the legs... Skill sith a spokeshave and rasp is essential but as you know... not that hard to learn
The backs were made fron 12 /4 and cut on the bandsaw with the table inclined...the entire blade is exposed safety is important!
Chairs are then assembled "back and 2 legs and rear stretcher" one glue up. I shapped them 95% once glued up
"Front legs and stretcher" one glue up
The joints are mortise and tenon by router with screw on jig finished by paring with a chisel.
Then the final glue up is the rear assembly to the front with the side stretchers. These angles are not square and you must do a trial dry assembly to check the fit...no cheating here it shows.
The back to rear leg joint looks hard , but it is easy if the pieces are square 90 degree joints.
Once the front assembly and back are one piece I did the final " tailoring" of the form... You must be aware of the depth of the tenons in the back...I threw out a back because I shaped it into the joinery exposing the tenon..very ugly
There is a lot more... but that is the basics
A whole lot of fun...

[Alan Turner]

Thanks for the info. I know that I have the 3d Frid book, and can't remember to look for it and re-read it. I always think of this when I am at the office. His first two of the series are constant references. I took a weekend seminar from Frid, Kirby, Matteo, and others about 1980 or so, and it was great.
Alan

[Mark Singer]

Thanks for the info. I know that I have the 3d Frid book, and can't remember to look for it and re-read it. I always think of this when I am at the office. His first two of the series are constant references. I took a weekend seminar from Frid, Kirby, Matteo, and others about 1980 or so, and it was great.
Alan

I have never taken any classes... and I am sure I do plenty of stuff wrong. If you here af a good school or class I would like to attend.
Let me know
Mark

[Alan Turner]

I have taken only 2. The one I mentioned, and one this past spring on finishing, from Jeff Jewitt. It was at Thadeaus Stevens, in Lancaster Pa, and was to be two days, but I managed to talk my way into the third day, a Friday, where Jeff was teachihng the actual college stududents, and covering spraying, which is a new skill I am learning. I love to spray shellac, but for some reason am a bit afraid of lacquer in the basement.

[Bill Marcheck]

Mark, really incredible work. What kind of finish did you
put on the table?

Also I'm intrigued by the house, I assume you designed it,
do you have pictures of it?


Thanks,


Bill

[Mark Singer]

Mark, really incredible work. What kind of finish did you
put on the table?

Also I'm intrigued by the house, I assume you designed it,
do you have pictures of it?


Thanks,


Bill

Bill the finish is Daly's Ben Matte on the chairs and Tried and True on the table.
I will round up some photos of the home...but, this should stay a forum for woodwork... There are some on line: http://www.trendsarticles.com/story/index.html click on the pictures and more photos will open
Paste that into your browser
That is an international magazine that published the kitchen and bath.
It will be in Western Interiors and Design in March or April issue featuring the entire home.