My biggest challenge yet...

[Russell Tribby]

I started building this table for a friend of my wife's a couple of months ago. Between my job (teaching and coaching) and some hip surgery it's taken me awhile to get this far. However, the end is in sight. This has been my most challenging project to date. I typically deal in boxes, squares or rectangles. It's rare that I get to push the limits of my ability as a woodworker with something like this. I've really enjoyed the process so far. I still have quite a bit of shaping and sanding to do. The pencil marks that you see at the top of the legs and stretchers represent where I still need to do some shaping. The finishing process will be another story. The customer wants a distressed gold on the legs and stretchers and a glossy black table. I'll post some more pics when I get done.

[Jason King]

I am truly speechless...

[Grant Morris]

Spectacular. Looking forward to seeing it finished.

[Don C Peterson]

That's great looking. It's kind of a shame to paint something like that though...

[Glenn Clabo]

Awesome...but you got some explainin to do. How did you do this?

[Sean Troy]

Thats beautiful ! I'd like to know how you did it also.

[Bill Wyko]

Russell, all i can say is.....you got skills. Nice job.

[Matt P]

Beautiful piece! Now if you'll please do some explaining about it!! :)

[Dennis Peacock]

Beautiful piece....and like Glenn said.....you got some 'splainin' to do. ;)

Inquiring minds wanna know. :D

[Jim Becker]

Wow...that base really is some wonderful and I'm sure challenging work! Nice!

[Bruce Page]

Russell, that is going to be stunning, I can't wait to see it finished!

[John Timberlake]

Looking really good so far. Nice curves.

[Brandon Shew]

Wow. That's really nice. The design is very unique and I think that the finish that you described will look very nice on the table and will fit it's style very well.


Here's my $.02 on the finish - I would suggest a sprayed on gloss black laquer for the table. On the legs you may want to try actual gold leaf. I wouldn't normally suggest this as there are plenty of easy gold finishes out there, but this caliber of work deserves the real deal. You may want to paint the legs very dark brown or black and then apply the gold leaf. You can then "distress" it and some of the darker undertones will come through.

[David Duke]

Truly stunning work Russell!!!!! Please make sure you post pics when you get it finished.

[Craig Mitchell]

I know everyone is say "Wow" ...... and that is the best word.... WOW!

Great work!

[Russell Tribby]

I can't take credit for the design on the table. It is a replica of a table that the customer liked. The construction of the table, while time consuming, was not that difficult. The cabriole legs were cut from some glued up poplar stock. Before cutting the legs I rabbeted out the back to form a ledge that the table sets on. The stretchers were cut with a jig saw and shaped with rasps, files and chisels....and a lot of sanding. The stretchers are attached to the legs with dowels. The actual table top is laminated maple. All the joints on the table are mitred. I used a grinder to shape the transition from the stretchers to the legs. That process was horrifying and exciting in the same breath. It would have been really easy to make a major mistake with the grinder. Luckily all went smoothly.
Thanks for all of your kind words. I hope I answered your questions. If I didn't let me know and I'll do my best to explain further. I'll post some more pics as I get closer to the finish.

[Russell Tribby]

Here's the table ready for finishing. I had to do some final shaping and sanding of the legs and stretchers. I'll post some pics when I finally get it finished. I thought about gold leaf for the legs but that would've raised the cost too high. The top will be sprayed with a black lacquer. Thanks again for the kind words, it means the world to me.

[Dave MacArthur]

Really enjoyable piece to look at!
To me, the thing that really jumps out at me is a blending of two total opposites--the light delicate airiness of the legs and stretchers, and the massively solid look of the top. And then BOTH aspects are further accentuated by your detail work, which makes this conflict that much more interesting to view: the cutouts in the sides make an already elven grace seem slightly insubstantial right at the weakest point of the span; and the mitered corners of the solid blocklike top make it look that much more "solid", due to the grain wrapping around it. To me it looks like a chunk of marble on glass legs, exceuted in wood.

That's the longest critique I've ever written of a wood piece, but I really like it ;)

However, IMO the best finish that would just enhance this dialectic to no end, would be to further contrast the two by finishing them in natural wood finishes, but one dark and the other light. I am leaning towards light natural poly on the top, and reddish or mahogany look on the legs. But to spray that top black... I'd hate to lose that beautiful effect of the visible miter/grain wraparound.
Great work.

[Cary Swoveland]

That's a truly impressive piece of work, Russell. One detail I really like are the interlocking fingers in the middle of each side of the base.

Cary

[Russell Tribby]

Really enjoyable piece to look at!
To me, the thing that really jumps out at me is a blending of two total opposites--the light delicate airiness of the legs and stretchers, and the massively solid look of the top. And then BOTH aspects are further accentuated by your detail work, which makes this conflict that much more interesting to view: the cutouts in the sides make an already elven grace seem slightly insubstantial right at the weakest point of the span; and the mitered corners of the solid blocklike top make it look that much more "solid", due to the grain wrapping around it. To me it looks like a chunk of marble on glass legs, exceuted in wood.

That's the longest critique I've ever written of a wood piece, but I really like it ;)

However, IMO the best finish that would just enhance this dialectic to no end, would be to further contrast the two by finishing them in natural wood finishes, but one dark and the other light. I am leaning towards light natural poly on the top, and reddish or mahogany look on the legs. But to spray that top black... I'd hate to lose that beautiful effect of the visible miter/grain wraparound.
Great work.

You're the second person to tell me that the top looks like a chunk of marble. Thanks for the critique, I'm glad you enjoy the piece. Like I said before I can't take credit for the design, it's a replica of a table that the customer had bought and then returned. I would love to leave the top finished so that the grain showed, however, I am at the whim of the customer's wishes.

[Russell Tribby]

I made the mistake of creating a separate thread for the finished table when I should've just added to this one. You can see the natural progression of the table better going this route. I deliver this to the customer today which means 1) I get paid 2) It's out of my garage!!

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