Curly Maple side tables

[Caleb Dietrich]

Hello,
I finished some shaker side tables recently. This forum was helpful when I was asking about the dye options, so I figured I would post a few pictures. This is the first project i've done where I have challenged myself to use more hand tools. It is also my first time hand cutting dovetailed drawers. It took some time, but I was really happy with how they came out. I was nervous. Luckily my practice paid off, since I only had one shot to dovetail the drawerfronts that were cut from the same piece as the rails above and below it. The drawers slide well. Everytime I go to use them, I find myself sliding them in and out a few extra times.
Thanks for checking them out, and thanks for the answers I got when I was working on them.
-Caleb

[Clara Koss]

the table tops look like melted gold...very very nice work...enjoy those drawers!!!!!

[Bill Arnold]

Very nice, Caleb. I like the clean lines of Shaker design and your choice of material is fantastic. Your finish schedule sure set off the curly maple!!!

[Dave Anderson NH]

Nice job Caleb. Where'd you get the maple, Goose Bay, or thru work?

[Greg Cole]

Nice work Caleb. Very classy indeed.

Greg

[Jack Camillo]

Excellent work, finishing and wood. I'm curious what that wood goes for. Also, do you like the way the tops came out? I'm referring to the way the separate boards stand out. I guess anyone would have tried to glue them up the same way, but seeing it here, I would probably try something different. Maybe use a full piece of contrasting wood framed in with the curly maple, or a symetric design glue up of the curly maple.
The other question I'd throw out to the forum is, what would be an average price retail for such a beautiful set of tables?

[Don Bullock]

Caleb, your tables came out beautiful. Great job.:D

[John Keeton]

My thoughts on the tops - unless one was fortunate to start with thick stock and be able to get bookmatched grain, this is about as good as it gets with tiger/curly/fiddleback maple. The stripe is never consistent throughout, and other than a bookmatch, you do the best you can.

Without being there, and playing with different combinations of the available stock it is hard to say that a better layout would have been possible. I feel certain that Caleb tried all combinations and picked the best he had. It is a difficult wood to grain match with, but that is sort of what makes it so interesting.

I thought that the tables turned out great and very much consistent in style with other work I have seen of similar projects. Very well done.

[Barry Bruner]

I think you did one fine job on picking the wood and an even better job on the construction of the tables. I really like the curley maple. Did you have any problems plaining it? I plained some curley cherry last year and my plainer kept pulling chunks from the surface, was my blades dull or was I goning to fast? BARRY BRUNER

[Warren White]

The tables are very, very nice. Would you share your finishing schedule?

[gary Zimmel]

Sweet looking tables Caleb. Great job...

[John Thompson]

The tables are great and I agree with John Keeton on trying to book-match with curly maple. I rarely find any thick enough to make the re-saw to get book-match. Sometimes you have to do what you have to do.

Excellent Caleb... as I call the effect "tiger striping" as that is what I simply think of when I see it done that way.

Sarge..

[Caleb Dietrich]

Thanks for all the comments. I got the maple at highland hardwood. This is the first time I have joined curly maple in this way. And it was a bit of a learning experience. I tried to line everything up the best I could, but it was different looking at them before they were dyed. Where some stripes took on the dye dark and some light, when the maple was white, I just tried to line up the stripes the best I could. Bookmatching would be a great option for the future. But without the intense flash of the camera, it is not quite as distinct.

Also, I can not take credit for the knobs. Jon Siegel of Big Tree Turnings made them up for me.

[Jim Becker]

Oh, my....those are yummy! :D Excellent work!!!

[Ron Jones near Indy]

Add me to the list that give your tables a big thumbs up. Nice job on the finish.

[Martin Shupe]

Caleb,

You did an excellent job. I believe it is very difficult to match curly lumber, unless it is all cut from the same tree, and then bookmatched. Under the circumstances, I believe you did as well as anyone could, and the result looks very beautiful.

I, too, would like your exact recipe for the dye and finishing schedule, including brand names, please.

The color looks exactly what I would like to use on my first curly maple project.

Thanks for posting.

[scott spencer]

Those are awesome Caleb! Love that curly maple, and the contrasting pegs are a nice touch. Very, very nice!

[Bruce Page]

Beautiful work Caleb. I love the the grain matchup between the drawer front and the face frame. Great attention to detail.

[Caleb Dietrich]

There have been requests for the finish.
Initially I started the tables and tried about 6 different dyes at 1/2 and full strength. I bought a little scale to measure powders and used the plunger of a syringe to measure the liquid dyes. I landed on Transtint Dark Vintage Maple, but wasn't sure if i liked the 1/2 or full strength. I was also trying to deside on the top coat. I read that dyes can fade a bit over time, though the water based are less likely. But with that little fact, I decided to go full strength.
It was very easy to apply. I also dyed the drawer fronts before I assempled the drawers, because I wanted the contrast, but didn't want any seapage
From there on I took a bit of a short cut. I took the tables to work where I spray M L Campbell products. I sprayed a coat of their water white vinyl sealer, and a coat of duravar. Generally, this might not be very helpfull because I believe you need an explosion-proof booth to spray in.
I had originally planned on an oil finish or a varn-oil. But these tables were put on hold while we moved into and made our first home livable. I needed to get them done. While it is not the traditional finish I had intended, the upside is the outstanding protection.