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Thread: Serving Tray out of some unusual wood

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2015
    Location
    North Virginia
    Posts
    341

    Serving Tray out of some unusual wood

    I found some interesting wood at my local hardwood dealer a couple of years ago. Evidently, a career Foreign-Service Officer retired to our area and sold off some of his furnishings that he had collected during his postings around the world. One of the items was a bookcase made out of some "local wood from SE Asia". The bookcase was falling apart from hard use, so it was disassembled for the lumber. There were some oddly shaped pieces and the shelving was riddled with screw holes and other cracks and dents. In any event I bought a couple of straight pieces to see if I could identify the right project for them. The hardwood dealer and I puzzled over the wood species - and based on the origin, hardness, grain, and color, we both agreed that it might be Burmese Rosewood (Dalbergia oliveri). I'm not 100% convinced, but it is extremely hard and dense wood that smells like rosewood when it is cut.

    As fate would have it, I stumbled across some thin pieces of highly figured ash recently. These weren't wide enough for a project on their own, but worked nicely into this design - contrasting with the dark rosewood. The ash sides were dovetailed together and the bottom is fastened with a stepped groove/rabbet (allowing the bottom to be flush to the frame), and the handles are held in place with Miller Dowels. You might spot a couple of other small repair jobs on the rosewood - there were a lot of random holes from its former life as a bookcase... The project was finished with original Waterlox topped with Renaissance wax.

    TedP

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  2. #2
    That is beautiful work. You don't see that wood often - it's a very nice looking combination....

  3. #3
    Looks like it belongs on a yacht ,so it's hard for me to relate. But it is certainly "upscale" and handsome; so I would try real hard!

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    State College, PA
    Posts
    376
    Very nice work! I too like the wood combination. I've not seen figured ash before.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    McKean, PA
    Posts
    15,593
    Blog Entries
    1
    Gorgeous tray. I like the design and the woods that were used.
    Lee Schierer
    USNA '71
    Go Navy!

    My advice, comments and suggestions are free, but it costs money to run the site. If you found something of value here please give a little something back by becoming a contributor! Please Contribute

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Issaquah, Washington
    Posts
    1,320
    Very pretty sir.

  7. #7
    Looks like some really nice wood found a good home!

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