maple and wenge coffee table

[Warrior]

I have been wanting to build this table for a while and since I dont have much work I had some time.

below are some rough wenge and maple strips waiting to get dimensioned.

since this table is comprised of strips there is an incredible amount of waste. It took about 42bf of lumber where a slab table would have taken about 30bf

 

[Warrior]

After dimensioning comes the layout and glue up.
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I did the glue up all at once using West Systems epoxy with the 209 extra slow hardener.

After glue up and back from the wide belt sander

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[Warrior]

Sorry these pics are horrible. I never forget my camera anymore since its in the phone.

Mitered and dominoed
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I have attached a clamping strip to aid in clamping across the miter. The clamping strips are softer wood and are glued on with G5 epoxy.
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[Warrior]

Here goes the glue up. All the dominoes had to be sanded  [mad]. I had run out of my homemade dominoes.
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Clamping across the miter gets it super tight.
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Time to knock off/pry off the clamping strips.
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Gobs of epoxy and chunks of douglas fir were left to be scaped and sanded.
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[Warrior]

Here it is sanded and ready for finish. I just love the look of this table. Kind of makes me dizzy looking at it.

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[petiegolfer]

Eiji another great table!

I think this is your best to date of the chunky mitre range! [big grin]

The opticle illusion of the alternating colours is mad especially when viewed at an oblique angle!

For own use or for selling?

Piers

 

[Warrior]

Thanks Piers,

It will be stored in my living room until it sells.

 

[petiegolfer]

You must run the risk of the Mrs getting attached to things doing it that way!!

 

[Warrior]

That just means I'll get to make another.  [big grin]

 

[image132]

Your work is amazing as always! What kind of oil/varnish did you use on it? Can I be your apprentice?

 

[DavidCBaker]

Beautiful! I love that choice of contrasting wood.

1) Is it my imagination or are those legs intentionally not at a 90-degree angle? They look good.

2) Any special handling of the wenge dust extraction?

 

[bonesbr549]

Very nice!    Truely a piece of art!  I really love the gluing of the strips on the top so you can have something for the clamps to grip to.  I'm going to steal that one and put in the old bag of tricks!   

 

[Jesse Cloud]

Great piece!  I love the geometry, could look at that piece for a long time.

A trick for the clamping sticks, try sandwiching a piece of paper between the workpiece and the clamps (glue on both sides).  When its time to knock/pry the clamps off, the paper will give and there's very little cleanup.

 

[Neill]

Eiji,

Very nice.  I really like wenge.  In fact I was gonna pick some up today.  I am amazed though at how you got the edges looking so good.  Not easy to do.  I have found that they tend to be inconsistent in term of sheen even after filling the pores.

Neill

 

[Brice Burrell]

Eiji,

Very nice.  I really like wenge.  In fact I was gonna pick some up today.  I am amazed though at how you got the edges looking so good.  Not easy to do.  I have found that they tend to be inconsistent in term of sheen even after filling the pores.

Neill

Me too, very nice work. [thumbs up]

 

[Warrior]

Your work is amazing as always! What kind of oil/varnish did you use on it? Can I be your apprentice?

Thankyou Chris!

The table has yet to be finished. I plan on spraying a waterbased precat lacquer and polishing it.

BTW Im still looking for someone to apprentice under. Im not qualified to have any apprentices yet.

Eiji

 

[Warrior]

Beautiful! I love that choice of contrasting wood.

1) Is it my imagination or are those legs intentionally not at a 90-degree angle? They look good.

2) Any special handling of the wenge dust extraction?

Dave,

Thanks for the compliments. After looking at you beautiful box I think that walnut and maple would be good for this design too. I dont have any walnut though [crying]

The miters are cut at 42 deg and give the legs a 6 deg splay. Yes it was intentional.  ;D

There was very careful thought going into the proper handling of the wenge dust. Good thing I have a pretty nice vacuum and sander made by this little known German tool company. hehe FEsTool makes some really nice stuff.  [big grin]

 

[image132]

Your work is amazing as always! What kind of oil/varnish did you use on it? Can I be your apprentice?

Thankyou Chris!

The table has yet to be finished. I plan on spraying a waterbased precat lacquer and polishing it.

BTW Im still looking for someone to apprentice under. Im not qualified to have any apprentices yet.

Eiji

Your work says otherwise but I get it. Besides I doubt I could get the funds to fly over there.

Anyway great work.

 

[fshanno]

Fantastic.  I've seen this treatment a lot of times, even in coffee tables.  But somehow yours looks new to me.

That clamping method scares me to death.  Have you used this method before?  Have you ever damaged a piece?  Have you ever applied so much pressure that the clamping wedge broke loose?  If the wedge lets go the clamps might fall and damage the faces or the sharp edge, in several places.  No guts no glory.  You are the man.

I have a question about wenge.  Is there a way to preserve the high contrast between the lighter and darker parts of the grain?  Everything I've tried significantly darkens the lighter parts.

 

[wnagle]

That clamping method scares me to death.  Have you used this method before?  Have you ever damaged a piece?  Have you ever applied so much pressure that the clamping wedge broke loose?  If the wedge lets go the clamps might fall and damage the faces or the sharp edge, in several places.  No guts no glory.  You are the man

If you are worried about gluing the wedge to the table, another option is to glue it to a thin piece of wood, like 1/4 inch ply, and then just clamp the ply to the work piece on each leg.  Then you can clamp the two wedges together in the same manner closing the joint.