New Sapele Bonsai Table

[rmhinden]

My wife commissioned me to make her a new Bonsai table for a Bonsai show.    I made this one from quarter sawn Sapele I found at my local woodcraft.  The Sapele was quite nice to work with.  The table is 18" long x 14" wide x 5" high.  I added a maple inlay to the top using my Shaper Origin. 

She was happy with the result! 

[attachimg=1][attachimg=2][attachimg=3][attachimg=4]

 

[Tinker]

@ rmhinden,
Your wife has very god taste for contractors. That's a terrific job. Befitting your wife's bonsai.
Tinker

 

[Rick Herrick]

That is a very nice table, I really like it.  How did you do the middle section?  Is it a stand alone layer or is there a rabbit on the bottom of the top?  That is a cool detail to me.

 

[rmhinden]

That is a very nice table, I really like it.  How did you do the middle section?  Is it a stand alone layer or is there a rabbit on the bottom of the top?  That is a cool detail to me.

Thanks very much! 

There is a rabbit on the bottom of the top, and I made the base the size of the outer edge.

Bob

 

[Vtshopdog]

Beautiful proportions, it’s very elegant and understated.  Is it built specifically for this tree and pot?  The maple inlay looks to compliment the pot dimension.  I love Sapele, wonderful to work with and finish. It looks great with the Bonsai on it.

Is the design pulled from traditional tables or did you dream it up?

 

[Steve1]

Elegant design.
Nice execution.

 

[rvieceli]

Very nicely done.

Ron

 

[Cheese]

Nice job Bob and nice design.  [smile]  The middle section does a great job of breaking up the slab features and brings a lot of attention and interest to the table.

Your thoughts on using the Shaper for the inlay?

 

[hdv]

Beautiful table!

I have to say I like the bonsai too. It is that the pot is shown, but otherwise the proportions are exactly what you'd expect of a large fully grown tree. It shows great harmony.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

Very nice. The proportions and execution are spot on. What is the finish?

 

[rmhinden]

[member=68668]Vtshopdog[/member]    Thanks!  Yes, it was designed for the tree and pot in the last picture.  The idea for the rabbit was from looking at a more traditional Japanese style bonsai table.   

[member=65451]Steve1[/member]  [member=3192]rvieceli[/member]  Thanks!

[member=44099]Cheese[/member]  Using the Shaper Origin for the inlay worked well.    The rabbit for the inlay was 1/8" wide and 1/4" deep.  I used a 1/16" bit and made multiple passes.  In hindsight, I may have been able to use a 1/8" bit and fewer passes, but I didn't want to screw up the top so was cautious.  If I do this again, I will try some test cuts with a 1/8" bit.  I did the design for the inlay using the tool at Shaper Labs, basically four rectangles.  Only required a little trimming at the corners.

[member=66485]hdv[/member] Thanks, I will pass that along to my wife.

[member=58857]Crazyraceguy[/member] Thanks, I ended up using a satin water based polyurethane.  I considered using boiled linseed oil and paste wax, but ran out of time

Bob

 

[Crazyraceguy]

Why so deep? Wouldn't 1/8" have been enough? It's not like this would be a wear surface, like a floor, where it would be sanded and refinished, maybe multiple times?
You would never know from the top, and it would have been nicer to your little 1/16" bit.

 

[rmhinden]

Why so deep? Wouldn't 1/8" have been enough? It's not like this would be a wear surface, like a floor, where it would be sanded and refinished, maybe multiple times?
You would never know from the top, and it would have been nicer to your little 1/16" bit.

Good points.  I milled the inlay material myself from a piece of maple I had on hand.  I could have made it thinner before cutting off the 1/8" strips.    But maybe not too much as it will get to be very fragile.  If I do this again, I will look into buying some pre-made inlay material.

Bob

 

[rmwarren]

Absolutely beautiful, table and tree. Kudos for your design sense & your wife's skills.

I read the title, then the first quick scan through the photos it appeared like a low coffee table sitting on hardwood floor, by the last photo I ended thinking "wow that's a big bonsai"...  [doh]

Second time through things came into scale progressively.

There is a Bonsai gallery in Longwood Gardens, it's an incredible art form.

RMW