Texas Longhorn Table

[deepcreek]

We were honored to be selected again this year for the annual Texas Furniture Makers Show AND be awarded a ribbon for our Texas style entry.

The judges included Asa Christiana (former editor of Fine Woodworking), Danny Kamerath (acclaimed furniture designer/maker), and Peter Kennedy (Fine Lumber & Plywood).

Joe & Erich
TimberFire Studio

 

[deepcreek]

TEXAS LONGHORN TABLE

This table is a tribute to the iconic Texas Longhorn – a unique breed descended from Spanish cattle brought to the new world by Christopher Columbus that later intermixed with the European livestock of early American settlers.  The result was a lean, hearty, and often ornery bovine with a knack for self-reliance that many Texans identify with to this day.

The tabletop is two pieces of bookmatched Texas Pecan with eye-catching spalted figure and color commensurate with that famously multi hued and patterned breed.  The ends of the top are curved like those mighty horns as are the Texas Mesquite bowtie keys that hold the two halves together and yet apart.

The table’s base is select grade Texas Mesquite and is carefully proportioned to convey a rangy sinewy strength.  Both sides of the table feature the exclusive design combination of the Republic of Texas seal sporting carved horns. 

The legs are emblazoned with distinctive cattle brands from the frontier days of Texas through 1860.  An incredible variety of personal symbols, they include the registered marks of Stephen F. Austin, José Antonio Navarro, the Alamo mission, Oliver Loving, and many other pioneers.  More information on each of the brands is provided with two companion wall art pieces.

The ends of the table are a nod to the state institution so intrinsically associated with the longhorn.  The University of Texas tower is represented with spalted Pecan and antiqued steel.  The familiar blaze of burnt orange is provided by the shelf which is wrapped in genuine top grain leather and embellished with decorative star upholstery tacks.

Last but not least, antiqued steel rings and longhorn hooves carved from spalted Pecan provide a solid foundation.  The finish is a European hardwax oil that has been hand rubbed to a satin sheen.

 

[peter halle]

Joe,

I saw that on Facebook and thought it was your work.  CONGRATULATIONS!  AGAIN!

Peter

 

[mike_aa]

Joe,

Another winner!  Congratulations!

Really cool looking top and the metal inserts are great.  The "hoofed" feet add a playful touch.

Thank you for sharing your inspirational work.

Mike A.

 

[luke duke]

Hook'em

 

[Billedis]

Beautiful job, thank you for sharing.  Bill

 

[Paul G]

That award was well earned. Congrats on a fine piece!

 

[deepcreek]

Thanks guys!  This was a challenging piece in a lot of ways, not the least of which was finding the the right materials.

We were fortunate to be at the right place at the right time to get the bookmatched spalted Pecan.  Several pallets of Texas Pecan had just come out of the kiln when we spotted these two being loaded into their storage bins and snagged them.  This was at Berdoll Sawmill in Bastrop, Texas.  www.berdollsawmill.com  Brandon is a great guy and has an impressive operation.

The real test was sourcing CLEAR 8/4 Mesquite of the required sizes with a good color match from board to board.  When I say clear, I mean no checks, voids, knots, worm holes or sap wood that is not excessively twisted, cupped, or warped.  This is generally impossible with this wood and is why furniture makers almost always use Mesquite for more "rustic" or "sculptural" forms.  By the way, the Mesquite also came from Berdoll Sawmill.

 

[Paul G]

How long did it take to find the mesquite? Hard to find any around here let alone great pieces like that.

 

[deepcreek]

How long did it take to find the mesquite? Hard to find any around here let alone great pieces like that.

We spent several hours going through every single piece in the racks (literally hundreds of boards) to get the exact ones we needed.

We went to the trouble because we were trying to produce a Texas style piece with a bit more refinement than usual.

Luckily, this is a one-of-a-kind unless the eventual buyer wants a matching coffee table!