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SCREWED UP!-OK so I made this previous coffee table top from an old table top I saw lying on the side of the road-cleaned it up, inlaid an Ipe band into it to gussy it up, AWESOME, right?? NO. Ipe is so hard it is like steel straps across the table and doesn't allow for expansion/contraction of the table top. Big cracks were forming and the entire table top was bowing - Time for a new properly constructed table top.

Amateur Hour for sure. (See Picture #2 to see the first table top)

In unrelated news, my neighbors had a huge Red Oak tree that got struck by lightning about 2 years ago. After it came down, I took my large chainsaw mill to it, and then put it through the bandsaw. I LOVE the look of quartersawn oak with its amazing tiger figuring, but is more difficult to mill and creates more waste… but who gives a crap about time and effort, right? I quartersawed that bitch, sealed the ends with wax, and let it sit in my shop for 1.5 years!

Well now is the time for a new table top! I decided to do breadboard ends with through tenons, which properly done, allow for expansion contraction (not going to make that mistake again).

I think I might have tennis elbow from all the mortising runs to route out the breadboard ends using a 1/4" thick bit

Finishing went like this:
1. Aniline Dye (Transtint: Red Mahogany)
2. English Chestnut Stain (Minwax)
3. Danish Oil (A complete varnish by Watco)
4. Tung Oil Finish (Minwax-because it needed another coat of oil, and the danish oil I bought had a dark color to it and I didn't want it to get any darker)
5. Polyurethane (because who the hell wants to use coasters anyways…)

Overall, I like the rich brown color of the table and the oil-based finished made the figuring pop! I was happy and a little surprised to see the Red Oak tiger figuring was still significant, as I usually only see White Oak. Considering this is the first time I went all the way from Tree-> Table, it's pretty satisfying too-even if it did have to start with a monumental screw up. :)

-P

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Comments

· Registered
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153 Posts
Nice finish
 

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248 Posts
That is some good looking wood, the overall project is gorgeous, nice joinery and finish
 

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3,465 Posts
Excellent work! I really like the design and it seems that your finish worked beautifully. I love those ray flecks!
 

· In Loving Memory
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10,077 Posts
A beautiful table and I love the finish on it. Quarter sawn red oak can be even more spectacular than white oak and the rays seem to naturally have more contrasting color. I wouldn't have thought the Ipe inlay would have caused those problems either.
 

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1,312 Posts
Very nice. Very nice finish on it.
 

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215 Posts
The top is fantastic looking. Much better than the first top. The wood is stunning and you did a great job finishing it to make it stand out even more.
 

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405 Posts
Looks like you did an exceptional work on it!
 

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Thanks for the journey! :) You did float the table top anchors to also allow for that live wood movement?
 

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Hey Tom,

I didn't quite float it, but I attached it only in the middle, and the breadboard ends are also glued in the middle so the middle is my anchor point and everything expands contracts from there…

Man, I never really appreciated what a big deal wood movement is, but with each project, I learn more and more.
 

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Was looking at a table, commercially built after taking it apart (camlocks). Thinking the same thing I suggested here. it is directly attatched! Nice looking material, interesting engineering but maybe they want it to fall apart? so we buy some more next year? :)

Good luck with learning, I have so much hindsight about my mistakes I can walk backwardws! LOL

gotta go to work
 

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3,876 Posts
Very Nice Project! Thanks For posting!
 
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