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8K views 47 replies 15 participants last post by  LeeJ 
#1 ·
Wenge and White Ash Table


It's been a while since I posted any projects, so I figured I'd better do so before you all forget my name.

I previously posted a Library stair unit, and this table is the accompaning piece of furniture to that.

The client needed a conference table, but he also wanted a workbench, as he was prone to dismantel his computer occasionaly, in name of improving it.

He was a fan a George Nakashima, so he wanted the table fashioned in his style. My design seemed to prove successful, as he did love the finished product.

We built the trestle style leg sets, and the main frame of the table with wenge. The top was constructed with a resin coated honeycomb cardboard core, covered with M.D.F., and book matched ash veneer.

The top consisted of two pieces, joined at the middle with saus hinges. One half of the table flipped over onto it's counterpart, exposing the brushed stainless steel work surface. The stainless is actually laminated to a wilson- art plastic laminate. (like formica).

The work area under the stainless had a center drawer, covered with felt, as well as two sections that lifted out, for tool storage, at bothends of the table. These too, were covered with felt.

Since the gentleman was not a young fellow, or in the best of health, the table had to be light enough for him to open and close. The honeycomb was the perfect solution.

We inlaid "butterflies" into the top to mimick the ones used by Nakashima to repair cracks in his slab lumber tables.

Again we made use of templates and the vacuum system for many phases of the project.

Lee
 
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#27 ·
Drew;

Great album! I don't know if I could work to it though. It takes too much concentration of my attention away from what I'm doing. (if that makes sense)

Is that your wife in the picture, or Marilyn Monroe?

Thanks;

Lee
 
#29 ·
Ms. Debbie;

I seem to have struck a chord, (ha ha. I made a funny), with this subject.

Maybe this should be a forum topic?

Songs to work to.

Anyway, how can you hear silence.

Lee
 
#34 ·
Construction Details

I thought I would include a few more photos, showing the construction details.

I'm not sure why I always end up with the photos in reverse order, but maybe you should start from the bottom!


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Completed top, waiting for the edge shaping and butterflies.

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My stepson, Evan, inspecting our work.

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Lee and Evan installing 1/8" thick, Wenge edge banding.

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The underside, fitted and stained. The holes allow attaching the top to the frame.

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Evan measuring for the stainless inserts.

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Lee, still installing the saus hinges.

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Lee, installing the saus hinges.

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Both slabs veneered.

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Bruce "laying up" the ash veneer.

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One side out of the vacuum bag.

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One side in the vacuum bag.

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Bruce working on the frame.

Note the full sized drawing on the M.D.F. sheet, complete with the joinery drawn in. This allows us to make the parts, and test them against the drawing.

Once this was done, we added the felt, sanded and finished the table with conversion varnish.

Hope you enjoyed this.

Lee
 
#35 ·
Lee can you explain the construction of the core a bit more. I think I get how it's put together but I don't quite see it when I look in the pics. There is a honeycomb core, with some thin mdf on top, is that mdf rabbetted into the frame, if not how is the core attached to the frame.

(Also they are Soss hinges :)
 
#41 ·
Hi Mot and Gary,

Thanks for the kind words..

The table top is really not that heavy. The gent was 65, I think, and was in failing health, but he had no trouble flipping the top over..

Lee
 
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