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3K views 5 replies 3 participants last post by  mcoyfrog 
#1 ·
I have an idea

Not sure how to start this, i've never done a blog before and i'm not the best at writing/speaking LOL. So here goes.

Many years ago my grandpa made a coffee table for us, i've been trying to figure it out and my best guess is between the years of 1972-1974. It has passed through all our family at one point or another, but the last several years its been in storage because its a hard table to make work in ones living area. You see its very large about 6' long to be more specific. It was once so beautiful, made from pine and mahogany with its butcher block/arts-n-crafts style. Some of the pine pieces were made with 8/4 the bottom mahogany shelf is a full 1" thick all solid wood.

Over the years, cuts and gouges appeared even a burn mark from a certain someone in college passing out after being too much of a student (wink wink) without blowing out the candle. Anyway different times in my younger years hee hee.

So for the past 2 years or so i've been contemplating refinishing it and selling it because nobody has room for it. Well i just can't bring myself to part with it, grandpa is gone and although we do have many pieces he made over the years he won't be making any more, every piece is just as precious as any other.

Enter my sleepless nite two weeks ago, i got a great idea, when i was trying to sleep (of coarse thats when all my idea's hit). My wifes b-day is coming up and she was kinda hinting that she wants a hope chest/linen chest thingamachig. Mann the idea just came outta the blue i'm going to rip down the table and rebuilt it as a chest using the same design technique as grandpa originally used. I kept going over the design and how to approach it, and what size, and how much of the original wood hardware i could reuse…..... whew

In the end i started tearing it apart this last weekend, designed, and redesigned how i'm making it. So please check back and see my progress, i'll be posting it when i'm done. Both before and after pic's to see if you all approve or not.

I'm so excited that i get to keep it in the family for hopefully another 30 years.

Please let me know what you think, maybe some similar experiences also.
 
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#2 ·
Well, Come on man after all this discription we got to have picture. I've got an old Cedar Chest that was my mothers. She didn't build it but bought it and some others from a lady in town who's husband was making them in pirson (Circa 1934). Apparently he was involved in illegal activities to feed his family durring the Great Depression. It was the only one of four peices that survive. I am going to freshen it up and give it to her granddaughter. I think keeping things in the family helps to connect the generations….important. It's kind of cool how woodworking can impact people across the generations. It sounds like your Grandpaw may have made the same mistake I made a few years ago when hit with a great idea, Scale matters. I have a giant table of about the size you discribe that I made several years ago. No one wants it because it is just to big for most houses, so it live in my big old 1860's house. I wish I could make it into something useful. Good idea, and good luck with it.
 
#3 ·
Hey thanks for the comment and encouragement, i'll be getting the pic's up soon.

Love your saying at the bottom about life happens when making other plans soooooooooooo true

Have a good one… Dug
 
#4 ·
Some quick very bad photoshopping pics of the table

Hey all

A couple of you were asking about pics well this is the table after i brought it home from storage. I hope to have the new creations (hope chest) done this weekend. If so i'll get it posted.

Have fun..



 
#5 ·
I can only guess that when you say photoshopped, you are just talking about cropping the picture… That said, After reading the first part, about your indecision (at first) about whether to keep the piece or not, that I was happy that you realized that you can't EVER part with these heirlooms.

I'm not positive, but did you mention the types of wood used? Do you even know? From the looks of the top, it looks a bit like Walnut and maple, but who knows. What will you make the "new" hope chest out of, as, in addition to what you already have shown us.

I possess ONE piece of a set that I've been told (the rest) will be left to me, of a cedar bedroom set, that my great grandfather built back in the mid 50's, as well as a teak (with laminated top) "homework" desk, made around the same time. The reason I still have them is that They mean more than any monetary amount could ever mean to me.
 
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