| Project by Ozfiddler | posted 299 days ago | 582 views | 1 time favorited | 17 comments | ![]() |
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When the 2003 Canberra Bushfire hit us we were extremely lucky only to lose the garden – up to the front door mat! and only surface damage to the house – not bad as we were only four houses back form the initial fire front. We had a big ribbon gum tree (Eucalyptus viminaris) in the front yard that was burnt and dangerous. It was the biggest tree in the garden and I thought just maybe there would be enough to get some timber – so when we had it felled two weeks later I had arranged with a local saw-mill to have the tree milled into boards. They even let me assist with the milling process. So I came home with a van load of boards about 2.2m x 175mm and instructions on how best to sticker it for the next four years.
Fast forward and last year I thought long and hard about how best to honour the tree that took the brunt of the fire front and effectively saved the house.
My wife and I had always thought our dining table was a bit small for dinner parties, so I embarked on by far my biggest project so far. It was a great excuse to buy a jointer ;-) – a 6” long table Sherwood which works really well and coped with the long heavy gum tree giving me a bunch of nicely dressed boards. I also had some good sized square lumber from the same tree.
I wanted something large, but light-looking and decided on gently tapered legs and a contrast for the skirt and breadboard ends to give it visual closure – the skirt and ends are Western Australian jarrah (Eucalyptus marinata) – which is like a rich burgundy with the density of mahogany.
I filled the sap voids in the ribbon-gum with fibreglass resin sanded the whole thing to 1500 grit and finished the top with two coats of Rustins Plastic Finish – a two-part alkyd finish that is extremely hard wearing and gives a good durable finish.
The joinery is pretty basic mortise and tenon – reinforced with low-profile screw dowels and the top is joined with biscuits. The breadboard ends are supported separately on a sub-frame and loose doweled to allow for seasonal movement with only the centre dowels glued and the ends are slot-screwed to the sub-frame.
The underframe comes almost to the edge on the sides as ribbon gum is very strong along the grain and very weak across it.
I made the decorative rosettes from red maple.
I finished it just over a year ago and we have had many good dinner parties around it since.
-- Jerry, Australia































17 comments so far
socalwood
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971 posts in 482 days
posted 299 days ago
well done !
-- rob
woodworm
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7828 posts in 469 days
posted 299 days ago
Beautifully built table.
-- masrol, kuala lumpur, MY.
Bob42
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285 posts in 669 days
posted 299 days ago
That’s some story. Glad all is OK. Alt least something good came out of it, you got a beautiful table and a story to go with it. Nice work!
-- Bob K. East Northport, NY
mrtrim
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1700 posts in 759 days
posted 299 days ago
great story , and an heirloom that will be with your family for many years no dought . exellent job jerry
Ozfiddler
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28 posts in 301 days
posted 299 days ago
Thanks yeah it’s a table with a story and we were lucky to have stayed with the house to fight the fire – they ran out of police to evacuate folks a few streets away so we just figured we’d just keep hosing until the water pressure went and take that as our signal to depart – luckily the water pressure held – mostly those who stayed to fight the fire saved their houses, and those who evacuated lost them because of the embers.
The table is a little prone to racking so I may yet replace the skirt with something a little wider. At the moment I just tension the screw dowels a little when we need to use the table for guests – or when my wife uses it for sewing.
Cheers
J
-- Jerry, Australia
Bigbuck
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1366 posts in 542 days
posted 299 days ago
Very nice table
-- Glenn, New Mexico
Karson
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25273 posts in 1279 days
posted 299 days ago
A great looking table and a family story to go with it.
-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †
Konquest
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58 posts in 322 days
posted 299 days ago
Man, a story like that accompanying a piece like that, all local woods, etc. The defnintion of “heirloom”.
-- "It's a good thing my woodworking is done afterhours so my 2 year old daughter can't hear the swearing."
Ozfiddler
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28 posts in 301 days
posted 299 days ago
Thanks Bigbuck, Karson and Konquest – thanks and yes I reckon that one will be an heirloom alright
-- Jerry, Australia
jim1953
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1561 posts in 720 days
posted 299 days ago
Great Lookin table
-- Jim, Kentucky
BarryW
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869 posts in 785 days
posted 299 days ago
Fires are so destructive no matter where they are…and it’s great you made a great save in this case…and wood to boot. Congratulations.
-- /\/\/\ BarryW /\/\/\ Stay so busy you don't have time to die.
Dominic Vanacora
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504 posts in 748 days
posted 297 days ago
That was a danagerous thing to do but all’s well. The table will be with you and the family for many many years to come.
What a great project. I would give anything to be abe to pass down an heirloon with a story like that.
-- Dominic, Trinity, Florida...Lets be safe out there.
Ozfiddler
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28 posts in 301 days
posted 297 days ago
Thanks Kim, Barry and Dominic – My woodworking cotton dust mask kept the smoke out of my lungs enabling me to keep at it even when the smoke was thick. And we continually reassessed the danger – the streets were clear so we had the escape route if we needed it.
I’m glad to have come through it – but wouldn’t want to be in that position again!
As you say – it’s an heirloom with a story :-)
-- Jerry, Australia
Woodsong
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2 posts in 294 days
posted 287 days ago
Gorgeous-and a wonderful story as well. Did you make the chairs?
Ozfiddler
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28 posts in 301 days
posted 287 days ago
Thanks Woodsong – no the chairs were bought separately – but they go well with the table:-)
Cheers
Jerry
-- Jerry, Australia
motthunter
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2079 posts in 677 days
posted 287 days ago
how cool.. thanks for sharing
-- making sawdust....
Ozfiddler
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28 posts in 301 days
posted 287 days ago
Thanks Motthunter – much appreciated :-)
-- Jerry, Australia