| Project by Karson | posted 426 days ago | 1079 views | 1 time favorited | 22 comments |  |
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Thorsen Greene and Greene Table – “The Twins” In keeping with my sub series of the Thorsen Woodworking Challenge, I wanted to build tables that show ”The Uniquness of our Woods”
Other items in this series are Dan’s Yellow Birch,
Dave’s Cherry Table 
My Goncalo Alves 
Karrie’s Curly Beech
I wanted to make some tables that show some of the differences in some of the woods that are not common in use. The first table was Goncalo Alves , a wood from Central America.
I am calling these tables “Twins” because the base color of the wood that they are made from are quite similar in color. These tables I made from Holly and Popular. The Holly is on the left and the Popular is on the right. 
These are two woods that are quite light in color. Holly is classified as the whitest wood known, Popular is a common wood used as a secondary wood in many cases. It is not used as a visible wood except when painted over. I was offered some Popular that was black and dark Olive Green. 
These boards were 24” wide and 16’ long when I got them. They were dried in the attic of my barn over a period of 5 years. The stump portion of the log had the blackest color. 
I’ve been unable to determine what caused the color to appear in Popular wood. Purple streaks are a common color seen in this type of wood. One of the boards of this log had purple, brown, black and some robin egg blue.
The Holly table was made from planks that I had dried for 90 days 
with a fan blowing on them constantly in a 45 to 65 degree environment indoors in the workshop. I’ve been unable to identify the moisture meter setting for Holly so I used Popular which was stacked with it as a benchmark moisture scale. I estimated that the wood was around 11% moisture. The popular used for the table was around 8%.
The Holly Table has Pink Ivory pegs. 
The Pink Ivory is a wood and not animal in nature and is classified as expensive. It comes from Africa.
The Popular Table has Holly Pegs 
The Holly was used to help bring the two tables into the same family.
The Mortise and Tenons were cut with a horizontial Router Table made by Woodhaven. 
Some of the mortises were squared up with a regular Mortise drill. 
Holly is known for its staining problem. As it dries it gets a blue stain in the wood. It’s thought that if you cut the tree down, cut it into lumber, and get it into the kiln in the same day, that you might have a chance to keep it white. Since all three were outside of my control, I opted to blow air on the wood as a forced drying. The 1” boards have a lot of blue stain. The 2” board which were stood on their edge on the floor, with no fan seem to have mostly white color. Go figure. The legs were made from the 2” thick planks are white. 
But you might notice the blue stain on the cutoff pieces.
The table top was mostly white when glued up but the blue color seemed to appear later. 
All of the peg holes were drilled with a mortise machine. 
I glued the tables up and brought them into the house to show my wife. About 20 minutes later I found that my son David had found a use for the Popular version 
The Popular table is black in almost all of its surfaces, except for the two side aprons and a portion of the front edge of the table top. 
The stack of aprons and a couple of table tops for the family tables waiting for gluing. 
The shelf supports for all of the tables. 
The jig for making the clouds and the cutouts.
The Twins in their infancy . 
The planer chips after planning the Popular, Holly and Goncalo Alves lumber. 
The table top on the Popular Table 
I perceived that the Popular table was fading in color as it was being exposed to sunlight. So I put a UV protector on the wood. It is Penofin. It is a 99% block of UV rays. The popular table is the only one to receive this treatment.
The Tables from the Series of “The Uniqueness of our Woods”. 
From left to right Popular, Holly, Yellow Birch, Cherry and in front Goncalo Alves.
Additional pictures for all of the tables can be found here On the right are links to the set of pictures.
-- Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com
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22 comments so far
WayneC
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5690 posts in 503 days
posted 426 days ago
Wonderful work by you and your sons Karson. Thanks for sharing your story and process. Through the series I came to know more about you and gain an apreciation for you that extends well beyond your excellent capability as a woodworker.
-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov
mot
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4830 posts in 442 days
posted 426 days ago
Karson, a legacy of skilled craftsman. Just beautiful!
-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)
Todd A. Clippinger
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2484 posts in 505 days
posted 426 days ago
Wow Karson, great work. You have been busy that’s for sure. It is always neat to see a series or set of something being manufactured. It always adds an industrious feel to the shop.
-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com
scottb
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2781 posts in 732 days
posted 426 days ago
That is some great wood. I wonder if many of us will ever see poplar like that.
-- The opposite of war isn't peace. It's creation. -- Wood T's: http://www.printfection.com/snbcreative
Missle
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23 posts in 679 days
posted 426 days ago
I have first dibs on the black one!
-- Missle
Karson
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12000 posts in 806 days
posted 426 days ago
Not on your life. I asked you if you wanted to make one. The other half said no room. Come on down and you can make #7. LOL
There’s enough wood.
-- Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com
David
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1802 posts in 544 days
posted 426 days ago
Karson -
What a wonderful posting. It was great to see the process from the begining and learn about some wood I have not used. Your tables are beautiful!
-- http://foldingrule.blogspot.com
jockmike2
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3890 posts in 652 days
posted 426 days ago
Great showing Karson, what a beautiful set. I hope you keep them both It would be a nice present to pass on to your family. I feel like a piker after seeing yours. jockmike
-- Mike. Profisher50@yahoo.com
MsDebbieP
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11040 posts in 566 days
posted 426 days ago
a family of tables and a family of woodworkers. Can life get any better?? !!
-- "Functional WoodArt" by Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)
Karrie
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12 posts in 679 days
posted 426 days ago
Dad -
Wow Beautiful! It is great to see all that you are doing and that it is keeping you so young and happy. I am very happy for you. By the way, I like the “keep the tables and hand them down” theory. Just remember who is the eldest and should pick first!!!!
Love you!
Karrie
-- Karrie
MsDebbieP
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11040 posts in 566 days
posted 426 days ago
lol I think you have something there, Karrie!!!
-- "Functional WoodArt" by Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)
Missle
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23 posts in 679 days
posted 426 days ago
Ah come on, Dad! How about you make one for me??? Can I order one in black? :) You say you have enough wood. Does that mean you are going out to buy more anyway? “Just in case you run out”. lol
-- Missle
Bill
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2508 posts in 567 days
posted 426 days ago
Very nice job Karson. The tables are works of art! I am embarrassed to show mine when I finish it in a few days. Nothing like that at all.
-- Bill, Turlock California, http://www.brookswoodworks.com
schroeder
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453 posts in 531 days
posted 426 days ago
They all look great Karson!, we may have to rename this style of table to a “Karson” table!
-- The Gnarly Wood Shoppe
Karson
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12000 posts in 806 days
posted 425 days ago
Looks like the kids are putting in their Christmas List early.
-- Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com
Greg3G
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616 posts in 491 days
posted 425 days ago
Karson, i am again amazed at your wood selection. You are truely bless with a kean eye for such things, not to mention souces of wood. Looks great and sounds like you have a steady sourse of customers. :)
-- Greg - Charles Town, WV
Karson
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12000 posts in 806 days
posted 409 days ago
Well the Black Twin was delivered to my duaghter Missy yesterday. LJ id missle.
-- Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com
oscorner
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4576 posts in 716 days
posted 408 days ago
More great tables, Karson. You should open a specialty shop for Thorsen Tables. You’d make a small forturne.
-- Jesus is Lord!
Dusty56
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686 posts in 93 days
posted 64 days ago
POPLAR is very POPULAR around here for all of it’s varied colors due to different minerals in the soils where it grows . Greens , Purples , Yellows , Browns , Black , creamy White….all in the same board : ) My very first cutting board was made from POPLAR actually…..nice tables ….keep up the good work !
-- Dusty56@comcast.net
Zipsss
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74 posts in 519 days
posted 64 days ago
Your workmanship and creativity and taste in choosing the different woods are impressive. The pile of saw dust is the next challenge. What can be done with it so it is not wasted?
-- Zipsss
Lee A. Jesberger
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2201 posts in 385 days
posted 64 days ago
Hi Karson;
That’s quite a photo blog you have there.
Nice work.
Lee
-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com
Karson
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12000 posts in 806 days
posted 64 days ago
The sawdust was spread over my garden spot and rototilled in. I didn’t plant anything there this year, letting all the wood compost, and loosen up the soil. I’m probably going to spread some more and do it again. I put about 3-4” on at a time and till it in.
-- Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com