Walnut End Table

I decided to build an end table, with a drawer, using salvaged walnut from two slab tables that I had built many years ago. One was a sofa back table with a five foot long single slab, the other, a coffee table with a four way crotch slab cut diagonally out of the tree. Both were from an Oregon grown tree, 2 ¼” thick, with live edges of sapwood and a lot of color. I acquired the slabs at the time the tree was felled and air dried them for several years before milling.

For the new table top, I cut the long slab in half and joined it. The rest of the parts were cut from the crotch slab and yielded some burl-like wild grain that required a lot of muscle with my No. 7 Bailey to joint. Even if I owned a jointer, which I don’t, the random grain would not have been easy. I left the sapwood as it occurred.

This is the second time that I have made a table where the drawer is concealed as the end apron. The top sits on the two long side aprons and floats 3/32” above the chamfered leg tops. The apron ends are proud and have large chamfers. The legs are tapered and also feature large chamfers on the outside edges. The drawer has an added compartment at the back with a sliding lid. This provides support for the drawer when pulled out to the normal position and can be accessed when the drawer is completely removed.

The top slab had an hallow limb socket that I was going to leave, but it didn’t look right, so I mortised in a sliced ”thunder egg”.

Table is 20“ wide, 26” long, 21 1/2“ high. Finished with Seafin teak oil and polyurethane. Completed May 27, 2011.

-- Terry Ferguson, Bend Oregon