The Nile Sofa Table

Stunning piece. Beautiful Artistry. Well done…

-- - Ralph, Great Falls, Virginia

Very nice piece… Beautiful lines and proportions…

-- - No design is perfect - That's why pencils have erasers -

That is georgous !!!

-- Mike, Missouri --- “A positive life can not happen with a negative mind.” ---

It’s gorgeous! How stable is it though?

-- I'm just learning how to cut the stuff with some other stuff...

It’s fairly stable, but not rock solid—the ash has a bit of flex to it, but it’s not “tippy”. At the same time it’s meant to be placed up against a wall or a sofa

-- -Michael ( http://www.castlewerks.com ) Groton, MA

If this doesn’t win an award at paradise city, it ain’t paradise no more ! beautiful !

-- some men see things that are and wonder why, I dream of things that never were and ask why not .... rfk

What a wonderful piece of furniture art!

Hard to tell from the photo since it’s a quartering shot, but is the curve cantenary, or just one that you came up with?

I like the combination of wood with the light and dark at the bottom, then the top as both light and dark combined in the rosewood.

Did you choose to keep the top edge squared-off so the eye focuses on the grain of the wood, as well as the curve below?

Looking light and graceful on it’s feet, this thing sure is pretty! It reminds me of some sort of gazelle or antelope you might see in Africa.

-- Jonathan, Denver, CO "Constructive criticism is welcome and valued as it gives me new perspectives and helps me to advance as a woodworker."

One more question: How thick is the laminated ash, and how many layers did you glue together? Just wondering if a couple more layers might help eliminate the flexing without looking thick/heavy?

-- Jonathan, Denver, CO "Constructive criticism is welcome and valued as it gives me new perspectives and helps me to advance as a woodworker."

The arc of the curve was determined by how tall I wanted the piece and how wide I wanted the legs at the base. I used eight 1/8” thick laminates, so the curved pieces are 1” thick. The tapered bevel that runs fro the apex of each curve and gets wider as it approaches the ends, gives the impression that the piece itself (the laminates) tapers towards the ends.

I decided to keep the top just rectangular with squared edges to keep the piece from feeling overdone. The wood itself has enough figure that I didn’t think it needed additional detail.

At their widest point, the laminated curves are 8” wide. If I make this table again, I’d probably aim for 10” and perhaps make that rosewood spline that connects the two a bit wider. That should improve the stability. Ash is a springy wood—one of the reasons it’s great for bending. Given the design I’m not sure I could eliminate the flexing entirely. I would be reluctant to make the laminates much thicker – it would make them too beefy. I don’t think that it’s that much of a problem that it would need more than a modest improvement.

-- -Michael ( http://www.castlewerks.com ) Groton, MA

Michael,

Thanks for all information, and answering my questions. I agree with leaving the top as basic as possible, allowing other things besides an edge to take the stage.

It’s obvious that you’re constantly trying to improve upon things from your answers above. I admire that and strive to learn from the pieces I make as well, thinking about how I might slightly alter things if I were to do it over again.

Again, great job here!

-- Jonathan, Denver, CO "Constructive criticism is welcome and valued as it gives me new perspectives and helps me to advance as a woodworker."

Very nice design!!! I love the black legs!!!

-- I have metal in my neck but wood in my blood!!

Nicely put together and well balanced (aesthetically).

-- Martyn -- Boxologist, Pattern Juggler and Candyman of the visually challenging. http://www.theartofboxes.com

Very Beautiful, Excellent craftsmanship!

-- Dennis Zongker

Wonderful design and execution! What did you used to tint the Water based Poly? Transtint or something else?

I use a Transtint dye on the bare wood, then I use a WB Poly that is already tinted by the manufacturer. It’s not necessary to dye the wood first (the black poly is opaque), but I like to have some color absorbed into the wood and not just a top coat…

-- -Michael ( http://www.castlewerks.com ) Groton, MA