Reclaimed Beech Coffee Table

I really like the look of it, nice color and finish. Good job on the joinery.

-- Don, Royersford, PA

Cool design and very well done.

-- W James Brokenbourgh Custom furniture maker http://artisticwoodstudio.com/

I like the design, it has sort of a modified Arts and Crafts look to it. Nice job, thanks for sharing.

-- Doug

I’m very pleased with the design. Great work!

-- masrol, kuala lumpur, MY.

wicked good!

-- Todd http://www.PictureTrail.com/gid6255915

I like the feel of the piece! Also the design concept. Helps when you have a small shop space. I have realized something Jim Post said in one of his books. “Don’t build someting if there is no place for it to go.” LOL

The break down construction with traditional joiney shows master planning and the design shows craftsmanship. Hope you find clients as enthusiastic as the LJ’s :)

I’m wondering what it would look and feel like in a natural mode, showing the patina and coloring of the natural wood? But that’s me.

Excellent job!

-- Cau Haus Designs, Thomas J. Tieffenbacher

Thanks!

The wood actually came out of the mill in slabs of about 2 1/4 inches thick, and 13 inches wide. Some as long as 10 feet. It was a double edged sword in many ways. The wood had nails every 32 inches or so. At first we tried having some resawn at a local sawyer, but he broke 2 blades on nails (even after trying to remove them). After that, I took a chainsaw and cut out all of the nail sections. Leaving me a ton of 30 inch slabs. Then I ripped each one and removed the center (they were basically all flat-sawn) to reduce cupping. Then with all pieces less than 6 inches wide, I resawed them with the table saw. It was a long day, but left me with a very nice pile of 3/4×6 x 30” boards. This coffee table actually has a decent amount of ambrosia on the top. I feel bad about it, but I actually have so much of it that I didn’t mind covering it with the stain this time.

The point being, after all of that sawing, there is virtually no patina. Just some nice tiger-ing, and ambrosia style beech.

The color of stain has won me over…I think it goes well together with your nice choice of style.

-- Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most..... Twain

Wow a bunch of extra energy but you got some nice material.. Some clients don’t have the ability to see beyond the present? Also people who I’ve had work for me. LOL On your next piece you could contrast finished and unfinished?

I like the color of the piece, and it might feel differnt with a different color, or natural grain?

And after all the work that went into this, I should stop blowing smoke. LOL as I said you are an intuitive designer?

-- Cau Haus Designs, Thomas J. Tieffenbacher

I hope my stuff is half as good. :)

-- Cau Haus Designs, Thomas J. Tieffenbacher

This is a really great piece. Ive done a bunch of projects with reclaimed, nail ridden lumber, and it wears on ya. The hammered saw blades and chipped planer knives really can put a damper on the project. But if you can get by all the extra work you end up with pieces like this. The finish is awesome and the design is great. Ive got to agree with Doc and id like to see an unstained piece letting the old story come through. Well done!

-- "there aren’t many hand tools as awe-inspiring as the #8 jointer. I mean, it just reeks of cast iron heft and hubris" - Smitty