Popular Post Bombarde16 Posted April 30, 2016 Popular Post Report Share Posted April 30, 2016 A friend had a cedar offcut from a timber framing outfit. Nominal 4x8 and about eight feet long. I resawed out what I needed for the top and glued it up as a slip match a.) Because I've never done a slip matched panel and b.) because I wanted to hand plane the top after glue-up so this put the grain running in the same direction. One patch tore out beyond repair so I covered that with an inlay of walnut and aspen. With the colored streaks on the top, I think it looks like the butterfly is flying against a backdrop of clouds at sunset. OK, I'm just rationalizing the way the slip match looks. I didn't have enough material to make the entire base, so I had to use some other junk boards from the pile. The aprons looked too square, so I jigsawed a few quick curves after the fact. (Shhh, I just wanted an excuse to treat myself to a new spokeshave...) The color match in the base was so lousy (it is cedar, after all) that I decided to paint it. Just as well: Turning the shoulders on the legs left had so much tearout that I had to repair some patches with filler after the fact. Finish on the top is shellac, rubbed out and then polished with steel wool and paste wax. The base is painted with some leftover latex wall paint (we'll call the color "Approximate White") that's been sitting around the furnace room at work for forever. Honestly, it felt silly at times making a table out of such a fragile material, but oh well. It gets gifted to a friend next week and I'm certain it'll get dented and dinged up soon enough. That said, as lightweight as the material is, there's fourteen integral tenons holding the base together. One may hope it'll be a sight stronger than the WalMart coffee table it is destined to replace. Length: 60" Width: 15.5" Height: 20" 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted April 30, 2016 Report Share Posted April 30, 2016 Very cool! Like most, I'm not a fan of paint but, nicely done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardA Posted April 30, 2016 Report Share Posted April 30, 2016 You did a damn nice job, salvaging salvage 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AceHoleInOne Posted April 30, 2016 Report Share Posted April 30, 2016 Sweet looking. Nice job! -Ace- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bombarde16 Posted April 30, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2016 35 minutes ago, TIODS said: Very cool! Like most, I'm not a fan of paint but, nicely done! Me, neither. I think we all go through a phase where the thrill of seeing quality lumber treated with respect (i.e. clear finishes) leads to an aversion to paint. The spirit of the Arts & Crafts movement looms large over our work. That said, paint does have its place and this was certainly a good spot for it. The junk I used to make the base was so badly mismatched that, if left natural, it would have distracted from the top. I also expect that this table is going to get chewed up distressed quite quickly. After the base gets macerated by scuffs from people's shoes (and perhaps by the claws of the future owner's cats) the paint should start to make more sense. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted April 30, 2016 Report Share Posted April 30, 2016 Very nice ! I like the inlay, it adds a level of class to an already beautiful piece. The mixture of paint and clear finish has always appealed to me. The painted base is like a pedastal to make the top look better. Seeing as it's a coffee table I would remove the wax and use a more durable topcoat just to protect from drinks leaving rings or a spilled cocktail doing some dissolving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 30, 2016 Report Share Posted April 30, 2016 Looks amazing. I am a huge fan of clear, knot free softwoods. Supremely underappreciated IMO. Nice work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkinneb Posted April 30, 2016 Report Share Posted April 30, 2016 Very cool! Looks great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janello Posted April 30, 2016 Report Share Posted April 30, 2016 Not a huge fan of painted furniture, but I must say, this just works. The butterfly takes it to another level. Nice job man ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodger. Posted April 30, 2016 Report Share Posted April 30, 2016 nice piece! can we a closer image of the butterfly? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted May 1, 2016 Report Share Posted May 1, 2016 That looks awesome! The butterfly inlay is beautiful, good work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted May 1, 2016 Report Share Posted May 1, 2016 Pretty darn cool. Great job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Bombarde16 Posted May 1, 2016 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted May 1, 2016 nice piece! can we a closer image of the butterfly? Ask and it shall be given to you. Sent from my QTAIR7 using Tapatalk 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodger. Posted May 1, 2016 Report Share Posted May 1, 2016 2 hours ago, Bombarde16 said: Ask and it shall be given to you. Sent from my QTAIR7 using Tapatalk fantastic job on the inlay! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted May 2, 2016 Report Share Posted May 2, 2016 I see a good application for the stick of lacewood Shaneymack was showing in another recent thread....perfect for butterfly wings! That is a very nice inlay job. Care to share your methods? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bombarde16 Posted May 2, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2016 15 hours ago, wtnhighlander said: I see a good application for the stick of lacewood Shaneymack was showing in another recent thread....perfect for butterfly wings! That is a very nice inlay job. Care to share your methods? Not really mine to share. It's the same method Marc featured in a video which is identical to the technique David Marks used on WoodWorks. I decided to push the envelope in two places: 1.) I didn't bother with double stick tape and merely held the pieces down with finger pressure while tracing with an Xacto knife. 2.) I rushed through the pieces without letting the glue dry fully in between. Total time was just over one episode of HBO's "The Pacific" for all five pieces. Edit: Here it is. Sent from my QTAIR7 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbrook Posted May 4, 2016 Report Share Posted May 4, 2016 Awesome job, really like the inlay Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff Posted May 6, 2016 Report Share Posted May 6, 2016 On 4/30/2016 at 11:54 AM, TIODS said: Very cool! Like most, I'm not a fan of paint but, nicely done! Well do yourself a favor and don't watch the latest project on This Old House where they trimmed the entire outside of the house, including windows in genuine mahogany AND PAINTED IT WHITE. I mean, I get it, it's going outside, but just use something else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.