At long last the tables were finished up last week and delivered on Sunday.  I wet sanded through multiple grades from 400 to 2000 grit and finished with several plain coats of tung oil.  All told, there were about 10 coats of oil through the various stages, which should be durable in heavy use.  I have advised that further applications of oil will be desirable, to keep the surface fresh and well protected.  The ash proved to be a thirsty wood, but the grain is beautiful and it finished with a golden brown that is warm yet transparent.

    

As you can see the tables, once delivered fit the space perfectly.  Despite their odd shape, they blend in well and will provide and improved ergonomic layout in corner of the kitchen that has needed usable counter space and storage.

 

I am entering the home stretch with the tables.  After a couple months of fits and starts, finding the right mix of techniques and approaches, the tables are well constructed for heavy use as work tables, and yet stylish enough to fit in well with kitchen decor.

 

The ash wood has gone from a towheaded blonde to a beautiful golden color, with translucent figure highlighting the grain.  I am layering tung oil progressively using a wet sanding technique that builds up a hard, smooth finish.

 

A quick update on the tables.  Today, I finished milling the legs.  I've left them as chunky as possible, nice sturdy legs that show off the grain well.  Finished dimensions 2.25 x 2.87", or 5.5 x 7.5 cm.

Happy Monday.  I began a new project this weekend for another neighbor.  This one is a set of kitchen utility tables, bookending her stove.  Each table will be a unique size and shape, but solid, highly functional and tailored to fit the space, which is abutting an angled firewall in her kitchen.  After some discussion with her and recon work, I settled on using Ash as the raw material for these pieces.  It is a beautiful blond wood with a heavy grain that is easy to saw and has the resiliency that makes it a wood of choice for many different uses.  Wooden baseball bats are often made from Ash, as well as bows and guitars.

 A close up of the wood stock.  On top are 5/4 x 10" S4S, finished on all 4 sides; the larger piece on the bottom is 12/4 rough cut, which will require milling in order to make it a finished wood:

The 5/4 is being glued together to make a smooth, even surface:

The next day, the glue has dried and the boards are now a single 27 1/2 x 80" piece, ready for trimming to the correct dimensions:

The next task is the table legs.  The 12/4 must be milled and cut to the right size, roughly 2 1/2 x 3".  As seen below, the 12/4 has now been cut into 36" lengths and planed to an even surface on front and back:

The table legs have been cut to the right dimensions and now require additional milling to achieve a finished smoothness:

I'll follow up with further posts as these tables come together.  Once the legs are milled, I will cut the top to the right dimensions and the cross pieces supporting the top and shelf below.

Plate Rail for Dan & Steve

I recently completed a fun project crafting and installing a plate rail in the dining room of Dan & Steve's home.  As can be seen below, there is a line on the wall, which has a gap of about three inches needing to be covered.  The story goes that there was something there originally, but previous owners had removed it and covered it (partially) with a 1x4 pine board that does not match the paneling.  I was engaged to create a plate rail as a decorative and functional architectural feature.

Some design inspiration from the mantel in the living room.

A mock-up of the new design a pleasing combination of combination of fabricated pieces, molding and dimensional lumber; red oak stained to a mahogany brown, closely matching the existing paneling.

One of the blocks being glued with molding.

Installation of the blocks, crown molding and shelf.  The facing molding has yet to be attached.

A more finished look.  A section of the plate rail that has been completed.

The project is finished, literally!  Everyone is happy.  When I get the chance I will post a few photos (with better light!) of the final project with the furniture back in place.

France Trip

A brief note about something I learned while visiting Bordeaux, the French are not afraid to embrace the new if it is done right.

I'm not an ultra-modernist, I like to preserve and restore whenever possible, but I have to admit that when it is done right a new approach can be quite stunning.

Chair Restoration for Mark

Mark asked me to restore this family heirloom, a high chair once owned by his grandmother.  It mostly needed to be cleaned up, with paint drips removed and one minor repair to replace a missing rung of the chair.

The chair has been gently cleaned up, no more paint spots, and is being finished with a tung oil.  The rung has been replace and stained to match.