Ash / walnut coffee table

[gasman]

Did this in evenings this week - sorry for the lack of WIP...
The legs are walnut, shaped with a bearing-guided router cutter.
The ash top is just 2 planks dominoed together. This was then cut into an oval, drawn using the string / nail technique, roughly bandsawn then finished with a bench-clamped belt sander
The legs protrude through top through holes which were a bit fiddly to cut. I used forster bits, then a series of chisels and goiges to cut the curved, sloping inside edges of the holes in the top
2mm ebony strips were then glued / edge-clamped / sellotaped around the edge of the ash table top
The smaller oval below the main table top is actually 10mm oak - again dominoed together, cut to an oval, sanded and card-scraped, before being ebonized using the vinegar/wire wool trick mentioned in several threads here - it worked a treat although was very blue before being sanded down gently.
Finish is, as before, sanding sealer, hardwaxoil and wax polish
Thanks for looking

 

[xy mosian]

Evenings only eh! Very nice. I particularly like the weird, but kind of beautiful, tenons. They make a change. In my hands they would have been square-ish.

Well done.

xy

 

[wizer]

What's your secret gasman? Do you have some sort of secret energy and motivation potion? :lol: Well done. You're a natural at this malarky!

 

[Ironballs]

Blimey! Very quick and neat work, bet you're justifiably proud

 

[WoodAddict]

Thats a great looking table. The colours work together perfectly. Nice contrast.

Nice work
Paul

 

[gasman]

Thanks for your kind words all or you...
Actually I was astonished that the ebonizing process was so easy and so successful - it really does look like ebony - it matches the actual ebony on the outside of the table top very well and was so quick to do - I got the trick from searching on this so-very-helpful forum

 

[Matt_S]

Evenings? :shock: Very impressive 8)

 

[monkeybiter]

Wow! Regardless of how long it took that looks fabulous. Just the sort of item you see on one of those snazzy bespoke furniture websites with a huge price tag.

 

[mailee]

Very nice and an unusual design. I do like it. Those tennons really set it off as does the choice of wood. Lovely job Gasman. :wink:

 

[Ross K]

Evenings? :shock: Very impressive 8)

If you can make something like that from scratch in a week of evenings you should pack in the day job and do cabinet making full time.

I'm a pro maker and without a doubt would find it impossible to do it in that time.

Whatever time it took, it's a nice distinctive piece, well done!

 

[Mr Ed]

Very nicely done gasman.

If only I'd put my evenings last week to equally good use..

Ed

 

[Paul Chapman]

Very nice, unusual design.

Could you explain a little more the ebonizing technique, please. I'm not familiar with it and would like to try some ebonizing some time.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[Dibs-h]

Do you have some sort of secret energy and motivation potion? :lol:

Whatever it is - I want some (please)!

Impressive piece!

 

[gasman]

Thanks again for all your kind words
Paul - I thicknessed some oak to 11mm, then joined 2 boards then cut the oval out using the string / pins method - cut round with a bandsaw then finshed with a belt sander.
Then I went over it very carefully through all the grades, finishing with a card scraper.
Then I got some vonegar and put a piece of wire wool in it for a few days (I did this last weekend actually). By thursday i tried it out and got spectaculr results - putting it on with a cotton wool swab made the oak go instantly black. I made sure it was quite wet all over then left it overnight.
The following day it was a dark blue-black colour all over.... so I rubbed it down again with sandpaper though the grades - which made the oak show through in places.
Next day I did it again and this time only needed to sand down a bit after so it was now all blue-black. I was worried it would stay blue but when I sealed it with sanding sealer it went completely black - and it really does match the ebony on the rim of the top
Hope that helps
Mark

 

[Paul Chapman]

Many thanks, Mark - that explains it very clearly. Must try it some time.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[SP]

Absolutely love it.
The shape and different methods of construction and finishing make it a really interesting piece.

Stephen

 

[Orcamesh]

Yep, I concur with all the other remarks, this is an interesting piece and the results are excellent. Food for thought... Well done Mark!

 

[dicktimber]

Excellent!!!!!!!!

 

[OPJ]

Love the shape of the top and the lower shelf. Legs looks very interesting too. Guess you wouldn't have done it as quickly without that Domino! :wink: