Butler's table

[gasman]

Incidentally, the reason why I have been so slow with this by the way is that I keep getting interrupted. This time it was for a 'writing slope' as a retirement gift for a surgeon which had to be finished by this Friday coming

It is in cherry (from a few odds and ends left over from a dining table from last year), with ABW edges (this helped with the fact that the top 'slope' which is the widest piece, was actually 1mm too narrow for how I had designed it). The writing slope itself will have an inlaid leather skiver which is on order but if it does not arrive today or tomorrow will be a black felt inlay. That's all that's left to do apart from 2 more coats of finishing oil.
On the inside flap there are ebony inlaid initials and a 'scalpel' inlay to personalise it which is ripple sycamore (blade), ABW (body) and end grain zebrano

Mark

 

[MickCheese]

I like that.

When I first looked I thought the scalpel was a real one that you had used for the initials.

Someone will be very pleased with that.

Mick

 

[marcros]

I like that.

When I first looked I thought the scalpel was a real one that you had used for the initials.

Someone will be very pleased with that.

Mick

i have to admit, so did I.

 

[gasman]

Thanks for the kind words guys - that ripple sycamore does plays trick with the eyes!
The leather skiver arrived yesterday and I had one of those 'big cahonas' moments when the success of whole project is determined by one action - in this case the depth that I was routing out for the leather, what glue to use to stick down the leather - wall paper or PVA etc etc. I have only fitted one leather skiver before - on a much bigger desk and that was done with wallpaper paste. I had to make a decision and get on with it last night as time is so short - in fact it has to be picked up by thursday morning as he is being presented with it Thursday night at a dinner.
In the end I routed out 2mm on both the flat writing surfaces - and as I really needed the glue to be bomb-proof - the leather is acting as the hinge for the inside flap of this writing slope - I used PVA. It has come out OK although if you are ultra critical there is a 0.5mm gap on one side of the leather - curiously the leather seemed to contract with the glue rather than expand as it does with wallpaper glue.
Images taken this am after 1 coat of finishing oil on top of 2 coats sanding sealer denibbed with 0000 wire wool

Mark

 

[gasman]

Back to the Butler's table - the client decided she wanted some detail added to the feet to draw more attention to the curved legs so I first put a 3mm walnut band around each leg 40 mm up from the bottom - hand cut with a marking knife and chopped out with a 3mm dovetail chisel. Once that was done it was obvious more was needed so I routed 2mm off the sides of that bottom 40mm piece and glued on a 2.5mm thick burr piece - trying to match the grains round the corner
So after tidying up with the tiny Proxxon belt sander - used very rarely and has nearly been sold a couple of times but occasionally very useful - and then finished off with a card scraper. One coat of finishing oil on those legs so far

Cheers
Mark

 

[Gary Morris]

such beauty, truly fantastic Mark

Gary