naff coffee table reborn

[richnfamous]

I saved a crappy coffee table from the tip. the top was thin glass which was scratched and the carcass (about 50mm square oak) was stained sepia and lacquered

I stripped off the sepia stain from the outsides of the legs but left it on the insides. next step was to raid my scraps shelves (I'm a real magpie for hardwood scraps) and choose some mahogany, african rosewood, english and american oak, ash, maple, and a few teak strips, and make a new tabletop. several coats of danish oil later, this is the result

it sold before I finished it. a customer saw it and bought it for his wife's birthday

 

[BillHoughton]

Nice job; and good to save some decent wood from the scrapheap - and make some money and a happy customer besides!

 

[Sgian Dubh]

The effect of the different colours and textures in all those varied species has created a rather attractive end result. I'm guessing you've glued all the 'scraps' together to make up a panel, but I am rather wondering how you've allowed for future expansion and contraction of that panel between the constraining short rails of the original framing? I ask because I can't see an obvious means for allowing for seasonal dimensional change in your new panel: maybe there is an allowance for such wood movement, but I'm simply missing to see it. Slainte.

 

[richnfamous]

The effect of the different colours and textures in all those varied species has created a rather attractive end result. I'm guessing you've glued all the 'scraps' together to make up a panel, but I am rather wondering how you've allowed for future expansion and contraction of that panel between the constraining short rails of the original framing? I ask because I can't see an obvious means for allowing for seasonal dimensional change in your new panel: maybe there is an allowance for such wood movement, but I'm simply missing to see it. Slainte.

I've done this sort of thing several times before and it's never been a problem. however, I find that the tropical hardwoods don't move much in the first place, and the oak and ash is mostly attached with the grain running horisontally rather than vertically, if you get the idea. I don't expect it to be a problem but the whole insert board (which is attached to the supporting rails with a flexible adhesive) comes off easily if any problems arise in future

 

[Sgian Dubh]

I've done this sort of thing several times before and it's never been a problem. however, I find that the tropical hardwoods don't move much in the first place, and the oak and ash is mostly attached with the grain running horisontally rather than vertically, if you get the idea.

Thanks for the explanation, although I must admit that I'm stumped by the description of grain running horizontally rather than vertically in the oak and ash. Are you perhaps referring to radially sawn as opposed to tangentially sawn oak and ash? Slainte.

 

[richnfamous]

Thanks for the explanation, although I must admit that I'm stumped by the description of grain running horizontally rather than vertically in the oak and ash. Are you perhaps referring to radially sawn as opposed to tangentially sawn oak and ash? Slainte.

quarter-sawn... any movement will be minimal

 

[Sgian Dubh]

quarter-sawn... any movement will be minimal

Ok. I understand what you mean now. I hope you're right to expect any cross grain movement to be minimal. It's true that radially sawn boards, the ash and oak you specifically name in your case, typically exhibit about half the cross grain movement that tangentially sawn boards experience, and that in itself will contribute to lesser cross grain dimensional change. Slainte.

 

[white horn studio]

Nice work, how long did it take you in the end?