Oak dining Table with Wenge Inlay

[BradNaylor]

This is a job that Phil and I colluded on and delivered a few weeks ago. It has to be said that my input was minimal!

The photos don't do it justice unfotunately. We'll have to go back and take some more.

Cheers
Brad

 

[Doctor]

So what was your imput Dan, delivery
Love the idea and it looks great, you could learn a lot from that fellow.

 

[BradNaylor]

you could learn a lot from that fellow.

You're right there, Doc!

Fortunately he's learning as much from me as I am from him. Learning is great. I hope I never stop doing it!


Cheers
Brad

 

[MikeG.]

I like the table Brad.......like it a lot. But......


.........Wenge is on the IUCN red list of species whose survival is endangered. It also comes from a neck of the woods where there is no control of logging whatsoever. I certainly wouldn't use it, and would encourage others to check carefully on the status of exotic timbers.

Mike

 

[Doctor]

I like the table Brad.......like it a lot. But......


.........Wenge is on the IUCN red list of species whose survival is endangered. It also comes from a neck of the woods where there is no control of logging whatsoever. I certainly wouldn't use it, and would encourage others to check carefully on the status of exotic timbers.

Mike

I admire your stance Mike as a business man I'm afraid I can't be that fussy and I suspect neither can Dan.
I like to think I do my bit but I have done Wenge projects worth thousands and I assure you that if I didn't do them someone else would.

 

[Doctor]

Fortunately he's learning as much from me as I am from him. Learning is great. I hope I never stop doing it!

I can't help but learn from my business partner, he knows it all :lol: :lol:

He obviously has learnt a great deal from you, like get the chips at 1.30pm as they are cheap, how to blag a bench to eat your fish and chips on, how to get a discount on your fish and chips if your a regular, is it me or is there a theme here :lol:

 

[MikeG.]

I don't even know why it is legal to import the stuff. Endangered animal parts are illegal.........

The problem with saying "If I didn't do it, someone else will" is that in a few years time the next generation of craftsman won't have any option. There just won't be any of the stuff about. When did anyone here last work with Zambian teak......a classic African hardwood.....for instance? The generation that used that up said exactly the same as you are saying, I'm afraid. Now there is one small stand left in the wild, and no doubt a few seeds in the Kew Gardens seedbank.

Mike

 

[Ironballs]

When I was last at Boddy's they had quite a lot of wenge in and I thought Boddy's only dealt with FSC type stuff?

Back to the table, I like it too and I think I like the chairs even more. A nice little nod to Rennie Macintosh

 

[Doctor]

Mike are you seriously saying I should turn down a £20,000 project if it contains wenge?

 

[MikeG.]

Well, I would suggest making the case to the client that there are alternatives which they might consider in light of the perilous state of the tree in the Africa. They may even be grateful that you have some obvious morals.

What would you say if you were asked to fit some handles made out of rhino horn?

Mike

 

[Doctor]

Mike you haven't answered my question, you have just turned it around, I prefer to use walnut, but I do wenge jobs when the client is adamant that is what they want, sometimes its an architect or an interior designer which dictates choice, should I refuse these jobs.

I like to think I would not break the law and use Rhino products as I do have morals, I hope your not insinuating that I don't?
However to make such a comparision is ridiculous, I am not breaking the law buying and using wenge.

 

[BradNaylor]

I tend towards Mike's point of view, and would certainly not buy any wenge or other endangered species. If a client asked for it I would suggest alternatives. Fortunately I only work for private clients - they are more malleable than architects and designers with their stubborn ideas.

:wink:

My stocks of wenge, zebrano, and Brazilian mahogany came to me years ago from an old boy who was retiring. He'd had it for years before that. I wouldn't buy any more but while I've got it, I may as well use it.

A local hi-fi buff has been buying little blocks of wenge from me to stand his componants on. Apparantly its acoustic properties are perfect.

Nice little earner. Now what's John Boddy's phone number?

:lol:

Cheers
Brad

 

[MikeG.]

Mike you haven't answered my question, you have just turned it around, I prefer to use walnut, but I do wenge jobs when the client is adamant that is what they want, sometimes its an architect or an interior designer which dictates choice, should I refuse these jobs.

I like to think I would not break the law and use Rhino products as I do have morals, I hope your not insinuating that I don't?
However to make such a comparision is ridiculous, I am not breaking the law buying and using wenge.

No, I'm not implying that, nor looking for an argument. A lot of people assume that everything they can buy legally in this country has been checked and approved and is OK.........£2.00 Tee shirts, for instance. It is legal to buy really cheap clothes, but the children labouring 16 hours a day somewhere in the third world would ultimately benefit if consumers said......."hang on a minute" to the suppliers.

I work with another architect, a brilliant man. He was designing a bespoke staircase on Thursday, and specified wenge, pear, walnut and oak for one of the newels. When I showed him that wenge (there is a missing accute accent over the last e) was endangered, and on the IUCN red list his reaction was to spend half an hour ringing various people and organisations, and as a result, the practice will no longer specify any timber other than from certified European and North American sources.

When people know the facts, there is enough goodness in almost everyone that they generally will reconsider.

Doc, I wouldn't dream of telling you your business. All I would say is that you would be less likely to get business from us if you were using endangered species, and that I would hope that you might question your suppliers..............and ultimately, it is the suppliers who ought to be bearing the brunt of responsibility for this, not the consumers. As I said before, for the life of me I can't understand why it is legal to import wenge........it really is in the same position as the rhino.

Mike

 

[Doctor]

Doc, I wouldn't dream of telling you your business. All I would say is that you would be less likely to get business from us if you were using endangered species, and that I would hope that you might question your suppliers..............and ultimately, it is the suppliers who ought to be bearing the brunt of responsibility for this, not the consumers. As I said before, for the life of me I can't understand why it is legal to import wenge........it really is in the same position as the rhino.

Mike

No arguement Mike and I think its best we don't get on to a moral high ground (both of us) and highjack a thread about a great bit of furniture.
Right i'm of to put my armani suit on, £2 t -shirt, how very dare you :lol: :lol:

 

[Calpol]

I've never seen a table fold across it's diagonals like that but I really like it

Also like how you've made a feature of t'hinges, I would always leave it open :wink:

 

[Mattty]

Nice Job sir. I especially like the Idea though. It's a great space saver.

 

[Mattty]

Mike you haven't answered my question, you have just turned it around, I prefer to use walnut, but I do wenge jobs when the client is adamant that is what they want, sometimes its an architect or an interior designer which dictates choice, should I refuse these jobs.

I like to think I would not break the law and use Rhino products as I do have morals, I hope your not insinuating that I don't?
However to make such a comparision is ridiculous, I am not breaking the law buying and using wenge.

No, I'm not implying that, nor looking for an argument. A lot of people assume that everything they can buy legally in this country has been checked and approved and is OK.........£2.00 Tee shirts, for instance. It is legal to buy really cheap clothes, but the children labouring 16 hours a day somewhere in the third world would ultimately benefit if consumers said......."hang on a minute" to the suppliers.

I work with another architect, a brilliant man. He was designing a bespoke staircase on Thursday, and specified wenge, pear, walnut and oak for one of the newels. When I showed him that wenge (there is a missing accute accent over the last e) was endangered, and on the IUCN red list his reaction was to spend half an hour ringing various people and organisations, and as a result, the practice will no longer specify any timber other than from certified European and North American sources.

When people know the facts, there is enough goodness in almost everyone that they generally will reconsider.

Doc, I wouldn't dream of telling you your business. All I would say is that you would be less likely to get business from us if you were using endangered species, and that I would hope that you might question your suppliers..............and ultimately, it is the suppliers who ought to be bearing the brunt of responsibility for this, not the consumers. As I said before, for the life of me I can't understand why it is legal to import wenge........it really is in the same position as the rhino.

Mike

I greatly admire your stance Mike, this is something that many of us should give greater consideration to.

 

[Fergus]

Lovely table .

 

[Doug B]

A very nice looking, well made table.

The only draw back i can see is the rail between the 2 legs on the right, makes sitting at it a little awkward.
Corner braces may have been a more satisfactory way to go, thus doing away with the rail & allowing easier access to that one side.
Only a small point on what is, as i`ve said , a very nice table.

 

[Karl]

Ah, so you managed to get it out of the 'shop at last!

Looks good - nice match with the chairs.

Cheers

Karl