And all is revealed.....

There are several things I've learned along the path of my woodworking career - the best being - never underestimate how helpful an extra set of hands can be! 

So when it was time to put this table together, I enlisted the help of a couple of friends - and wow, it made this job go much easier - especially when one of my friends is twice my height and probably strong enough to bench press a Ford F150. 

So right off the bat - I want to extend a BIG thanks for John and Lupe for helping me with this table assembly! We had a few head-scratching moments, trying to figure out the best method for putting this together - we couldn't do it conventionally, as the stone top could only be slipped in from the underside. That meant we had to put it together, and then flip it over, without the adhesive really holding the top in place yet. 

Like I said - a little tricky. And after all the components were stained, buffed and waxed - it would be horrible to scratch something and have to repair it. So we took a lot of precautions to ensure we did nothing to damage any of the parts. Here the slab is in place, 

but we had to clamp something on top of it, in order to flip it over so I could screw the bottom onto the framework. 

(Of course - in the heat of the moment - we forgot to take pictures!) 

Then the two ends were attached, which provide some additional support and stability. This table is heavy - at least to me! 

 And of course, the petrified slab is barely held in place yet - just some beads of silicone, which haven't even set up yet.  So we clamped a  piece of plywood back to it, to hold the slab in place while we flipped it. 

This is apparently when my back decided to protest, as I tweaked the crap out of it. I knew I was going to pay for it later, but we managed to get it onto a cart - upright and in perfect condition.  

And here it is - in all of its glory... exactly as my client envisioned it. All that's left is some grout and it will be out of the shop soon - whew!

Again - HUGE thanks to my trusty assistants - Lupe and John - I couldn't have done this without you two.... now pass the heating pad and the ibuprofen!

Finishing up the little details... it takes forever!

Remember those old Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective books - 

with titles like - The Case of the Burglared Baseball Cards, or The Case of the Disgusting Sneakers?

This post should be entitled - The Case of the Never Ending Commission!

Not that I'm complaining, but I feel like this coffee table is taking much longer than it should. I've been so busy - building and teaching and vacationing and biking - it's hard to pack everything into a my 168 hour week. I really hope your summer is a little more relaxing than mine!

I prepped some stain samples for my clients, and they stopped by to check out the colors. They're hoping for a close match to the petrified slab, rather than a contrast, and ended up taking the samples home to see how they looked with the rest of their furniture. 

Meanwhile, I had a ton of sanding to do on these curved bases. 

The Festool Rotex made quick work of breaking down those angles, but damn - that sander leaves a ton of swirls that have to be eliminated with each successive sanding grit. Even with the vacuum hooked up to the sander, there was quite a bit of dust in the air. 

I didn't look quite this bad - but close!

The corners of this top still had to be curved, 

so I took an old adjustable curve (one of my favorite drafting tools ever!)  and fashioned  a few curves, until I got a shape that I liked. 

It was interesting (i.e... scary-as-shit!) cutting these curves by myself on the bandsaw, but hey, there are times when you just can't find an extra set of hands around the shop. 

After I sanded them - a little routing was in order. 

And finally - the table is starting to actually look like I envisioned it! (The 60's called - they want their table back!)

These figure-8 fasteners are the perfect way to attach the top, so I predrilled their mortises and mounted them onto the bases. 

This is all you'll see, if you ever peek under the table. Slick and professional, right? 

Sometimes it's a little tough to screw them into place, since they're located so close to the vertical pieces of wood, 

so I used an offset driver to pre drill everything. I swear, I have every do-hickey-tool a person could need in my shop... sometimes the hardest part is finding them!

Everything is ready to assemble, so it's time to start staining the pieces. I'd rather stain everything separately, rather than once it is assembled.  We (they) ended up choosing a Zar stain #118, which was a perfect compliment to this slab. I've used a lot of Minwax stains in the past, but I gotta say - this Zar stain rocks!

I'm almost home....

Another Stellar Design

When Beth told me she was building a bench for her hubby, I didn't expect a gem like this! (I should have known better - she has NEVER disappointed me with the things she builds!) 

What's even more incredible - she's been saving her scrap, in order to create the gorgeous slats on the top of the bench. 

This piece reminds me of those Scandinavian designs, with slatted tops - and I just love her use of color and wood grain. 

 She used a combination of solid wood slats and laminated ones, and the effect is stunning. 

The base is mortise and tenoned together - stable, durable, and will probably outlive all of us! There aren't too many pieces that I would put in my home - I'm too picky about what I want to live with!  But this is one of the loveliest pieces I've seen in ages - and I couldn't be more proud of the woodworker that Beth is becoming. 

She's probably taking orders, should you want want of her designs - let me know and I'll put you in touch with her!

Feeling thankful, and sharing the booty

It's happened again - and I'm experiencing that familiar sensation of sad but fortunate feelings. Truly the definition of yin and yang, in my mind.

Back in 2011, I blogged about buying an entire ceramic studio from the family of a potter who had passed away. Going through all of her tools and precious half-finished pieces was hard; it's like looking through someone's sketchbook and seeing what they were thinking at the time. I don't know about you, but that makes me feel emotional. Her studio was packed with amazing equipment, and I've been using it ever since... mostly making tile for my pieces. I still get a little verklempt when I pick up one of her tools.

So the other day – when a woman called and told me she wanted to donate some of her late husband's woodshop to me, I knew it was good to be another one of those tough days. I mean, I'm thrilled to receive any thing that we can use at the shop, but it's always hard going through someone else's stuff. 

The big score was this electronic radial arm saw. It's in good condition, and when I put a new blade on - I think it's going to work well. I especially love the six drawers on the cabinet below - who doesn't need more storage space?!

But once I got the saw figured out, I had to tackle the boxes that she had given to me. It sort of reminds me of Storage Wars - 

you never know what you're going to get. 

I was pleasantly surprised to find this engraver,  

and this industrial drill.

Going through someone's tools is like reading their diary - you find little things tucked away that they must have deemed important.  Like this pen - with its stiletto top. Cool.

The screwdriver was massive, 

made for #4  screws, which I'm pretty sure I've never used in my lifetime.  Still, it's very cool to own one!

There were tons of miscellaneous screws, bolts, anchors, lag bolts, washers, nails, angle brackets - all sorts of weird hardware that you need from time to time. 

There were even a bunch of lead weights.  I'm not sure what to do with those!

 

 But some of the hidden gems included these dowel centers, which we use every now and then.

I may not ever need to buy cable ties again. Ever. 

Nor will I ever need to buy carbide masonry bits. Yup, I'm pretty set on those!

And while these clamps wouldn't be my first choice in the woodshop, you can't argue with free clamps. 

And as they say – you can never have enough.

My buddy Dan spotted these deep throat clamps and asked for them - and I'm happy to share my booty with him.  He's bailed me out more than once in the shop, and it's my turn to repay the favor.

There's still so much more to go through, but it's very comforting to know that this man's tools will help woodworkers for years to come. And of course– all of this gets me thinking about what happens with my tools, when I'm ready for my rocking chair on the front porch?

What about you - any plans for your precious tools down the line?