Clean Table - Sneak Peak #3: It's turning me upside down

After a short break to travel to San Francisco for work/play, I was able to get back in my workshop today. I made some pretty substantial progress on the Clean Plate table, including getting all the top planks cut to size, as well as the rails and ends for one of the 3 components. 

The picture on the left is one of two five-foot long sections laid out on a work table. It's pictured here upside down, because the pieces are not fasted together in any way. Hopefully you can get a sense of the basic design and size from the photo. 

This 5' x 4' section and another of equal dimension will bookend a middle section that is 4' x 4'. Two legs of each of the outer 5' x 4' sections will pull double duty by supporting the middle section

as well. I wish I had a better picture of the way I've arranged the top planks; the richness of color and diversity of grain patterns of this Silver City, IA and Nebraska-grown and milled walnut is significant.

To give you a larger sense of the amount of material in this table (and then, perhaps the size),

here is a shot of most of the end pieces I cut off today to square and cut to size the top planks. I save all these stubby pieces in a box with the intent of making a sculpture or fabricating a structure, but I'm not convinced this will happen any time soon. We'll see - maybe when I finish this, and another project and some chairs and...

She's got legs: Clean Plate Sneak Peak #2

"I need wood around me, Jerry. Wood. Wood." - Kramer, from Seinfeld

I have to drive to the Panhandle Wednesday/Thursday and then we're off to San Francisco for a few days starting this weekend. So, I wanted to make a little headway on the Clean Plate table. Tonight I was able to cut and square the remaining four legs. The table, now shortened to about 14-feet, will have 4 solid walnut legs that are about 2" square. All four of the legs pictured above are cut from the same 8/4 piece of wood, which is pretty cool (Most milled lumber is sold in thicknesses of 4/4, 5/4, 6/4 and 8/4. This means just what it sounds like in terms of math - 4/4=4 quarter inches, or 1 inch; 6/4=6 quarter inches, or 1 1/2 inches; and so on - don't ask me why they don't just use the standard inch measurement - must be a wood culture thing). 

Anyway, enough of the shop class lesson. You might not be able to tell, but these pieces all have a very distinctive grain pattern that's very swirly and marbled looking. Check back for more updates soon!

Clean Table - Sneak Peak #1

I have the distinct honor of being commissioned to create a dining table for the upcoming Clean Plate residency at the Empty Room in NoDo. Starting in early August, Elle Lien will bring her flavorful feasts to foodies and concert goers. And trust me, having sampled this past Sunday's Mediterranean-inspired brunch, Omaha is in for a treat. The Empty Room projects are meant to be community-based. In that spirit, I'll be sharing occasional updates and photos of the building process. If you're going to be around the Bemis Center or are interested in checking it out, lending a hand for an hour or so or just want to hang out drop me a line. Here are a couple pictures with the basic layout of the top. The long pieces of wood laying vertically on edge will actually be the supports on the underside, and the uneven pieces running laterally are the top.

After several conversations, Elle and I settled on a Parsons-style table, which means the ends, sides and legs are all flush with the top, eliminating any overhang or lip. The whole table will be 16-feet long and 4-feet wide. This is by far the largest piece of furniture I've ever made and has already presented me with several logistical challenges. Namely, the length and overall size has caused me to build the table in 3 pieces so it can be moved out of my workshop and easily transported to the Empty Room.

Niz's side table

My girlfriend fiancee, Niz, has a slightly different aesthetic than mine when it comes to furniture and interiors. For the most part, I like very solid, dark flooring, molding and furniture. She's sort of the opposite; I think she'd like to live in the Ikea showroom. I think she almost fainted when she saw the custom walk-in closet and cabinets my friend Doug K. made for he and his wife's house.

So, in my continued quest to make her happy, I decided I'd try to move outside my craft comfort zone and make something Ikea-worthy. It's not exactly an Ikea knock-off - that would go against my principal about copying, etc. - but I think I've channeled the simplicity in its use of plywood and veneer and relatively simple design. All in all, I'm pretty happy with this one. The top is made of 5/8" plywood that is about 12" in diameter. The legs are about 16" tall - also made of 5/8" plywood. The top surface is veneered in cherry, and the legs are veneered in walnut. It took all my willpower to keep the edges exposed, as I generally look at plywood with disdain. However, finally taking the time to make something sort of nice out of it might have converted me somewhat. It probably cost about 1/2 to 1/4 the price in materials to make this piece in plywood/veneer rather than solid hardwood, and plywood is a "greener" materials, sort of.