Need Some Creativity Help

[Rick_B]

I will be the first to admit that my weakest area of woodworking, among many weak areas) is the creativity/artistry side of the hobby. My current project is a couple of end tables - the basic frame work is complete (material is cherry)

http://s19.photobucket.com/user/Rick_B/media/End Tables/Overall 1_zpsryscixyh.jpg.html?sort=3&o=2

I'm struggling with the top. In the process of roughing out pieces I found some nice figured cherry that I would like to work into the top, Unfortunately I don't have enough to make a solid panel for the tops.

http://s19.photobucket.com/user/Ric...ured Cherry 1_zpsvruupcis.jpg.html?sort=3&o=1

Right now I'm thinking of resawing the figured cherry to about 1/8" and using those pieces for some type of inlay - and that's where I am struggling. My original thought was a diamond shape in the center of the panel for the top

http://s19.photobucket.com/user/Rick_B/media/End Tables/Diamond_zpsvongyv0s.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0

but my concern is it would have to be pretty big to actually show the figure of the cherry. Then Patty (the actual decision maker ) started leaning towards a rectangle of the figured cherry with borders of another species.


So I'm looking for your thoughts on both the design for the figured cherry and the primary species for the panel. In other words what would look good with the figured cherry and with the rest of the table. I have cherry, walnut, oak (red and white), soft maple, ash and some curly maple to choose from or I can get something else. I'm leaning towards walnut but I'm concerned that the figured cherry would blend into the walnut too much.


I appreciate any help/thoughts you may have


Thanks
Rick

 

[Steve_Honeycutt]

Rick,

My thoughts are to go with Patty's idea of a rectangle. I would use a different species (poplar or soft maple) for the border and paint it black. I think both the shape and the color would highlight the figured cherry. I think that a different shape or figured border would take attention away from the figured cherry.

Steve

 

[Jim M.]

I agree with Steve, go with Patty's idea of a border with a darker or contrasting color.

 

[Matt Furjanic]

Here are a couple table tops with maple burl rectangles surrounded by walnut, for an idea...
I did these using a combination of veneers and solid woods. Matt...

 

[Rick_B]

Matt - that is beautiful work - makes me want to just sell all of my tools and pick a different hobby

I like the border idea - couple of questions. what is the approach to the frame and panel construction. I'm thinking a plywood panel for the center roughly 5/8 thick which would be joined with a mitered frame using a tongue/groove approach. the figured wood would be 1/16 veneer glued to both both sides of the plywood. Am I going in the right direction?

Also - I'm assuming your frame pieces are walnut - the walnut I have is more purpleish when machined - does it age to the nice brown color you have or is that more of a finishng process?

Thanks
Rick

 

[Matt Furjanic]

H Rick, Thanks for the nice comments. Ur right on. The top is 3/4 cabinet grade plywood. You dont need tounge & groove construction. I just do it butt jointed. The wood will break before the glue joint. Although if you need it for alignment, ok... Mine have solid air dried walnut for the edges, no stain used.If ur walnut has a purple cast, it will probably stay that way, but walnut will lighten with age and sun exposure - just the opposite of cherry which will darken.If u keep the walnut out of the sun it retains its color pretty well. If ur veneering, its best to use two layers of veneer with grains in opposite directions, to keep any joints or blemishes underneath from telegraphing through. Although if ur making ur own 1/16 thick veneer, this is probably unnecessary. My veneer was .025" thick. If you want to incorporate inlay banding, go to my website at www.inlaybanding.com.
The plywood was framed first, before veneering, then the veneer right over the walnut frame, right up to the edges, then the perimiter edge roundover done last. You will not see the veneer line if you use a stepped router bit. Good luck. Matt...

 

[Rick_B]

Thanks Matt for the info - I spent some time over the last couple of days playing with the figured cherry. I was able to get enough 6" wide or so of the cherry resawn to yield material for two panels. I book matched each of them and butt glued to yield two panels and them drum sanded to roughly 1/16".

I kept thinking about the finished appearance of the panels and have decided that figure of the top is just not going to look right with the more simplistic arts and crafts design of the rest of the table. I think I am going to go back to plain cherry for the tops and save the figured material for something else.

I did learn that walnut (which I was going to use for the frame tops) that has a purple color will, in fact, turn more brown if left in the sun for a day. That will be good to know for future projects.

Rick