project complete: Curly maple dining table

[jahrules]

Let me start this story at the beginning. a little over a year ago I decided that I wanted to build a dining table for a friend of mine. It was to be quite an ambitious project because I was just starting out as a woodworker. A few friends of mine convinced me to do an end table first so that I could practice the look before moving on to a final piece. I don't believe I was a member here at the time I finished that, so there wouldn't be any pictures floating around here of that. Sorry. I can link a photo of that project, but I will reserve my attachment space for photos of the project at hand.

my end table 'practice piece':
https://picasaweb.google.com/114593550618739153523/CurlyMapleAndCherryEndTable#5517316947787364146

So, of course, with the full scale project, I encountered issues one doesn't encounter until working with long lengths of stock... The table is 72"x40".

By far, the biggest issue I had was keeping the wood flush while edge gluing. I tried my darndest, but the end result left me sanding the top off and on for the past 6 months to return it to a reasonable flatness for a dining table.

Ill end my banter there and let the wood speak for itself. P.S. some of the pictures have some curvature to the top. The top isn't actually curved. it's a function of the project being large, and my lens not having a short enough focal length for the scale I needed.

 

[TedAS]

Great work!:icon_thum

That is one lucky friend.

What finish did you use?

 

[jahrules]

I used a Jeff Jewitt finishing schedule.

top was dyed with a diluted brown water based stain and then 95% sanded off, the remainder clings to the curl accenting it very well.
next, BLO to add depth to the figure.
poly top coats, with the final coat rubbed out with paste wax and steel wool

 

[cskipper]

Wow - that's beautiful! :eusa_clap

 

[shaf2376]

Very nice Greg. Indeed you have a very lucky friend.

 

[JackLeg]

Just WOW! :eusa_clap Nice work!! :icon_thum

 

[red]

Great looking table and awesome grain patterns!

Red

 

[Bas]

Now that is a beautiful looking table. Second project, you said? :swoon:

 

[jahrules]

2nd project? no. The end table was my 2nd project. This was actually the 3rd project I started, but about my 6th or 7th project finished.

 

[Mike Davis]

Beautiful work!

I'm just the opposite, start 6-7 projects and finish 2-3.

 

[Joe Scharle]

Very nice :icon_thum

 

[thrt15nc]

Beautiful table. And the practice end table is absolutely gorgeous!!!!!! I love the grain that wood displays.

Tom Swortzel

 

[bluedawg76]

gorgeous. nice job with the finish, the top really glows!

 

[Canuck]

Very, very nice table.:icon_cheers

It should bring a big retail price at a furniture dealer, I would expect!

Your finishing schedule sure did do justice to that beautiful maple.

Wayne

 

[waynejnc]

I have big stash of some curly male......... makes me want to start cutting it up!!!

WJ

 

[pviser]

You did justice to the beautiful wood. What a showpiece!

 

[nelsone]

:eusa_clap...:icon_thum

 

[jahrules]

thanks for all the nice comments. I delivered it today. Here it is in its new home:

 

[Randall Kepley]

I have big stash of some curly male......... makes me want to start cutting it up!!!

WJ

Greg the table is Fantastic! I have about 500 bdf of CM in my shop and I incorporate it into quite a few projects. Nothing like it IMO. R.K.

and BTW ... Why does WJ have a stash of curley males ????:rotflm:

 

[kommon_sense]

Thats a beautiful table!