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Neo-rustic tables

comments (2) August 20th, 2009 in Reader's Gallery     
DougStowe DougStowe, member
thumbs up 6 users recommend

Take a rough plank of spalted maple, some 4/4 and 8/4 walnut and make a table.
The divide down the middle has become a theme in my work, but also allows wide stock to pass through a small planer.
Spalted maple table with quilted hard maple base and walnut bench. Round tenons glued in mortises provide a rigid structure.
You have to make certain that the assembly is square as it is glued up, as the round tenons will rotate in a variety of positions before the glue sets.
Take a rough plank of spalted maple, some 4/4 and 8/4 walnut and make a table.

Take a rough plank of spalted maple, some 4/4 and 8/4 walnut and make a table.

Photo: Doug Stowe

My Neo-rustic or "Danish Rustic" tables are a project I started at the beginning of the current recession... a way to use wood I already had to fill requests in a gallery that handles my work. These utilize techniques from my new Taunton book Rustic Furniture Basics. It was fun to walk to my barn, sweep dust off a plank, cut it down the middle and "discover" spalted fiddleback maple. I have completed a number of pieces in this series.


Design or Plan used: My own design - Doug Stowe
posted in: Reader's Gallery, table, tenons, walnut, carving, maple, rustic, oil

Comments (2)

DougStowe DougStowe writes: Tommy, you are more than welcome. The divide down the middle adds interest, and few casual observers realize it has such a practical purpose.

About 3/4 of my best ideas come from not having something that I might think I need. (like a bigger planer) Good luck with the surgery. I hope you are not kept from the wood shop for long.

You can keep up with my work through my blogs, wisdomofhands.blogspot.com and boxmaking101.com

Doug
Posted: 7:32 pm on August 31st

tommyd100 tommyd100 writes: Mr. Stowe,I just want to thank you for the many times you have helped me with your books and articles. Your work with young people in your local schools is an inspiration to all.
As a disabled and retired woodworker I have been using your box designs to use up my large supply of offcuts and one of a kind boards for some time now.
After down sizing my equipment,I had wondered what to do with the wide slabs of figured maple and walnut that I could no longer surface through my 13 inch planner.(I just found out hand planning has resulted in a torn rotor cuff shoulder injury,surgery scheduled next month)
Your split slab technique is the answer,These tables are great!
Thanks again for providing inspiration and wonderful designs,both large and small in scale.
Posted: 3:07 pm on August 21st

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