Rustic hickory dining table and chairs

[dlcw]

The dining table was done last year. It measures 10' long x 4' wide x 2" thick. The trestle legs are 6" square. The breadboard ends on the table were actually done using the Domino system. I've attached some pictures of the process.

The chairs were done and just delivered a week ago. 12 of them! Joinery is about 45 Dominos for each chair. The back legs and seats were cut on the Shopbot (Wally). I finished all parts with ML Campbell satin conversion varnish. I do all my finishing prior to assembly. Makes squeeze out much easier to clean up and produces a superior finish when I can finish all the parts laying flat.

This project took an order of about 700 BF of rustic hickory in a special order thru my supplier.

All in all it was a good challenge and fun projects to design, engineer and build.

Customer said it exceeded all expectations they had. Nailed it!!! :D

[dlcw]

More pictures. Vacuum press was used to laminate 5/4 hickory into thick enough slabs for legs.

http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=24377&stc=1http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=24378&stc=1http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=24379&stc=1http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=24380&stc=1

[Ajcoholic]

Nice work.

If I may, I have a few questions..

Did you leave the breadboard end tenon slots loose? Or are they all tight along the whole length? Up in my neck of the woods, on a 48" wide top you could expect the top to move upwards of 1/8" per foot = 1/2" total seasonal movement. Nothing gets glued tight cross grain here, lol.

Do the seats have any carve to them? It is hard to tell but looks like some shaping has been done.

I like hickory a lot. Dont use too much here - its not common. But I love it. My parents entire house is done in hickory floors we milled up. Most people here dont know what it is. Tough stuff - that table should last a few generations :)

[dmidkiff]

Nice work Don. I too like hickory. The best feeling is when you know you hit the mark with the client.

[dlcw]

Andrew,

The breadboard end leaves plenty of expansion/contraction room. In the breadboard, the two center mortises are about 1/8" wider then the tenons. The further out from the center the mortises get wider up to about 5/8" wider on the two outside mortises so the table surface can move freely. Only the two center tenons are glued. The rest are held in place by pegs. The tenons have oblong holes for the pegs so everything can move as needed. I decided on this approach because trying to make a breadboard tenon on a 120"x48" 300lbs tabletop in a one man shop was a little daunting.

Yes, the seats are carved.

[Brady Watson]

Don,
Looks great! Thanks for posting lots of pics.

-B

[jTr]

Great job as usual, Don! Vac presses are awesome- have wondered about using it for lumber lamination - nice to see you successfully applied it in that way. How did you keep things aligned - simply a countersunk screw?

Also nice to see someone else using the domino so extensively, in addition to making custom width loose tenons. That machine has proven to be one of my absolute favorites. Did you cut back legs and their domino joints on the bot simultaneously? If not, try it - it's a wonderful thing for chairs.

Thanks for sharing the inspirational work and techniques!

Jeff

[scottp55]

Don,
Never CNC'd Hickory...Do you think it would hold detail well in small stuff? Fuzzies?
NICE!!:)
scott

[dlcw]

Scott,

Clear Hickory is ok for carving. VERY sharp bit though. Rustic hickory splinters alot!! Clear hickory splinters some. I've attached a picture of a mantel I take to builders shows that was carved in hickory. It held the detail very well.

http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=24388&stc=1

[scottp55]

Thanks Don,
That's a Beautiful piece!! :)
Dad was just asking yesterday about more Native woods.
Have to locate some thin stock and try it.
Thanks again,
scott

[maverickx50]

I think I know the answer to this but I'll ask anyway. Could you make a living with huge projects like this or are much smaller faster turn projects more profitable over all?

BTW I'm totally jealous of your skill and knowledge. Much better than just "nice work" in my humble opinion.

[dlcw]

Yes, a person can make a living at this. I do cabinetry and furniture. The challenge is pricing your work so you are not taking Santa Clauses job but are also creating REAL value for the customer. Most of selling this type of work is educating people on what I create versus what they can buy in the store. I tell them I don't cut corners and I over-engineer so the piece will last many lifetimes.

A lot of factory furniture is designed to break after a certain amount of time (like many other consumer products) so you have to come back and buy it again. I'm not saying all factory furniture is made this way but look at the RTA items made from particle board. It looks really nice. If you decide to move it chances are you could have some structural problems with it. I've got an RTA desk I purchased about 5 years ago, and the entire surface has the particle board showing through the paper "cherry wood" vinyl added to it to make it look nice. When I bought it, it looked really nice. The projects I do won't have this issue unless it is abused by the owner.

[Ajcoholic]

I think I know the answer to this but I'll ask anyway. Could you make a living with huge projects like this or are much smaller faster turn projects more profitable over all?

BTW I'm totally jealous of your skill and knowledge. Much better than just "nice work" in my humble opinion.

I know my margins are MUCH better on larger jobs like a kitchen, big millwork job or a dining set.

For a one day job I might spend 2 hrs meeting with the customer, a few hrs doing drawings and pricing - to do say 8 hrs working I can charge for.

For a job that will keep me working for a full 3 or 4 weeks - I might spend the same time (or maybe a few extra hours) doing the meeting/drawings/pricing. What is more efficient?

I would assume Don's business is similar, seeing as we both do furniture and cabinetry, and millwork.

Im not sure of the US factory furniture market - but up here in Canada, it is still possible to buy GOOD factory made, North American furniture. BUT... NO one is stocking it, and it is every bit and more $$ than getting something custom made from a smaller custom builder. The wait is the same too. All the chain stores stock absolute junk. All imported from China, Vietnam, Malaysia, etc and most looks good from 20 feet away but things like chairs have a half life of 6 months, lol...

Long live the custom furniture builder!!

Don, thanks for answering my questions. Looks great.

[cowboy1296]

Very nice table. I have a question regarding finishing a slab table and you look like someone who has the answer. I just bought a slab of bubinga that is 42 inches wide and 85 inches long. Its been ripped and glued back together and has a small amount of live edges. I am sure that the finish is lacquer and it has a satin shine. I would like to increase that shine to either semi or glossy but need to do it by hand. Any suggestions?

[dlcw]

The pictured table was finished using MLCampbell Satin Conversion varnish. I've got a bubinga coffee table and matching end tables. The tops are from a slab similar to the slab you describe. I finished my bubinga tables using Tried & True hand rubbed varnish. About 10 coats to begin with. I will scuff the surface with a white nylon pad about every 5 years and add another coat of the Tried & True. The surfaces look today like they did when I first finished them about 15 years ago.

As far as your situation, I don't work much with lacquer, any more, other than small stuff finished with a Deft lacquer rattle can once in awhile. I'm not sure about what needs to be done to put subsequent layers of lacquer over what is already there. Guess it depends on how long the finish has been on it. If the finish is thick enough, you could rub it out starting with 2000 grit wet/dry automotive sandpaper, then finish up with rubbing compound. That would most likely bring a much higher shine out of the finish. But there has to be enough on the wood to pull this off. I've done this in the distant past using lacquer. I'd put 5 or 6 thick coats down then rub it really smooth. Then scuff it and put 5 or 6 more coats on. The rubbing down of the finish probably removes at least 2 or 3 coats of finish in the process. By the time you get done spraying on 10 or 12 coats and rubbing it out you will end up with about 5 or 6 coats left after the process. I used to do that when I lacquered my Z28 Camaro's back in the mid 70's.

[cowboy1296]

Thanks for the education. I checked on the board last night and the furniture maker that i am getting it from, re-sanded it and refinished it. Now i am not sure what type of finish that it has on it, but i like it.

I have looked at many stands, wooden and metal. My taste is metal with a flat or powder coated black. Unless i am doing a wrong search i can not find a lot of vendors who are making them. Any suggestions?