This 27 3/4'' W tabletop was my early November work . The piece features Eucalyptus burl , light fiddle-back Black Walnut , California Laurel ( known as Myrtle outside California ) , and Black Cherry . The commission was initiated by a client looking for a top to mate with an existing iron base , and will serve as a lamp/coffee table . The material selection and design was a collaboration between me and the client . Given my limited hands-on experience with veneer , I am fairly pleased with my results . Now that my hands are more attuned to the finesse techniques and the delicate materials of veneer work I will certainly be making a similar top again very soon . On the revised version I think I will reduce the size of the inlay strips , use the dark Walnut for the lenticular pieces , and use a lighter tone material for the space-dominant pieces . I assembled the components with old-fashioned hide glue (not the hardware store liquid pseudo-hide glue ) and finished the piece with traditional short-oil varnish which I rubbed-out to satin . 
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Veneered Tabletop
This 27 3/4'' W tabletop was my early November work . The piece features Eucalyptus burl , light fiddle-back Black Walnut , California Laurel ( known as Myrtle outside California ) , and Black Cherry . The commission was initiated by a client looking for a top to mate with an existing iron base , and will serve as a lamp/coffee table . The material selection and design was a collaboration between me and the client . Given my limited hands-on experience with veneer , I am fairly pleased with my results . Now that my hands are more attuned to the finesse techniques and the delicate materials of veneer work I will certainly be making a similar top again very soon . On the revised version I think I will reduce the size of the inlay strips , use the dark Walnut for the lenticular pieces , and use a lighter tone material for the space-dominant pieces . I assembled the components with old-fashioned hide glue (not the hardware store liquid pseudo-hide glue ) and finished the piece with traditional short-oil varnish which I rubbed-out to satin . 