more on the dart cabinet

pretty fun project here ...

my designer client, nina, had an idea for a cabinet to go in the room with 

the pool table we installed earlier this year. 

we started with a chalk sketch on two of the 'best' ( a relative term) of six red

barnboards that had been salvaged from the client's property, and designated them

to be the doors for the cabinet.  click the photos to enlarge them.

we then added some structural poplar pieces that we later covered with barnboards, but these pieces actually hold the cabinet sides together and provide the structure to secure the cabinet to the wall.

working with the barn boards 'as they are' is always a challenge when you are totally accustomed to

lumber that is straight and flat and has integrity.  

one must 'go with the flow', and cast all aspirations to 'perfection' aside.

we added some chalkboards and dart holders

the red 'box' below the shelf is held in place with rare earth magnets, and is removable to access a space that will hold the cable box for a nearby, wall mounted tv.  the red leather tab was chris's brainstorm.

and later this week, christina young, the decorative painter on site will add the lettering i 

photoshopped on in the photo above to the top of the cabinet.

last thing we did was add a coat of linseed oil, which made the red pop, 

and gave the cabinet a fantastic warmth.

we hung it up friday, but forgot to take pictures !  

we'll be back there later this week and we'll take some then ..

Finished the Chestnut Table

Finished the table Thursday on the way out the door for the weekend ... It leaves for Connecticutt, Wednesday morning ...

7/1/09 update

Will and Jim sanding the second coat of stain .. The client decided to go with all stained chestnut, no paint on the base ... It's going to look sharp

Ready for the seal coat tomorrow
6/26/09
We're in the finishing process ... still work with the clients on the possible colors ( or not) on the base. the top color has been decided and that's set to go now ... We're debating a wash coat of paint, with more or less stain showing through .... click the pictures to enlarge them ....

Proposed paint samples for the legs and aprons

2nd coat of stain .. Lockwood aniline dye

The first coat of understain is sanded and ready to go ...
6/21/09
By the end of the day Friday, we had most of the construction and joinery completed .... Tomorrow we will cut the center legs and fit them up and then disassemble the whole thing for final sanding and glue up. Click the pictures to enlarge them ,,,,

Table top glue up

Handscraped and sanded ... Breadboard end stub tenon detail

Gluing up the two tenoned half rings ...

All together now .. 4:00 pm, Friday ... Trevor, doing his best 'Stayin' Alive' imitation before heading out for the weekend ...

Original post below

Close up of the original table base ...

We're making more and more pieces using recycled chestnut. It's a 'green' material, being that's it's timber recycled from old buildings, and, though I sometimes wonder about all the trucking that has to happen to get it to me from West Virginia, still, I feel good about it, people like it, I like using it, and it makes wonderful furniture. This table is more or less a copy of one we made in 2003 for my friends Susan Sargent and Tom Peters. It's a little wider than theirs, same length, and I think it will be all chestnut, no paint. It's an interesting table to build. Luckily, we have some handwritten notes from Ethan Verner, the last guy to carve legs like this in the shop. We don't do them often, but we've got it figured out now so it goes along pretty good when we do. Will's carving these and he's really got the hang of it now. More later as we progress.... Click the pictures to enlarge them ...

Laying out the spiral carving divisions using string and nails

First leg carved

Most of them done; top roughed out in the background ...

First page of notes from mahogany carved leg table 2004 ... I think Will used the saw on the first one, but then switched to carving directly with a freshly sharpened 1/2" veiner ('V' shaped chisel) (chizzle) ...

Page 2

Folding Coffee Table

I had a client/friend come by with an interesting recycled wood and metal project. She had a board her son had saved when he did some remodeling and demolition work for her. Anyway, she also had some nice handforged nails that had come from the same building. Her son had told her he was going to make a coffee table out of the board he had saved at some point. We'll, she beat him to it and had it made for him, as a present. It wanted to fold, as he was moving cross country soon. The design we came up with is based on a folding sewing table I got from a friend a while ago. It has metal hardware that squeaked when you opened it so we came up with a simple hickory wood version. It has a satisfying 'snap' when you open it and is surprisingly rigid. We pounded about 40 of the hand forged nails into the edge of the board. Folds almost flat ... fun object...instant antique ... whatever ... check it out .. Click the pictures to enlarge them ... I'll have a couple more pics coming tomorrow ...
More pics 4/29

Close up of the corner with nails

Underside

Open and done
4/28/09

The bottom of the board

Folded up

opened up

the original folding sewing table with the metal mechanism
One more photo of the finished table coming ...