what kind of steel base can i have on my slab top table?

ok .. blast from the past, 2013 ... this was about the time we 

got rolling on the claro slab tables ... this post is originally

from 2013 and has been viewed about 35,000 times ...

so here it is again today ... enjoy! 

there is a slide show of these tables at this link ... 

invariably, after the question 'how much does a slab top table cost?', the next question is, 'are there other kinds of table bases i should consider?'  there are.  the legs shown above are our most popular style.  based on a shaker design, below, they are cut (wastefully, i admit), from a slab of 1.5" thick steel on a waterjet, at a local steel fabricators shop.  the process is extremely accurate, but slow going through the thick, solid steel, so the individual cut pieces are expensive even before we grind, polish, drill, tap and assemble them.  they are beautiful though, and extremely rigid, and give the heavy slabs a lighter, sort of 'floating', familiar, yet contemporary look.  click the photos to enlarge them. 

each section consists of the main vertical, a 10" 'wing' for stability and a 2.375 x .375 bar  to tie the whole thing together.  we offer 'natural', top and below, rainbow, a dark browny, bronzy, patina, and black.  these finishes are then top coated to stabilize them.

we can also easily alter their shape as our cnc uses the same programming as the waterjet.  if you can draw it, they can probably cut it.

a flattened version for a smaller table

we also offer fabricated metal bases in a variety of styles.  above and below are our 'trapezoid' bases.  also offered in various finishes, they can be fabricated in any size and can accommodate a design change to allow for a drawer.

more information on this piece at this link.

with the square or rectangular tubing, we can offer a variety of shapes, including squares and xs, shown below.  these bases can be polished and patinated, or left more or less 'as is', like above, for a sort of industrial look.

the restaurant tables below we re fun.  randomly space 5/8ths rebar was welded between two steel plates, randomly painted and randomly rusted.  given that these were 42" high, tghey were bolted to the wood floor, but shortened to traditional dining table height, i'm sure they would make for an interesting look.

wood and rebar combination

we also use plasma cut tapered legs on some of our dining and console tables.

or, our 'bridges' base could also be adapted somehow to a larger, taller scale table.

then we have the 'wood and steel' combinations ...

the 'nakashima inspired' welded steel bases ...

coffee tables ...

and your imagination .. we're open and happy to discuss your designs, either for a slab top you already own, or for a whole table we can design and build for you.  in general, prices for custom steel bases start around $1500. for the welded tubing designs and go up to $5500. to $6000. for the waterjet cut, thick, 'shaker style' patinated steel bases.

 

to see a slide show of  our live edge work over the last 30 years

try this link

A Record Month ...

 

who are all these people  ? ? ?

101,504 page views last month !!! 

 it looks like we could hit 3,000,000 page views in May sometime. 

quite a surprise to me, though there is a lot to see here, and i do

enjoy sharing information on how custom furniture making

works, (or should i say worked) for me for about 45 years ....  

it has been a great ride ! 

a little history at this link ... 

 

Stewart Brand ... The Whole Earth Catalog

somewhere, (Will confirms this) i have my copy of the whole earth catalog 

that we bought when we were thinking about building a house in 1972 or 73.

hopefully it will come to light again soon as it is a fun read here in 2026 ... 

above is related to an Ezra Klein post in the New York Times on April 24th

Mr. Brand is a pretty amazing guy!

 mr. brand has a new book out now called 

'Maintenance: of Everything, Part 1'

'the constant and almost spiritually important work of fixing our cars, 

of doing home repairs, of caring for one another.'

 we have been on that page ourselves for a long time and 

i have written several blog posts on the subject in the past ...

 

food for thought!  Enjoy! 

 

those dam beavers!

 i had forgotten about this blog post until i stumbled across it while 

looking for some fishing pictures this morning ...

You’ll probably enjoy this, especially if you are from  Pennsylvania.

This is an actual letter sent to a man named Ryan DeVries regarding a pond on his property. It was sent by the PennsylvaniaDepartment of Environmental Quality, State of Pennsylvania . This guy's response is hilarious, but read the State's letter before you get to the response letter, you won't stop once you start.  This guy is good! SUBJECT: DEQ ... File No.97-59-0023; T11N; R10W, Sec 20; Lycoming County Dear Mr. DeVries: It has come to the attention of the Department of Environmental Quality that there has been recent unauthorized activity on the above referenced parcel of property. You have been certified as the legal landowner and/or contractor who did the following unauthorized activity: Construction and maintenance of two wood debris dams across the outlet stream of Spring Pond. A permit must be issued prior to the start of this type of activity. A review of the Department's files shows that no permits have been issued Therefore, the Department has determined that this activity is in violation of Part 301, Inland Lakes and Streams, of the Natural Resource and Environmental Protection Act, Act 451 of the Public Acts of 1994, being sections 324.30101 to 324.30113 of the Pennsylvania Compiled Laws, annotated. The Department has been informed that one or both of the dams partially failed during a recent rain event, causing debris and flooding at downstream locations.. We find that dams of this nature are inherently hazardous and cannot be permitted. The Department therefore orders you to cease and desist all activities at this location, and to restore the stream to a free-flow condition by removing all wood and brush forming the dams from the stream channel. All restoration work shall be completed no later than January 31, 2010. Please notify this office when the restoration has been completed so that a follow-up site inspection may be scheduled by our staff. Failure to comply with this request or any further unauthorized activity on the site may result in this case being referred for elevated enforcement action.. We anticipate and would appreciate your full cooperation in this matter. Please feel free to contact me at this office if you have any questions. Sincerely,  David L. Price District Representative and Water Management Division.  Here is the actual response sent back by Mr. DeVries:  Re: DEQ File No.. 97-59-0023; T11N; R10W, Sec. 20; Lycoming County Dear Mr. Price, Your certified letter dated 11/17/09has been handed to me. I am the legal landowner but not the Contractor at 2088 Dagget Lane , Trout Run, Pennsylvania . A couple of beavers are in the process of constructing and maintaining two wood 'debris' dams across the outlet stream of my Spring Pond. While I did not pay for, authorize, nor supervise their dam project, I think they would be highly offended that you call their skillful use of natures building materials 'debris.' I would like to challenge your department to attempt to emulate their dam project any time and/or any place you choose. I believe I can safely state there is no way you could ever match their dam skills, their dam resourcefulness, their dam ingenuity, their dam persistence, their dam determination and/or their dam work ethic. These are the beavers/contractors you are seeking. As to your request, I do not think the beavers are aware that they must first fill out a dam permit prior to the start of this type of dam activity. My first dam question to you is: (1) Are you trying to discriminate against my Spring Pond Beavers, or (2) Do you require all beavers throughout this State to conform to said dam request? If you are not discriminating against these particular beavers, through the Freedom of Information Act, I request completed copies of all those other applicable beaver dam permits that have been issued. (Perhaps we will see if there really is a dam violation of Part 301, Inland Lakes and Streams, of the Natural Resource and Environmental Protection Act, Act 451 of the Public Acts of 1994, being sections 324.30101 to 324.30113 of the Pennsylvania Compiled Laws, annotated.) I have several dam concerns. My first dam concern is, aren't the beavers entitled to legal representation? The Spring Pond Beavers are financially destitute and are unable to pay for said representation -- so the State will have to provide them with a dam lawyer. The Department's dam concern that either one or both of the dams failed during a recent rain event, causing flooding, is proof that this is a natural occurrence, which the Department is required to protect. In other words, we should leave the Spring Pond Beavers alone rather than harassing them and calling them dam names. If you want the damed stream 'restored' to a dam free-flow condition please contact the beavers -- but if you are going to arrest them, they obviously did not pay any attention to your dam letter, they being unable to read English. In my humble opinion, the Spring Pond Beavers have a right to build their unauthorized dams as long as the sky is blue, the grass is green and water flows downstream. They have more dam rights than I do to live and enjoy Spring Pond. If the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection lives up to its name, it should protect the natural resources (Beavers) and the environment (Beavers' Dams). So, as far as the beavers and I are concerned, this dam case can be referred for more elevated enforcement action right now. Why wait until 1/31/2010? The Spring Pond Beavers may be under the dam ice by then and there will be no way for you or your dam staff to contact/harass them. In conclusion, I would like to bring to your attention to a real environmental quality, health, problem in the area It is the bears! Bears are actually defecating in our woods. I definitely believe you should be persecuting the defecating bears and leave the beavers alone. If you are going to investigate the beaver dam, watch your dam step! The bears are not careful where they dump! Being unable to comply with your dam request, and being unable to contact you on your dam answering machine, I am sending this response to your dam office. THANK YOU, RYAN DEVRIES & THE DAM BEAVERS

A Litlle Artwork ...

I have been showing paintings at the Coffee Bar in Bennington

for several years now ... 

 i sold a couple recently and had to add some new ones on Monday ..

which made me think about some artwork that i have had hanging around for

several years that i recently decide to mount and frame. 

I have a million of em ...

 from 2008 ... 

 ink and colored pencil on paper ... 

 

i have been reading about surrealists lately, and i think 

what i have been doing for a while now fits that description. 

 "unusual juxtapositions of objects and items"

 

 more to follow soon  ...

the empty shop

 so ... we (Will and I, some painters and other friends) 

wrapped up this project over the summer and fall ...

 

 the upstairs of the shop that Sam left behind is now a rehearsal 

and recording space for will's music ... there is a pull out couch so that 

it can act as a guestroom too. it was a lot of work as it was Sam's paint room

for his metal projects ... everything was covered with metal dust and

over spray from his painting projects ...  the windows were not trimmed 

and were unpainted, the floor was roughly painted particle board ... 

there is some modern hickory laminate flooring there now, and a

'palace size' (12x16) carpet that was a facebook marketplace score.

progress photos below .. 

halfway?  by this time we had vacuumed the walls and floor,

taken down the shades on the fluorescent lights and we were

ready to start the trim and the paint ...

 first hint that we were getting close ... the acoustic

panels were up, and all we needed was the

hickory floor, the big carpet and some instruments to 

get tothe first picture of the finished space above ...

BUT, then there was the downstairs ...

 a little (a lot of) paint, and we were good to go ...

a couple of weeks ago ..

today!  

photography, wood storage, finished table storage ...

empty spaces don't stay empty for long  ...