Latest project - sofa table

Re: Latest project - sofa table

Dean Lapinel

>Derek,

As usual, wonderful work but I especially like your choice of positioning the matched piece top (sap centered)and the edgework that proudly declares the work as hand made.

Very attractive!

Re: Latest project - sofa table

Bill Houghton, Sebastopol, CA

>I like the way the shape of the top changes from different angles. From the end, it looks positively angular, but as you move around to the side, you can see the curves.

Re: Nice! -- ? on legs

Dave Mount

>Very nice, as always. Are the legs actually curved slightly outward near the bottom or is that an illusion? The grain on the right front leg makes it look like it is curved (in the straight on pic), but in other pics they look simply tapered with a straight outside edge.

I agree with Dean about your incorporation of the sap in the top. While one has to be careful how it's done (as you clearly were), I've always liked leaving some sap on cherry. In table tops and large panels, I'll often arrange glue-ups so there is sap at the edges, like it's one giant board. As long as you avoid hard straight edges where sap meets heartwood, I think sap can add a lot to a piece, particularly with cherry. I remember back in the Badger Pond days KC Constable was making some cherry rockers with the seat planks glued up with sappy edges; it looked really nice, very organic. For those that don't venture off the hand tool board, I've included a link to some of his other work (no affiliation), though the rocker I'm talking about is not pictured.

In our kitchen cabs, I resawed a combo heart/sap board that even had a small knot in it, and used the the mirror image pieces as the end panels in the upper cabs that bookend the window over the sink. On occasion, you can see someone's attention caught by the variation in that panel, then see it dawn on them that the opposing panel is from the same piece of wood. In an age of factory cabinets, the idea of someone hand selecting pieces to create that effect can be a real eye opener for some. Sometimes they then begin to notice the bookmatched door panels, that the "stacked" door panels on the upper cabs are continuations of the same boards, and that horizontal runs of drawer fronts are also cut from the same boards and kept in order.

Your remarks about working NA cherry make me wonder if you've had any experience with NA black walnut. There's a wood that begs to be planed. . .

I'll add my voice to those that like seeing finished work posted here. It's a major reason why I scan the main board; I'm not much interested in the "which table saw should I buy" threads, but there is some interesting work that gets posted there. Thanks for posting some here -- please keep doing it.

Dave, for whom summer (N of the equator) is not much for shop time. . .

Re: Forgot the link *LINK*

Dave Mount

>Here's the link to KC's site, I forgot to add it.


KC Constable's work

Re: Another of KC's pieces *LINK*

Dave Mount

>I really like the mesquite sideboard third picture down.


Mesquite Sideboard

Re: Nice! -- ? on legs

Derek Cohen (in Perth, Australia)

>Are the legs actually curved slightly outward near the bottom or is that an illusion?

Thanks for the kind words Dave.

The legs are curved outward, as one looks at them from the front, and then tapered on the sides. The curve, from top to bottom, is about 1 1/2".

I am really into curves on work. Even when it looks straight, it probably is not.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Re: Latest project - sofa table

Wiley Horne--So. Calif.

>Derek,

I especially like the overhang, which is always a tough thing to figure out. You hit it exactly right.

Wiley

pretty

Bill Tindal, E.TN

>How did we let that nice piece of cherry out of the country?! I am usually not fond of contrasting wood in pieces but in this case it works nicely. As it ages the cherry will only get more richly colored.

Beautiful work and great pictures

Stephen Kirk in Quakertown, PA

>

Very nice...

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond CA

>I like the surf board top!

Re: Latest project - sofa table

Andrew Lunn

>Nice work Derek. Very nice lines and proportions. How did you go about designing it? Did you sit down with a sketch pad and work out its lines that way, or did you have numbers and measurements in mind as you designed it?

And just out of curiosity, what method did you use to fasten the top to the base?

Keep up the fine work!

Andrew

Design and implementation

Derek Cohen (in Perth, Australia)

>Hi Andrew

For me, designing begins with a concept, then progresses through lots of daydreaming as I play with ideas and details. Some on paper and all visualised. I never actually draw up a plan, but I will begin with a few dimensions. For example ..

With regard the top, my friends (for whom the table was) live close to the beach and some are keen (but aging) surfers. So I began thinking along the lines of a surfboard. Since the shape was to be dominated by curves, the legs needed to also continue the flow .. so I added a slight curve here.

The proportions began with the top the height (both planned dimensions), and only then did I attempt to work out the width and length of the base. I needed to see it by this stage.. I had pieces cut and tried a dry-assembly. The width did not look right and so I recut the side stretchers. I also altered the width of the base, recutting the front and rear stretchers. I also recut the thickness of the front stretcher. At some point most of my work takes on a life of its own and I just go with the flow.

The front (double curved) stretcher came from one of JK's designs. I liked it and wanted to include it.

The top is connected with buttons. These are slotted into mortices on the inside of the side and rear stretchers.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Thanks for the detailed reply.

Andrew Lunn

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