A few years ago lightning struck my neighbor's giant red oak tree. It had to be taken down as it loomed over the house and it was shedding limbs. The tree guys did a remarkable job limbing it and getting the log on the ground. And there it was, over 10 tons of sound red oak. I did what I could to make the most of the situation - sawed off all the callouses that had grown over limb stumps, sawed up some of the smaller branches into bowl blanks. But the prize was the butt end of the log - close to 6 feet in diameter. I took my biggest saw and cut some quarter sawn slabs out of it. It was very dangerous sawing as the tip of the bar was buried in the log while I was ripping out the pieces. Kickback was always a possibility, and while other than one real good bruise I managed to get 'er done without injury. I didn't die.
My dog looking watchful beside the downed tree:
A bowl I made from a callous, detail showing Starry Night swirls:
I hauled the slabs home and after letting them dry for a few years I started making things. First table was based on an idea I developed playing with blocks:
That table consists of three live edge slabs held together with domino floating tenons.
Recently I had another idea - a bit more high style. Who knows where ideas come from - perhaps they sprout like red oak acorns.
The top has waves on both faces, the base has tapered legs, square in section, that flare out at 8 degrees in the elevation view and 6 degrees when viewed from the end of the table. Medullary rays are prominent on the top, and the top measures 19-1/2" in width by 32" long.
There is much more to this story, obviously, but I was reading some letters to the editor in an old woodworking magazine and a guy was complaining about someone stealing his design for a 4 legged stool with a rectangular top. Yeah, okay bub - you were the first guy to ever build one of those in the history of furniture making. The idea for the top of this table came from several sources, but this one is different in that I milled the top out of one thick slab of wood. Other, similar tops were glued up from smaller pieces and the wave patterns were very different. Take that, other furniture makers - I can hear your laminations from here.
But the real point of this story is that from the loss of one tree can come many useful objects that will last for years.
On that note...
Edit - added because edutcher mentioned it, Bou sphinx, also from 2013.
22 comments:
The dog is reminiscent of Sherlock, AKA Defender Dog (3 1/2 pounds of raging canine fury).
One pose is chinthe - sitting, perfectly straight up.
The other is sphinx - laying down on his belly, forepaws in front, chest and head perfectly erect.
That is some mighty fine work. What a huge tree!
I got wood looking @ that woodwork.
I loved watching Norm Abrams. He loved biscuits.
Sippican Chip!
Getting the first snow of the season right now. Boo.
Biscuits are good, but only with gravy. Dominoes are the way of the future.
I have mentioned this before, back when I used to attend woodworking shows I got to meet Norm's sidekick Tommy Silva a couple of times. Personable guy, funny, good carpenter, scary woodworker, and once, after talking to him for a few minutes I told him that I enjoyed watching his show "because I like to hear your accents".
Without missing a beat he said "Youse are de ones wit de accents!"
Right you are, Tawmy.
Great post Sixty.
It is always interesting to hear someone talk about their wood.
Unless it is Harry Weinstein.
Very impressive work. I love those tables, but the bowl/plate is spectacular.
Someone emailed me to say there is a Ming the Merciless photo and quote at TOP. One day after a Flash Gordon post here.
Quite a coincidence don't ya know.
Oops. I meant Sippican Grit.
Awesome work. Show us your shop sometime.
“Show us your shop sometime.”
Yes, and please leave all the pinups of redheads up in the photos.
Great woodworking, and it's lab-tested, too!
My Border Collie keeps an eye on the perimeter, my chocolate lab provides lab results and when I need a cat scan I go inside.
The shop is not the least bit photogenic, but it is dusty as hell. So, sorry, no shop pictures.
Sadly the walls are all covered with shelves, cabinets, tool racks and other stuff, including more dust, so there is no room for pinups. Plus, when running power tools one must be mindful.
If your shop isn't full of dust and dirt, you haven't been using it.
I am with you on that one, AllenS - I do a lot of work in there, spend a lot of time cleaning up afterwards, but I just can't stay ahead of the byproducts of woodworking.
Hey, maybe that's an idea for another post...
You also mentioned the size of that tree - the thing is, there are two larger ones in dude's front yard. One of them has crown die-back and when I walk my dogs past it I am always checking the limb callouses - that's just how I roll. Red oaks get enormous down here, and white oaks are right there with 'em.
The wave table is extremely cool. Sculptural, decorative, and maybe even useful in case of spills.
Quite a coincidence don't ya know.
Zounds worthy!
With an additional exclamation of amazement over the power of Germination!
Beautiful evidence of life, growth and reclamation, Sixty G
With a song of praise to accompany the laminations.
I don't do a lot of woodwork, but there is always something wood that needs to be built or replaced. I save all of my sawdust and use it for soaking up oil on the floor from my old leaky tractors.
it wcoild make a nice gift for a physicist--a wave table that was not built from a particle board. That's the kind of humor that physicists enjoy.
Good one! Thanks for shining some light on a possible marketing scheme...
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