| Project by swirt | posted 07-30-2019 03:36 AM | 1455 views | 1 time favorited | 23 comments |  |
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This one has a ton of first for me:
1) epoxy as finish (Stonecoat Countertop epoxy)
2) gouge texturing
3) sliding dovetail battens
4) shou sugi ban
5) TransTint dye
6) black dye
7) floating top
8) slabs that have only dried six months, paired with kiln dried lumber (It’s okay, I accounted for wood movement)
9) fuming oak
10) Dark Tung Oil
The top is made from quarter sawn Southern Yellow Pine (from the big blue box), tinted with TransTint Dye and finished with Stonecoat Countertop Epoxy.
The stretchers are Southern Yellow Pine, hand textured with a gouge. Dyed with black RIT dye and finished with rattlecan shellac.
The legs are hand cut red oak (water oak) that has been fumed in ammonia and finished with Milk Paint brand Dark Tung Oil.
Other than the glue holding the desktop boards together, all the other joinery is non-glued dovetails, condor tails, and sliding dovetails.
For way more detail and photos, jump to the parts that interest you. It is a long story with a lot of parts:
A) Intro – Floating top river desk planning
B) Epoxy river desktop with islands
C) Textured stretchers
D) Live edge slab legs
E) Assembly complete
How do I account for wood movement? The battens fit into sliding dovetails on the underside of the desk. These float free within the dovetail as the top expands and contracts. The battens also have another long dovetail that slides into the stretchers (not glued in) which fit into dovetails in the slab sides. As the slab sides contract (they were only 6 months off the tree when I made cut them) it will bring the stretchers closer to each other, but they are free to slide along the battens. Everything is free floating, when it comes to wood movement, but not so free floating that it will move apart by pushing on it.
-- Galootish log blog, http://www.timberframe-tools.com
23 comments so far
woodcox
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2386 posts in 2980 days
#1 posted 07-30-2019 06:08 AM
That base looks great. I like the confluence in the top. Nice second pic of the fill up the leg. A fine desk, sir.
-- "My god has more wood than your god" ... G. Carlin.
TZH
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597 posts in 4108 days
#2 posted 07-30-2019 01:05 PM
Everything about this project is stunningly beautiful. For a first timer on these processes, you done guuuude!!!!!
-- Where The Spirit In Wood Lives On
swirt
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5853 posts in 3940 days
#3 posted 07-30-2019 01:36 PM
@woocox, thank you. Good eye on catching the fill on the side leg. That is a bit subtle in the photo.
@TZH Thank you.Much appreciated.
-- Galootish log blog, http://www.timberframe-tools.com
pottz
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13681 posts in 1952 days
#4 posted 07-30-2019 02:34 PM
wow you did a great job on this table,love your design and all the dovetail and detail work.also thanks for all the build pic’s i think we all here appreciate that kind of effort.beautiful work.
-- working with my hands is a joy,it gives me a sense of fulfillment,somthing so many seek and so few find.-SAM MALOOF.
swirt
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5853 posts in 3940 days
#5 posted 07-30-2019 03:24 PM
Thanks @pottz. I am always surprised when I finish a project by how many photos I end up with.
-- Galootish log blog, http://www.timberframe-tools.com
recycle1943
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4937 posts in 2590 days
#6 posted 07-30-2019 04:08 PM
I appreciate the bottom (legs, support, stretcher etc) but I REALLY like the top. A lot of forethought, planning and execution involved and it worked out beautifully
-- Dick, Malvern Ohio - my biggest fear is that when I die, my wife sells my toys for what I told her I paid for them
swirt
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5853 posts in 3940 days
#7 posted 07-30-2019 04:56 PM
Thanks @recycle1943 I like how the top turned out, but it kills me that now that my son is using the desk, the top is so covered with stuff that you can’t see the river. I need to build a river wall so it can’t get covered up ;)
-- Galootish log blog, http://www.timberframe-tools.com
woodcox
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2386 posts in 2980 days
#8 posted 07-30-2019 05:05 PM
Impressive, the amount of shaping you did there. So well, I assumed I was seeing a live face that had not been shaped from a flat sawn slab! Great blog write up, I should have read that first.
-- "My god has more wood than your god" ... G. Carlin.
swirt
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5853 posts in 3940 days
#9 posted 07-30-2019 05:10 PM
@woodcox Thanks, it was hard to mimic mother nature. The only one that had no shaping was the interior side of the slab on the left. That is actually the outside of the tree and had great contours all on its own.
-- Galootish log blog, http://www.timberframe-tools.com
MJR
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376 posts in 1382 days
#10 posted 07-30-2019 10:15 PM
Beautiful design, Execution and details, Nice use of epoxy and making it unique instead of looking like a regular river table
MJR
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376 posts in 1382 days
#11 posted 07-30-2019 10:17 PM
Hi Dick!
swirt
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5853 posts in 3940 days
#12 posted 07-30-2019 11:06 PM
@MJR Thank you.
-- Galootish log blog, http://www.timberframe-tools.com
anthm27
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1798 posts in 2078 days
#13 posted 07-31-2019 09:56 PM
Absolutely supurb piece.
I can only imagine the man hours you put into this one.
Lovely build
-- There is no hope for any of us if we keep apologizing for telling the truth.
swirt
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5853 posts in 3940 days
#14 posted 08-01-2019 02:47 AM
Thanks @anthm27 It was occupying space in my shop (and my brain) for about 6 months. I try not to think about the hours, that would take all the fun out of it ;)
-- Galootish log blog, http://www.timberframe-tools.com
CapJudah
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12 posts in 533 days
#15 posted 08-05-2019 05:32 PM
Beautiful! I love it!
-- "Let every skillful craftsman among you come and make all that the LORD has commanded: - Exodus 35:10
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