| Project by Elliot | posted 03-12-2012 03:19 PM | 7901 views | 8 times favorited | 14 comments |  |
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I was asked to restore the dining table for the Great Falls, VA Volunteer Fire Dept. as part of the grand opening of the new station. The table—a 10’ x 3’ x 2 3/4” maple slab—was more than 60 years old and well worn. It was warped, gouged and had been mounted on steel pipes for legs. (see the last image for the before picture.) I wanted to maintain the character of the historic table yet reinvent it for the new station.
I flattened the top entirely by hand using my handplanes—quite a bit of work considering the size of the table and how far from flat it was. Then I inlay a Maltese Cross with the station number 12 in the center made of 4-way bookmatched Bloodwood in a starburst pattern and Birdseye Maple. I added inlayed Bloodwood crossbanding as a border.
For the base, I decided on a traditional trestle design out of Maple with tusked tenons. I made a carving of the Maltese Cross and 12 for each post out of Bloodwood. The curve of the feet was designed to echo the curve of the edges of the Maltese Cross.
The top was finished with System Three epoxy to make it durable enough to withstand decades of use by firefighters, and finished the base with General Finishes Enduro Var.
The project took about 400 hours over six months.
14 comments so far
Ken90712
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17818 posts in 3789 days
#1 posted 03-12-2012 03:28 PM
Wow, now that is some amazing work. What a great job restoring this table. The detail and craftsmanship are amazing. bet they were really surprise on the outcome!
Great work!!!!!!!
-- Ken, "Everyday above ground is a good day!"
Tokolosi
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678 posts in 2956 days
#2 posted 03-12-2012 03:30 PM
Awesome restore! I clicked back and forth between the before and after pic. Beautifull. The inlay is spectacular too! This table will endure for another 60 years and more I’m sure.
-- “There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something. You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after.” ~ JRR Tolkien
Kayvon
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89 posts in 2907 days
#3 posted 03-12-2012 03:32 PM
Beautiful job. That’s way more than a restoration. I wish I could have seen the look on the firefighters faces when you revealed that.
-- Kayvon
RockyBlue
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271 posts in 3294 days
#4 posted 03-12-2012 04:05 PM
Awesome job. Thanks for posting the before photo, looks completely different. They will love it.
-- I haven't had this much fun since hogs ate my little brother. www.coloradobeetlekillfurniture.com
KMT
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603 posts in 3263 days
#5 posted 03-12-2012 04:58 PM
Way to go! That is very impressive. I especially like the carved Maltese Crosses.
-- - Martin
Woodwrecker
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4239 posts in 4176 days
#6 posted 03-12-2012 05:59 PM
Great work Elliot!
It is almost hard to believe it’s the same table.
I bet they were thrilled with your work.
Nice job my friend !
And by the way, with talent like yours, we expect more then one project every 5 years !
Now start sharing some of your skills ! lol
HawkDriver
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447 posts in 3234 days
#7 posted 03-12-2012 06:59 PM
Stunning table!!! Beautiful and functional! Nicely done!
-- Patrick, Helicopters don't fly. They beat the air into submission.
Everett1
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213 posts in 3135 days
#8 posted 03-12-2012 07:54 PM
That is bad ass
-- Ev in Framingham, MA
Francois Vigneron
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#9 posted 03-12-2012 09:16 PM
Nice work. And Hurrah for the firefighters all over the country !
-- Francois Vigneron, Gif-sur-Yvette, France & Altadena, CA
doncutlip
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2832 posts in 4157 days
#10 posted 03-12-2012 11:47 PM
SPECtacular, love it from every angle
-- Don, Royersford, PA
gfadvm
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14940 posts in 3291 days
#11 posted 03-13-2012 12:50 AM
That isn’t a restoration, that’s a miracle! Ya done good here. I can certainly believe 400 hours. The inlay and the medallions on the legs make this very special. Posting the before pic was a great idea. This should last well into the next century.
-- " I'll try to be nicer, if you'll try to be smarter" gfadvm
KnotWright
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258 posts in 4089 days
#12 posted 03-13-2012 01:01 PM
Every fire station needs one of those! Amazing job, well done!!
-- James
terry603
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321 posts in 3514 days
#13 posted 03-13-2012 01:29 PM
would never believe it was the same table. i can only imagine the work involved
-- may not always be right,but,never in doubt.
kdc68
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2908 posts in 2877 days
#14 posted 03-14-2012 01:11 AM
Outstanding work. It is a show piece.
-- Measure "at least" twice and cut once
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