Sapele Hall Table is Done!

Sapele Hall Table

     I'm really happy to share the photos of this project.  Just like the feelings you have after completing an ultra race you trained for or having a child (postpartum blues); it's always a time of mixed emotions.  This table is just under 54" long and 30" tall.  The top is a little over 16" wide at the center of it and tapers towards each end.  Here's another view of it from a side angle.  

Side Angle

     What I feel gives this table a unique character is the detail on the apron.  This was made with a beading tool from Lie-Nielsen  that a friend gave me for helping him on a move across the country.  For years I'd been making my own scratch stock and he surprised me with this wonderful tool.  I suppose you could call it a router of the olden days but I really enjoy using it.  The triple bead detail is mimicked on the drawer pulls as well.







     The shelf on the bottom features a Radio Weave style of woven cane.  This comes from Frank's Cane & Rush  and is actually made of paper!  I had played around with different design concepts for the shelf design but prefer the lightness of the cane inserts.
     Incorporated into the overall design are drawers at either end of the table.  These would have been considered a glove drawer when folks actually wore them on an every day basis!

Drawer Detail

    Here in the desert southwest, gloves are a rare occurrence but this makes an ideal place to put your keys, cell phone, pagers, etc. when you come home from work.  The drawers are made of Maple and ride in traditional wooden runners with a solid Pine bottom.  Notice the Ebony pegs for the breadboard ends.  I had just enough of the Ebony to pin the tenons and stretcher supporting the shelf.
     The original name and concept for this project was the Star Jasmine Table.  The plan was to carve that flower into the center section of the shelf but it just didn't look right.  That would have been the only carved element and seem out of place.  My carving skills are "evolving" so I didn't want to chance ruining the project with a poorly carved design element.  Regarding that though, I am currently taking a carving class from Dennis Patchett a local, topnotch carver here in Las Vegas.
     Since the carving was eliminated, I now refer to this table as the Elliptical Hall Table.  Here's a shot of the top to illustrate why I chose that name:

Nope, Not a Surfboard!

     There's about an inch difference in the width from the center to the ends, just enough to add some visual interest to the design.  So, what are the plans for this project?  Personally I would like to market and sell it so I can buy more materials and create another project.  Diane, on the other hand, wants to make a permanent place for it in our house.  At $1950.00 I'm hoping it finds a home elsewhere and funds my wood addiction.  In either case, it was a good project and like every one of them; a great learning experience.