Redgum Dining Table

[denlen]

Hi Fellow Woodworkers,

Here is a project that took over a year of design and contruction and about a tonne of redgum. The octagonal pedestal base consists of seperate panels connected with through mortise and tenons. The pedestal weighs 64kgs with the top connected to the pedestal with a box frame and the box frame connected to the top with buttons. The table was all made from redgum that was cut for garden sleepers. The top contains 11 sleepers, all up about 30 were used in total.

Thanks,
Denis

[Lignum]

Welcom Denis :D That is one sensational table you have made. What a fantastic effort to construct it being so massive. Jointing, glueing and flattening the top alone is a brilliant effort. How did you do it? Well done. Cant wait to see more of your work:D :D :D

Oh - did you make the chairs?

[zenwood]

You could have set the record here for the most impressive first post! Awesome stuff. Considering the wood came for recycled sleepers, you've done a superb job matching the colours. Did all the sleepers come from the same tree, I wonder?

You must have an impressive shed to produce work like this, on such a scale.

Looking forward to future posts. Greeny on way.

[Mirboo]

Very impressive table. The redgum looks fantastic. Well done.

[jmk89]

A lovely piece of furniture.
What finish have you used?
Jeremy
PS Greenie sent (in case you don't know, that is where forum members add to your reputation by saying that you have submitted a really good posting and is often used when the posting is of a great piece of woodwork)

[mickp]

great table. as others have asked what finish & did you make the chairs.

and how did your missus clean the forklifts tracks off the floor? lol

[martrix]

yes, tis a beautiful piece......http://www.ubeaut.biz/approval.gif
but we are definitely going to need more info, like how did you re-saw the old sleepers?

[Rossluck]

Brilliant. As a person with few woodworking skills but a strong desire to develop some, I offer you my first greenie ....

[BobR]

Denis, the finished table looks great. What many don't realise is that not even C.Tracy could move it. I only helped lift the top and it took about four people.

[Auld Bassoon]

Denis - that is magnificent!

This gets a greenie from me :)

[Ian Smith]

Absolutely stunning!! - wish I had a shed that big

[Arron]

Stunning. Greenie due.
I see you are in Sydney. Could you tell me where you got the sleepers from - can you buy them in Sydney ?

thanks
Arron

[Dan_574]

did you make the chairs as well, great match.

[Lignum]

Brilliant. As a person with few woodworking skills but a strong desire to develop some, I offer you my first greenie ....

Thanks for the greenie:D :D but i didnt make it:( Maybe admin will transfer it to denis then delete this;)

[Rossluck]

Thanks for the greenie:D :D but i didnt make it:( Maybe admin will transfer it to denis then delete this;)

Oops. Sorry mate, I told you it was my first! Thanks for the honesty.

[Auld Bassoon]

Get 'em where you can, eh?

[Harry72]

Wow... makes the most of us look like inexperienced amateurs!

Probably claim the most greenys off the 1st post title too...

[AlexS]

Great table, especially starting with old sleepers. More details please.

[Ticky]

Wow... makes the most of us look like inexperienced amateurs!

Probably claim the most greenys off the 1st post title too...

Harry, some of us are inexperianced amateurs, but not Denlen.

Denis, your table is a Master Piece. You have had some very well deserved praise from some very good woodworkers. I hope you don't expect all of us to be able to produce work of this caliber.

I am so green with envy of your skills,that I can afford to spare a bit of green for you.

Well done Denis

steve

[johnc]

Pretty amazing stuff, like the others I would have to say what a killer of a first post. I like the matching in the redgum.

John

[ele__13]

WOW thats stunning Dennis .... keep up the gr8 work cheers jules

[coedcae]

Denlen what a great piece of work, I look forward to seeing what else you make in future

Peter

[TassieKiwi]

Most excellent work. Luscious grain - how could you chuck that in the garden?

[Simomatra]

Well done Denlen a magnifcent table.

I don't think that you will be moving that one around very much. What do you recon the total weight is?

Did you make the chairs as well

Welcome to the forum as well looks as if you will have all the green on soon

[Felder]

G'day Denlen,

I was talking to someone the other day about a quantity of redgum sleepers that he had acquired and he described to me a table he made from them. He was also from Emu Plains and his name was also Denis!:eek: You're not related are you??;)

Some very impressive work there, Denis! Looks even better than the mental image I got from your description.

Welcome, BTW.:cool:

[jacko]

I am gob smacked! How many bandsaw blades did you go through cutting up those beasties? Looking forwrd to the details of your travails in creating such a wonderful piece. Colour/grain matching looks magnificent, design concept is just great and the workmanship appears absolutely top shelf.
Jacko

[Jill]

Welcome, Denis. This is incredible work! The grain in the redgum is superb, too. To produce something like this, you must also have a house full of other work - more pics, please!!!

Cheers,

Jill

[Shedhand]

A sublime example of the woody's craft. Well done mate.

[TEEJAY]

Nice unit Denis.

Beautiful timber.

Welcome aboard ;)

You owe a few people here some explanations - finish? Chairs? workshop? tabletop size? (I added that one :D ), How did you level or flatten the top?

Amazing the timbers used to hold back dirt.

Congratulations Denis.

I like the use of the hex base. Is this table an original design or did you find inspiration in someone's work?

[Evan Pavlidis]

Well done Dennis, excellent work. Your design was well thought out to bring out the stunning figure in the panel work. The chairs are spot on. Once again well done and keep up the good work; yours' is very inspiring.

[Munga]

Magnif mate absolutely magnif, greenie deserved and sent
Arch:D

[Lignum]

Where is the elusive Mr Denlen to answer all :cool:

[denlen]

Hi All,

This is denlen's daughter (he is unable to respond to anyone until the weekend so I thought I should get on the job - I also put his photos up on this website - with his approval of course!)

No he did not make the chairs, they were purchased at an auction for $5 each and he stripped, sanded and stained them - good match hey!

I have no idea how big the table top is - I just know that it is very HEAVY, it took 4 of us to carry it into the house (had to get the house re-stumped too of course - he he)

A number of you have asked about his shed - how funny because he doesnt even have one! He does most of his work at woodwork class and on the front step of his house (drives mum mad with all the dust) otherwise, he comes to my house and takes over the garage!!

He will have to tell you all the details of the piece (finish, dimensions, structure etc) but I can tell you that it is own original design.

This hobby started about 9 years ago and my myself, mum and sister have all been very fortunate to have some lovely pieces in our homes (all built by dad) so I will post more pictures of some previous work shortly.

Ciao, Kim

[Auld Bassoon]

Thanks Kim!

I ( and all of us here, methinks) look forward to that with anticipation.

Give your dad a big "well done" - then a quiet word in his ear for him to stop embarrassing the rest of us :D (just kidding :))

[TTIT]

Kim - You're going to inherit some beautiful heirloom pieces one day - and I cannot believe he managed that without a shed and is taking classes:confused:...... or is he teaching them:confused:. Beautiful work!:)

[coedcae]

Magnificent piece of work Denise, and all made without a shed!!!!!!!!!!

You will have to in time put up photo's of the other pieces that Kim has told us about. You need to give us more detail Please.

Cheers Peter

[denlen]

DENLEN Redgum Table Answers
<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p> </o:p>
First I would like to thank all for their kind remarks about the table.
<o:p> </o:p>
The table took about two years from conception to completion. Design
was caused by wife who did not want 8 legs. I made a scale model of the
top and tried various different bases before I came up with one that had
just 8 panels joined together. This was later changed to 8 panels with the
protruding supports because the first one failed the tilt test.
<o:p> </o:p>
The wood all came from Bega and it is all from the same tree. The sleepers were new. Saved them from going to the nursery for sale. Because they were cut for sleepers and not furniture the grain was very cranky and the machines hated it. It is made in three separate pieces. Pedestal, frame and top. This makes it transportable. The top is 1925mm across sitting position to opposite sitting and each sitting position is 790mmwide. I originally designed it to be 820mm wide for each sitting position but this made it 225mm wide and I could not get it through the door. I had the top flattened by a man named Tass who hails from Toongabbie in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:City><st1:place>Sydney</st1:place></st1:City> and has a wood wiz. Finish is 50% Satin Proof and 50% Fine Buffing Oil.
<o:p> </o:p>
The chairs painted grey when purchased and my wife re-upholstered them. After repairing, stripping & sanding them I took them to a pro with a sample of a panel and got them colour matched. They are made from European beech and were originally made in <st1:country-region><st1:place>Italy</st1:place></st1:country-region>.
<o:p> </o:p>
As for the shed hopefully in the near future and big enough to do other projects of this size. In the meantime I will continue with my classes at Benchworks without whom the advice and support I received from my teachers and fellow students this project would not have been completed.
<o:p> </o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
The forklift tracks will eventually removed with new carpet and the possible relative was actually my alter ego.
<o:p> </o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
Hope this answers all the questions.
<o:p> </o:p>
Denis

[TEEJAY]

Thanks Denis, good comprehensive answers :) .

Don't you hate it when you use cut and paste from a word doc and all the tags come with it :p

[Lignum]

The forklift tracks will eventually removed with new carpet

<O:p

:D :D :D :D :D :D :D

[echnidna]

A number of you have asked about his shed - how funny because he doesnt even have one! He does most of his work at woodwork class and on the front step of his house (drives mum mad with all the dust) otherwise, he comes to my house and takes over the garage!!

This hobby started about 9 years ago and my myself, mum and sister have all been very fortunate to have some lovely pieces in our homes (all built by dad) so I will post more pictures of some previous work shortly.

Ciao, Kim

So why dontcha all get him the stuff to build a shed with. :)

[bindoon]

Really great work, wow what a design, especially like the connections for the base and the colour in the redgum looks terrific.

Cheers,
Daniel

[loz]

I just cant help stirring the pot! Whil I have to acknowledge a truly magnificant effort, I hate octagonal tables!!

Just on a slightly different note, while I am aware that there are over 50 varietys of redgum, is the timber you easteners call redgum from the same family as West aussie redgum or marri?

Cheers

Laury

[Pete Vivian]

Nice table Denis!

[Lignum]

Just on a slightly different note, while I am aware that there are over 50 varietys of redgum, is the timber you easteners call redgum from the same family as West aussie redgum or marri?

Cheers

Laury

Great tip:D If you have a bad tooth ache, find a Marri tree and put some of the sticky red gum on your finger then into your mouth and rub it on the sore tooth. Works a treat:D

[himzol]

Great tip:D If you have a bad tooth ache, find a Marri tree and put some of the sticky red gum on your finger then into your mouth and rub it on the sore tooth. Works a treat:D

Vodka is better... It doesn't fix the toothache ...but who cares..:D :D