How do they build them

[bark-hut]

Noticed a table on telly last night, it was HUGE, must have been 30 foot long by 15 foot wide.
How are items of this size made, who makes them,
How is the top of such a huge table sanded to such a perfect finish, can't imagine a floor sander doing the job.
How do they stain and apply the finish coat, maybe long arms. lol
How do they transport same, how do they get it into room, must have huge doors.
Any members here had any hands on experience with items of such size.
Must do web search and see what I can find, any sugestions.

[Ianab]

Chances are that they are constructed as Torsion boxes. Hollow frames with a grid of ribs inside, plywood skins and solid wood trim around the outside. That makes a large stiff top that could still be lifted by a few strong blokes.

You probably aren't far off with the floor sander idea, maybe a finer grit than you would use on a floor, Finishing,, well put on your soft soled shoes and get up there with a spray gun and finish it like a floor.

As for getting it inside, building walls can be removed, just make sure the contract make the installation the buyers problems. :wink:

Ian

[dennford]

I saw that, it was a nice table and I had wondered about it myself, however, Ians suggestion sounds close to me.

Denn

[Harry72]

A lot are inconspicuously made of several pieces...

[patrickdt10]

I saw that, it was a nice table and I had wondered about it myself, however, Ians suggestion sounds close to me.

Denn
ah i have a few pics on the computer of giant tables made from thousand year old trees that were found buried in the ground.(now if i can find them) the table tops were one solid piece / slab of wood. The tree was cut into planks. and the diameter of the tree was a good7 ft in places which meant they could use a plank for a table top!

[bark-hut]

Ian I suspect you’re right, it’s a mammoth task whatever way they are built.
I do hope there is a forum member who has had hands on experience with these projects who can enlighten me.

Denn you know what show I was watching, sort of wish I hadn’t.

Harry72 No doubt about it, how could a thing of such size be installed in room unless in sections.

Patrickdt10 Looking forward to seeing what pics you have

Col

[dennford]

Denn you know what show I was watching, sort of wish I hadn’t.



I guess that would have been "The Howard Years" - unless there were two prog's that showed huge tables!

Denn

[Ironwood]

I remember "Austrailian Wood Review" did an article on board room tables once.

There were about 4 different tables by different woodworkers using different methods of construction.

It was quite a few years ago, not sure which edition, you might be able to chase up a back-issue.

[Johncs]

ah i have a few pics on the computer of giant tables made from thousand year old trees that were found buried in the ground.(now if i can find them) the table tops were one solid piece / slab of wood. The tree was cut into planks. and the diameter of the tree was a good7 ft in places which meant they could use a plank for a table top!

Seven feet isn't especially big. Down near Albany, there's a tree in which people used to be allowed to park their car for photographic purposes. We photographed the family Ford Customline , similar to this (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/1956_Ford_Customline_1956_KKP183.jpg). There was ample clearance.

We had several Marris on the farm that would have been seven feet or so in diameter.

[patrickdt10]

all i can find! sweet finish on it though!

[patrickdt10]

Seven feet isn't especially big. Down near Albany, there's a tree in which people used to be allowed to park their car for photographic purposes. We photographed the family Ford Customline , similar to this (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/1956_Ford_Customline_1956_KKP183.jpg). There was ample clearance.

We had several Marris on the farm that would have been seven feet or so in diameter.
jays its big on usual sizes!

[bark-hut]

Hi patricktd10, that sure is a swell table, the person who made it should be very pleased with themselves.
Not often we see timber slabs that big.
The tree Johncs mentions is HUGE, if it’s still there, they stopped you parking car inside the tree many years ago, is located in the Valley of Giants at Walpole on south coast of West Australia. I was born and raised in Denmark, 70 klms or so east of Walpole.
I’ve not seen any slabs cut from trees the size of the one in Walpole.
I have seen slabs, over 4 feet wide and 10 foot long cut from pine.

Hey Johncs, have you walked the ‘sky walk’ at the Valley of Giants, well worth while if you get the time.

(still looking for member with hands on experience building boardroom tables)

Col
(Ironwood, am doing a bit of scratching around for info re the AWR article)

[dennford]

all i can find! sweet finish on it though!


Beaut table, and as said a big slab of wood but the table being talked about was many times bigger than that - bigger than the room by twice.

Denn

[Ianab]

This is probably about as big as you would want to go with a single piece of wood.

http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/attachment.php?attachmentid=6320&d=1107166925

It's 15ft long, approx 5ft wide (it tapers) and 6" thick. Weighs more than a ton :oo:

Wood is NZ Kauri

Ian

[patrickdt10]

Beaut table, and as said a big slab of wood but the table being talked about was many times bigger than that - bigger than the room by twice.

Denn
wow:oo:, i must try lookin them up. any pics on the internet??

[patrickdt10]

Hi patricktd10, that sure is a swell table, the person who made it should be very pleased with themselves.
Not often we see timber slabs that big.
The tree Johncs mentions is HUGE, if it’s still there, they stopped you parking car inside the tree many years ago, is located in the Valley of Giants at Walpole on south coast of West Australia. I was born and raised in Denmark, 70 klms or so east of Walpole.
I’ve not seen any slabs cut from trees the size of the one in Walpole.
I have seen slabs, over 4 feet wide and 10 foot long cut from pine.

Hey Johncs, have you walked the ‘sky walk’ at the Valley of Giants, well worth while if you get the time.

(still looking for member with hands on experience building boardroom tables)

Col
(Ironwood, am doing a bit of scratching around for info re the AWR article)
Ah i can imagine the size of it. ever see the pics of the giant redwoods in north america with a hole cut through them for cars to go through!
beside us at home, there is a pine about 5 ft in diameter. but that is a phenomenal size for our part of the world!

[dennford]

wow:oo:, i must try lookin them up. any pics on the internet??

I had a look this morning but couldn't find one. The one on the programme was in Melbourne - possibly state parliament????

Denn

[Johncs]

Ah i can imagine the size of it. ever see the pics of the giant redwoods in north america with a hole cut through them for cars to go through!
beside us at home, there is a pine about 5 ft in diameter. but that is a phenomenal size for our part of the world!

I have seen some pics of the redwoods, having seen this (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2341295520052426461jpyQsT) I found them a bit ho-hum:;
Here are a couple more documents. This PDF (http://www.dec.wa.gov.au/pdf/tourism/vog_facts_sheets.pdf) contains a pic of a cute (until you handle it!) possum and this (http://www.fpc.wa.gov.au/content/species/native_forests/red_tingle.asp) has a little technical detail of interest to woodworkers.

Col, I haven't been in the area since 1962:) Until '94 I lived in the Eastern States, and when I came over here it was to spend time with family.

[Johncs]

This is probably about as big as you would want to go with a single piece of wood.


Ian

That does look good. Pity it's too big for our dining room:wink:

[bark-hut]

Patrickdt10, if you do google search “boardroom tables” gives quite a few sites with large tables though couldn’t find anything near as the huge one I saw on telly.

Johncs, had many memories rush back when I opened link to the Valley of Giants tree, thanks for pic

Ian I can’t open the pic you posted, just has little square with red cross in corner, what am I doing wrong :C

Col

[Ianab]

Ian I can’t open the pic you posted, just has little square with red cross in corner, what am I doing wrong :CTry this link

http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/attachment.php?attachmentid=6320

Ian

[weisyboy]

http://www.woodworkforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=57796&d=1192256645

[bark-hut]

Ian, thanks for link, wonderful slab of timber and what an absolutely beautiful table, when I see such master craftsmanship I feel like a mere armature.

Carl, you wouldn’t want to be in a hurry to front up to a giant like that with only an axe or two, hope they took the tucker box with them, and a tent for that matter.
Have a mate who, in his younger day, fell Yellow Tingle trees in the valley of Giants in W.A. of equal size and some even bigger, with chain saw, I know he wouldn’t do it with axes. Lazy eh.
Thanks for pic

Col

[Johncs]

Ian, thanks for link, wonderful slab of timber and what an absolutely beautiful table, when I see such master craftsmanship I feel like a mere armature.

Carl, you wouldn’t want to be in a hurry to front up to a giant like that with only an axe or two, hope they took the tucker box with them, and a tent for that matter.
Have a mate who, in his younger day, fell Yellow Tingle trees in the valley of Giants in W.A. of equal size and some even bigger, with chain saw, I know he wouldn’t do it with axes. Lazy eh.
Thanks for pic

Col

We used to have a cross-cut saw. A two man affair, with a handle at each other. The sort of thing my wife would reckon beyond her ability to lift (she complains about .5m sash clamps).

[weisyboy]

i got a couple lying in the shed. one 6' M tooth and a 9' double cut.

pit sawing isnt so bad so long as your not the under dog.



i don't know what there planing on doing with that tree when they get it down. it would be to big to move as it is.

[dennford]

i don't know what there planing on doing with that tree when they get it down. it would be to big to move as it is.


I believe that after barking it they would have drilled a series of holes along its length and then used explosives to split the thing.

Denn

[bark-hut]

Still getting over my first lesson with my Dad

[Johncs]

I believe that after barking it they would have drilled a series of holes along its length and then used explosives to split the thing.

Denn

Dad used to cut trees down (in the 50s) and then cut to length with a petrol-powered drag saw and split them with a sledge hammer and wedges.

As to size, there was a rather large Karri log in Kings Park for many years.