Thread: Coffee table in Rain Tree WIP

Beautiful looking timber.

It's those odd/cranky bits that give the most interesting grain patterns .
This one is going to look terrific.
Wish I had some of that

I love Raintree!! First saw some fabulous slabs in Mosman and was kindly given some scraps that I turned into bowls.

I Think a greenie is in order for your efforts in le!!making every bit of a tree useable.

When I have cut up veneer slices of something I like to arrange them to see what sort of pattern developes, I layed out a slipmatch and a bookmatch for starters with one set of the slices from one of the blocks....
Attachment 175249Attachment 175250

For this top I have settled on a slipmatch with every alternate piece flipped over to form the complete pattern
Attachment 175251

With this set of veneers there was a branch, (can see this in the lump sitting on the log) consequentially there was some pith and cracks which I could have filled but then the completed veneer would have been too wide to fully utilize the best of the crotch pattern on each side of the pattern so I cut this section out, it also meant I can better adjust the bookmatch center section and allowed me to adjust the width, more joins but better overall effect I think....and no filling holes,
Attachment 175252Attachment 175253

Still a little more work to do but this is basically how the top is going to look
Attachment 175254Attachment 175255

Some interesting patterns me thinks


Pete

Pete that is a stunning pattern!!

Drool Drool

Wow, I bought a big lump of raintree at the Canberra WWW show a few years ago, I wonder what it looks like on the inside

That's beautiful timber, Pete. You've done a great job on getting everything out of it. Some of that timber looks like some chestnut I had years ago. Looking forward to see how it comes up with a finish on it.

Very very speccy

I thought I might get to glue the top on today but it didn't happen, tomorrow....all leg work today.... basically cut the mortices, cut and shape the aprons and glueup

After removing the bulk of the overhanging veneer I setup a couple of flipstops on the radius jig so I could creep up on a finished radius, I didnt want to sand too much off and go thru the veneer
Attachment 175418

As I use the spindle moulder for mortices and with the legs being all curve I had to stop it moving in ways I didn't want it to move, to keep it level I clamped a block to the end of the leg and I then could slide it along the top of the fence to keep it level and to keep it against the fence I setup a bearing, all a bit fiddly, maybe I'll get a real morticer one day
Attachment 175415

Legs and short aprons all sanded to 180 ready for glueup, I think the front of the leg is going to look OK, I was a bit worried it was not going to standout enough
Attachment 175416

and one set legs and short apron glued up
Attachment 175417


Pete

This is looking amazing pete. Nice work.

What was the final thickness of the veneers before you glued them, 2.5mm?

Originally Posted by Hundred Miltrik

This is looking amazing pete. Nice work.
What was the final thickness of the veneers before you glued them, 2.5mm?

Hi Miltrik,
There was a bit of variation in the original thicknesses depending on where I was going to put them, the leg face veneers where cut at about 4 and ended up at about 3, the front and rear leg veneers stayed at about 2.5m I didn't have to sand these much but I wanted a bit up the sleeve (just in case) and the top veneers ended up at about 1.5 to 2mm, they went through the sander a few times as I cut and shut the pieces.

Pete

This is going to look terrific.
The curves on the joints make for a bit of a challenge but i looks like youare well set up to overcome them.

Originally Posted by Peter36

This is going to look terrific.
The curves on the joints make for a bit of a challenge but i looks like youare well set up to overcome them.

Yes, when I was looking at the short apron to leg join I thought that would normally be straight and at 90° to the top, nearly a moment, but it was just a matter of locating the curve in the end of the apron in the right place relative to the top edge of the apron.

Pete