Coffee Table in Wenge

**PaulL** · 12th October 2010, 06:00 PM

Made the mistake of showing my daughter a piece of dressed wenge. Now I am making her a coffee table in wenge for Christmas (year unspecified). A coffee table is not really one of the 'big' items but it will be my 5th project so it is big for me. Well it is the 5th if I count the brace of identical side tables as 2 projects. You know you are a newbie when you can remember all your projects.

(Image 192 & Image 200) Here is one I prepared earlier in tassie oak. Behind is a a similar design with longer legs that I use as an entertainment unit. (Projects 1 & 2).

With help from Anthony and John at Australian Furniture Timbers, I chose some boards and loaded up. Thanks for the loan of the gardening gloves. Undressed wenge is nasty stuff. Boards were 2.9m long 25mm x 175mm but I had to cut 1.1m off so that they would fit in the Pajero. Could have got the longer boards in but I would have had to leave the rear door open and Mr Fribble may have escaped coming over the Westgate. (Image 190)

(Image 195) Now to chose which boards go where on the table top and which ones get ripped for rails and sides. Legs will be ripped from a 50mm board. This is a lot of fun and I really enjoy this early stage of a project. The part before I get 'analysis paralysis' about making a first cut.

I hate ripping wide boards. It was necessary for the cheval mirror in New Guinea Rosewood for the younger daughter (Project 3) and the triton 2000 handled the 100mmx100mm blocks quite well. But it always seems like a waste and I worry about the released stresses. Oh well.

While the wenge will bring a very lively surface to the table. I am worried that the boxy design is a bit boring and lacking in creativity. I am thinking about using some left over NGR (Image 197). Any thoughts?

I would like to say that I am slow but do a great job with my projects. Unfortunately, I am just slow.

PaulL

**groeneaj** · 12th October 2010, 09:02 PM

I like it, it's a clean and simple design but it works well.
What finish did you use on the tas oak?

Andy

**Claw Hama** · 12th October 2010, 09:09 PM

Yep keep it simple (kiss) that design should look great in wenge. How much were your boards?

**Peter36** · 12th October 2010, 09:17 PM

You have some nice figure there . Must watch this

**PaulL** · 12th October 2010, 09:50 PM

Thanks for your comments

Andy, I used a couple of coats of Feast Watson Scandinavian Oil over FW sanding sealer. I like the design too. It is functional with that lower shelf and strong enough to put your feet on in front of the telly. It came up very nicely.

CH, the boards were $50 a metro and the figure does look good.

PaulL

**Waldo** · 12th October 2010, 11:15 PM

I'm here.

**artme** · 13th October 2010, 07:37 AM

Ah yes!!! Beaut simple design, as befits classy timber.

Awaiting the finiished article.

**chowcini** · 13th October 2010, 10:13 PM

Looks Good mate, Ngr and Wenge will look great together! Not only contrast in color but in the grain also.Cant Wait!

**swallow** · 13th October 2010, 11:26 PM

Whilst Wenge is a beautiful wood the one thing that I always hated about it was the SLIVERS and the resultant festering that starts about fifteen minutes after ya jam one into your finger and then of course it breaks off under the skin.

I used to use wenge for making the risers for my custom made full re-curve archery bows but gave it up as the pain just wasn't worth it.

BTW Whats a metro? Up here it's a car made by General Motors and as far as I know their not made of wood.

**artme** · 14th October 2010, 07:05 AM

Well Mr. Swallow we down under don't worry about such things as splintering and festering!

Most of our hard woods, particularly the Eucalypts and their cousins, are highly fissile. All in a days woodwork!

**swallow** · 14th October 2010, 07:20 AM

Originally Posted by artme

Well Mr. Swallow we down under don't worry about such things as splintering and festering!

Most of our hard woods, particularly the Eucalypts and their cousins, are highly fissile. All in a days woodwork!

Well being Canadian as I am, I thumb my nose at Bears both Polar and Black as well as Moose the size of freight trains having a bad horn day but those Wenge slivers now thats some scary stuff. Won't go near it without wearing full hockey gear and a med kit.

Even the bravest of woodsmen must know when to draw the line and then back away slowly and not break eye contact with the Wenge.

**NCArcher** · 14th October 2010, 08:18 AM

Originally Posted by swallow

Well being Canadian as I am, I thumb my nose at Bears both Polar and Black as well as Moose the size of freight trains having a bad horn day but those Wenge slivers now thats some scary stuff. Won't go near it without wearing full hockey gear and a med kit.

Even the bravest of woodsmen must know when to draw the line and then back away slowly and not break eye contact with the Wenge.

Sage advice, I'm sure. The only bears we have are drop bears and NO-ONE messes with them

I think metro translates to per metre.
Sorry for the hijack Paul but do you have any pics of your bows swallow? Perhaps show them off in a new thread.

acmegridley · 14th October 2010, 06:54 PM

Saw a wenge butlers table and stand for sale the other day $270!!

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